chrome lined or chromoly ?

[rebs]

How much is accuracy effected by a chrome lined barrel ?
What are the advantages or disadvantages of chrome lined barrels ?

[CTS]

Probably not enough to matter for shooting a man or a deer sized animal but, a good bit if you are shooting targets or smaller varmints. The benefit is a much longer lasting and easier to clean barrel. I would take a swag and say the difference in sub MOA without and 2 MOA with chorme lined. Of course this is just a general estimate and some barrels will differ more than others.

[tahunua001]

^^^ slappy nailed it. if you don't plan on shooting thousands of rounds per month out of it then you will more than likely fail to benefit from a chrome lined barrel.

[Metal god]

I'm going to chime in here . If your young , plan to shoot a lot and plan to have the gun for a life time . I would get the chrome lined barrel . If your only shooting 500 rounds a year . A non-chrome lined barrel should last you 30 or 40 years . That assumes you take care of it . It depends what your definition of barrel life is as well . Some say an accomplished shooter will notice accuracy drop off between the 5k and 10k mark of a non-chrome lined barrel with the barrel having to be replaced between the 10k and 20k mark.

I don't think the difference is sub MOA non-chromed to 2 MOA chromed . Yes maybe if your talking about a match barrel to a chrome lined but I'd say it's more like a 1/2 MOA difference on average and not 1-1/2 ish

Like what was said earlier most would not notice . For ruining and gunning or just plinking your not going to notice what twist , if the bore is coated or even if the contour is an issue . Unless your shooting competition or planning to hand the gun down to your kids chromed is not a must and if you don't shoot alot I'm not sure it matters at all

[ronl]

I would say it all depends on the actual barrel you get. I have an HB Armalite that shoots very well, under 1MOA if I do my part. I have a varmint rifle that was built early last year, and due to the shortage of AR parts, went with a Del-ton 20" Preban contour chrome-lined barrel. It shot a 3-shot 15/16" group at 200yds. I was not expecting such accuracy from a chrome lined barrel. Took it out the next day and nailed two groundhogs at 130-140. Accuracy out of the platform also has a lot to do with the torque placed on the barrel. Friend of mine taught me the trick of it and he has been proven right on three occcassions.

[Marquezj16]

Chrome = durability. Could be accurate but uneven application can affect accuracy. Notice that most match barrels are stainless steel without chrome lining.
Just to add to the mix, take a look at melonite treated barrels. Protection of chrome without the lost of accuracy.

[5whiskey]

See, keep in mind that you can have a chrome lined barrel shoot very accurately. It's just much harder for a manufacturer to consistently make accurate chrome lined barrels. CL-d barrels that are made to be very accurate are usually also very expensive. Many cheaper ones will shoot 1-2moa.

I don't think I would get chrome-moly. Especially if you're young. It's a touch cheaper, but there are better options out there. You actually can shoot a chrome moly barre out (without dumping 500 rounds a week, too). Not to mention the bore is much more prone to fouling and corrosion. Even if you take excellent care of your guns, it can happen.

Stainless Steel is a better choice than chrome-moly, but not as good as chrome for corrosion protection. SS is also more accurate than moly, but a touch less corrosion resistant than chrome. Melonite (or nitrocarburized salt bath... or whatever it is) shows great promise as a firearms finish. I have a rifle with a nitrided (Melonite) barrel. I can't wait to shoot it some and see how well it resists fouling. Melonite is ALMOST (but not quite) as hard as chrome, but has greater corrosion resistance. Unlike chrome, melonite is not a "lining" added to the barrel. Instead it's a surface treatment of the metal, akin to case hardening. That means the barrel can cut the barrel the same was as a stainless or chrome-moly bore, not having to oversize it to receive the chrome lining. After cutting, the surface is treated to the nitide salt bath, some kind of magic happens, and it's almost as hard as chrome but will likely be more accurate than your run of the mill chrome lined barrel.

[Bart B.]

5whiskey says stainless steel barrels are more accurate than chrome moly ones.

Why?

[CTS]

I believe it is to do with the make up of the alloy. It is easier to machine to closer tolerances than chrome/moly steel.

[Metal god]

Don't do it 5wiskey , he will hurt your feelings :( He spanked me good when I said something similar :eek: You do not want to get in to a debate about barrel material and accuracy with Bart . I now hang on his every word :D

I crack me up :p
.
EDIT : I did not see slappy's reply , get your popcorn ready :)

[CTS]

Ha ha! People can think what ever they like I guess. I'm just going on what one of the largest barrel manufacturers said.
A stainless barrel has a longer and more accurate life than the standard 4140-type chrome/molybdenum steel barrel because stainless steel resists heat erosion in the throat better. "I also get a better final finish with stainless," Lilja said.
http://www.riflebarrels.com/articles/barrel_making/details_of_accuracy.htm

"Some of the problems with inaccuracy can be traced to head space problems with the shooter"