Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Choosing a barrel

I'm about 3/4's of the way through my AR build and my next step will probably be the barrel. This rifle will be used for target shooting and some predator hunting so I need a barrel that can handle a lot of rounds, be accurate and take some abuse as well.

I was thinking a 16" barrel would be about the right length but since I'm new to the AR world, what else do I need to consider and who, in your opinion, makes a good solid barrel that fits the above qualifications?

Shilen copy and paste



http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/barrel-parts/rifle-barrels/ar-15-m16-match-barrel-bolt-set-prod26660.aspx?avs|Make_3=AR-15/M4

WOA SDM 20" fluted



I've done a couple of 16" uppers, and a couple of 20" uppers. By far my favorite in terms of accuracy, balance and muzzle blast is the WOA SDM.

If you want accuracy, forget chrome lined tubes and face the fact you'll wear out the barrel at some point.

How much do you want to set aside for your barrel?

This

I have 2 BHW barrels and both have been very accurate. I have a third in 7.62 on order now for my AR1o build.

BHW?

Black Hole Weaponry, I think.

yep................

Want to keep the cost under $400 for barrel and flash hider. Thinking seriously about the WOA ADM 16" with a 1/7 twist rate.

Should I be running any kind of muzzle device on this rig? Dont' really want to go through all the hassle of a tax stamp to get a suppressor.

Check out the barrels by Frank White at Compass Lake Engineering.

My first question is usually "how heavy a rifle do you want" I run a lot of lightweight barrels but I have had some heavy ones and they all shoot good. Look at an 18" stainless rifle length barrel, perhaps marked 3gun barrel, or an SPR, this could go on forever...

Those button barrels handle the accuracy part, but not the longevity part. If you want longevity, you are talking cut rifled, hammer forged, or nitrided.

What makes a cut rifled or CHF barrel last longer than a button rifled barrel and how much of a difference are we talking?

Keep in mind, if you can afford to burn out a barrel, you can afford to replace it.

I'll let a metallurgist answer the why. I just know they do.

Compared to a button rifled barrel, it seems like you get about 2/3 more life with cut rifling and a little more with hammer forging. Add chrome lining and it doubles the life. Nitriding? The jury is still out on that, but from the limited reports I've heard it's about triple the life of a plain button barrel depending upon if you started out with a buttoned, cut or HF barrel and if it was stainless or carbon steel with the edge going to carbon.


I agree with that, but it depends upon how much you shoot and how often you want the disruption of swapping barrels. I shoot mostly button barrels and just plan on getting a new barrel every year.

Keep in mind that "worn out" is relative to your expectations and a chrome-lined barrel may not even meet you initial expectations.

I'm looking forward to a metallurgist stumbling upon this thread. Never heard claims that big before.

Oops.

I've heard that chrome lined barrels are not as accurate as a non chrome lined one, is this true? I'm still up in the air on which barrel to buy and am now leaning towards a Rainier Arms barrel.

Also looking at the MI Gen 2 SS 12" handguard to it, anyone have one of these and if so, how do you like it?

Ive installed at least 10 MI hand guards on rifles. Everything from 6 in all the way up. Awesome price and high quality. I wouldn't put too much thought in a barrel on a carbine. Even the best barrel will shot about 3/4 @100 yards. Ive done a few Shilen and Kreiger and they are good but your limited with a semi auto. Too many moving parts. Spend the money on optics and trigger.

Thanks for the info bhoges. I've already bought the trigger (Geiselle) so i'm good there. My dealer is working on a barrel for me as we speak.

Whats your thoughts on a flash hider/comp/suppressor? Other than looking cool, I don't really see a need for any of them for what most of us do with these rifles.

Yes, the chrome lining addes eccentricities to the barrel. It may make it more durable, but it will limit the accuracy potential of the barrel.

If you want an accurate barrel, look at a tighter chamber such as the .223 Wylde, and move from a hammer forged to a button rifled barrel.

I believe the Rainier barrels we are looking at are built like this. Thanks for the info.

If the Rainier Arms barrel your looking at is Polygonal, it was spun up by Blackhole Weaponry and is a BHW barrel. Great barrels!

I wouldn't worry about a flash hider, but it can't hurt to have the barrel threaded and just put a cap on it if you don't need the threads now.

