Stainless steel barrels: how long are they "combat accurate"?

[JSantoro]

M855 is well known to be ~ 4 MOA ammo.

If only...! It's more like 6, these days. They've gotten two waivers for the accuracy spec, one for primers, IOT keep up with production at the height of festivities. As the spool-down happens....given M855A1, there's no reason for them to tighten it up again....unless we hear the popping noise of somebody's head being pulled from their ass, once they realize how many guns they're breaking with that overpressured go-green crap.

Unsurprisingly, I'm with a0: If one is prepared to buy a SS barrel, then buy the amount of good ammo and range time it takes to slug the thing, one is posessed of the money to replace said SS barrel, regardless of what round-count it takes to slug the thing. "How many...?" is kind of a moot question, in the face of all the other logistical ones that need be answered.....or is at least one that can by answered by saying "As many as it takes!"

Yeah, they're gonna wear somewhat faster, but it's no easy thing to pin a number to it.

If it's "I wants a sooper-dooper akkerate barrel derp derp!" when buying Wolf, Remington UMC, PMC and the like.....an SS barrel is lost on those poor brainless souls, but it IS a free-market economy. Fools are parted from their money every day.

If 3MOA is one's chosen spec, just say 3MOA. I'll be kind and assert that "combat accurate" is a meaningless phrase, on a par with nonsensical verbal diarrhea like "knockdown power." Accuracy/precision isn't based upon an event, otherwise we'd be able to define a "Debutante Cotillion-Accurate" weapon or an "Arbor Day-Accurate" weapon, and that's a world I don't want to live in.

[lifebreath]

... That means that the guy is claiming consistent groups that are 1600% smaller than average.

Let's look at the scale of that error:

- If the average adult is 6 feet tall, this dude's adult is 4.5 inches tall.
- If the distance from California to New York is 2900 miles, this guy only has to drive 181 miles.
- He can fly from New York to London in 26 minutes.

I usually think you're full of it yourself, but that's pretty damn funny!

[markm]

In fairness, there's a mod on Lightfighter that claimed to consistently shoot 1/4 minute groups with M855 and his M16. Beats Costas claims by a fair margin.

You can do this if you shoot 5 round groups and toss out 4 fliers.

[jwfuhrman]

After 3 years and 15,000 rounds of 55gr hand loads(M193 clone), and 69gr SMK hand loads, I have had 0 loss of accuracy in my 16in BCM SS410 middy that occupies my 3gun rifle.

[Norman]

Hey there M4Cers,

I've been heavily considering a Wilson Combat, Larue, or Noveske AR-15 with SS barrel. I know that the above are generally sub-MOA accurate for approximately 5,000-10,000 rounds (depending on who you ask: the manufacturer or bench shooters ), but my question for you guys is unrelated to that. I'm more concerned with the barrel's longevity as a measure of its ability to continue being combat accurate. From my perspective, that's 3 MOA with quality ammo, though I'd be lying if I said I actually had any experience to tell me if 3 MOA is truly adequate in a combat scenario or not.

So, M4C: how long do high-end SS barrels (and yeah, they're made of different materials) last in combat conditions/uses with combat accuracy being the goal? Since they start more accurate than carbon-steel barrels, do they have an equal "combat accuracy" lifetime?

Thanks everyone.

Maybe not a direct answer to your question but here are my thoughts.
If you’re buying a barrel because it’s “sub moa accurate” wouldn’t you want to replace it before it got to the 3 moa point? If you can afford the ammo to wear out a barrel, you can afford to buy another one. Just my .02

[MarkG]

Hey there M4Cers,

I've been heavily considering a Wilson Combat, Larue, or Noveske AR-15 with SS barrel. I know that the above are generally sub-MOA accurate for approximately 5,000-10,000 rounds (depending on who you ask: the manufacturer or bench shooters ), but my question for you guys is unrelated to that. I'm more concerned with the barrel's longevity as a measure of its ability to continue being combat accurate. From my perspective, that's 3 MOA with quality ammo, though I'd be lying if I said I actually had any experience to tell me if 3 MOA is truly adequate in a combat scenario or not.

So, M4C: how long do high-end SS barrels (and yeah, they're made of different materials) last in combat conditions/uses with combat accuracy being the goal? Since they start more accurate than carbon-steel barrels, do they have an equal "combat accuracy" lifetime?

Thanks everyone.

I think you meant to say chrome lined carbon steel. Given the same ammunition and firing schedule, a chrome lined 41V50 barrel should double the life expectancy of a stainless barrel when constrained to their respective envelopes of accuracy.

[Hazborgufen]

How does this relate to a low profile stainless barrel? Noveske has a 16" lightweight stainless barrel that weighs 29 ounces, as compared to their 16" recon barrel that weighs 35 ounces. Best I can tell is that the weight savings is really the only difference in construction between the two. I'm guessing that the lighter barrel will heat up and cool down faster, but are there any other differences? Are there any real advantages to the heavier barrel?

[JC0352]

It is threads like this that make this place.

One can grow up with firearms from a young age, even carry one into harm's way as a grunt, and still not know much of anything, without a resource such as this.

Thanks for the knowledge!

[RIDE]

I don't care if he's a Tier 0 operator in Echo Force. That's a load of shit.

Nothing personal against you as you're just relaying the information. But seriously - LOL.

M855 is well known to be ~ 4 MOA ammo. Certain lots are even worse. I'll be generous and call it 4. That means that the guy is claiming consistent groups that are 1600% smaller than average.

Let's look at the scale of that error:

- If the average adult is 6 feet tall, this dude's adult is 4.5 inches tall.
- If the distance from California to New York is 2900 miles, this guy only has to drive 181 miles.
- He can fly from New York to London in 26 minutes.

I think that should do it. This one can be confidently placed in the "debunked" pile.

Could not have been said any better.

[C-grunt]

How does this relate to a low profile stainless barrel? Noveske has a 16" lightweight stainless barrel that weighs 29 ounces, as compared to their 16" recon barrel that weighs 35 ounces. Best I can tell is that the weight savings is really the only difference in construction between the two. I'm guessing that the lighter barrel will heat up and cool down faster, but are there any other differences? Are there any real advantages to the heavier barrel?

I called Noveske a while back and asked them about the light weight profile they had in the Hunter line. They said that its just as accurate but will heat up faster and lose accuracy faster during firing strings.