AR Barrel Opinions

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  • maverick18

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Feb 1, 2013
    331
    18
    Clinton County
    Hey INGO,
    I am building my first AR-15, (I assembled an AR pistol for my brother in .300), and I am having a hard time figuring out which barrel I want. I know I want mid-length with an A2 FSB. I have no idea on material of construction, barrel profile or twist rate. My use for the gun will be plinking/range toy, SHTF patrol rifle, and I want to take a carbine class or two with it.

    Current build specs:
    Matched Anderson upper/lower
    Spikes premium lower parts kit
    Spikes premium upper parts kit
    DSA low friction mil-spec buffer tube
    DSA buffer and spring
    no-name cheap m4 stock (was a take-off from another gun that I got for free)
    MOE grip

    I found this barrel in the AIM surplus flyer today Ballistic Advantage 16 in. 5.56 Government Profile Midlength Barrel, Modern Series w/ FSB

    Thoughts on this one or another. PLEASE HELP INGO SCHOOL ME ON THE AR-15
     

    cop car

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    7   0   0
    Jan 7, 2009
    626
    18
    Southside
    IMO goverment profile barrels are pointless. They are thick in the front where it's not needed and thin under the handguards. If you are weight conscious, do a "pencil" barrel, if not and you think you'd do several mag dumps, get a medium profile barrel. I like DSA barrels. I wish that more people made a barrel that was between the medium profile and the pencil barrels, the size of the front of a goverment barrel, but the whole length would be ideal. But lost medium profile barrels are larger than that front diameter under the handguards.
     

    dukeboy_318

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    12   0   0
    Jan 22, 2010
    1,648
    38
    in la la land
    I have had 7 ARs now and have been shooting them for nearly 20 years. I have come to like PSA uppers and barrels. 1:7 twist or 1:8. Especially for plinking and shtf. And the prices are decent. Both of mine can run steel ammo with out a problem.
     

    Sniper 79

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    Oct 7, 2012
    2,939
    48
    I would go with a stainless heavy profile. I also agree with guy above in that govt profile are not ideal nor is pencil if you plan on shooting it.

    1-9 twist should do whatever you need utilizing 55grn to 69grn pills. I have had good experience with DPMS and CORE Rifle Systems. Both had great customer service as well.
     

    Hop

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    16   0   0
    Jan 21, 2008
    5,084
    83
    Indy
    IMO it's not a .gov profile unless it's 14.5" with an M203 grenade cut. :rockwoot:
     

    raptrbreth

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    9   0   0
    Feb 20, 2013
    684
    18
    New Palestine
    Green Mountain barrels are pretty good. Have not shot them a ton but from what I have shot them, perfect. I used two so far in builds and they offer all the typical profiles.
     

    maverick18

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Feb 1, 2013
    331
    18
    Clinton County
    I would go with a stainless heavy profile. I also agree with guy above in that govt profile are not ideal nor is pencil if you plan on shooting it.

    1-9 twist should do whatever you need utilizing 55grn to 69grn pills. I have had good experience with DPMS and CORE Rifle Systems. Both had great customer service as well.
    Any reason Why go stainless over other materials available? Personal preference or other reasoning?
     

    Doublehelix

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    15   0   0
    Jun 20, 2015
    1,874
    38
    Westfield
    Any reason Why go stainless over other materials available? Personal preference or other reasoning?

    My limited understanding is that the general consensus is that a stainless steel barrel will be slightly more accurate at the expense of robustness vs. a chrome-lined equivalent. The chrome-lined barrels are harder and will last longer and stand up to more abuse, but not quite as accurate.
     

    natdscott

    User Unknown
    Trainer Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Jul 20, 2015
    2,797
    113
    .
    Stainless match grade barrels are good for 2,500 to 4,500 rounds of guilt-edged accuracy at 5-600 yards; the difference between those figures is in how many $$ you spend. Krieger and Bartlein flat last longer than a Wilson or Pac-Nor. Some will retain "good" accuracy at 300 yards for a good while after they really open up at longer ranges, while SOME barrels will literally start spraying the target in the span of a magazine. No manufacturer is immune to this, and there is no way to predict which barrels will do what.

    Stainless, as a rule, is more likely than a Chrome-Moly ("CM", "Blued", "Carbon Steel") barrel to fall apart all at once, as it firecracks in a different fashion than does CM. That being said, CM wears out too, and it wears out often in a more gradual fashion, so you may think that nothing is wrong for a long time...pick your poison.

    My best recommendation, if you are accuracy-minded, is to get a good barrel, and COMMIT on the front end, to changing it at a given interval.

    NOW. Do not confuse Chrome-Moly barrels for CHROMED barrels. The twain are not the same. Necessarily.

    Chrome-LINED barrels are a totally different animal. NATO, etc. chrome-lined barrels are literally lined with hard chrome plating...just like a bumper on a custom truck. This chrome plating has actual dimension, and as a result, the barrels have to be manufactured OVER tolerance, chromed, THEN checked to see IF they fall within standard.

