Life span/rnd count. AR 15
- Thread starter Brianma65
- Start date
Chrome lined barrel lifespan for a civi would be at the atleast up in the 25K, you will never wear out your upper or lower. Might have to replace your gas rings once in awhile though.
If your barrel wears out and thats a big if, Its only $400 for a new one and I would replace the gas tube at the same time.
If your barrel wears out and thats a big if, Its only $400 for a new one and I would replace the gas tube at the same time.
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arcticcathonda
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
Chrome or controlled gas nitrided coatings will outlive a conventional untreated barrel. Inexpensive and expensive barrels can have these coatings.
Chrome lined or one of the nitriding processes are good.
My PWS AR is isonite which is just their brand of nitriding and I called them directly asking about life expectancy and was told a minimum of 20000 rounds of semi auto fire before any noticeable decrease in accuracy. I have around 4000 through it now and haven't had to fix anything.
I would stay away from the $600 AR's but any rifle over $1000 should be minimal maintenance other than replacing gas rings and maybe an extractor every couple years.
The extra money above $1000 is buying you better furniture, better coatings, or better triggers.
Any rifle in the $1000-$1500 range should serve you well for years with proper cleaning and lubrication.
I personally refuse to use Norinco ammunition because of the inconsistency from lot to lot, some have undersized projectiles, some have loose primers that fall out and jam up your trigger group, some have been known to have bi-metal bullet jacketing which will wear out a barrel in 8000 rounds.
Some people have no problems with it but there have been way too many threads started on here with people having issues for me to risk my $2000+ rifles on that junk just to save a couple dollars.
My PWS AR is isonite which is just their brand of nitriding and I called them directly asking about life expectancy and was told a minimum of 20000 rounds of semi auto fire before any noticeable decrease in accuracy. I have around 4000 through it now and haven't had to fix anything.
I would stay away from the $600 AR's but any rifle over $1000 should be minimal maintenance other than replacing gas rings and maybe an extractor every couple years.
The extra money above $1000 is buying you better furniture, better coatings, or better triggers.
Any rifle in the $1000-$1500 range should serve you well for years with proper cleaning and lubrication.
I personally refuse to use Norinco ammunition because of the inconsistency from lot to lot, some have undersized projectiles, some have loose primers that fall out and jam up your trigger group, some have been known to have bi-metal bullet jacketing which will wear out a barrel in 8000 rounds.
Some people have no problems with it but there have been way too many threads started on here with people having issues for me to risk my $2000+ rifles on that junk just to save a couple dollars.
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arcticcathonda
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
or 6000$ worth of surplus ammo! Many of us including myself will never shoot out a barrel with this kind of life expectancy. I suspect there are very few on here would would in a decade !
I had one barrel that decided it did not like norinco anymore after about 3000 rounds.
Mind you the LOT # also changed when that happened.
I'Ve yet to put more than 4000 rounds thru' any one barrel.
I can vouch for having over 10000 thu' One lower tho'.
I had a light spring kit in it that was starting to light strike Norc to often so I changed it back to stock.
About a quarter of that round count used a different buffer spring but not because the other was worn out.
Mind you the LOT # also changed when that happened.
I'Ve yet to put more than 4000 rounds thru' any one barrel.
I can vouch for having over 10000 thu' One lower tho'.
I had a light spring kit in it that was starting to light strike Norc to often so I changed it back to stock.
About a quarter of that round count used a different buffer spring but not because the other was worn out.
I've had my rifle for 2 months and I've used 400 rnds. Shooting in the bush behind my house= lots of snow and rough going. So as it gets warmer out and I start going to the range, this will double. So I will average it out to 4000 a year. The cheapest ammo I can get is AE fmj and winchester hunting ammo@ .50 cent a rnd . I'm looking into reloading but that not much better. 1lb powder $40 = 350 rnds @ .12 cent a rnd... 100 projectiles @ $25 =.25 cent a rnd...100 brass @$13 =.4 a rnd assuming you use them 5 times....1000 primers @$41=.4 cent a rnd. Not including shipping. So I can reload for appr. .45 cent a rnd or buy for . 50 cent.
25000 rnd rifle= $1500 ish rifle? If say you average 4000 rnd a year,so at 5 to 6 yrs you need a new barrel and may be some other parts. Maybe just as well to buy a new rifle? The reason I'm asking all this is because I'm doing my RPAL next week,and would like to know what is the best AR to buy . In the $800 to $1500 range. But now I want one with a 25000 rnd count barrel.And I like rapid fire and slow fire. Right now I'm doing 100 rnds fast dump and 100 rnds slow using 6 lar 15 mags.
According to the manual that came with my DA556, service life is estimated at 6000 rounds. I suspect there's a great deal of variation however. If you aren't shooting it red-hot all the time and doing proper maintenance and lubrication, I suspect it will last a lot longer.
Your expected lifespan is going to come down to maintenance far more than how much you shoot it.
If you maintain it, meaning you keep it cleaned and oiled, you'll get 20k+ rounds out of it.
However, if you fire 100 rounds from it then store it without oil in a humid shed for a month, it will be a solid orange block of rust.
If you maintain it, meaning you keep it cleaned and oiled, you'll get 20k+ rounds out of it.
However, if you fire 100 rounds from it then store it without oil in a humid shed for a month, it will be a solid orange block of rust.
redddogg69
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Burlington/ON
I've got 15,000 rounds through my DD MK18 over the last 8 months or so. By the end of this year it will be over 23,000. It still shoots as well as new and looks the same. It gets fully cleaned every 1000 rounds in an ultrasonic then dried and frog lubed. In this many rounds I've had 3 stoppages for FTF, that was because the chamber was dirty, a quick go with a chamber brush and it was off to the races again. It's fired 1400 rounds of norinco 5.56 and the rest is remington .223. Bore looks like new. Lots of rapid fire, and smoking hot. YMMV
Gunnerlove
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vancouver Island
I have 23 000 through my Stag 4R, trigger gave me a couple of doubles at 15-16k (and 30k in dry fire) so it was replaced. Groupings have opened up from 10rnds into 1 1/8" to 10 into 1 5/8". I run it wet, scrub the bore every 1000 rnds or so and the rifle has never really been cleaned other than a wipe with a rag. I am doing better than a stoppage every 7500 rnds so overall I am pretty happy with my $1500 rifle.
GL
GL
I'll take it easy on you,
We're talking about an AR-15? Yes? Well since the AR-15 is restricted and your talking about shooting it behind your house you're openly admitting that you are breaking the law on an open forum that has members of the RCMP as well as who knows how many anti's who are just looking for ammunition to try to show why we can't be trusted with our evil black rifles.
I suggest that from now on you do not shoot your restricted firearms anywhere other than an approved range and also that you put a little thought into what you post on the internet.
You can not use your restricted firearms legally anywhere but an approved range. Even if you're on private property you are breaking the law. If you get caught you will be charged and could lose all your firearms as well as lose the right to ever own firearms in the future.
You should know this!
