I don't know too much about barrels. I have a Compass Lake Douglass 16", a Craddock Precision RTR 16", and a White Oak Armament 16" barrel for 3 of my guns. I'm building a 4th build and would like some guidance.

Do precision barrels have long barrel life? Would a barrel from Compass Lake, Craddock Precision, or White Oak hold up well as a SHTF barrel? People keep telling me to get a chrome-lined CHF barrel as that is what most militaries use.

Again, I'm new to this type of stuff. Can my existing builds, using those precision barrels be good enough for a SHTF situation, or do I need to invest in a chrome-lined CHF barrel from Noveske, Daniel Defense, BCM, FN, etc for my next build?

What metric do you use to quantify if a barrel is at end of life? What is the intended firing schedule?

Just maintain what you have and it'll last approximately as long as designed for.

What does SHTF have to do with barrel life?  Do you expect to set up on a ridge and mag dump into advancing enemies or something?

In even the most dire situation I doubt you would come close to reaching the end of use cycle of a typical barrel.

This. If you intend to throw thousands of rounds training, then yes, I'd build a specific gun for it. Just home intruder or even some walking dead scenario, what you have is fine.

In a true SHTF situation, after a while the ammo will be worth more than the most expensive barrel.

In a real SHTF scenario,  if you’re wise….you will avoid taking shots unless absolutely necessary,  you will conserve ammunition,  you will go unseen if you really want to survive.

The barrels you already have will likely do what require…..all very reputable.

Chrome lined barrels typically have longer life,  but they also typically give up a little accuracy as well.

Either however will serve you well in the situation described.  You won’t need a .5moa rifle,  and wont be dumping thousands of rounds either.  Seek reliability/repeatability.

Thanks for putting this all into perspective. I greatly appreciate it.

Thanks for all the responses, I've gotten a better perspective on things now. What I have is good enough, freeing up my 4th build to be whatever I want it to be.

I would have at least one hard use rifle, with the best chrome lined tube I could get. Whether that was your fourth build or a rebarrel of one you have. I wouldn't skimp on internal parts either.

Those are some good precision barrels. Which one shoots the best.

Precision barrels are typically turned from some sort of stainless steel. A "hard use" barrel would be made of something harder and lined or coated with something to add wear resistance and protection.

If you have a few Precision builds, I'd build one out for hard use/neglect. My hard use build is around a 12.5" criterion hybrid profile barrel. It's designed for hard use.

Well I don't know if they have ever made another run since, but about 6-7 years ago IIRC, BA did a limited run of CHF chrome-lined barrels in several lengths and barrels came with the same accuracy guarantee the rest of their barrels did, 1 MOA if you used "match-grade" ammo, barrels also came with a nice lo-pro gas block pinned on which I vastly prefer to just using set screws. I don't who made them for them, but I got one of the 16" ones from AIM, and the dang thing is as accurate as advertised, even with cheap 55 gr. FMJ.

So I know it's possible to do a CHF-CL barrel and still get good accuracy.

Exactly this.  I am looking at adding a Ravin to my arsenal, just for the stealth factor.  Some people think SHTF will involve direct face to face conflict with guns ablazin', and that may well happen in some cases, but stealth and concealment are what will keep you upright.

You can use any barrel as hard as you want, obviously.

As you shoot, heat erodes the throat, i.e. the transition area from the chamber to the rifled barrel, in simplest terms. With enough erosion, accuracy begins to degrade. How soon you'll notice depends on how accurate the gun is to start with and how much attention you pay to accuracy.

If you work up loads for a match grade barrel and keep data, you can notice a .25 moa degradation. The person who notices that difference probably cares about it. If you shoot ball ammo from a rack grade barrel and don't track group size, you probably won't notice until you get to .75 moa or more degradation. The person who doesn't notice this difference probably doesn't care, even if somebody told him about it.

As a rule of thumb, match grade barrels begin to lose noticeable accuracy around 5,000 rounds; chrome lined around 10,000. However, your match grade barrel might still be producing better groups at 10,000 than the chrome-lined at 10,000 because it started better. Or not, due to myriad variables.

Not many people shoot enough to ever trash a barrel. Barrel life is one of the many shooting-related things that lots of people talk a lot about but very few are ever going to have an actual issue with. Just build and shoot your guns the way you'll enjoy them the most, and don't sweat it. If you wear out your barrel, put a new one on.

Chrome lining military barrels has as much or more to do with corrosion resistance as barrel life.

