Who likes to shoot off some tracer rounds on the Fourth of July? Your local range won't let you do it, but if you live out in the country on a homestead large enough to have a Back Forty, you might be able to. But some folks say you still shouldn't shoot tracer ammo because it'll wear out your rifle's barrel much faster than standard ammo. What say our intrepid Smyth Busters, Brownells Gun Techs Caleb and Steve? A tracer bullet has a small pyrotechnic charge in its base that burns to produce the bright glow, which subjects the bore to more intense heat and residue deposits. Military barrels, such as on M16 or M4 rifles, are CHROME-LINED, which resists the tracer's excess heat far better than a standard sporting rifle barrel. So it's NOT a myth: shooting tracer ammo WILL wear out a sporting rifle's barrel far faster than standard ammo. A few tracers once in a while through your AR-15's chrome-lined barrel, followed by thorough cleaning afterward, won't hurt - though Caleb recommends against mag dumps of tracer rounds!
