Gunsmithing Melonite extending barrel life?

[lordfaramir13]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

Do you have to "rebreak in" a barrel after either of these applications? If so, doesnt that mean the you have simply worn away the edges that the application was intended to protect in the first place? Namely the lands on the rifle.

 

[737shark]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

Lower corrosion resistance???

Do you mean it will corrode slower or more easily corroded?

 

[scotharr]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

I ordered two 243 barrels from Pierce: one with and one without Melonite. I'd love to get a 243 barrel to last longer. Hopefully will get my new tubegun in a month or so.

 

[BLAWTON]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 737SHARK</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Lower corrosion resistance???

Do you mean it will corrode slower or more easily corroded?

</div></div>

Yes my bad. Thanks for catching that. It has more corrosion resistance.

 

[SSG3K]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

I had my first experience with melonite and I will say I will never get anything like that stuff again. The rifle I was shooting fell flat on its face after 600 yards. When I went to clean the barrel out it was like a purple waterfall after only 40 rounds. As for was it an ammo issue I had brought 2 308 rifles to the range that day and had no issues with an uncoated barrel. Barrels are like tires and eventually they have to be changed. Why would you take the chance on spending 6-700 for a barrel job just to get it back fucked up????

Rich

 

[BLAWTON]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

If there was any burrs left in the throat when it was chambered its gonna take 2-3 times the ammount to get them out. After 200 rounds it might calm down. Thats why i treat the throat in all the ones we have done so far.

 

[lordfaramir13]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NotAGuru δ</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If there was any burrs left in the throat when it was chambered its gonna take 2-3 times the ammount to get them out. After 200 rounds it might calm down. Thats why i treat the throat in all the ones we have done so far.</div></div>

Good idea. When researching steels for my rifle, it appears that stainless drops off just a little sooner than chromolly; however in both steels its usually the throat thats worn down before the lands are. One of the discussions was here on the hide. Especially in chromolly where a worn throat will throw a shot off everynow and then and stainless leans toward a general degredation in accuracy.

 

[Kells81]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

Best way to test this would have 2 rifles built with 2 barrels from the same lot. treat one and not the other. make em go bang the same amount of time, see the results. I would say something very out there as far as barrels go. 243 catbird 22/284 or something along those lines,

Hell would it be possible to get a 40" blank cut it in half and have 2 18" barrels by the time your done chopping the inch off each end?

 

[BLAWTON]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

Thats streching it for most deep hole drills. Drill bits are not usually made long enough to do that length of hole in any smaller calibers.

 

[kevin_j]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

Hi Folks,

I'm a new entry to the board and this topic caught my attention.
I'm looking to start experimenting with nitriding for my SPR and carbine barrels. Looks like promising stuff. Just off-hand, I'm thinking about the following test case:

1. fully break in a CM blank and record accuracy.
2. Have treatment applied
3. Record accuracy again
4. Record accuracy at intervals of 1000 rounds until it reaches a point that it is unacceptable. This of course will vary based on the application.

I'd like to do this in parallel with another untreated barrel using the blanks from the same lot, although I think it will be impossible to completely remove all the variables. It would however be a pretty interesting although non-scientific test! Any ideas on testing?

 

[BLAWTON]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

First off if you do shoot the barrel first you almost must lap it out again to get everything out. If there is anything even anything let in it you could run into problems with the process. Second you must have it done by someone who know what they are doing when it comes to doing the barrels. It has to be done a specific way or its not going help as near as much as you want it to. Also record your MV's on a chrono and test it afterwards on the same one. If you want to talk give me a call and i will fill you in with what i have done and know.

 

[scotharr]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Poke</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Best way to test this would have 2 rifles built with 2 barrels from the same lot. treat one and not the other. make em go bang the same amount of time, see the results. I would say something very out there as far as barrels go. 243 catbird 22/284 or something along those lines...

</div></div>

this is what I am doing with 243WIN....if it ever arrives.

 

[Graham]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

I don't trust Melonite yet: too many problems others have had with it so far. And I don't really need it.

 

[desertfox01]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

it will not make a crappy barrel shoot better. I would not do it to anything but a virgin barrel that has just been finished being machined.