The most accurate and long lasting combination would be a Bartlein single cut blank cut from 400MODBB and using the CLE proprietary chamber. Then have a second identical barrel made (and a second JP bolt) for when the first one wears out. The 400MODBB can improve barrel life by 50-100%.

I have a non 400MODBB steel (regular 416) custom Bartlein that was made by Compass Lake that shoots 5 shot groups averaging 0.7 MOA at 300+ yards with 77 TMKs on a precision .223 build. It did show pressure signs with Black Hills 5.56 77 TMK for about the first 500 rounds. This was a full custom, fluted build. It was very pricey at around $700. Compass Lake does not do customs anymore and if you got one from Craddock Precision exactly the same as mine I just spec it out as $1,052. You supply the JP bolt for headspace.

Now that said, stainless is not a good steel for high volume fire where the gun gets very hot. If you want to do mag dump after mag dump until the barrel glows, I would go with a chrome/moly/vanadium steel, hammer forged, chrome lined. I personally believe Daniel Defense makes the best of these types of barrels. I have a 16" DD Lightweight that will regularly shoot sub MOA groups with 5.56 Black Hills 77 TMK. It shoots groups 150-200% the size of the expensive custom Bartlein stainless barrel. This was very cheap when I bought a few of these on a blowout sale from Brownells years ago for $189. Now they retail for $338 and are regularly $275.

These are my two best barrels for accuracy that I currently have built into 5.56 rifles. They blow away my other 5.56 barrels from LWRC, BCM, Faxon, etc. in other rifles. I also have other 223 Wylde/5.56 barrels sitting in the parts bin like a 16" Krieger SPR, a couple Criterions, etc. and of course multiple other calibers.

If you don't intend to put big glass on an AR15 (over 10x max) I think the extra precision of the stainless match barrel is wasted. For a red dot or LPVO equipped 5.56 AR15 I would build off a DD barrel and expect sub 2 MOA with good ammo and be extatic if it shot sub MOA groups.

Ammo is just as important as the barrel. I have a stash of several thousand Black Hills 5.56 TMK rounds saved up and hand load the 77 TMKs as well. Also have quite a bit or other match ammos like 75 TAP, MK262, Razercore, etc.

Also remember, (mostly this is for others reading this thread) each barrel maker and each barrel is its own unique thing. Don't be fooled into thinking you can buy from any company based off features like midlength, 1/7 twist, 223 Wylde chamber, 416 steel, etc. and that will in ANY WAY translate to accuracy. It will not. Not even MOA accuracy guarantees mean much IMO. If you want accuracy, look at what the guys winning matches are using instead.

What would I PERSONALY want for a SHTF situation? The most accurate barrel I have. My Bartlein 16" is built as a lightweight heavy-barreled, suppressor ready precision build that is 6 pounds even without mag or optics. It uses a steel bolt carrier, a real buffer, and a full length 15" rail. I don't think there is another AR that is more accurate at a lighter weight. My only concern with the barrels you mentioned owning would be weight. My Bartlein is only 26 oz. I am betting all the listed barrels are over 32oz and at least one is over 40oz with a full SPR or heavier profile.

If I were you I would stop with the 16" heavy match gun builds and build a light SBR rifle that is suppressor and NV capable. What barrel you use is up to you. What do I use for my duty SBR at work? A 300 BLK custom 416 stainless 11.5" Bartlein 1/7 built by CLE that shoots both factory 110 Barnes Black tip and factory Hornady 190 SubX into sub MOA groups at 100y. It is the most accurate 300 BLK SBR I have ever seen. It is the twin of my 16"  CLE except for the stock (Magpul SLK vs SL), barrel, and length of rail.

If you’re playing for keeps, bring the good stuff. Whatever that may be.

I have several Criterion barrels. They are great with FMJ for accuracy. I dont know if it is the way the chamber is cut or what but they dont shoot over 2 MOA with good ball ammo and do great with light VMAX. But, for whatever reason, they dont really like or shoot so great with heavy match ammo with 77 grain TMKs or SMKs. I know others have had different results. One of my numerous examples of a spec list like 1/8, 223 Wylde, midlength, "high end" chrome lined barrel not really being a TRUELY accurate barrel.

I am not sure if I got lucky or what, but my 14.5 Criterion Core routinely shoots .75 MOA groups with 77 OTMs.

This is good stuff.

If you want precision, get a quality nitride barrel... then get another or two, plus the tools to attach that one. Barrels are consumable items. If you need what chrome lining has to offer, get a couple good chrome-lined barrels.