SS vs Chrome Lined for General Purpose Use

[Yojimbo]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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"

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]

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]

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]

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]

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?