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The Range
Rifle & Shotgun Discussion
AR-15 Barrel Questions
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<blockquote data-quote="Shadowrider" data-source="post: 827389" data-attributes="member: 3099"><p>I'll throw a couple of cents in here just for general information.</p><p></p><p>Stainless has chromium blended in the steel itself, in much higher amounts than 414x. That's what makes it stainless. It's very little different than regular steel otherwise, certainly not enough to tell any weight difference. If you machine 2 identical barrels out of 414x chrome-moly and one out of stainless you will not be able to even measure the difference in weight unless you have some really bad azz labratory scales. The stainless barrel will have a slightly longer life than the chrome moly without chrome plating internally.</p><p></p><p>Any barrel made out of 414x steel is going to perform as well as the machining that went into it. The material designation is 41 being the alloy type (chromium and molydenum) and the 4x being the carbon content. So 4140 has 40% carbon, 4145 had 45% carbon, etc. The balance of the percentage has to be made up with the alloying elements (chromium and molydenum). There are other alloys in addition to chromium and molydenum like vanadium, tungsten, and others but they are very minute amounts and not significant. Generally the higher carbon content in the steel just means that it <strong><em>CAN BE</em></strong> heat treated to a higher hardness, not that it has been. It really boils down to what kind of care went into the drilling, rifling, and reaming and also to a lesser extent how the outside profile was machined.</p><p></p><p>The reason that a chrome lined barrel isn't as accurate as a non-lined barrel is that it's impossible to get a perfectly uniform plating thickness around the the circumference <em><strong>AND</strong></em> all along the length <em><strong>at the same time</strong></em>. The thickness variance is measured down to a tenth of a thousanth of an inch (0.0001) or less but it makes a difference in accuracy. If it weren't for the rifling grooves it wouldn't be so bad, but they set up small eddys in the plating solution and it's just not possible to get it perfect. And every barrel is different just like with the machining.</p><p></p><p>For the OP's use Mike's suggestion is spot on. A chrome lined or stainless will work too, but it may not be worth the extra money. I'd buy quality machining first and foremost.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Shadowrider, post: 827389, member: 3099"] I'll throw a couple of cents in here just for general information. Stainless has chromium blended in the steel itself, in much higher amounts than 414x. That's what makes it stainless. It's very little different than regular steel otherwise, certainly not enough to tell any weight difference. If you machine 2 identical barrels out of 414x chrome-moly and one out of stainless you will not be able to even measure the difference in weight unless you have some really bad azz labratory scales. The stainless barrel will have a slightly longer life than the chrome moly without chrome plating internally. Any barrel made out of 414x steel is going to perform as well as the machining that went into it. The material designation is 41 being the alloy type (chromium and molydenum) and the 4x being the carbon content. So 4140 has 40% carbon, 4145 had 45% carbon, etc. The balance of the percentage has to be made up with the alloying elements (chromium and molydenum). There are other alloys in addition to chromium and molydenum like vanadium, tungsten, and others but they are very minute amounts and not significant. Generally the higher carbon content in the steel just means that it [B][I]CAN BE[/I][/B] heat treated to a higher hardness, not that it has been. It really boils down to what kind of care went into the drilling, rifling, and reaming and also to a lesser extent how the outside profile was machined. The reason that a chrome lined barrel isn't as accurate as a non-lined barrel is that it's impossible to get a perfectly uniform plating thickness around the the circumference [I][B]AND[/B][/I] all along the length [I][B]at the same time[/B][/I]. The thickness variance is measured down to a tenth of a thousanth of an inch (0.0001) or less but it makes a difference in accuracy. If it weren't for the rifling grooves it wouldn't be so bad, but they set up small eddys in the plating solution and it's just not possible to get it perfect. And every barrel is different just like with the machining. For the OP's use Mike's suggestion is spot on. A chrome lined or stainless will work too, but it may not be worth the extra money. I'd buy quality machining first and foremost. [/QUOTE]
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