Chrome Lined vs Nitrided and Melonite

[Plinkin' Logs]

So some of you may know that I am looking for a new AR upper. As I was looking I was discounting anything that wasn't chrome-lined. There seems to be a new sugguestion that nitriding is just as good as chrome-lining but without the accuracy disadvantage. I have also heard the same agreement for meloniting
So should I consider nitride over chrome lined? My biggest concern is long life, and am normally willing to give up a bit of accuracy for it, but if nitride or meloniting is all-round better then I'm all for it.

 

[HOOfan_1]

Melonite is a brand name for nitriding.

Nitriding is supposed to give better corrosion resistance than chrome lining. Not sure if it will be as easy to clean though.

 

[henschman]

They will both give you long life, and have anti-corrosion/fouling properties.

Whether nitrided or chrome lined, the accuracy of a barrel is determined by how well it was manufactured. The chamber has some to do with it as well. It is true that it is easier to manufacture a nitrided barrel with a particular level of accuracy than a chrome lined one. However, there are chrome lined barrels that are very accurate as well. With barrels of equal quality, I think you would have to be shooting match grade ammo and using a bench rest to tell any difference between the two.

Just keep the intended role in mind. I went with chrome lined barrels on my two main fighting ARs (one is BCM, the other PSA), because there aren't any nitrided barrels I know of that use 4150 steel, are high pressure tested and magnetic particle inspected, and have a 5.56 chamber. I wanted these things for reasons of reliability, and didn't care about sub-MOA accuracy potential because I plan on shooting mostly surplus ammo and never plan on shooting it off a bench or bipod. Both those rifles consistently do 2 MOA from prone with M193, and that is more than good enough for my purposes. YMMV of course.

 

[HOOfan_1]

there aren't any nitrided barrels I know of that use 4150 steel, are high pressure tested and magnetic particle inspected, and have a 5.56 chamber.

They don't say anything about HPT
...but I bet they do it

https://danieldefense.com/cold-hamm...hf-barrels/16-mid-length-1-7-s2w-profile.html

 

[henschman]

I bet they do too. DD wasn't making those S2W barrels back when I built mine... but I wasn't interested in that heavy of a barrel for those builds anyway. DD still doesn't offer their LW or gov't profile barrels in anything but chrome lined.

I think overall nitriding is a better process, and I expect that it will eventually replace chrome lining -- but it may take some time to happen when it comes to barrels designed for fighting rifles. Guys who want rifles for that role are rather hesitant to depart from the mil specs (for good reason -- they are a set of features that are time-tested and proven to make for a very reliable weapon, when reliability is the main concern).

 

[G.barnes]

Both of my DD's are very accurate. I have the v5 and v7. I just got the v7 with quality ammo I shot a 5 rd group less than a quarter at 100 yds with a 12x scope. With xm193 and 855 the groups open up some. I was going to swap the barrel on the v7 to a stainless for better accuracy, but I can't justify spending the money now.

 

[GAMEOVER44]

Springfield Armory uses Melonite on their XDm's and I think even XDs very TOUGH and durable!!! I can vouche for that.

 

[constructor]

There are places that produce 4150 11595e Melonite treated barrels. 1 in 8 twist 5R rifling.
Load 24.5gr RE15 behind 69gr SMKs at 2.28" and check your accuracy. Not many chrome lined barrels will put them in 1/2" at 100yds.

 

[Walkalong]

Which barrels where, or are you just going to tease us.

 

[Gtscotty]

Probably AR Performance, the owner uses that handle on other sites. A stand up company by all accounts, I've wanted one of their barrels for a while. As for me, I would take a nitrocarburized barrel over chrome lined if I had the choice. In fact, I would love to have all my guns so treated, long wear life and fantastic corrosion resistance all over... Tough to beat.

 

[68wj]

Somehow I ended up with a 5.56 (.223 Wylde) and 6.8 SPC barrel by AR Performance. Great product and I have no concerns about longevity or reliability for these purpose built, nitrocarb'd barrels. http://www.ar15performance.com/barrels