I have a few ARs with Melonite barrels. The blanks used were Lothar and Mike Rock. Have no issues with how they are shooting

 

[monteboy84]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

As with anything else, it has to be applied properly or it will not achieve its desired result. Nitriding is ideal for rifle barrels, precision or otherwise, it just has some bugs to be worked out.

Dismissing it due to one or two bad testimonials is irresponsible, and a good way to restrict yourself to antiquated technologies. There are people doing it right already, it won't take long for it to be a near riskless mainstream treatment for any firearm.

-matt

 

[737shark]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

Well Guys,

I am doing the melanite process to two new SPR barrels that i chambered from Stainless steel blanks..I shot both of them 13 rounds to remove any burrs. I did not chronograph the loads as my chronograph is broken. I should have the barrels back this week or early next week. I am using a whiteoak barrel as a guide. They guns shot one bug hole at 100 yards with no handguard attached off a sand bag. I will let you know how they clean. They showed little fowling.

 

[Graham]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

I have seen some barrels shoot well with it. I have seen some barrels that won't shoot after treatment. I want to try it, but I don't want to have a grand into an otherwise good barrel/chambering only to find out that I can't fix an improper treatment. That said, I am not yet sure what constitutes improper application, so I am reserving judgment on this technology until I better understand the treatment and application process specific to what can go wrong.

 

[BLAWTON]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

It seems there is a few companys out thier that are not doing this correctly. The barrels we have got done are shotting great and showing on average of 100+ fps gain and sometimes as much as 175. It looks like the process must get in deep enough or it wont do much good for extending barrel life.

 

[oneeyedmac]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

Bobby are you using the same place that Lammers does?

 

[BLAWTON]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

Yes thats one of them. I have one thats out here much closer to me as well.

 

[427Cobra]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

As long as its done correctly, a 100-175 fps gain with no wear, I'm sold.

 

[scotharr]

Re: Melonite extending barrel life?

Update: So, I ordered one 243 barrel with melonite and an identical barrel without melonite. The plan was to test and see. I just spoke with Pierce Engineering, who recommended the melonite. They said they are having too many problems with it. So, I won't be doing a melonite test.
Regards,
Scooter

 

[WeRNothiNg]

I am currently putting together a list for an upcoming AR-15 build. It will be a short-mid ranged weapon. The idea is to be able to make the most accurate shots at 500 yards that I possibly can. I am looking at a 16" Voodoo melonite barrel.
Voodoo Barrel AR-15 5.56x45mm NATO M4 Contour Carbine Gas Port 1 7

I am weighing the advantages of melonite, chrome lined, and non-chrome lined steel barrels. I have decided that a steel barrel is probably a bad idea because of Arkansas' high humidity. I do clean my guns often, but this still worries me.

I am interested in the lifespan of the melonite barrels vs a non-chrome lined steel barrel. I know the chrome lined barrels will last much longer, but I have read that they can have an effect on accuracy even at 100 yards. Some say as much as 1/4" MOA. If this is the case, will this not be amplified if making a 500 yard shot? I am just looking for some input and hopefully some reassurance as to which road I should take. I am not concerned with the cost of barrel replacement in 3-5 years, only the loss in accuracy.

 

[WeRNothiNg]

I am looking at a melonite 16" barrel for an upcoming AR build.
Voodoo Barrel AR-15 5.56x45mm NATO M4 Contour Carbine Gas Port 1 7

This is going to be a short/mid-ranged weapon and will likely never see a shot over 500 yards. The most common ranges it will be used for is 50-300 yards and I want to do that very efficiently. I do like the barrel lifespan on the chrome lined barrels, but I do not like the loss of accuracy. I have read that this can be as much as 1/4" MOA. If this is true, then would that not be amplified when making a 4-500 yard shot?

What I am interested in, is the corrosion resistance of the melonite barrrels(as the Arkansas humidity can be pretty rough), as well as the accuracy, and lifespan.

 

[Ol Roy]

I found a company that is selling a accuracy treatment for a barrel, hand gun or rifle. AccuDure barell coatings. I don't know how well it works as it is a new outfit to me. They have a nice photo of Snake Lake above Wawaii.