I am gonna build another ar15, looking to build it light as I can within reason. I am looking at the criterion 16 inch pencil barrel with mid gas for $289 or the Faxon mid gas pencil barrel for $175. The criterion is 1-8, wylde chamber, I believe the faxon if 1-8 w/5.56 chamber. The faxon is lighter and is $100 less. Anyone recommend either barrel? The use of the gun is general toting, hunting, lots of target practice and to repel boarders...
I've had dealings with 3 Faxon barrels, the first light weight shot really well. Second light weight had a rough chamber. Supposedly, bad nitride coatings (salt crystals embedded?) causing the issue. Third barrel was a Gunner and had the same problem. My buddy stuck it out and they replaced his. The new barrel doesn't shoot as good as the light weight. I got a refund on mine.
No experience with Criterion but have heard no bad reports.
Criterion, hands down, their barrels are lapped; ODIN makes a lightweight pencil barrel too in stainless & they guarantee 1.5 MOA, I don't have one but have heard good things.
Or if you want to go a little heavier, (32 oz) CMC is now making a really nice barrel with very tight specs for tolerance, end to end, same as Douglas specs & air gauged.
I'm building several uppers right now & might just give one a try..............they guarantee 1 MOA or less.
And it's CrMoV & nitride with the same process that Rubber City Armory uses...........I'm guessing that RCA is likely doing the nitriding for them as they do contract that service.
I have two uppers and built a third with Criterion barrels.
An 18" rifle gas hybrid,
16" government contour, mid gas
and an 18" ultra light, rifle gas.
Criterion started as a spin of from Krieger, making button barrels for Krieger at a time when Krieger couldn't make single point rifle cut barrels fast enough. That right there should tell you everything you need to know about Criterion, and why I have three of their barrels. All three are button rifled, chrome lined, and as MM mentioned, hand lapped, and look beautiful under a bore scope.
The 18" Hybrid is my goto for accuracy and longer range shooting. It hold inch 5 shot groups with most hand loads I throw at it, and 1/2 to 3/4 with a few select loads. Inch and a quarter is a "bad load" for it, and they typical group with Norma Tac 55gr FMJ's. It wears a BCM Mod 0 muzzle device. We have a Cabelas 6" chain swinger, and at 100 yards, from a bench with rapid fire, I can walk that place off the chains.
My 16" in gun didn't shoot as well, until I changed the Muzzle device, and now it's a new gun. I went from a standard A2 bird cage to a VG6 Precision Epsilon Compensator. This made a huge difference not just in handling, but also in group size. Aero Precision will earn more of my business as a result.
I made the 18" ultra light for a relative. It's seems to be a little finicky in what it like, but so long as you feed it a steady diet of W748 its 3 rounds on top of each other. I can't report on 5 or 10 shot groups groups, because, boomers.
Between the two, Criterion, hands down. Since I built mine they've greatly widened their offering, and now even make nitrated barrels to their high standards.
If I was building a light weight 16" are today, I'd try Criterions new Core Series. It comes in at 1.7 pounds, but moved the material back toward the chamber, where you need to extra material, and with a continious taper, moves the balance point back as well.
Here's their flashy marketing video on it:
If weight is a greater concern, their 16" Pencil barrel comes in at 1.45 pounds.
I've had dealings with 3 Faxon barrels, the first light weight shot really well. Second light weight had a rough chamber. Supposedly, bad nitride coatings (salt crystals embedded?) causing the issue. Third barrel was a Gunner and had the same problem. My buddy stuck it out and they replaced his. The new barrel doesn't shoot as good as the light weight. I got a refund on mine.
No experience with Criterion but have heard no bad reports.
