I'm happy to offer a data point you'll find interesting.
I had the chance to borescope a Proof CF .223 Wylde 18" barrel in a rifle I built for a competitive shooter, with a well documented 5000 rounds through it. It exhibited just the slightest hint of throat erosion beginning at the leade, with no heat checking at all yet apparent. In other words, it looked like a barrel with I'd WAG 1000 rounds through it.
I jokingly accused him of only shooting girlie loads through it. He said on the contrary, they were all 50 grain and 77 grain handholds at peak pressure.
I'm currently shooting these Proof CF barrels in various gas guns - all suppressed - over the last several years:
16" .223
18" .223
14.5" 6mmARC
18" 6mm ARC
16" .308
I'm not putting a tremendous amount of rounds through any of them. None have more than 2000 rounds through them. All I can say is:
They're crazy lightweight. And to me, an incredible novelty - just great fun to use. As a function of my ever increasing age and awareness, lighter rifles have more and more appeal.
They're gorgeous inside, like a Craddock Bartlein. Amazingly smooth chamber and throat, and seemingly getting better as the years pass.
They all shoot well for me. And they're all holding up just fine. These barrels clean up easily, when I can make myself do it.
The 6mmARC barrels (and guns!) get dirty faster than any of them. But, my guess is we have Hornady secret squirrel powders to thank for that. I'm not complaining one bit about Hornady 6mmARC accuracy, velocities, or SDs, though. I'll cope just fine with Hornady 6mmARC factory ammo, thank you. The combination of Proof CF 6mmARC barrels and Hornady 6mmARC ammo yielding sub-seven pound small block AR' rifles good for 1000 yards makes it hard to reach for anything else on a gorgeous Arizona day.
Your mileage may vary.
