???
Not looking to have one done, was just curious. I don’t think you can chrome line a barrel that has been nitrided/Melonite/QPQ either. Please correct if I am wrong on either one.
Noveske did a few back in the day and gave up, I guess it was prohibitively expensive.
You know, I knew I had read somewhere before that it had been done, but couldn’t remember who did it. I Googled it and never actually saw somewhere that it was doable; every search result showed chrome lined vs stainless or similar.
It is an electrodeposition process, so as long as the base metal can be prepped correctly and conducts electricity it can be chromed. Stainless needs to be treated with sulfuric acid before plating. It’s fairly common in hydraulic systems.
I think the biggest issue would be that the chrome lining would make for a slightly less accurate barrel than a well made stainless barrel that was not chromed. Since accuracy is the main point of using a stainless barrel, it is a bit contrary to then degrade the accuracy by lining it.
Chrome lining is a bit of a hold out to days past. It’s primary function was to resist corrosive ammunition and the wear of military high rate firing. Take two barrels made to the same quality, one lined and one not. The lined barrel will be less accurate, but will wear slower and maintain its accuracy for a higher number of rounds fired.
This is the advantage to nitriding or nitrocarburizing. The hardening and corosion resistance are imparted into the base metal. The additive process is so negligible that it does not degrade accuracy like chrome lining. It also does not magnify imperfections the way chrome does, which is one of the reasons chrome lined parts cost more. They actually need to be made to a higher tolerance because chrome will significantly amplify any imperfections.
Of course even knowing all this, I still prefer chrome lined barrels. Meh, I’m old. I get to be set in my ways. Logic got nuttin on ol skool.
Well, there’s that. Echoes my feeling about the subject.
Todd K was involved Noveske and that program, or should have better info about it. When I was talking with Johnny it came up one day, and the end results were that it just wasn’t worth it. It did not create a super barrel, but it did create a super expensive barrel. These were the Pac Nor barrels, and Todd would need to step in for additional or technical info.
Noveske at one point also made 17-4 PH barrels if I recall. There’s also a patent still floating around with John’s name on it for a super barrel that supposedly would last several tens of thousands of rounds without any measurable degradation of accuracy.
On the topic of super barrels, I also recall reading about cobalt-molybdenum as a replacement for chrome-lining that would extend the useful life of a barrel several thousand rounds beyond what’s considered normal.
Stainless steel barrels are not more precise than carbon steel barrels. In fact, for pure precision, carbon steel barrels have the edge- when new. Carbon steel barrels erode gradually and shot groups also open gradually.
Stainless steel barrels erode differently and shoot more consistent groups over the life of the barrel. When a stainless steel barrel does erode enough to affect precision, group sizes open suddenly and dramatically.