Good quality AR15 barrels?

[x007x]

What are good quality AR15 barrels for range use?

[74novaman]

What are you talking about? Just plinking, any AR barrel from any manufacturer would be just fine.

If you're trying to get into sub MOA type territory, I've heard a lot of great things about White Oak barrels.

[x007x]

ok thanks

[x007x]

I was asking for good brand names..I realize I wrote it wrong. Im going to be using it alot at the range.

[74novaman]

To elaborate a little further....unless you're going to be handloading ammo, its not going to make a lot of difference what type of barrel you go with.

Most ARs are going to be pretty accurate. The higher quality the ammo, the more accurate they'll be.

In addition, different twist rates like different bullets. 1:7, 1:8, 1:9 twists respond differently to 55, 62, or 77 grain bullets.

In addition I've read that stainless steel barrels are supposed to be more accurate than chrome lined barrels.....

There's a lot of research out there on what combinations of bullet, length and twist rates work best..

Know what ammo you'll be shooting, whether commercial or handloads, and pick a length, twist rate, etc from there.

[x007x]

I'm going to buy commercial ammo..Not realoading my own bullets unless I get more guns and different cal. guns.
ok thanks for the tips.

[cajunautoxer]

WOA

[gigag04]

Good Quality and Range use only seem diametrically opposed...

The best quality barrels are very expensive and come from names like Noveske. I feel like running one for occasional range plinking is overkill. You will get serviceable life from most any production grade barrels for such use. High end, indestructible barrels are great for running thousands of full auto, suppressed rounds, or putting bullet after bullet in the same hole and winning trophies. For recreation, spend the money on ammo and training, and I believe you'll get a much higher ROI.


ETA: Cross post? viewtopic.php?f=87&t=53254" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mdoan300]

When you say "good, quality" I'm thinking in terms of manufacturing, like HPT/MPI, barrel steel, and proper 5.56NATO chambers (if you want to shoot 5.56NATO); not so much accuracy.

Having said that, my pick would be from anywhere that sources their barrels from FN or Daniel Defense.

I'd start with http://www.bravocompanyusa.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[The Annoyed Man]

You've got some picking and choosing to do.

AR Barrel Types:

• Pencil
• M4
• Heavy
• Bull

Common Barrel Lengths (not counting SBRs):

• 16"
• 18"
• 20"
• 24"

Common Barrel Twists:

• 1:7
• 1:8
• 1:9
• 1:12

Other things to consider:

• Free float or not?
• Chrome lined or not?
• 5.56, .223, or Wyld chamber?
• A2 gasblock and front sight?
• Low profile gas block?
• type of handguard?

Intended use.....most of the time:

• plinking/truck gun?
• home defense
• punching paper
• general hunting
• varmint hunting

I could go on and on, but I hope you're beginning to see that you have two fundamental choices: 1) build a special purpose rifle, or 2) build a general purpose rifle. A general purpose rifle will not do any one special task nearly as well as a rifle built for that purpose, but it will do most things reasonably well enough to make it a useful investment, and perhaps more importantly, a lot of fun to own and shoot. Personally, I built my carbine to be useful in several roles. It is not anywhere near as accurate as a good varmint rifle or a SASS rifle, but it is fairly accurate for a carbine when shooting the right ammo. It's not the lightest carbine in the world, but it isn't too heavy. I wouldn't hesitate to use it for hunting anything that can be responsibly taken with a .223, but I wouldn't want to shoot something more than 200-250 yards away, tops. It would be a good truck gun or home defense gun. It is very satisfying to own.

I recently sold a 24" heavy barreled varminter that was quite accurate, but I never shot it anymore. Hadn't shot it for a long time. It was just taking up space in the safe. My son has a Rock River 24" bull-barreled rifle that is easily the most accurate rifle in either of our safes, and he rarely shoots it. It is by FAR the heaviest rifle in either safe (weighing in at 17 lb). But we shoot our carbines fairly frequently. They're just a lot of fun.

So, you're going to get a lot of opinions on what you should buy or not buy, but before you spend a single red cent, take the time to sit down and visualize what you're going to spend more time doing with your AR than anything else, and then find the compromise that will best satisfy that use while still being useful in other roles. Without really defining that for yourself, you can't really arrive at an informed decision about what kind of things like barrels to invest in. That's just my 2¢

[OldCannon]

Hey, TAM, you left off:

Rifling

• Land and Groove, Cut Rifling
• Land and Groove, Button Rifling
• Polygonall Rifling, Hammer Forged

Just trying to be thorough

[x007x]

Thank you very much for the info.

[The Annoyed Man]

Hey, TAM, you left off:

Rifling

• Land and Groove, Cut Rifling
• Land and Groove, Button Rifling
• Polygonall Rifling, Hammer Forged

Just trying to be thorough

Yes I did. Thank you for adding it on.

[The Annoyed Man]

Thank you very much for the info.

Your welcome. Listen, don't let the sheer volume of information discourage you. That's why I urged you to really define the primary, secondary, and tertiary uses for this rifle, and then make your decisions based on whatever that turns out to be. That will vastly simplify the task, and it will leave you with a rifle that is a pleasure to own.