Barrels: Stainless Steel vs Blue Steel

[Sprocket]

I've been trying to find discussion about the differences between stainless steel and other steels used for barrels.

I know the chrome lined bores of AR's last approx. 10K rounds or something like that. I've been told that non-lined and stainless are good for about 5K rounds before accuracy falls off.

10/22 barrels come in 2 basic flavors - stainless and blue.

Can anyone share some info on the advantage/disadvantage of stainless vs blue for rifle barrels?

If this has been discussed before, please point me to the thread - my search came up thin...

 

[highlander]

Stainless AR barrels lose their accuracy after 5000 rds?
I don't think so,barrels lose their accuracy from erosion from hot gases from burning powder. Stainless steel is more resistant to erosion so that piece of info isn't true.
If given the choice of blued or stainless I would pick stainless in a heartbeat. IIRC when the 264 Win mag first came out they were fitted with SS barrels to improve barrel life. Granted I've never shot out a barrel of any rifle but the match shooters may back me up here. The only reason to pick blued SS is price.

 

[Jose]

It depends on your standards of accuracy. When I shot an AR in Highpower Rifle, my standard for accuracy was 3/4 MOA at 600 yards. Once the barrel could not hold that, it went in the trash. For button-rifled stanless barrels, it was about 4000 - 4500 rounds.

 

[massgun]

If you're talking 10/22 barrels, I don't think it makes any difference except in terms of corrosion resistance. A .22 rimfire round is pretty puny compared to a .223 or .308 and will likely not wear out a barrel due to erosion from hot gas or from the bullet itself in an average person's shooting lifetime. If its a 10/22 barrel you're looking for, just get the one you like best/can afford, and go shooting!

 

[Sprocket]

Thank you Gents for the above info - I see a lot of "fluted vs unfluted" and blahblahblah but not much on the SS vs Blue and thought I'd ask.

AR - If stainless is gonna last than I need to re-think my options.

1022 - Thanks - pretty much what I thought WRT .22LR

I have no experience with high power stuff unless you're talking smoothbores.

 

[Jose]

If you are not going to shoot in serious competition, don't sweat barrel life. Seriously. A quality stainless barrel will last easily 8000 - 10,000 in a blaster if all you are after is 2- 3 MOA at 200 yards.

 

[Sprocket]

If you are not going to shoot in serious competition, don't sweat barrel life. Seriously. A quality stainless barrel will last easily 8000 - 10,000 in a blaster if all you are after is 2- 3 MOA at 200 yards.

My caffeine steady hands will not allow me to shoot in serious competition unless it's with a scatter gun - and even then my sense of humor will not let my brain get too serious. The more I laugh at myself, the better I seem to do - in most things anyway.

Thanks Gents.

 

[PatMcD]

I wouldn't worry about barrel life in a 10/22. Rimfire barrels last tens of thousands of rounds.

 

[rep308]

More barrels have been cleaned to death rather than shot to death. Use a quality coated rod, bore guides, and try to clean through the breach if possible.