Quote Originally Posted by okie View Post
Having machined a Faxon barrel before, I can personally attest to their nitride being top notch. The problem is that to achieve the hard, rust proof types of nitride, it has to be done at extremely high temperature, and I can't imagine that's good for the barrel. It's like 1200 degrees for hours on end that these barrels get dunked in.

Now think of this. It's the heat that kills barrels, not the friction of the bullet going down the pipe. In a zero heat environment, a barrel could last indefinitely. Pistol barrels almost do, especially something like .45 ACP. Any finishing done to a pistol barrel is solely to prevent corrosion and make it look nice.

On a rifle barrel, though, the biggest factor in longevity is heat over time. And there are thresholds where you go much above a certain temperature and it's going to dramatically reduce lifespan, and obviously those thresholds are well below 1200 degrees.
Theres more to unpack here than im getting into, but thats not how metallurgy works.

At a high level, erosion and temper are not the same thing.