Barrel Opinions/Questions

[alamo5000]

I was able to stop by and handle a (for about 5 minutes) some SBRs yesterday...which has me thinking about my SBR build. I know it's been on the back burner for a while but it's still on the want list.

That said with the whole set of barrel choices out there what are the various opinions of chrome lined (aka RA Mountain Series type barrel) vs a Melonited or Nitrided barrel?

The idea for this one will be for hard use much more than pinpoint accuracy.

Given keep in mind that my idea of hard use isn't 'full auto' mainly because I can't afford that much ammo.

Long story short a stainless barrel might not be the way I want to go with an SBR for shooting a generic load with off the shelf cheap ammo.

[DutyUse]

10.5 or 11.5 would be my suggestion... With leaning more to the 11.5

[alamo5000]

10.5 or 11.5 would be my suggestion... With leaning more to the 11.5

Sorry my post got screwed up. I accidentally submitted before I was done posting.

My question isn't about length but rather about type... melonite vs nitride vs chrome lined...

[alamo5000]

Long story short I think it's pretty academic as I probably won't wear out a barrel but let's say if I was going to put those types of barrel on a machine gun... what would happen with those three? The only known would be the chrome lined... those are proven... I am just not sure about the others....

[GOST]

Long story short I think it's pretty academic as I probably won't wear out a barrel but let's say if I was going to put those types of barrel on a machine gun... what would happen with those three?

If you were using the barrel for full auto then accuracy isn't your main goal, and the benefit of the stainless bore having no growth from a process isn't needed. So for full auto I would just go with chrome lined since its proven.

Since barrel length affects velocity rather than accuracy. To me what I like about a SBR is that you can use a heavier profiled barrel that is very stiff without increasing the swing weight of the rifle as much. So if reach isn't what the rifle is intended for, a heavier profiled stainless could be very accurate.

[GOST]

This is the barrel I've got for my SBR I'm working on.

http://micromoa.com/12-5-midlength-f...to-1-7-barrel/

[alamo5000]

If you were using the barrel for full auto then accuracy isn't your main goal, and the benefit of the stainless bore having no growth from a process isn't needed. So for full auto I would just go with chrome lined since its proven.

Since barrel length affects velocity rather than accuracy. To me what I like about a SBR is that you can use a heavier profiled barrel that is very stiff without increasing the swing weight of the rifle as much. So if reach isn't what the rifle is intended for, a heavier profiled stainless could be very accurate.

More or less the idea is to get to a really tough barrel that I can abuse a lot more than what I do to my stainless barrel. Yeah, it would be nice to have something that I could run full auto on. Who knows. I might put a slide fire on it and go. I just want something that I won't need to worry about. Of course I am huge into accuracy, but for the concept behind what I am talking about would not be built around pinpoint accuracy. It would however need to be more tough and have a longer life.

I am more or less curious how the melonited and nitrided barrels stack up in all this, because being honest I could probably live with something tougher than stainless but not quite machine gun level.

[GOST]

Another thing to consider is that if you can afford the amount of ammo it will take to shoot out any of the 3 options, then buying a new barrel every now and then isn't that bad. A properly treated stainless barrel is very durable. To me I wouldn't make the durability between those 3 options be the limiting factor on choosing a barrel for a SBR.

[alamo5000]

Basically with my AK I can really get at it and abuse the hell out of it. If I shot a case of ammo in an afternoon through it I really wouldn't be worried about it. I kind of want the same thing in an SBR... where I could realistically run the hell out of it.

I know there are a few of you (or more than a few) who are laughing going 'a case of ammo? in an afternoon?'... yeah point taken but that's the concept... to have a barrel that will last over time to being run hard.

[GOST]

A properly treated stainless can take a whole lot more abuse than you think.

[alamo5000]

Another thing to consider is that if you can afford the amount of ammo it will take to shoot out any of the 3 options, then buying a new barrel every now and then isn't that bad. A properly treated stainless barrel is very durable. To me I wouldn't make the durability between those 3 options be limiting factor on choosing a barrel for a SBR.

You nailed it on the cost of ammo... I am also not above buying a new barrel every now and then. That said if I can buy a barrel that will stand up from the get go that will be better. I might pay twice as much but then again I might get more than twice the life.

Also it's worth noting that I might not be the only person shooting and buying ammo. If I go out with the guys and tell them to bring a case of ammo each... I want to be able to run that sucker and not worry. The ammo costs might not all be mine.

[GOST]

Is this thing gonna be belt fed? If you have no concerns about accuracy then get a double chrome lined hammer forged FN barrel.

[alamo5000]

Is this thing gonna be belt fed? If you have no concerns about accuracy then get a double chrome lined hammer forged FN barrel.

No, no... nothing like that. I wish I could get a belt fed

That said though, just like I said above I might not (and probably won't be) the only shooter. We shoot and socialize and just basically have fun. It's not out of the ordinary to have 3 or 4 of us get together and shoot. If we run a case or two of ammo so be it. Basically I want to plan for and build a gun with those kinds of contingencies in mind.

The chrome lined is obviously proven, I am just not sure how other styles and types of barrels would hold up occasionally being run like that.

[DutyUse]

I agree with Gost. For what your wanting a good FN barrel like this 11.5 BCM BfH seems like a perfect candidate. And just like he said because there shorter you can get away with a thicker profile. This BCM is a hoss but still about the same weight as one of my 16" govt profiles.



They can take a lot of abuse, and in my experience a good FN barrel will produce 1.5-2" groups. Maybe a touch tighter because of the short stiff nature of SBR barrels. More the adequate for good accuracy.

I am however very intrigued by those micromoa 12.5 middys

[BoilerUp]

I'm a melonite fan-boy. How about SS accuracy with more longevity than chrome lined? I wish Harrison made these in 10.5-11.5": http://www.ar15performance.com/inc/sdetail/11562/14399