Barrel Treatments for 300 BO

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DMW1116

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I’m looking at an AR pistol in 300 Black Out and was wondering if barrel treatment or material made a huge difference in durability. Choices are between stainless, nitride, and phosphate without chrome lining, which I take to mean standard steel on the inside.

My thinking is for my purposes it probably won’t make a difference. I have nitride and stainless barrels in 5.56 and 308. I have a plain steel bore barrel in 30-30. I haven’t decided if I want to build an upper or get one ready made. Ultimately I’d like to get an SBR stamp and put a real stock on it.

My purpose is just to try 300 BO. It would end up being a range gun and HD option, perhaps with a minor in pest control if the requirement ever came up.
 
Have three 300 BO guns.
2 AR platform and a bolt gun.
Haven't treated them with anything.
Nor any other guns other than standard maintenance.

If you already have a AR lower, a upper is fairly cheap and can be shipped directly to you.
 
I’m talking about manufacturer treatments, not user/owner treatments.

AR barrel treatments or finishes or materials are often debated. Nitrided barrels, stainless steel of some sort, chrome lined, or bare steel are all out there in 5.56. Evidently it’s not much of an issue with 300 BO.

Phosphate exterior with plain interior is cheapest. Nitrided barrels are next and stainless is the most expensive.

However I can’t just put an 8-10 inch upper on my rifle lowers. Then again, just to try it out, that is the easiest option.
 
Yeah nitrided or chrome lining adds a lot round count to barrels.but 300 Bo is pretty slow and being 30cal without overbore it's going to give at least I'd say 6000 rounds before any barrel degrading In plain chromoly.
Nitrided probably 12-15000 Rnds in 300 and who knows maybe 30k with chrome lining .
 
My logic was I’ve never heard of a 30-30 barrel getting shot out so I figured that would similar in 300 BO. 30-30’s are generational guns in many cases, especially in the case of subsonic rounds.
 
From your description the plain ch
DMW1116 said:
My logic was I’ve never heard of a 30-30 barrel getting shot out so I figured that would similar in 300 BO. 30-30’s are generational guns in many cases, especially in the case of subsonic rounds.
Click to expand...
Yeah you would have to do tacticool training and mag dumps every weekend to know much difference .

The only other thing to consider is nitride and chrome lining clean out easier especially the chrome lining.
But yeah in a 300 bo pistol I don't think either thing is worth worrying about and generally plain chromoly will out shoot chrome lined barrels anyway .good luck
 
Now shooting f-class or benchrest.round count and throat wear are different story.

Dont worry about it in a pistol ar . your not shooting for points and when accuracy falls off will be years away if I read your post correct
Barrels are consumables
 
Your rate of fire will be the biggest factor..... the powder volume is tiny for a 30 cal so it will last a long time if you don't roast it....
 
I have two or three 300 BO AR-15's, all have stainless barrels. The low velocity with the low powder charge will not harm the barrel like a 220 Swift or 204 Ruger high velocity varmint ammunition.

I shoot only super sonic loads in my 300 BO guns. I do not expect anytime barrel wear soon with 300 BO. Shooting sub-sonic ammunition will increase the barrel life.
 
I have fought against 300 BO for a while, but if I'm going to get another caliber, that seems the one to go with. I'm trying to shoot the rifling out of my Blackhawk. Might as well add a rifle to the efforts. Perhaps the simplest solution is best, and an alternate 16"-barrel upper is the way to go for now.
 
A buddy of mine has a Larue 300 BO with their suppressor. I was never impressed with the caliber until I shot it. 25- 100 yards that thing is fun!
 
Since the Soviets chose a chrome-lined barrel for the 7.62x39 (AK47) and the .300BO has approximately the same case-to-bore-volume as the 7.62x39, I'd recommend highly a chrome-lined barrel. Even subjected to long full-auto use and little to no maintenance, those barrels perform admirably. Copy those who've had success.
 
Who makes a chrome lined 300 BO barrel? Nitride, stainless, and bare steel barrels are widely available. For purposes of durability I’d prefer nitride, but for accuracy I’d take stainless or plain steel, depending on how much I was willing to spend.
 
There are many options for chrome-lined .300 BO barrels. You've got the internet at your finger tips; use it.
 
I wouldn’t waste money for a chromie for any rifle with which I wanted to hit anything.

If “success” is going bang, sure. But this isn’t an “FA being carried by conscripted civilians who don’t want to be there and don’t know how to maintain a firearm, firing rot gut, com-block lacquered steel case ammo” application. Alternatively, we know well enough that “successful” competitors which run more rounds through their barrels in a couple of months than most folks do in a lifetime don’t use chromies.
 
Varminterror said:
I wouldn’t waste money for a chromie for any rifle with which I wanted to hit anything.

If “success” is going bang, sure. But this isn’t an “FA being carried by conscripted civilians who don’t want to be there and don’t know how to maintain a firearm, firing rot gut, com-block lacquered steel case ammo” application. Alternatively, we know well enough that “successful” competitors which run more rounds through their barrels in a couple of months than most folks do in a lifetime don’t use chromies.
Click to expand...

The OP asked about barrel treatments with regard to nitriding, chrome-lined, stainless, etc and their effect upon durability and never mentioned anything regarding competition so you're a tad off topic. Sorry to hear that mention of chrome-lined barrels set you off like that as I had no intention of triggering anyone with my OT response.
 
I vote nitride. It usually doesn't add much to the cost of the barrel. Good compromise between durability & accuracy. Fairly common in budget barrel choices.
Stainless or unlined/ phosphate is a great choice for accuracy but for a .300bo pistol that wouldn't be a priority to me.
Chrome is tough but expensive & difficult to apply evenly, and AR barrels are easy to swap.
 
@481 the OP never mentioned anything about prolonged FA use, nor did he mention the AK, yet here you are.

3 gun competitors burn rounds down range more than most shooters will ever imagine, and by and large, any of them worth their salt are not running chromies.

Much better practice for a civilian seeking a 300BLK to pick their contour, gas length, and twist from a reputable manufacturer known to produce good barrels for their application, and don’t sweat the immeasurably unimportant difference between barrel treatment.
 
Varminterror said:
@481 the OP never mentioned anything about prolonged FA use, nor did he mention the AK, yet here you are.

3 gun competitors burn rounds down range more than most shooters will ever imagine, and by and large, any of them worth their salt are not running chromies.

Much better practice for a civilian seeking a 300BLK to pick their contour, gas length, and twist from a reputable manufacturer known to produce good barrels for their application, and don’t sweat the immeasurably unimportant difference between barrel treatment.
Click to expand...

That chrome-lined barrels are extremely durable when subjected to high volumes of fire was the point of that comparison and was on topic — sorry that the comparison set you off.
 
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