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Chrome Lined Barrels

Stevan1Stevan1 Member Posts: 138 ✭✭✭
edited November 2009 in Ask the Experts
In a previous post on barrel longevity a member said that chrome lines barrels were vastly more durable than others. How much does this procedure improve durability? What firearms have chrome lined barrels?

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    Stevan1Stevan1 Member Posts: 138 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    On various AK or AKM rifles, some are chrome lined and others are not at times. My question is this. Is a chrome lined or non-chrome lined barrel deemed more accurate. Thanks!
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    gunprofitgunprofit Member Posts: 157 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It depends on which one I have in stock and am trying to sell you. LOL

    Actually, on the type of firearms that have chrome lined barrels, I don't think you could tell the difference. None of them are true tack drivers in the accuracy department.

    But, I would purchase the chrome lined barrel gun since that provides protection against corrosion. Kinda like buying a stainless gun.
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    beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Stevan1
    On various AK or AKM rifles, some are chrome lined and others are not at times. My question is this. Is a chrome lined or non-chrome lined barrel deemed more accurate. Thanks!

    Agree with gunprofit.

    First of all, generalizing about barrels isn't necessarily that helpful, since there is a tremendous variation in tolerances and construction between different AK-type guns. Accuracy is more than just the barrel.

    Frankly, none of them are known for pin-point accuracy, and the low-cost Russian-type steel case ammo that most people are shooting with isn't known for accuracy either.

    As to which is more accurate, in GENERAL, chromed barrels are often considered to be less accurate than non-chromed ones. To what extent this is actually true is debatable, but particularly with something like an AK in practice, I doubt you'd ever be able to notice a difference in accuracy with real-world shooting.

    If maximum accuracy were your goal, you probably wouldn't be shooting an AK to begin with.

    I certainly think that a GOOD chromed barrel is going to outperform a POOR (or corroded/rusty!) non-chromed one, and all else being equal, I'd pick the chrome-line one over the non-chrome lined one any day for the extra corrosion resistance.

    In general the match-type competitors tend to favor barrels made from stainless steel, which isn't to say that other metals can't be highly accurate too, but that if maximum accuracy is what you are after, "none of the above" might be the right answer.
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    ElMuertoMonkeyElMuertoMonkey Member Posts: 12,898
    edited November -1
    Chrome lined barrels are considered less accurate from what I've heard. Something about inconsistencies in the surface of the chrome after the barrel interior has been plated.
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