109,448 Rounds

The barrel above is from one of our Black Mamba pistols sent to CCI for ammo testing. It's had 109,448 rounds fired through it with no deformation to the breech - almost unheard of on a rimfire. As a side note, there were only five failures to extract using CCI Standard Velocity ammo throughout testing.

Why did we choose laser hardening over other hardening methods available? The laser hardening process allows us to control the depth and location in a way not found with conventional breech hardening. We put a lot into our barrels and can't have any processes along the way negatively affect what we worked so hard to achieve.

"Is it worth it?"

Every time we turn around, there's a new finish, a new treatment, or some process that will revolutionize the industry.

Typical wear after 12,000 rounds without laser hardening

Don't get me wrong, innovation is great and required for the industry to advance, but as the consumer, the burden falls on you to decide if the extra cost is worth it. Deciphering through all the information available often leaves us more confused than when we started.

It's comparable to every time a new phone is released. The manufacturer talks about the camera having more megapixels and faster processors, but do we need a faster phone? Does the current phone not do what we need it to?

After introducing the laser hardening process to all of our barrel breech faces, there was some doubt and questions from our customers and staff alike. It would add cost and increase production time, and the logistics of shipping barrels back and forth was challenging.

We have been offering aftermarket barrels for nearly 30 years, so was the change needed?

Without question, it has been worth it. It's easy for us, as the manufacturer, to say that, but it's even better when it comes from an outside source.