Chrome lined bore

[vellnueve]

I'm planning my AR build.

For a carbine-length rifle, do you think a chrome lined bore is necessary? It'll be for general use, nothing serious. The only thing I know about chrome lined bores is they resist corrosion better.

 

[Vintovka]

There are others with far more experience than I, but for my $0.02...

Based on my research, I'm considering a chrome-lined upper for a carbine build. Chrome lining is generally regarded to slightly reduce accuracy. However, if it's from a quality builder (and preferably is lapped), the accuracy trade-off can't be that significant... after all, if it's good enough for an M4, it's good enough for whatever I'd use an M4gery.

OTOH, I doubt many people will call chrome-plating necessary for casual use, and I'd be just as happy with an unplated chrome/moly bbl. If it lowers the MTBF by a couple thousand rounds, at the rate I can afford to shoot .223, I'll still have it a long time.

For a match rifle, the clear consensus is to go stainless.

 

[Cledus J. Crabb]

I've just got a no thrills B'master A2 with the 20 inch H-bar w/a chrome bore that shoots very well after approx. 6K rounds (some ball ammo, mostly handloads and very little rapid fire).
The barrel is easy to clean and shoots better than I can. I just happened to shoot a bunch of rounds from prone the other day and had little difficulty staying within 1 MOA.
For what most of us use them for, chrome lined tubes shouldn't be a problem.
CJC

 

[Jake L]

Chrome lined barrels are used for military and LE for two reasons:
1. It is near impossible to wear them out - this is a necessity for auto fire.
2. They do not require any break in. In fact going through the normal break in procedure will actually prolong the proper barrel break in.
Chrome lined barrels are less accurate, however this is truly splitting hairs and unless you are looking to get the same results as a sub MOA 300 meter target gun you will never see the difference.
If you are building a sub MOA target gun use a stainless steel barrel.
You will never see the difference between a chrome molly and a chrome lined barrels as far as accuracy goes or warring out the barrel. I do not think anyone here shoots that much .223 - 5.56 to ever ware out a barrel, and how many of you have full auto AR’s?
Chrome lined barrels are the easiest to get and the least expensive and a good first choice..