Barrel longevity in the average AR-15?

[His lordship.]

About what is the usual life expectancy of the AR-15 rifle barrel in .223?  That is, if you shoot 5-10 rounds, let it cool, then shoot another 5-10 rounds, use good cleaning techniques, sensible loads, etc.  I have heard of some guys getting 20,000 rounds out of their SKS rifle barrels.

Thanks.

[John R.]

You could get that easily shooting as you described. The average person won't wear one out in a lifetime.

[LEO]

My agency issued AR that I had prior to the one that I have now had over 10,000 rounds through it and it had not been babied at all.  It was a Colt Govt Carbine, the bore was chrome lined.  There were days when one rapid fire string after another was put through it.  Many times the barrel was far to hot to touch and it sometimes had hundreds of rounds between cleanings.  When I turned it in it shot as good as when I got it.  Now the results from a non chrome lined match barrel might be different, I have a Bushmaster Varminter but it only has about 600 rounds through it and I don't do rapid fire strings with it because it is a hunting rifle not a work rifle.  By the way the rifle I turned it was still fine we just got new ones and someone else is still using the rifle I turned in.

[papajohn428]

The rule I always heard was that if you don't fire more than a shot per second, you're fine.  Overheated barrels wear faster, but if you keep the strings short and the heat down, you'd probably get 20,000 rounds before the throat was worn enough to notice.   A friend of mine has dozens of AR's, most have over 10K rounds through them, and he says the accuracy is just as good as when they were new.  He worries more about improper cleaning methods than anything else. 

Papajohn