Posted: 7/15/2010 3:58:03 AM EDT
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OK - I have a RRA "Elite" A4 with the non-chrome-lined barrel. The gun shoots great and I have no complaints. However, I am being told by the gear queers I shoot with that because the barrel is not chrome-lined I am going to have all sorts of problems in the future to include;
-shorter barrel life (by as much as half that of a chrome-lined barrel) -less reliability due to the non-chrome barrel being more susceptible to corrosion, chamber scratching, copper/carbon fouling, damage to the crown, etc. -harder to clean and to keep clean Like I said, I have got about 2K rounds of ammo through this gun with no problems so far but I am wondering how much of the above concerns are valid and how much of it is trash talk. BTW- I am not one of those gun owners who takes these things personally or gets all butt hurt over disparaging comments about my guns and gear but I would like to know if I should anticipate any future problems. |
| The ONLY reason that the military chromes the barrels is that they can't always clean their rifles at specific intervals in shooting....chrome lines do help for those that need to shoot lots without cleaning...that ain't me. But I happen to have a chrome 1/7 carbine RRA and a chrome 1/7CMMG midlength upper that shares a RRA match lower. My overall favorite isn NOT a chrome unit but a RRA NM (20" SS 1/8 twist). So....tell your friends you won't be living in a cave in AFGAN Land for any significant period of time....any even if your were to....I'd take the SS barrel as its better than chrome...as it never wears off with use like chrome will (eventually). Shrps74 |
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Chrome-lining extends the barrel life because the chrome is harder than the underlying steel. It also promotes more reliable extraction and easier chamber cleaning. It not strictly necessary but I only buy ARs with chrome-lining. That's just me, you don't have to feel low self esteem if you don't have it. |
| The guys above are correct. It's not going to hurt you to have a non-lined barrel even if you can't break it down and clean it every time you shoot it. If you don't shoot it a lot then you might be able to get away with a quick boresnake and a promise after the shooting session is done. The only trouble I had with the Elite Midlength A4 was the weight of the barrel, so I swapped out to a lightweight chrome-lined A4 upper from RRA. I don't always get the chance to clean it as meticulously as I'd like, so the chrome acts as a little extra insurance. That's just me, though. The non-chromed barrel shot very nicely for me. I still have plans for it as well. |