AR15 Barrel advise

[Baldheaded]

Can someone tell me who makes a really nice AR15 barrel and where to buy? I am looking to upgrade my barrel. The one I have is a 16" heavy that came with the gun from Hanover Armory. It has to be a heavy barrel since I live in MD. I would be ok with 16" or 18". I would like it to be threaded. I also think cold hammered forged would be nice. Match grade maybe. And not sure but either 1/7 or 1/8 twist rate. I am not an expert on barrels other than what I read or have been told. A lot of the parts on my Franken gun from Hanover have been upgraded already so I really only need the barrel to complete. A lot of my upgraded parts are from Aero Precision. I would like to know your advice to I can complete the build. Thanks in advance.

 

[4g64loser]

Had two Krieger gasgun barrels and several boltgun barrels. Hammers. All of them. Krieger sells direct. Ask them to sell you a bolt too.

I've seen some of the JP gasgun barrels, even the light profile ones, shoot very well.

One of my friends is buddies with a criterion dealer and likes them in his gasguns. I have several criterion boltgun barrels and all have been good or better.

 

[Mule]

Criterion makes a nice 16" .223 Wylde HBAR, with mid-length gas port and 1 in 8 twist:

https://criterionbarrels.com/products/ar-15/ar-15-hbar-barrel-mid-length-gas-chrome-lined/?v=7516fd43adaa

 

[303_enfield]

White Oak and others sell complete uppers. Sometimes it's better to go that route.

A cheapish barrel that is a tack driver.

Shop Barrels | White Oak Armament

Find the best selection and prices on in-stock Barrels.

www.whiteoakarmament.com

https://www.larue.com/products/5-56-stealth-barrel-k/

https://www.larue.com/products/larue-ultimate-ar-15-upper/

 

[Baldheaded]

I don't think I want a complete upper. I just got an Aero handrail and BCG pro that I really like. I also don't think I want a 223 wylde barrel because I have a ton of 556 ammo and very little 223. I don't think you can shoot 556 through a 223 barrel.

 

[Mule]

A .223 Wylde barrel can be used for both .223 and 5.56.

Here are a few articles with more detail:

Primary Focus - Core Differences Between the .223 Wylde and 5.56 NATO | Soldier Systems Daily

What’s the hype about .223 Wylde, and is it worth the money and time? It’s not so much hype as reality. The .223 Wylde can successfully chamber and fire bot ...

soldiersystems.net

5.56 NATO vs 223 Rem vs 223 Wylde: Pros, Cons, And Dangers

5.56 NATO and .223 Wylde chambers can safely shoot 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington ammo, but what is best for your AR-15?

www.recoilweb.com

.223 vs 5.56 NATO vs .223 Wylde: Will Your Gun Blow?

Want to quickly know the difference between .223 vs 5.56 and potential safety concerns? We cover both plus .223 Wylde so you'll know the best for your gun.

www.pewpewtactical.com

 

[Baldheaded]

A .223 Wylde barrel can be used for both .223 and 5.56.

Here are a few articles with more detail:

Primary Focus - Core Differences Between the .223 Wylde and 5.56 NATO | Soldier Systems Daily

What’s the hype about .223 Wylde, and is it worth the money and time? It’s not so much hype as reality. The .223 Wylde can successfully chamber and fire bot ...

soldiersystems.net

5.56 NATO vs 223 Rem vs 223 Wylde: Pros, Cons, And Dangers

5.56 NATO and .223 Wylde chambers can safely shoot 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington ammo, but what is best for your AR-15?

www.recoilweb.com

.223 vs 5.56 NATO vs .223 Wylde: Will Your Gun Blow?

Want to quickly know the difference between .223 vs 5.56 and potential safety concerns? We cover both plus .223 Wylde so you'll know the best for your gun.

www.pewpewtactical.com

Good Reads. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Boats]

Faxon makes excellent barrels in many profiles.

 

[alucard0822]

Much depends on the rifles purpose. For me Faxon and Ballistic advantage for budget builds. Criterion or Daniel Defense for defensive builds, Rainier ultramatch, proof research or shilen for precision work

 

[Ski169]

Take a look at Centurion. They are HBAR to comply with the stupid law in MD and will mark it. I used their MK12 barrel in my MK12 clone and it’s more accurate than I am (sub MOA). I also have the RECCE barrel but haven’t shot it yet. I also have several other barrels from them and they are fantastic. They are worth considering.

Barrels - Precision Stainless - Centurion Arms

centurionarms.com

 

[DutchV]

Centurion is an excellent choice.

