Stainless: pros and cons for ar 15

Django11 · November 20, 2017, 08:53 PM

I'm getting ready to get an ar 15 built. I'm planning on an 18" bull barrel. My question is what are the pros and cons of getting a stainless barrel. Basically I'm looking for maximum accuracy as well as longevity. Any info or opinions are greatly appreciated.

marine6680 · November 20, 2017, 11:59 PM

Stainless =/= Accuracy...

Quality = Accuracy.

You buy a high quality barrel, and it will be accurate. Material isn't necessarily the factor. Several manufacturers have accuracy guarantees BTW.

The benefit of stainless is how they wear over time with use.

All barrels lose accuracy over time... For standard plain steel barrels, this loss is slow and gradual over the course of the barrels life. Imagine a line graph, with a slow steady slope down.

Stainless barrels lose accuracy very slowly over their life... But at the end of their life, they suddenly tank in accuracy. Imagine a line graph with a very shallow slope down, that ends at a cliff.

If you are going for the best accuracy possible, look for respected barrel makers. The barrels will not be cheap.

A quality chrome lined barrel can be MOA accurate with good ammo. Barrel life is longer as well.

Nitrided barrels from a quality maker can bridge the gap between the precision focused barrels and a good chrome lined. Better barrel life than plain steel, and better accuracy on average than chrome lined.

I have a chrome lined barrel that can get 1-1.5moa groups pretty consistently with good ammo.

I have a nitrided barrel that gets sub MOA groups with good ammo... I am the limiting factor for accuracy more than the barrel.

Most of the time, it is the shooter, and not the equipment that is the cause of accuracy issues.

DMK · November 21, 2017, 07:47 AM

If you have the time, listen to these Q&A interviews with Nathanial from Faxon on the InRange Youtube channel.

They are very educational on the hows and whys of various AR15 barrel designs. They cover everything from types of rifling, types of chambers, and types of metals, to different profiles, treatments and finishes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2X1iaQbjg8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF4g2CWtjOo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3FDLiWMUTc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDvLrvEAhkM

ed308 · November 21, 2017, 09:49 AM

I wouldn't focus so much on whether the barrel is stainless but the barrel quality and what chamber it has. I have many melonite treated barrels that are more accurate than my stainless barrels. The advantage of a melonite treated barrel is increased hardness, higher corrosion resistance and increased velocity. Chrome lined barrel are usually the least accurate due to chrome being added to the interior of the barrel.

I would also look for a .223 Wylde chamber barrel. The .223 chamber is the more accurate chamber compared to 5.56 Nato but can't safely shoot that ammo. The .223 Wylde chamber is a nice compromise between .223 and 5.56 Nato that can handle both types of ammo and also usually more accurate than a 5.56 Nato chambered AR.

DMK · November 21, 2017, 02:06 PM

Quote:

I would also look for a .223 Wylde chamber barrel. The .223 chamber is the more accurate chamber compared to 5.56 Nato but can't safely shoot that ammo. The .223 Wylde chamber is a nice compromise between .223 and 5.56 Nato that can handle both types of ammo and also usually more accurate than a 5.56 Nato chambered AR.

I usually get a Wylde chamber because why not? There's no downside really.

However, I don't think that by itself the difference between a 5.56 and a Wylde chamber is that great accuracy wise. Especially if you are shooting 5.56 ammo (Mk262, Mk318, M193, etc).

The other factors mentioned (barrel quality, rifling quality, proper stress relieving, etc) matter more. After all that is right, then the Wylde chamber is the cherry on top.

turtlehead · November 21, 2017, 09:28 PM

This is the best deal on a barrel I've ever seen. https://www.larue.com/category/parts...ealth-barrels/

I have the PredatAR profile. It's a work of art.

turtlehead · November 23, 2017, 10:05 AM

Lester Bruno bore scoped this one and said "This is a quality barrel".

These used to sell for around $400...

PredatAR.jpg

Just sayin'. It shoots pretty good.

November 20, 2017, 08:53 PM	#1
Django11 Member Join Date: May 23, 2017 Posts: 46	Stainless: pros and cons for ar 15 I'm getting ready to get an ar 15 built. I'm planning on an 18" bull barrel. My question is what are the pros and cons of getting a stainless barrel. Basically I'm looking for maximum accuracy as well as longevity. Any info or opinions are greatly appreciated.

November 21, 2017, 07:47 AM	#3
DMK Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2001 Location: Over the hills and far, far away Posts: 3,206	If you have the time, listen to these Q&A interviews with Nathanial from Faxon on the InRange Youtube channel. They are very educational on the hows and whys of various AR15 barrel designs. They cover everything from types of rifling, types of chambers, and types of metals, to different profiles, treatments and finishes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2X1iaQbjg8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF4g2CWtjOo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3FDLiWMUTc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDvLrvEAhkM __________________ - Homeland Security begins at home: Support your Second Amendment - www.gunowners.org - www.saf.org - act.nraila.org - www.grnc.org

November 20, 2017, 11:59 PM	#2
marine6680 Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2012 Location: Parker, CO Posts: 4,594	Stainless =/= Accuracy... Quality = Accuracy. You buy a high quality barrel, and it will be accurate. Material isn't necessarily the factor. Several manufacturers have accuracy guarantees BTW. The benefit of stainless is how they wear over time with use. All barrels lose accuracy over time... For standard plain steel barrels, this loss is slow and gradual over the course of the barrels life. Imagine a line graph, with a slow steady slope down. Stainless barrels lose accuracy very slowly over their life... But at the end of their life, they suddenly tank in accuracy. Imagine a line graph with a very shallow slope down, that ends at a cliff. If you are going for the best accuracy possible, look for respected barrel makers. The barrels will not be cheap. A quality chrome lined barrel can be MOA accurate with good ammo. Barrel life is longer as well. Nitrided barrels from a quality maker can bridge the gap between the precision focused barrels and a good chrome lined. Better barrel life than plain steel, and better accuracy on average than chrome lined. I have a chrome lined barrel that can get 1-1.5moa groups pretty consistently with good ammo. I have a nitrided barrel that gets sub MOA groups with good ammo... I am the limiting factor for accuracy more than the barrel. Most of the time, it is the shooter, and not the equipment that is the cause of accuracy issues.

November 21, 2017, 09:49 AM	#4
ed308 Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2016 Location: DFW, TX Posts: 1,147	I wouldn't focus so much on whether the barrel is stainless but the barrel quality and what chamber it has. I have many melonite treated barrels that are more accurate than my stainless barrels. The advantage of a melonite treated barrel is increased hardness, higher corrosion resistance and increased velocity. Chrome lined barrel are usually the least accurate due to chrome being added to the interior of the barrel. I would also look for a .223 Wylde chamber barrel. The .223 chamber is the more accurate chamber compared to 5.56 Nato but can't safely shoot that ammo. The .223 Wylde chamber is a nice compromise between .223 and 5.56 Nato that can handle both types of ammo and also usually more accurate than a 5.56 Nato chambered AR.

November 21, 2017, 09:28 PM	#6
turtlehead Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2015 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,203	This is the best deal on a barrel I've ever seen. https://www.larue.com/category/parts...ealth-barrels/ I have the PredatAR profile. It's a work of art.

November 23, 2017, 10:05 AM	#7
turtlehead Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2015 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,203	Lester Bruno bore scoped this one and said "This is a quality barrel". These used to sell for around $400... PredatAR.jpg Just sayin'. It shoots pretty good.