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11/7/2014 10:32:41 PM EDT
I am working on building my first rifle i have purchased my lower and am looking at a few upper assemblies. I'm going with  a spikes tactical, my question is with the barrel. the specs on the upper I'm looking at say it has a "Chrome chamber and bore" does this mean that it is a chrome lined barrel? The specs also say that the carriers are chrome lined as well as the carrier key. I do not believe that the bolt is. I have decided that i want chrome lined parts and am a little confused about the whole thing here are the upper receiver assemblies I'm looking at.

http://www.joeboboutfitters.com/Spike_s_Tactical_16_Midlength_MOE_LE_Upper_5_56_p/sp-stu5035-moe.htm


http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=XSTU5035MOE&name=Spikes+Tactical+16%22+Mid-Length+5.56%2f.223+Upper+Receiver&groupid=1000&fprdct=1

any advise is greatly appreciated. Please tell me what you think from the price checking i have done these look like good deals thanks in advance.
11/7/2014 10:57:28 PM EDT
[#1]
yes chrome bore means chrome lined barrel. the bolt doesn't get chromed. unless, you want it shiny.Spikes is good quality, these days you can get a complete AR15 (of lesser quality) for that price or less
11/9/2014 10:34:24 AM EDT
[#2]
Any particular reason why you want a chrome lined barrel? I havent owned one thats chrome lined, but I do have melonite and phosphate barrels. The melonite is just as easy if not easier to clean (from what Im told) but you dont have any accuracy loss like you do from chrome lining. Just something to think about or look into more. I dont have any personal experience with chrome lined barrels and accuracy "loss", but it seems to be a pretty universal opinion on this forum.
11/12/2014 12:24:44 AM EDT
[#3]

Quote History
Quoted:


Any particular reason why you want a chrome lined barrel? I havent owned one thats chrome lined, but I do have melonite and phosphate barrels. The melonite is just as easy if not easier to clean (from what Im told) but you dont have any accuracy loss like you do from chrome lining. Just something to think about or look into more. I dont have any personal experience with chrome lined barrels and accuracy "loss", but it seems to be a pretty universal opinion on this forum.
View Quote
Go shoot some FN or Daniel Defense Chrome lined barrels and tell me about loss of accuracy.  This tale gets handed down from days of old.  No a chrome lined barrel will not shoot like a Krieger.  But there is plenty of accuracy to be had.  And while melonite is a decent way to process a barrel to increase the life of the barrel over bare steel, I personally believe the jury is still out as to whether it has any advantage at all over chrome llining and CHF chrome lined.  So my recommendation is don't believe EVERYTHING you read.  Check it out on your own and see if it adds up.  

 



OP the Spikes barrel at AIM with the pinned gas block is quite the deal.  I just helped a buddy put one on his rifle and it shoots very tight.  I just built my son his first AR and put a Spikes 14.5" CHF CL and it shoots great also.  I have several FN CHF blanks and they all shoot very tight groups.  They also stand up to heat better than my melonite barrels based on group size.  
11/12/2014 4:29:49 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote History
Quoted:
Any particular reason why you want a chrome lined barrel? I havent owned one thats chrome lined, but I do have melonite and phosphate barrels. The melonite is just as easy if not easier to clean (from what Im told) but you dont have any accuracy loss like you do from chrome lining. Just something to think about or look into more. I dont have any personal experience with chrome lined barrels and accuracy "loss", but it seems to be a pretty universal opinion on this forum.
View Quote



This... nothing wrong with CL, but it's still a lining that can fail/peel/chip just like any other.  Research melonite (nitrocarborizing).  It is not a lining but a treatment of the steel itself, making the surface almost as hard as HC but without any chance of distortion.  I'm fortunate in that I have a client that does only this, and I've had them do entire rifles for me.  The Remmy 700 I had completely torn down and melonited everything that wasn't a spring is a dream to both shoot and clean.  It's a .270WSM and will shoot clover leaves until you're bored with them, and after well over 1000 magnum rounds the chamber and bore look like they were cut yesterday.  Add to that I can clean it with just a couple of passes with a wet patch, it doesn't rust, can be done to regular or stainless steel, and it cannot fail, it's superior to just about anything, CL included.  I have a 1911 that was just built, and now that it is tuned just right it's going to them to have everything but the frame treated so I never have to worry about parts wearing out.  Yeah, it's that good.
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