Method of producing a weapon barrel having a wear-resistant inner coating

A method of producing a metal weapon barrel having a wear-resistant metal inner protective coating applied, by an electrolytic process, to the region of a chamber of the weapon barrel and of an adjoining, thermally highly-stressed caliber portion of the weapon barrel, said method comprising:

• providing a weapon barrel prefabricated true to caliber;
• electrolytically polishing an inner surface of the weapon barrel in the region of its chamber and of the adjoining, thermally highly-stressed caliber portion to strip as much of the metal material of the weapon barrel from said region to be provided with the protective coating as corresponds to metal subsequently to be applied as the protective metal coating, and to thus form a recess;
• and, subsequently electrolytically plating the protective metal coating on said region to substantially replace the stripped quantity of metal and to substantially fill the recess;
• and, wherein:
• said electrolytically polishing and electrolytically plating steps each includes positioning an electrode, having a forward end which is one of cylindrical, cone-shaped, ball-shaped or curved, in the weapon barrel adjacent said region to receive the protective coating, and using the electrode required for electrolytically polishing as an anode for electrolytically plating the weapon barrel;
• a forward portion of the recess has a forwardly inwardly tapering region;
• and the electrolytically plating step further includes displacing the forward region of the electrode such that a smooth transition results between a tapering region of the protective coating and the inner surface of the weapon barrel.