Chrome lining the barrel of an existing rifle?

[DougB]

I've been thinking of buying a Springfield Armory M1A "Scout Squad" rifle (the 18" barreled one with the forward optics mount). One thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't come with a chrome-lined barrel (which you do get on the base model). I realize that chrome-lined barrels may give up a tiny amount of accuracy compared to non-chromed (mostly theoretical for most of us I think). I would just prefer the durability and easy cleaning of the chrome bore.

So, does anyone chrome-line the bores of completed rifles? I have no idea of how the process works, but if I could buy whatever rifle (or AR complete upper) I want and then send it to someone to have the bore chrome-lined for, say, $40-$50, I'd probably do it. Does anyone do this? Is it practical?

Doug

 

[Nightcrawler]

I too am interested in this.

 

[Art Eatman]

I'd sure check into the thickness of the plating. If it's (e.g.) 0.0005", then a .308 barrel becomes a .307 and you have a significant pressure problem.

Art

 

[JohnKSa]

I haven't done a complete market survey, but the couple of places I talked to wouldn't.

 

[Jim K]

I agree with Art. Further, I doubt if you will find anyone who will do it. Barrels to be chrome lined are made a shade bigger so the chrome brings them to the right size.

(Back in the '60's one of the major gun companies, whose name I shall not mention but whose initials are S&W, took on a contract for Model 1911 barrels. They goofed and made them too large. Rather than scrap thousands of barrels, they chrome lined them, bringing the bore/groove measurements back within spec. Naturally, the military was delighted with this freebie "extra" and the company was praised for going the extra mile to help the armed forces.)

Jim

 

[BigG]

Those must be the chrome bores offered by SARCO??

 

[geekWithA.45]

I too wish for this,

It's my one real regret about picking the squad scout.

I also realize it's probably not going to happen.

I'm a big fan of the durability and ez cleaning attributes of chrome lining, and I wish SA had gone the extra mile there.

In another forum, I heard that SA is running out of chrome lined GI barrels, and will be dropping chrome lining from the line up.

Dang.

 

[Wryfox]

I believe you have to heat that puppy good and hot to do the chrome plating, basically screwing up things that were not designed to survive a chrome plating process. Also, it's cheap to do as part of a std manuafcture process, but for just your rifle I think it would be too expensive. Bore plating is not the same as surface plating. It would have to be a barrel company that already does bore plating that could do it, so basicly leaving only mil contractors, which ain't gonna do it unless your name is uncle sam.

 

[Dave R]

So what's the possibility of re-barrelling it with an original chrome-lined barrel cut back to the proper length? Doesn't sound like TOO expensive a project for a good 'smith.

 

[Wryfox]

I cannot say from experience but having discussed this before, I ahve found that an existing chrome barrel cannot be cut down due to the chrome plating's propensity to chip due to its hardness. The barrel crown could never be cut properly.

 

[surfinUSA]

Thats not true. Check with gunplumber on FAL files. He has had good results doing this. I don't know his procedure though.