Steel, Chrome Lined, Stainless Barrel..Questions

[gunman1 1,753]

I'm trying to decide which type of barrel to buy for my AR15 build. If someone could attest to the advantages/disadvantages of the three listed in the topic line, I would appreciate it.

[james lambert 3,059]

steel less expensive

 

Chrome longest lifespan or best for FA

 stainless, may be more accurate,  but not cast in stone. some steel barrels are real good.

 

I use Lothar barrels, lilja barrels,and a number of other top shelf barrels.

 

But for most people...they wouldnt see any difference

Jim

[Spacehog 2,218]

I would always go with hard chromed lined myself. Even stainless can rust, with the right ions present in the residue. I do think that plain steel barrels tend to be more accurate, but will need to be replaced more often. With an AR, that is an easy proposition. So bottom line is it comes down to what you want to do with the build you are working on. Much like buying tires, if you want more grip, you are going to sacrifice longevity, if you want longevity you might have to sacrifice a little grip. Most quality AR barrels are going to be very accurate by today's standards, so IMHO , I would buy for longevity.

[Sdustin 578]

Stainless for a precision build (only reason I see to build an ar15) and chrome lined for everything else. The real question you should be asking is what brand barrel should you get. And the answer is how much do you want to spend.