Chrome lined vs. Chrome Moly?

[Nightcrawler]

My FAL is a DSA STG58A, and has the original Austrian military barrel, complete with chrome lining. I like the chrome lining, and such a thing belongs on any rifle destined for the field, I think.

However, on DSA's new production FALs, the barrels are available in either chrome moly or stainless steel.

I know stainless steel is pretty whether resistant, and don't think a stainless barrel would NEED to be chrome lined. What's a "chrome moly" barrel, exactly? Is this similar to chrome lining? Is it better/worse?

 

[Jim Watson]

"Chrome-moly" is chromium molybdenum alloy steel; used in a lot of firearms applications because of good combination of strength and workability. It is not stainless, and is not the equivalent of chromium lined. In fact, it is the base material used to BE chromium lined in military barrels. There are many different CM alloys with different percentages of chromium, molybdenum, and other alloy metals. A user can pick and choose for the properties he wants.

The main advantages of CM steel are that it costs less than stainless, and can be cheaply blued or Parkerized to a dark finish. It machines more smoothly than most firearms stainless steels, but they have that beat to the point that most benchrest barrels are stainless. It is less resistant to erosion than stainless, although a good heavy mil-spec chromium plate lasts longer than either. You won't find precision target shooters using plated barrels, though.

I would get stainless on anything but a traditional blue steel and walnut sporting rifle.

 

[Sven]

http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/faq.php

Q: Which is better Chrome Moly or Stainless Steel?

A: For the most part neither one is better than the other. The only difference we find is that sometimes the chrome moly might take a little longer to break-in and might have a little more affinity for copper or seems to show it easier. In terms of barrel life and accuracy, we can find no difference.

 

[nextjoe]

The conventional wisdom is that chrome-lined barrels are usually less accurate but require less maintenance than chrome-moly tubes.

Best,
Joe

 

[ChairborneRanger]

Agree w/nextjoe, but would add that chrome lined also last longer, too.

 

[nextjoe]

Yep, I forgot that part....

Best,
Joe

 

[XxAR10xX]

Just to add on to the existing discussion -

- So is there an accuracy difference between Chrome-Moly, and a military barrel with chrome lining? (just asking b/c i'm debating either getting an Imbel chrome barrel, or DSA chrome-moly barrel).
- I take it that chrome barrels are easier to clean right?
- Also do the chrome-moly have a special break in procedure like stainless bbls? Or can you just shoot the hell outta them like chrome lined bbls?

 

[Al Thompson]

For a military type rifle I don't think it would really make much difference, For a target or benchrest type rifle, yes. I get good groups with my chrome lined barrel for the type rifle it is. Good friend has a Bushmaster that groups quite well with a chrome lined barrel.

IIRC, the recommendation is to shoot a couple of hundred rounds through the rifle, then clean - if it's a chrome lined barrel. I think that's what Bushmaster states.