Stainless Steel for a Duty Weapon?

[abnartyguy]

Would you use a Stainless Steel barrel on a Duty Rifle?

If you were going to assemble an AR as a duty weapon for law enforcement, military, contractor, etc, would you install a Stainless Steel barrel on it, or are they just for competition(3-Gun)?

Granted, precision weapons have had stainless steal barrels on duty weapons, MK 12 (Douglas Barrel) and MK 11/M110:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_..._Purpose_Rifle

If you look at BCM & Larue they speak quite highly of their stainless steel builds.

Larue:http://www.laruetactical.com/larue-t...r-system-lt011

BCM: http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-S...16%20ss410.htm

Larue claims the "LW-50 lacks sulphur, which in high quantity, created short throat-life in other Stainless Steels. LW-50 can also be heat-treated to a point that makes it near-optimal in all forms of rifle barrels. LW-50 has been proven for over 15 years, in military and civilian uses ranging from sniper, tactical, target, and other high-performance applications where long life and accuracy are critical."

While BCM claims "410 stainless is a harder and more corrosion resistant than the conventional 416 stainless found in most barrels"

So if they are both so resistant to barrel wear(the main concern I have heard not to use them), would you?

[markm]

4150 handles heat better. Maybe no biggie for patrol rifle.... Not optimal for military extended fire fights.

[Sgt_Gold]

Stainless can't be parkerized, which is required by the TDP. Stainless also rusts, something that is very hard to achieve with a chrome lined barrel. Stainless is excellent for precision rifles where extreme accuracy is one of the primary goals, but it isn't the best choice for the hoards of the great unwashed.

[Beat Trash]

Any small benefit I might gain in accuracy (if any at all) from the usage of a stainless steel barrel for a LEO Patrol Rifle would not be worth it to me.

I prefer having a non-shinny gun for a duty weapon. If I had a stainless barrel, I'd have to have it coated or at the least, paint it. But this still leaves the bore to worry about.

I've seen stainless handguns rust. Yes it takes a lot of abuse and neglect, but many LEO's aren't "gun people". You get rained on (a lot). You can trip and fall, dropping stuff. I had an officer accompany a K-9 on a track for an armed individual last year. About a foot of snow on the ground. The officer slipped in mud concealed by snow on a hill and took a spill. The AR was so snow covered you couldn't see a single black part on the gun. Shit happens...

A non-stainless barrel such as found on a Colt 6920 has sufficient accuracy for the task of a LEO Patrol Rifle/duty weapon.

[jonconsiglio]

I wouldn't change it if it's what I already had, but I personally would stick to a CL barrel for patrol use. The accuracy gain of a stainless barrel may be somewhat noticeable from the bench, but I doubt you'd see as much of a difference on the street unless you were firing at extended ranges from a supported position.

Texas DPS have some LaRue OBR's for their precision rifles, but it's filling a different role than a fighting rifle.

My BCM 14.5" is one of the most accurate non-stainless barrels I've owned. Another great choice would be a Centurion CHF 14.5" or 16" barrel. It's a slightly thinner profile than a standard barrel but also one of the most accurate CL'd barrels I've personally handled.

[nml]

Not optimal for military extended fire fights.

IDK don't you think it'd be perfectly fine for dumping all your mags?

[bp7178]

I prefer having a non-shinny gun for a duty weapon. If I had a stainless barrel, I'd have to have it coated or at the least, paint it. But this still leaves the bore to worry about.

Bead blasted stainless barrels aren't shiny at all. A matte grey color.

You'd have more shiny shit on your uniform.

Stainless barrels do resist corrosion. An oiled patch down the bore followed by a dry one is more than enough. You would be worse off to leave tons of fouling in the barrel than worry about the effect the enviroment would have on it. Really, the enviroment for a LE duty weapon is the interior of a climate controlled car.

I wouldn't get too wrapped up in the specifics of what stainless material is being used. I've actually read a lot about them when buying a barrel. The big ones are 410, 416, 416R and LW50. The subtle differences between them is less than what the manufacturer does to complete the end product.

I've seen stainless handguns rust. Yes it takes a lot of abuse and neglect, but many LEO's aren't "gun people". You get rained on (a lot). You can trip and fall, dropping stuff. I had an officer accompany a K-9 on a track for an armed individual last year. About a foot of snow on the ground. The officer slipped in mud concealed by snow on a hill and took a spill. The AR was so snow covered you couldn't see a single black part on the gun. Shit happens...

If someone knew enough to ask about stainless barrels for duty use, I would surmise they are gun people and are capable of doing the required maintenance. If I was going to buy a lot of AR15s to issue out, it would probably be an out of the box Colt with a CL barrel.

If your rifle is serving dual use, something you'd use in competition and for work, I'd think you be just fine with a stainless barrel. If you want to treat it like most people treat things that are issued to them, CL is probably better.

[ST911]

I ran my LT Stealth (16/11) as a patrol rifle for a time, as well in training. I don't anymore because it's heavier than I like and I prefer it in a more dedicated precision semi-auto setup. It's proven reliable and GTG, just more than I need for patrol work.

[Cameron]

Some people with experience seem to really like stainless barrels in a combat zone... https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=10551

[PdxMotoxer]

Stainless can't be parkerized, which is required by the TDP. Stainless also rusts, something that is very hard to achieve with a chrome lined barrel.

When is "stainless" more prone to rust?

Especially the 4150 barrel grade over the 4140.
The 4150 has 0.5 percent more carbon in it making it stronger and more rust resistant.

http://www.rifleshootermag.com/2011/...-to-gun-metal/

I only ask because that "stainless also rusts" goes against what I've learned about metal compounds.


*I'm NOT law enforcement but I'd second, against a shiny duty weapon.