Originally Posted by
Stickman
The reason you can't get an answer is because there is no "one" answer. How you shoot it, and what your expectations are from it, are the key factors.
For example, if you were a benchrest shooter going for max accuracy, at 4k, a barrel may very well be shot out. If you use full auto and pretend your AR is a fire hose, it may be shot out. For most of us though, a barrel with 4,000 rounds through it is broken in and shooting well. Most of us aren't engaging in heavy volumes of full auto fire, and those people who are buying barrels for bench rest max accuracy shooting aren't using barrels like the one you have.
Lastly, your own personal standards are going to be the marker for your barrel. If the barrel shoot a 1.5" group when new, for most of us a 2" group wouldn't be that much of a change. However, if what you are getting with good ammo and on a good shooting day is no longer acceptable, its time to get a new barrel. If your barrel was shooting .75" when new and went to 2", most of us would be ready to get a new barrel.
ETA- One last thing, when you start thinking your barrel is no longer accurate, think about giving it s heavy cleaning. Use solvent multiple times, and scrub it really good. It is amazing how many barrels return from the dead once they are scrubbed super clean and the copper is all out.
Hope that is of some help.
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