Two AR kits ordered this winter, I asked twice and confirmed via Email that they would be 1 in 9 chrome bore. After lots of failures to extract and several telephone calls the owner admits that neither are chrome. In my opinion an unplated AR is a suicide waiting to happen. Don't trust these folks.
Don't trust Model 1 Sales !
- Thread starter Alex49
- Start date
As I understand it Jim, the department of defense felt that to achieve the best reliability this design benefits from the chrome bore. It would appear that this is a widely held belief due to the abundance of other weapons produced with this feature. Personaly I like the idea of the resistance to corrosion afforded by hard chrome. One of the rifles produced from these kits shot exceptional groups, but had numerous failures to extract. I'm talking having to use a cleaning rod and a good slap to free the case. Now you tell me that a good slick chrome bore would not help.
The barrels were chromed because the climate in Vietnam, plus the infamous "word" put about that there was no need to clean the rifles, led to about total destruction of M16 barrels and chambers and many failures. In most of the U.S. and assuming reasonable cleaning, the unchromed barrels are usually OK. All 5.56mm is non-corrosive and the environment should cause no more rusting than in any other rifle.
I don't know what kits you used, but such malfunctions are not normal with an AR-15 and I doubt that lack of a chrome bore was the basic cause of the problem.
I don't disagree that a chromed bore may be better, but I did not understand your comment about "suicide". It sounds like either you engage regularly in massive gunfights where malfunctions could be fatal or that you think a rifle with an unchromed bore will somehow blow up and kill you.
Jim
I don't know what kits you used, but such malfunctions are not normal with an AR-15 and I doubt that lack of a chrome bore was the basic cause of the problem.
I don't disagree that a chromed bore may be better, but I did not understand your comment about "suicide". It sounds like either you engage regularly in massive gunfights where malfunctions could be fatal or that you think a rifle with an unchromed bore will somehow blow up and kill you.
Jim
Jim,
Maybe you can expalin something that confuses me. I understand that an UN Chrome Lined barrel is more accurite, so why for public do they still chrome line the barrels on the AR15? I just bought a Haevy Barreled BM VMAtch with a Chromed barrel and chromed match chamber.
Karsten
Maybe you can expalin something that confuses me. I understand that an UN Chrome Lined barrel is more accurite, so why for public do they still chrome line the barrels on the AR15? I just bought a Haevy Barreled BM VMAtch with a Chromed barrel and chromed match chamber.
Karsten
Poodleshooter
New member
They still chrome line them because:
A. Most people don't know that chrome lining is somewhat detrimental to accuracy, and
B. Vastly extended barrel life. For the majority of AR-15 owners who go out and blast through 500 rounds per weekend in their M-forgeries, extended barrel life is much more important than that last .2" of group size.
What they should do is chrome the chamber, but not the bore. That way you get great accuracy, easy extraction, and only sacrifice some barrel life.
A. Most people don't know that chrome lining is somewhat detrimental to accuracy, and
B. Vastly extended barrel life. For the majority of AR-15 owners who go out and blast through 500 rounds per weekend in their M-forgeries, extended barrel life is much more important than that last .2" of group size.
What they should do is chrome the chamber, but not the bore. That way you get great accuracy, easy extraction, and only sacrifice some barrel life.
Chroming is an expensive process to establish in a barrel production line
when you get a cheaper price for the "same goods"
mayhaps the goods are not the same.
Some of the cheaper AR parts available may be ones that did not pass QC at the bigger manufacturers.
Chromelining the bore may be guilding the lily for most shooters but i kinda like it in a "militia arm".
dZ
when you get a cheaper price for the "same goods"
mayhaps the goods are not the same.
Some of the cheaper AR parts available may be ones that did not pass QC at the bigger manufacturers.
Chromelining the bore may be guilding the lily for most shooters but i kinda like it in a "militia arm".
dZ
Karsten,
I think the same comments that were made for the chrome bore apply to the chrome chamber, nice but not necessary. I have lots of rifles without chrome bores or chambers, and they shoot just fine, and accurately too!
FWIW, I've got one of the AR15.COM LE rifles on order, can't wait, chrome or no chrome. 
I think the same comments that were made for the chrome bore apply to the chrome chamber, nice but not necessary. I have lots of rifles without chrome bores or chambers, and they shoot just fine, and accurately too!
FWIW, I've got one of the AR15.COM LE rifles on order, can't wait, chrome or no chrome. Jim, you do have a point. I have never had to fire a weapon in defense of life. I guess the little boy comes out sometimes and makes statements that he may wish were put a bit different. I do however believe that the 15 is a weapon made for defense and that a chrome chamber will enhance its reliability. By the way, the boss at Model 1 Sales last word was "your 30 days are up, thanks for wasting more of my time". GO BUSHMASTER, ARMALITE, COLT!
I think a lot of the point of chrome lining is to make the bbl more durable for FA fire. Remember, the civilian AR15 is made on the same production line as the military M16, at least at Colt it was.
I would venture to say that most distributors have surplus parts made by a defense contractor. And, as somebody noted, they may not have passed muster at the gov't that's why they were sold to a distributor.
An unlined bbl would definitely be aftermarket, as would a non-standard twist 1/9".
I would venture to say that most distributors have surplus parts made by a defense contractor. And, as somebody noted, they may not have passed muster at the gov't that's why they were sold to a distributor.
An unlined bbl would definitely be aftermarket, as would a non-standard twist 1/9".