Barrel of my AR-15 is scratched. Is it worth trying to fix?

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bos19

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Yes, I know the AR-15 is supposed to be a workhorse and not a trophy, but I'm going to be that guy and ask about repairing some scratches at the bottom of the barrel that have been bugging me a little. They aren't deep and I probably got them from the barrel being propped on something when I was shooting it at the range. I've heard some people use aluminum black, but others say it's just a temporary fix. Is it worth even bothering trying to fix them?
 
Birchwood Casey makes an "aluminum touch-up" pen - it's just a paint marker that can be used on any material. It'll cover a scratch but won't really match the original finish exactly.

Personally - I wouldn't sweat a scratch.
 
It’s gunna get scratched. Don’t want it scratched? Don’t use it.

That said, for a DIY use a sharpie or paint with Krylon.

Or

Spend a bit more and get it Cerecoated. That stuff is tough tough tough.
 
Your barrel isn’t aluminum. Why would you use aluminum black instead of steel cold blue? Paint markers aren’t aluminum black, and blotchy paint can look as bad as the scratch. I always have cold blue on hand, so I usually touch up nicks and scratches with cold blue.

Honestly, my personal stuff is mostly stainless steel so I can avoid this kind of issue. For aluminum, I hit it with aluminum black. If I want a super tough finish which precludes any of this concern, cerakote is hard to beat.
 
I own guns that I prefer I don't scratch and I don't use them often and when I do I'm very careful, an AR is not among them and never will be, mine have scratches, I usually just go over the scratch with a magic marker and forget about it. You will find the more you use it the more scratches it will have.
 
While I don’t mind a blemish here or there I have winced a bit before, like when hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of firearms were just chunked into the back of a Humvee. To some people they are just another tool and to treat them like a baby would be on par with a carpenter not wanting to hit a nail and mess up the face on his hammer.

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Yes, I know the AR-15 is supposed to be a workhorse and not a trophy, but I'm going to be that guy and ask about repairing some scratches at the bottom of the barrel that have been bugging me a little. They aren't deep and I probably got them from the barrel being propped on something when I was shooting it at the range. I've heard some people use aluminum black, but others say it's just a temporary fix. Is it worth even bothering trying to fix them?
Are you certain it's scratched through the finish? The finish on an AR is tougher than folks realize. More than once, I've had "scratches" on my AR that wiped away with a bit of oil & rubbing. They were nothing more than streaks.
 
If the barrel is scratched through the nitride/parkerized whatever coating, cold blue usually blends well with the surrounding finish with just a few coats. I have used Perma blue to do touch up and full reblue jobs on handguns, lever actions, and ARs.
 
Reminds me of people who buy snap on tools and treat them like jewelry. Some people polish the chrome til it resembles an actual mirror. I use my tools for work and to make a paycheck.

An AR is the same deal. Ars are based off of battle rifles and are expected to be abused some and dare I say neglected.
But if it’s a high end $$$ hunting rifle or shotgun yes scratches are an eye sore.

but like Mater from the cars movies says. That’s valuable debt. Means it’s a memory made while out having a good time.
 
Your barrel isn’t aluminum. Why would you use aluminum black instead of steel cold blue?
I used to use cold blue to oxidize engraving on brass and steel, then I found out that Aluminum Black works just as well, if not better. Plus it works on aluminum.

Also, I've engraved countless AR receivers. You never know how one will engrave until you try it. There seems to be a myriad of finishes used by the manufacturers, whether they're high dollar guns or not. If they started peeling when I engraved them, I would suggest the owners take them to my gunsmith for cerakoting. It's not expensive.
 
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