If they're out of stock, have a look at X-Caliber.net. They'll make whatever profile, thread, and length you want.

 

[trickg]

Much depends on the rifles purpose. For me Faxon and Ballistic advantage for budget builds. Criterion or Daniel Defense for defensive builds, Rainier ultramatch, proof research or shilen for precision work

So much of it depends on just what you posted - purpose and budget.

I picked up a 16" Faxon HBAR on an overrun sale for $99, and it's an excellent barrel for the budget build it's on. It's probably a 1" gun, maybe a .75 if I had an optic on it that really allowed me to dial it in - I have a 1-4 LPVO on it now.

I wish I had the budget for really top notch guns, but I do what I can. I have two ground-up builds that are essentially twins except for the color, barrels and optics. The FDE has the Faxon, the OD green has a Ballistic Advantage. Both seem to be solid builds with decent functional accuracy, but neither would win any competitions.

 

[jrumann59]

Get a 5.56 barrel by Criterion, Faxon, White Oak, Ballistics Advantage. Skip the Wylde barrels, Wylde barrels can have head spacing issues. A lot of barrels can have head spacing issues but Wylde seems to have more than average.

 

[silver78]

Personally I would buy an 18 inch SPR barrel from white Oak 1 in 8 twist rifle length gas. Meets the HBAR requirements of Maryland and they are a very reliable source.

Shop SPR Barrels | White Oak Armament

Find the best selection and prices on SPR Barrels.

www.whiteoakarmament.com

I have this barrel myself. But unlike the OP I don't wrench AR uppers so I bought the complete upper from White Oak.

 

[alucard0822]

So much of it depends on just what you posted - purpose and budget.

I picked up a 16" Faxon HBAR on an overrun sale for $99, and it's an excellent barrel for the budget build it's on. It's probably a 1" gun, maybe a .75 if I had an optic on it that really allowed me to dial it in - I have a 1-4 LPVO on it now.

I wish I had the budget for really top notch guns, but I do what I can. I have two ground-up builds that are essentially twins except for the color, barrels and optics. The FDE has the Faxon, the OD green has a Ballistic Advantage. Both seem to be solid builds with decent functional accuracy, but neither would win any competitions.

View attachment 408267

There is also the fact that most don't really need a sub MOA barrel for most things. I have done better in 3 gun with a really lightweight build using a 16" Faxon gunner barrel than an older build using an 18" med contour Shilen. Of course the Shilen groups tighter, but that little bit of improved accuracy isn't as important as a rifle that weighs pounds less, and can still make sufficient hits.

There is also the question of what exactly does the money for a "better barrel" get you. Going from BCA to Faxon gets you a barrel that probably got some form of quality control, and most likely won't have to go back for functional problems. Going from Faxon to Criterion gets you tougher more durable coatings, a finer finish, better chamber specs and some minor tweaks to the profile to limit variables and maintain accuracy when it's hot or dirty. Where a Faxon might group the same on a good day, Criterion adds things to keep from having a bad day. Going up to a proof research from Criterion doesn't really improve function, but the added attention to polishing, rifling dimentions, a matched bolt, and technology like a carbon fiber wrapped barrel to save weight pretty much eliminate most other variables to put up the best groups, best heat management and least fouling buildup.

In all fairness it's hard to tell the difference between most barrels in a mix-match 16" build at a 100 yard range shooting a mag or two at paper. If you beat on it, Criterions tough coatings will shine. If you want the smallest groups from a purpose built precision rifle at long range, the Proof Research will shine. If you are willing to find a load it "likes", want to save money and like a lightweight profile, then Faxon may be the best choice.

 

[trickg]

You bring up some other really good points.

I think a lot of folks get caught up with the "accuracy" thing with ARs, which is interesting because by contract, M4s issued to the military only need to be accurate to 4 MOA. Most are good bit more accurate than 4 MOA - I'd say that most issue M4s are accurate to 1-2 MOA, but the point is, no one is tack driving with these at distance because that's not what they are built for.

For me, for the ARs I've built, I'm not expecting fine accuracy out of them. I'm looking for something that functions without issues, and is reasonably accurate for a fun day at the range.

I've mentioned this several times since that weekend about a 200 yard shot I made on a 1 lb tannerite at 200 yards with the AR that has the Faxon barrel and just a 4x LPVO. I mention it because I was surprised that I hit it with the first shot and didn't have to walk it in. Luck? Perhaps, but

That AR has been a pleasant surprise with how accurate it has been. I can hit more accurately and consistently with that AR than I can with my 18" Wylde AR with much stronger optic. With that said, I bought the 18" Wylde as a complete upper, so I can't vouch for how it was put together, and I don't know what brand the barrel might be - I bought the upper from PSA.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I'd absolutely buy another Faxon barrel because this one has been solid.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

So much of it depends on just what you posted - purpose and budget.