    This lining process can be done very well, as FNH was awarded the FBI HRT rifle contract, and did so with chromed barrels...but they are the exception, not the rule. Mostly, the chrome-line NATO-type barrels are crap in the accuracy department. They can be made to do about 1.0 to 1.25 MOA at best, with extremely good ammo. Truth be known, FNH probably had to scrap a lot of barrels to get done what they did.

    If that's acceptable to you for your purpose, you need the corrosion protection of the chrome, and you'd like to see 10,000 round lifespan at >MOA accuracy, then a chrome-lined barrel is for you.

    As far as twist rate: get a 1:7", unless a 1:8" is available in the steel/lining you want. Never heard of an 8-twist Chrome-lined barrel though. 7 inch is really too fast for almost all the ammo you'll ever shoot in carbine, but if you ever DO need/want to shoot heavier ammo, or steel core penetrator, you really don't have the option of doing so with a 9-twist, and 12-twist is RIGHT out.

    As far as profile, choose by weight. Nothing at 16" is really going to be that heavy though. But in general, the FEWER profile changes made over the length of the blank, the better it is for everything...keep that in mind. Alos keep in mind that just because the Gov't does it a certain way doesn't mean it is best, or right.

    There's very good reason why a lot of upper-echelon units have often/always borrowed civilian technology, components, and tactics.

    -Nate
     

    phidelt208

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    May 13, 2011
    54
    6
    I've got one of the PSA barrels mention ealier, in the post. I can tell you I shoot .349" 8 shot groups. Really good barrels and you would be hard pressed to find something better.
     

    sgreen3

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    51   0   0
    Jan 19, 2011
    11,027
    63
    Scottsburg,In
    Take a look at Faxon barrels also, their a very nice barrel for no more than they cost and quite accurate also. Only downside is finding the one you want in stock!
     

    caulfieldian

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Feb 4, 2012
    277
    18
    West of Indy
    I've used green mountain barrels to great effect.

    I also have a Larue stealh barrel that's waiting to be shot.

    Ballistic advantage is another company worth looking at, as their offerings are accurate and affordable.
     

    phidelt208

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    May 13, 2011
    54
    6
    Ballistics advantage that I got the other day is very good. Truth be told you're going to have to just buy something and try it out.
     

    maverick18

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Feb 1, 2013
    331
    18
    Clinton County
    Stainless match grade barrels are good for 2,500 to 4,500 rounds of guilt-edged accuracy at 5-600 yards; the difference between those figures is in how many $$ you spend. Krieger and Bartlein flat last longer than a Wilson or Pac-Nor. Some will retain "good" accuracy at 300 yards for a good while after they really open up at longer ranges, while SOME barrels will literally start spraying the target in the span of a magazine. No manufacturer is immune to this, and there is no way to predict which barrels will do what.

    Stainless, as a rule, is more likely than a Chrome-Moly ("CM", "Blued", "Carbon Steel") barrel to fall apart all at once, as it firecracks in a different fashion than does CM. That being said, CM wears out too, and it wears out often in a more gradual fashion, so you may think that nothing is wrong for a long time...pick your poison.

    My best recommendation, if you are accuracy-minded, is to get a good barrel, and COMMIT on the front end, to changing it at a given interval.

    NOW. Do not confuse Chrome-Moly barrels for CHROMED barrels. The twain are not the same. Necessarily.

    Chrome-LINED barrels are a totally different animal. NATO, etc. chrome-lined barrels are literally lined with hard chrome plating...just like a bumper on a custom truck. This chrome plating has actual dimension, and as a result, the barrels have to be manufactured OVER tolerance, chromed, THEN checked to see IF they fall within standard.

    This lining process can be done very well, as FNH was awarded the FBI HRT rifle contract, and did so with chromed barrels...but they are the exception, not the rule. Mostly, the chrome-line NATO-type barrels are crap in the accuracy department. They can be made to do about 1.0 to 1.25 MOA at best, with extremely good ammo. Truth be known, FNH probably had to scrap a lot of barrels to get done what they did.

    If that's acceptable to you for your purpose, you need the corrosion protection of the chrome, and you'd like to see 10,000 round lifespan at >MOA accuracy, then a chrome-lined barrel is for you.

    As far as twist rate: get a 1:7", unless a 1:8" is available in the steel/lining you want. Never heard of an 8-twist Chrome-lined barrel though. 7 inch is really too fast for almost all the ammo you'll ever shoot in carbine, but if you ever DO need/want to shoot heavier ammo, or steel core penetrator, you really don't have the option of doing so with a 9-twist, and 12-twist is RIGHT out.

    As far as profile, choose by weight. Nothing at 16" is really going to be that heavy though. But in general, the FEWER profile changes made over the length of the blank, the better it is for everything...keep that in mind. Alos keep in mind that just because the Gov't does it a certain way doesn't mean it is best, or right.

    There's very good reason why a lot of upper-echelon units have often/always borrowed civilian technology, components, and tactics.

    -Nate

    Great info Nate. You have given me a lot to think about.
     
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