Chrome coating vs Nickel coating???

[Carter]

I was looking at a LWRC ar and a SR 556. The insides of a SR are chrome lined where as the LWRC is nickel lined....I know it helps with cleaning and lubrication, but how does one differ from the other in effectiveness or do something that the other doesn't?

 

[Juice Boxes]

chrome is harder

nickel bonds to itself better

I would go with the LWRC just because I like their gas piston design better.

 

[Runningman]

Uggh.....Considering ammonia used in many bore cleaners attacks nickel plating. Have 1st hand experience with this one years ago. Having a barrel nickel lined seems like a silly thing to sell.

 

[Maverick223]

If I am not mistaken (it happens) nickel plating is required prior to chrome (for better adhesion), so you get both with chrome by default. Additionally chrome is a harder coating which increases wear resistance and has a lower frictional coefficient (because it is very smooth). I can't imagine that LWRC only uses nickel...not good.

 

[dfariswheel]

The chrome lining inside the bolt carrier is not the same thing as decorative chrome as used on the outside of some cheap guns.

The chrome used in the carrier is industrial HARD chrome. This is bonded directly to the steel and won't chip, crack, or flake off like standard chrome or nickel. This is the same type of process used to hard chrome line barrels.
I suspect you won't see whatever LWRC is using used inside a rifle bore.

Personally, from what I know about plating technology, unless they're using some new technology, the hard chrome is the best.
The military issue rifles use the original hard chrome, and if there was a real advantage, they'd be specifying whatever LWRC is using.

 

[Carter]

Well apparantly they claim that it is being researched by military developers and what not. And I believe its only the bolt carrier group...not the barrel. But I plan on running say silver bear (nickel lined ammo) or wolf, cause brass is redicuously expensive. But I'm not sure softer nickel lined/plated carrier groups would work well with that ammo..

Edit: Also the barrels aren't chrome lined but cold hammer forged using NiCorr process, which I wont pretend to understand, but it supposedly lasts longer and is more durable than traditional chromed barrels.

Plus I know its not gangsta rim chrome...

 

[Maverick223]

The chrome used in the carrier is industrial HARD chrome. This is bonded directly to the steel...

Well, I stand corrected, perhaps it is applied directly to the bare steel. I'd still take nickel over naked steel, and chrome over either (as well as TiN); but to be honest I doubt you will use it hard enough to justify the difference (nor would I).

 

[Juice Boxes]

silver bear is zinc coated steel not nickel

 

[Carter]

ah, my mistake.

reading too much at once I guess