I picked up a 16" Faxon HBAR on an overrun sale for $99, and it's an excellent barrel for the budget build it's on. It's probably a 1" gun, maybe a .75 if I had an optic on it that really allowed me to dial it in - I have a 1-4 LPVO on it now.

I wish I had the budget for really top notch guns, but I do what I can. I have two ground-up builds that are essentially twins except for the color, barrels and optics. The FDE has the Faxon, the OD green has a Ballistic Advantage. Both seem to be solid builds with decent functional accuracy, but neither would win any competitions.

View attachment 408267

Trickg, these are very nice looking.

 

[trickg]

Trickg, these are very nice looking.

Thanks! They really aren't anything special other than the fact that they are builds done on stripped uppers and lowers, and I colored them with Brownells Aluma Hyde II.

Initially they were built on 80 lowers until MD passed the law. While it sounds great to say "Will not comply!" the truth is I'd rather comply than run the risk of running afoul of a law (no matter how stupid it is) that could result in me losing every gun I own, some of which are family heirlooms. In any case, I picked up a 3-pack of PSA lowers to be in compliance.

One has a the FDE has a PSA upper, the other an Aero, and they both have:

-- 12" PSA free float handguard
-- A2 birdcage flash suppressor
-- PSA mid rifle length gas tube
-- Yankee Hill low profile non-adjustable gas block
-- PSA upper parts kit
-- PSA lower parts kit with EPT trigger
-- JP Enhanced Reliability Springs (between the PSA EPT trigger and the springs, it's a very smooth trigger that breaks at around 4-4.5 lbs)
-- Magpul stock, grip and trigger guard

I dimpled the barrels with an SLR barrel dimple jig - I know that there are folks who prefer to do alignment with a bore scope or other methods on un-dimpled barrels, but I don't own a bore scope, so this seemed to be the next best thing for a noob like me to insure my gas blocks were properly aligned.

From a price perspective, if a person is trying to save money it's less expensive to find a pre-built upper and build out a lower, but I enjoyed the process of doing my own builds. Fortunately everything went together without issue and functioned correctly. I invested in a set of gauges to check headspace, but everything else was a simple assembly process - there's no real "gunsmithing" going on - just a process of putting the parts together and following "best practices" guidance I'd read in various sources.

 

[John from MD]

I don't think I want a complete upper. I just got an Aero handrail and BCG pro that I really like. I also don't think I want a 223 wylde barrel because I have a ton of 556 ammo and very little 223. I don't think you can shoot 556 through a 223 barrel.

You can shoot either through a .223 Wylde chambered barrel. That it what it was designed for.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Thanks! They really aren't anything special other than the fact that they are builds done on stripped uppers and lowers, and I colored them with Brownells Aluma Hyde II.

Initially they were built on 80 lowers until MD passed the law. While it sounds great to say "Will not comply!" the truth is I'd rather comply than run the risk of running afoul of a law (no matter how stupid it is) that could result in me losing every gun I own, some of which are family heirlooms. In any case, I picked up a 3-pack of PSA lowers to be in compliance.

One has a the FDE has a PSA upper, the other an Aero, and they both have:

-- 12" PSA free float handguard
-- A2 birdcage flash suppressor
-- PSA mid rifle length gas tube
-- Yankee Hill low profile non-adjustable gas block
-- PSA upper parts kit
-- PSA lower parts kit with EPT trigger
-- JP Enhanced Reliability Springs (between the PSA EPT trigger and the springs, it's a very smooth trigger that breaks at around 4-4.5 lbs)
-- Magpul stock, grip and trigger guard

I dimpled the barrels with an SLR barrel dimple jig - I know that there are folks who prefer to do alignment with a bore scope or other methods on un-dimpled barrels, but I don't own a bore scope, so this seemed to be the next best thing for a noob like me to insure my gas blocks were properly aligned.

From a price perspective, if a person is trying to save money it's less expensive to find a pre-built upper and build out a lower, but I enjoyed the process of doing my own builds. Fortunately everything went together without issue and functioned correctly. I invested in a set of gauges to check headspace, but everything else was a simple assembly process - there's no real "gunsmithing" going on - just a process of putting the parts together and following "best practices" guidance I'd read in various sources.

Thanks for sharing some details, Trickg.

A few years ago, and was invited to one member's house to watch him do one.
One day when I get the scratch, I would like to try my hand at getting the tools and building one too.