Cold Hammer Forged Barrels?

[Circuits]

So thats why CHF barrels are favored in demanding competition shooting sports like benchrest... Oh wait they are not.
Sorry to burst your bubble but CHF barrels have lower tolerances then a cut barrel. You can get a plain jane chrome lined or nitrocarburized (said to be harder then chrome) barrel for half the price and you get more then half the rounds through it compared to a CHF barrel before it is shot out. More rounds down range for less money seems to be the winning ticket to me.

Oh no! You've burst my bubble! <dies>. No one's trying to make you shoot chf - it's your hard earned dollar, you shoot what you want, man.

There are other issues in demanding competition shooting, and a lot more money to be spent in accurizing thereto. To compare commodity barrels of any kind, CHF or bored and buttoned or cut to top-level competition barrels is just silly. Our shitty little consumer engines don't crank out 400hp/liter like a formula 1 engine, either - but they don't cost a cool million each.

Though I admit to some curiosity about both your pricing (CHF costing 2x plain-jane), and as to whether you've ever shot out even one barrel, much less multiples to be worrying about an unspecified cost differential for replacement. I have paid about $100 more for a BCM chf complete upper than the same upper with a non chf, chrome lined barrel, out of a total cost of about $500. Maybe the bare barrels would have been more like $200 for non chf to $300 for chf, but that'd still be only 50% more cost for 2x barrel life. And most folks buy uppers, not barrels, so it will seem even more diluted to them.

[BPTactical]

The CHF process compacts the granular structure of the steel, especially at the bore where the hammering forces are the most concentrated. It also work hardens the steel and I can notice the difference when machining it.

[cofi]

Though I admit to some curiosity about both your pricing (CHF costing 2x plain-jane), and as to whether you've ever shot out even one barrel, much less multiples to be worrying about an unspecified cost differential for replacement. I have paid about $100 more for a BCM chf complete upper than the same upper with a non chf, chrome lined barrel, out of a total cost of about $500. Maybe the bare barrels would have been more like $200 for non chf to $300 for chf, but that'd still be only 50% more cost for 2x barrel life. And most folks buy uppers, not barrels, so it will seem even more diluted to them.

I agree plus if your comparing high end stainless barrels vs high end chf barrels there is no cost difference

Do you want a dead nuts accurate 1/4moa stainless lothar walther barrel with a >10000 round service life(probably way less if your shooting benchrest)

Or a 1 moa chf barrel that's going to last <20000+

The neat thing about our hobby is that there both good choices for different people

[Joe_K]

Barrels on Mil issued M-16A4 rifles and M-4/ M4A1 carbines produced by Colt and FN are all non CHF. All Military issued barrels are rated at 6-8k rounds before they need swapped, however I have never seen a USMC issued rifle or carbine being rebarrelled. Anyone with any different experiences? Im also pretty certain that Mil contract SCARs are using CHF barrels. A CHF barrel will also be many times more smooth and concentric in all dimensions than a traditional cut rifled barrel.

[TheBelly]

Barrels on Mil issued M-16A4 rifles and M-4/ M4A1 carbines produced by Colt and FN are all non CHF. All Military issued barrels are rated at 6-8k rounds before they need swapped, however I have never seen a USMC issued rifle or carbine being rebarrelled. Anyone with any different experiences? Im also pretty certain that Mil contract SCARs are using CHF barrels. A CHF barrel will also be many times more smooth and concentric in all dimensions than a traditional cut rifled barrel.

Live seen twelve M4s get rebarreled. This was during the depot level checks after a deployment. 12 out of 3000 got changed.

Generally, if they fail gauge, they get a new barrel.

this is all just my experience.

[Joe_K]

What service branch and unit? Just curious. We had an M- 4A1 that had over 50k rounds through one barrel. It was basically a smoothbore but our unit couldnt get replacement barrels, Uppers, or complete A-1's this was during 08'.

[Rabid]

You tend to get far more perfect, and consistent bores from CHF than you ever would from boring a blank, rifling it, chambering it and lapping it. If the mandrel is good, all the barrels that come off it are going to be damn near identical.

I was responding to that statement, if they are so much more perfect why are they not used for match? FYI You still have to bore a blank, rifle it, chamber it and contour it for any style of rifling. Yes i am talking about a bare barrel.

I agree plus if your comparing high end stainless barrels vs high end chf barrels there is no cost difference

Do you want a dead nuts accurate 1/4moa stainless lothar walther barrel with a >10000 round service life(probably way less if your shooting benchrest)

Or a 1 moa chf barrel that's going to last <20000+

The neat thing about our hobby is that there both good choices for different people

Do you both really think you get twice the life out of a CHF barrel? That would be a gigantic selling point but you dont hear those claims because its not true. At 10k+ round count your throat is going to be pretty eroded and your not going to get 1 moa.

[Joe_K]

I have not heard of a non chrome lined CHF barrel. Correct me if Im wrong but arent most if not all national match rifles non chrome lined? Also Read the review of the filthy 14 bcm middy that shot 14 k. CHF is great for guys who only require 3 moa or under. Cut rifling probably does better for match grade competition types who want gnats ass moa but dont care if they olny get 1-3 k out of one barrel. Cut rifling can be made very smooth with lapping honing and other post rifling techniques but fir a large volume barrel that will last 1.5 x plus and will not be expected to be used as a target rifle at camp perry imho you cant do wrong going the CHF route.

[TheBelly]

What service branch and unit? Just curious. We had an M- 4A1 that had over 50k rounds through one barrel. It was basically a smoothbore but our unit couldnt get replacement barrels, Uppers, or complete A-1's this was during 08'.

Army. Infantry brigade.