ECC is chrome lined.
ECR is steel cut rifled.
That is a major major difference in my opinion.
I agree. I've had the ECC on order for 5 months now... I think it was $3500 all said and done? But I may not get it, I still haven't heard anything on the rifle or the magazines I ordered for it before Christmas. I did go ahead and order the DTA HTI I always wanted, sure that'll be a tack driver of the first degree with the .375CT bbl., and .50BMG for fun. I got .50 to start with (of course). I always wanted one and this hoopla made it difficult to get other stuff so I went ahead and finally got this; couldn't be happier, can't wait to get the barrel so I can index and order the suppressor through Elite.
The Satern cut rifle barrel I have for my Grendel is the tits. It is a no shit .33MOA stick with handloads. I own nothing else like it in a semi. Hell, I own nothing else like it period. I want more of his barrels but they aren't easy to get. Cut rifling all the way, I wish all my barrels were cut rifled. By a master like Mr. Satern.
I think the ECR is also dimpled instead of fluted, and that is just ingenious. It significantly increases surface area without compromising strength or flex like standard fluting does. And I wonder if it can be done to barrels that have been rifled already. It also has other differences that make it cost more, for instance the new URX handguard and the canted flip sights. I think it has changes on the inside too, I can't remember. The 3/4"-24(?) barrel threading leaves plenty of meat up there at the muzzle and several QD suppressor mounts work. I planned on affixing my SDN-6 to it, though I know that'll kill any accuracy it has. I figured on a USO DFP scope (dual focal plane). 1-6x I think. But mine was cut rifled. In that case, I'd want more glass.
KAC makes good stuff, I suppose I am a bit of a fanboy as most of my rails and parts are KAC. But it is because I used a lot of it in the field and it worked. Their rifles have undergone some tweaking, particularly these new ones. I couldn't get a Larue OBR, first on the list, so this was second on the list but had to go with ECC. Due to magazine shortage and difficulty finding any of these, it is currently off the list. I may try again later when it dies down and a surplus gets built back up.
Have you priced KAC mags? They are peerless, heavy but peerless. No damn Pmag gonna stack up to a KAC mag. But if you plan on having a few socked away, get a night job. They aren't gouging, they were always $150 ea. If you don't mind this and you can get that ECR and want a good, no bullshit .308, get it. By all means, get it. And like you said, they do hold resale value if you decide to order that OBR later.
The dealer I dealt with works directly with KAC. Said they had shortages of these in the first place due to them becoming popular with soldiers over the M110. Not sure if he meant ECC or ECR, but pretty sure he meant ECC knowing the Army. Considering the M110 is what, $20,000 for the kit? I'd rather have the rifle they WANT, not what they currently get issued, because when it does get issued, it'll be like all of KAC's other specialty military stuff, particularly sniper rifles: available in a kit and expensive as hell. SR25 used to be just UNGODLY high back in the day! And personally, I'd MUCH rather have that cut rifle barrel over any chrome lined or button rifled barrel any day. And having it dimpled is even better. Them doing away with the full rail and making it more user friendly with different bolt on covers and rails is nice too. Big change for them, and though I like my URX2 and FF M5's and M4 rails, that newest one is the best one they make by far.