Does this guy seriously work behind a gun counter?!?!!

[old11bravo]

Needed a carbine length AR gas tube today and discovered many local shops closed so I called Lynwood Guns.

Me: Hello, I'm calling to see if you have any carbine length AR gas tubes in stock that I could buy.

LG guy: Let me see. (Pause). Yes we do.

Me: Great. How much are they? And are they melonited or stainless steel?

LG guy: They're $13.99 each, and yeah I'm not sure if you know it or not but melonite is a coating used for lining inside AR barrels, not gas tubes.

Me: Uhhh......okay. (thinking is this guy serious or fucking with me?). Hey I'm sure you're right but listen, I know they have melonited gas tubes too. They are the black, and the stainless steel are the silver ones.

LG guy: Well they don't use melonite on gas tubes, it's used to treat the bore of AR barrels.

Me: Okay? Hey can you please just tell me this, are your carbine gas tubes black or silver?

LG guy: Silver

Me: Perfect! Thank you. Have a good day.

I went there and picked up the stainless steel tube as it was the closest one I could find at the time. Not sure who I spoke to on the phone but you would hope they would be a little more knowledgeable about their products. I didn't have the heart to call him out on his ignorance when I was on the phone but he did have a very indignant tone about him. Melonite and nitride are just a few of many treatments used on the outside of barrels to protect the steel. I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure nobody produces barrels with melonited bores. This guy was convinced that melonite was only for treating bores.

[n4p226r]

You live about 90 minutes from rainier arms and you went to some local joint to buy some unmarked gas tube? Shame on you. 😄

[old11bravo]

You live about 90 minutes from rainier arms and you went to some local joint to buy some unmarked gas tube? Shame on you. ��

Uhh, have you made that drive before?? I'd rather cut my own throat than make that trip on a week day. The traffic is a parking lot, literally! I do get down there about once every other month or so but only after I've shopped and placed my order on-line then do the will-call pick up.

[n4p226r]

Haha. I'm in NJ. Just jealous you live close enough to stores to get parts. Best we get is a cmmg lower parts kit

[fledge]

Barrel bores are melonited too.

[BoilerUp]

Barrel bores are melonited too.

Yeah, just the bores, though. Not the whole barrel. That would be silly. I mean, really, who does that?

[fledge]

To clarify: barrel exteriors (eg Faxon, Sionics) and barrel bores both commonly receive melonite finish.

The LGS clerk was correct about that. He was incorrect that fas tubes are not melonited.

[BoilerUp]

Fledge, do you work in Lynnwood? That would be a shitty commute from Colorado...

[fledge]

I must be missing something. If my comment isn't on topic and helpful, I'll bow out.

[BoilerUp]

I must be missing something. If my comment isn't on topic and helpful, I'll bow out.

No worries. I'm just teasing but no harm or ill will intended.

I'm pretty confident that most of the members here understand that the melonite process is used by some/several barrel manufacturers. Most also know it's not a "coating" and the process is applied to many things beyond barrels, such as gas tubes and BCGs. Adams Arms even sells a melonited LPK under their Voodoo "Lifecoat" brand.

[fledge]

Thanks for clarifying.