Build barrel..... Nitride or stainless?

[Brutus57]

Ya'll know how a bucket of a few xtra parts call incessantly for a new build? All things considered: same length, same gas, same price, same twist....nitride or stainless?

Brutus Out

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[Diamondback]

Depends what you're looking for... if what I've read is correct stainless is better on accuracy but nitride wins on longevity.

The stainless barrel is the one thing I don't like about the upper I'm looking at for the NWFA lower...

 

[3MTA3]

I have a pair of BHW nitrided stainless barrels with poly rifling to increase life...

Stainless won't last as long (maybe half) as any of the standard chrome moly rifle barrels. I'd go nitrided 4150 CMV (preferred) or 4140 CM.

 

[The Heretic]

You can treat stainless with nitride.

 

[Diamondback]

How would a nitrided 416 SS compare to a nitrided 4150 CMV, and is it something that can be done at home?

 

[3MTA3]

How would a nitrided 416 SS compare to a nitrided 4150 CMV, and is it something that can be done at home?

Both will be very accurate. The 4150 CMV barrel will last longer and deal with heat better.

The use of stainless by target shooters is that it's easy to clean and the rifling is more accurate than a chromed barrel.

You can't nitride at home to my knowledge, and if you could the odds of getting it right are probably small.

Here are a couple of good discussions on barrel material:
Barrels 101
Why is 4150 steel better?

 

[Diamondback]

Thanks--I'd prefer 4150, but for some reason my upper-builder *only* uses 416... and the other shop I've been looking at for some reason can't wrap their minds around the concept of a "mid-length gas system."

 

[3MTA3]

Thanks--I'd prefer 4150, but for some reason my upper-builder *only* uses 416... and the other shop I've been looking at for some reason can't wrap their minds around the concept of a "mid-length gas system."

What's your intended use for the upper? Stainless my be great for your application, but I gotta say though that if the guy who built my house only built igloos I'd have gotten a different guy.

 

[Diamondback]

What's your intended use for the upper? Stainless my be great for your application, but I gotta say though that if the guy who built my house only built igloos I'd have gotten a different guy.

Intended use is a General Purpose, but literally my *only* beef with the primary is the Stainless metallurgy--at that rate I'm OK with having to swap the barrel if it's got everything else right.
<broken link removed>

The alternate has a bunch of things I don't like: carbine gas, 1:8 twist, 5.56 NATO rather than .223 Wylde... plus the fact that if I bought it as a kit I'd either have to replace or already have most of the bottom-half parts, BCG and CH. The upper from this:
AR-15 Rifle Kit - 16" / 5.56X45 Upper Assembly 1:8 15" Gen 2 / Bolt Carrier Group / Charging Handle / AR-15 Buttstock Kit / AR-15 Lower Parts Kit

I'll start a new thread about the build and link it back here.

 

[Diamondback]

Thread's at A Tale of Two Uppers... Sanity Check my AR build plan?

 

[Vorpalis]

I second what 3MTA3 said: if a shop won't use the parts you want, then find another shop.

Personally, if I were concerned enough with one of the parts to start a thread, then I wouldn't buy a pieced-together upper from a shop. Instead, I would either buy the parts I want separately and pay a shop like Curt's to assemble it, or I would buy a pre-built upper from a reputable company like BCM or DD and choose to be okay with / trust their choice of components.

To me, the skill and reputation of the company who made the barrel is more important than the material, and neither of those you linked to say who made the barrel.

It also seems to me like you're stressing over the twist rate too much. Unless you have a specific bullet weight already in mind that you're purpose-building this for – and since you said it's for "general purpose" then you don't – then any of the standard twist rates will serve you just fine.