For a muzzle brake, it'd depend on what kind of predator hunting you're wanting to do. If you get a brake don't ever, ever plan on shooting without hearing protection. That could be a hassle for some kind of hunting. But if you're wanting to watch your hits and misses through a scope, they'll definitely do the trick.

I installed a 16" Rainier Arms Select SS barrel on my Colt 6920. It's a mid length, 416 SS barrel chambered in 556 with 3R rifling. I'm extremely pleased with it. Excellent accuracy and easy to clean. I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

Specs on barrel.
Features:

Barrel Length: 16"
Gas Block Seat: .750
Rifling: Polygonal 3 Groove
Weight: 31 oz
Stainless Steel: 416R
Feed Ramps: M4
Gas System: Mid-length
Chamber: 5.56MM
Finish: Matte Stainless
Twist: 1�8
Thread Pitch: 1/2�28

I understand that polygonal bores give better barrel life too.

I wouldn't call a wylde a tight chamber, but it is a good accurate reamer to use.

I agree wtih Blue.... threaded and capped, just in case.

Again barrel brands dont' much matter mostly... most any is going to be MOA with the right ammo in an AR for some reason...

Top accuracy, get a known name, Bartlein, Krieger, Rock etc....

Where do you get this info from? I can't find anything to back it up. Most everyone I have asked (gunsmiths and metallurgist) is saying rifling method has little to nothing to do with barrel life. Any method that work hardens steel is heat treated anyway. The type of barrel steel, cleaning methods, and rate of fire seem to be what plays the biggest role in barrel life.

Depth of rifling, sharpness of lands and grooves, all wear differently. Even opposing pressures IE odds vs evens, can affect barrel life.

Rate of fire can afffect it but from what I"ve seen from lots of slow and medium fire vs uppers that were rapid fire, IE shot every second give or take, there was negligable life difference.

RE rifling, a single point cut tube will generally, on an AR in 223, outlast a buttoned tube by about 1500 plus rounds of difference.

of coruse I"m no scientist at all, just observations from what has to be almost a million rounds downrange knowledge from the AR

I either shoot them myself or I ask people who do shoot them.

I've seen both sides with different opinions. Some say cut lasts longer, some button. Most say there isn't going to be a definite answer between the two. I'm still open to explanations though.

I got this info on polygonal rifling online, so take it FWIW.

Here are some advantages (in theory) for polygonal rifling taken off the web.

"The 3 groove polygonal barrels have been used for a long time by companies like PAC-NOR.


A number of advantages are claimed by the supporters of polygonal rifling. These include:

* Not compromising the barrel's thickness in the area of each groove as with traditional rifling.
* Providing a better gas seal around the projectile as polygonal bores tend to have a slightly smaller bore area, which translates into more efficient use of the combustion gases trapped behind the bullet,slightly greater (consistency in) muzzle velocities and slightly increased accuracy.
* Less bullet deformation, resulting in reduced drag on the bullet when traveling through the barrel which helps to increase muzzle velocity.
* Reduced buildup of copper or lead within the barrel which results in easier maintenance characteristics.
* Prolonged barrel life."

Anyone have any experience with Sionics barrels?

http://sionicsweaponsystems.com/store/product.php?id_product=66

Less pressure from lower bullet engraving area. Less overall barrel pressures seem to increase the polygonal barrel life. They also tend to be faster. I am referring to true polygonal rifling like BHW uses not the basterdized rounded edge barrels that claim they are polygonal.

Cleaning is also easier and based on the thousands of rounds I've put through BHW barrels there is no question in my mind that fouling is less with them.

Greg

Same basic principles apply when you use a minimal twist.

Less stress on the bullet, less spin drift, and less interaction between the bullet spin and the wind.

So a smart man would combine them all then....LOL

Greg

Or just shoot bullets that use a faster twist and the polygonal rifling to reap the benefits of a good bullet.

I'm not smart enough to know why it works but I am capable to know it does. As for longer life and less cleaning, good barrels are good barrels and most of the hype is just that.

I'm like you in that I know they work. Cleaning is a snap and the tiny groups speak volumes. I have seventeen uppers with BHW barrels in eleven chamberings and two more coming. The BHW Savage barrels maybe even shoot better and I only have five of those with three on order.

Greg