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Yojimbo
07-06-06, 08:36
I guess I'm behind the times because my first pick for a general purpose carbine barrel would be amid-length govt. profiled, 16", 1/7, 4150/CMV chrome lined barrel.

Lately it seems that SS barrels are being used more and more on general purpose fighting carbines.

I've always viewed SS barrels as more for special purpose precision use rather than for general purpose high volume shooting.

I know Noveske recently came out with a lighter profile SS barrel for general purpose use but I've not heard much about them.

What are your thoughts on SS barrels vs chrome lined barrels for a general purpose fighting carbines .

Hawkeye
07-06-06, 10:22
I think there are some excelent SS barrels out there now, an they areally have their place. I am still one who likes 4150 chrome lined CM barrels for GP use and SS for more specific use though.

baffle Stack
07-06-06, 12:14
I have always felt that that chrome not necessary for a civie's general purpose carbine, but its so readily available, why not get one. Some might say that it is less accurate then SS. Personally I can't shoot well enough to care so the benefits of a chrome bore and chamber outweigh the higher cost and small accuracy loss.

Of all the years surfing the boards, one think I have never seen is a corrosion test. Capn???

Edit because my post had about 20 spelling errors.

CapnCrunch
07-06-06, 14:48
I just sent out a SS barrel that had light corrosion around the barrel extension and the gasblock mating surface. I'm a total dumbass, I didn't take any pics...

If you get a SS barrel and have an AO that's as humid as a rainforest (like me), just make sure it's got some sort of lining or coating to prevent really bad corrosion from happening to the parts that you can't clean and lube during routine maintenance. In all honestly, the exterior surfaces of the barrel are all you have to worry about. The same places that rust on Manganese Phosphated Chrome Moly barrels will rust on SS sooner or later.

As far as I'm concerned, either will do just fine in that regard if you treat it right.

The other concern is longetevity, and well... 416 SS isn't the best steel in the world if you want a semi-lightweight barrel for sustained fire. Noveske's medium profile barrels are about as light as I'd want to take a SS barrel, especially if I happened to be using a can on the end. Heat kills SS barrels like there is no tomorrow. If you run a SS barrel, keep it kinda chunky and make sure it has adequate ventilation.

Edited to add: LMT's MRP barrel profile is the ideal, IMHO, for SS barrels. They hit that ball outta the park.

KevinB
07-07-06, 16:26
I have a Douglas 1:7 on my KAC SR16 URXII gun. The barrel has been thru several courses and three countries.

I have stopped loggin rounds when it went over 10k -- still accurate and no major issues -- but I did screw up the KG on the barrel when I used the bbl to knock out a few windows...

I used to be a chrome fan -- but for me proof was in the pudding.

bigbore
07-07-06, 17:32
I have a Douglas 1:7 on my KAC SR16 URXII gun. The barrel has been thru several courses and three countries.

I have stopped loggin rounds when it went over 10k -- still accurate and no major issues -- but I did screw up the KG on the barrel when I used the bbl to knock out a few windows...

I used to be a chrome fan -- but for me proof was in the pudding.


The boring reality of a standard, traditionally rifled SS "match" barrel serving you well; and outside of "its place" :rolleyes:

Maybe the .mil put some thought into this when they put the same barrel on the SPR?

Yojimbo knows my thoughts/opinoins on the subject;)

CapnCrunch
07-07-06, 18:44
I have a Douglas 1:7 on my KAC SR16 URXII gun. The barrel has been thru several courses and three countries.

I have stopped loggin rounds when it went over 10k -- still accurate and no major issues -- but I did screw up the KG on the barrel when I used the bbl to knock out a few windows...

I used to be a chrome fan -- but for me proof was in the pudding.
I like that upper.

Loner
07-08-06, 08:49
This is the same thought that crossed my mind as I'm about to build a GP carbine using a ss barrel (noveske 12.5). What downside is there to using a ss barrel over a cl barrel or better yet what advantage does a cl barel has over a ss one for gp use?

Stickman
07-08-06, 11:24
SS barrels give the same benefits now, that they did a few years ago, the diference is that people could only hear "chrome" ringing in their ears until recently. I've run SS barrels for the past 6 or 7 years almost daily, on duty, and through training courses. SS barrels hold up fine, and shoot well.

I've replaced SS barrels that had worn out barrel extensions, and the barrel was still shooting fine.

QuietShootr
07-09-06, 10:49
Does anyone remember a few years back when the "Conventional Wisdom" was that stainless was claimed to overheat easily, and was unsuitable for a 'combat' barrel?

Todd.K
07-09-06, 13:56
One downside is you shouldn't use a steel cleening rod in a SS barrel and not a GI one for sure. I wouldn't care to use a GI rod on anything myself....
The up side of that is a well finished SS barrel won't take as long to clean and won't foul as much.

C4IGrant
07-13-06, 18:47
Does anyone remember a few years back when the "Conventional Wisdom" was that stainless was claimed to overheat easily, and was unsuitable for a 'combat' barrel?

I don't think all SS barrels are created equal. I think a lot of the older SS barrels (many years ago) were not properly stress relieved. This would lead to warping under sustained periods of fire.

This problem has seemed to disappear for the most part.

I am of the opinion that SS barrels are an excellent choice if the shooter can take advantage of the barrels capabilities. Meaning if you run a 10lbs trigger, shoot wolf ammo and use a 6MOA red dot optic, don't waste your money on a SS barrel as it will do you no good.



C4

ABN
07-07-09, 17:46
In terms of practical accuracy, Im not a good enough shooter to see the difference. I just assume have a gov't profile chrome. I shoot mostly 55 grain 5.56 of various varieties using a ta31f, aimpoint Comp 2 4MOA, or irons I couldn't tell the difference. Still, it was hardly a scientific test. I'm sure that under certain circumstances, the difference is noticeable. Im not really into benchrest shooting, so mechanical accuracy isn't a big factor to me. As far as durability of stainless barrels, I spoke with someone who worked on the SAM-R project and after deployment they didnt have to swap out a single barrel, thats enough for me. One of the main reasons I prefer CM barrels is that they can be had in slimmer profiles.

greene
07-08-09, 19:42
I was thinking of a noveske afghan but after I fired my chrome lined n4 at 100 yards it got me wondering if I would even need it. I shot two five shot groups with 62 grain brown bear that I could cover with the palm of my hand. Optic was an aimpoint micro. With a 4x scope I could quarter that group.

Rated21R
07-09-09, 03:37
i was wondering the same thing. i had looked at a Noveske N4 Light Low Profile and one of their uppers built with the Afghan. Same price (cept one didn't come with BUIS) so it got me wondering which was the better purchase?

rob_s
07-09-09, 06:07
Holy shit guys, a two year old thread?!

I think times have changed back a bit since Yojimbo's first post. With all of the truly top-shelf chrome-lined barrels these days like KAC, BCM's new CHF, DD, and Noveske's own N4 I'm not sure this thread really applies.

dookie1481
07-09-09, 16:06
Actually 3 years old ;)

Jay