Hi guys. This is something I've already done and tested to some degree. There are a few things we've learned so far. We are fans of the nitride finish. It has many positive characteristics. There are a few down sides though. First, I have NO IDEA how long it would take to break in a barrel with this finish. It is a very hard finish. The second problem (and my biggest concern) is that when you install the barrel, it is noticeably more difficult to time. The shoulder doesn't want to crush much at all, and brute force is the only solution, which I firmly believe creates fractures in the micro-structure of the barrel. Also, the receiver is now the softer part of the two, so the displacement of material is now suspect. By that I mean what is actually giving? Are the receiver threads pulling out toward the shoulder more and the barrel itself staying more stable dimensionally? These factors are very real and do not exist on an AR style barrel. This is why we haven't already released barrels with this finish. The solution we've found is to "pre-crush" the shoulder (install it on a receiver, just short of fully timed), then nitride the barrel and re-install it. These "feel" right when installing. I just don't know if that makes sense for a retail barrel. It's relying heavily on the receiver having the appropriate thread timing. It also still has the break-in period issue. That could be solved by lapping the barrel I suppose, but that would be cost prohibitive.
The barrels we've nitrided AFTER break-in are the best of both worlds so far. They are increasing muzzle velocity and in theory, you are "freezing" the barrel in time at it's highest performance level. Barrel wear would decrease dramatically. This is a custom job though, and one that the average Joe wouldn't be likely to undertake.
In the end, it's absolutely something we believe is a part of the future of our barrels, we just don't quite know how yet.
