[texcl2]

I ordered 6k rounds of cheap steel cased golden tiger ammo with hard primers. Ordered an extra firing pin for the rdb and modified it to have more protrusion and the stuff runs great! No failures what so ever in almost 1k rounds.

 

[Lefty2Guns]

Ordered an extra firing pin

They selling spare parts already? Nothing showing on the website last I checked (or is it just a standard AR firing pin? I haven't looked into it).

 

[nwfenton]

almost 1k rounds.

Are we talking about 1000 rounds spread across multiple range trips? What kind of maintenance/cleaning did you do?

 

[texcl2]

You have to call to request parts. Was pleased with the cost of the part, definitely no price gouging. I shoot 50-300 rounds at a time, not a magazine dumper. Im and advanced firearms instructor and will run drills using it along side our m-4's. I have only cleaned the gas system once in 1000 rounds. I pull a snake through the bore and wipe down the bolt every other session, as long as i have time. Im curious to how long the barrel will last, the durability of melonite depends soley on barrel composition and how it is (or who) processed , hopefully it has been processed by a reputable source, seems well done.

 

[Liberty4Ever]

I ordered 6k rounds of cheap steel cased golden tiger ammo with hard primers. Ordered an extra firing pin for the rdb and modified it to have more protrusion.

You're scaring me.

I'm all about cheap, but I take a different approach. Fortunately, I enjoy reloading, so I stay away from steel case ammo. YMMV. Many people only want to shoot, and that's cool too.

I do consider your strategy of running steel case ammo and replacing extractors and firing pins as regular wear components to be an interesting approach. I consider that to be a watered down torture test of sorts. I'm always interested in other people's data, so please let us know how it works out in the long run.

I'm a bit envious of your range time. I'm seriously reevaluating my priorities in life.

 

[texcl2]

ha ha, yeah as a FI I shoot aloooooot, shooting automatic weapons has almost lost it's charm, almost, lol. I don't usually have to replace anything, I've never broken an extractor or anything more than I'd break with brass ammo.

I got a good deal on this ammo ($159 per 1000) because they made it with 5.45x39 primers which are hard and need more protrusion. I'm a professional armorer and a hobby gun builder too so I'm use to modifying gun parts, took about 3 minutes to get the protrusion I needed.

Shot this stuff out to 400 yards today in 28 mph gusts. Even though this ammo is only good for 4-5 moa, I can make hits well out to 300 yards, 400 became a stretch due to wind and ammo performance. This is with my 2 moa vortex sparc AR with a 3x magnifier behind it, not the best precision set up. I'll post some pics later.

 

[texcl2]

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Head shot at 100 yards prone , body shot was done sitting at 200 yards due to high grass. All shot with golden tiger 56 grain ammo.

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300 yards golden tiger, 28 mph gusts. My hold was obviously wrong, lol.

 

[texcl2]

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Same deal 100 yard head shot, pulled a round and 200 yard body shot sitting. Federal 62 gr fusion.

 

[texcl2]

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Bolt/barrel after a couple hundred rounds of Golden Tiger. Not much to clean.

 

[texcl2]

Threw a 4x acog on her today amd did more accuracy tests. Hurt my back yesterday so I limited it to the bench at 100 yards. The target is a solid 1"square inside a 2" box.

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These are all 62 grain federal fusion loads no cherry picking. 100 yards bench.

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These are red box federal eagle top row. Single golden tiger 56 gr bottpm target. 100 yards bench.

Still no stoppages of any sort. I was adjusting the acog so groups moved but no adjustments during string.

 

[sharkey]

Yeah I will have to try some long range stuff using the Bushnell Trophy once my RDB comes back. I recently qualified a person that needed testing for a overseas contract position. I used the targets that simulate longer distances at 25yrds. It worked out well.

They wanted out to 300yrds. Being in the metromess, I'm happy at 100.

 

[HBeretta]

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Bolt/barrel after a couple hundred rounds of Golden Tiger. Not much to clean.

is the breech in the photo dirty? reason i ask is because i just picked up an RDB and it's chrome lined. looking down the bore...looks like a mirror inside.

your breech is definitely different from mine.

 

[texcl2]

Mine isnt chrome lined, its melonite. It is dirty though.

 

[HBeretta]

Mine isnt chrome lined, its melonite. It is dirty though.

 

[haugrdr]

From what we've been told from the factory, Kel Tec no longer uses hard chrome for lining the barrels...for any of their weapons. They've switched to using a nickel boron nitride process.

 

[HBeretta]

From what we've been told from the factory, Kel Tec no longer uses hard chrome for lining the barrels...for any of their weapons. They've switched to using a nickel boron nitride process.

ahh...just realized the manual indicates AISI 4140 steel salt bath nitride...and there i was getting excited about the possibility of chrome lining since the RFB is 4140 chrome moly that's chrome lined.

 

[texcl2]

Mines not shiney like yours even when clean

 

[Junkie]

I've never heard of nickel boron nitriding, I've heard of NiB coatings (which add some thickness) and nitriding (which doesn't add appreciable thickness) but not the two together.

My RFB appears to be nitrided.

 

[HBeretta]

I've never heard of nickel boron nitriding, I've heard of NiB coatings (which add some thickness) and nitriding (which doesn't add appreciable thickness) but not the two together.

My RFB appears to be nitrided.

Barrel Material
4140 Chrome Molybdenum
Barrel Features
Medium Weight, Chrome Lined
Rate of Twist
1 turn in 11.25"

straight from RFB manual...sure you already know. my RDB reads 'salt bath nitride QPQ'...

 

[haugrdr]

I MAY have gotten the technically complicated yet scientifically confusing (and above my edumication level) terms more than slightly mixed up.

My bad.

My point is Kel Tec no longer produces chrome lined barrels.That I know of.