Noveske vs Lothar Walther Barrels

[LeftyTwoGuns]

I'm looking for a 16" barrel for my AR. Right now I can't decide between Noveske or Walther. I also have to choose between a 7" or 9" twist. Vast majority of what I shoot is 55gr. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[AR Performance]

Depends on if you are looking for accuracy or durability and which material the barrels are made from and if they are chrome or Nitro Carburized.
Chrome and Nitro Carburized are made for heavy use and will out last 416R stainless barrels. If the barrels are lapped match grade barrels they will generally be more accurate than non lapped barrels.
The site editor on 6mmBR says the 7 twist is too fast for all but the 80gr VLDs but the 9 twist will not allow you to shoot heavier than 69gr bullets.
How accurate do you want it? If you sit on a bench with a scope and shoot 1/2" groups with handloads then the Noveske stainless may be the better choice. If you are a "run and gun" with factory ammo then either will meet your accuracy requirements, meaning you should be able to get 1 to 1 1/2" groups.

[Ryo]

Both are good brands.. I wouldn't care which one I have.. well in fact I have both Noveske and Lothar Walther. Both are very good. My Lothar Walther has a Wylde chamber which works with 5.56 and 223 very well, and 1/9 twist. Like the previous poster mention.. what are you going to be using it for will help narrow down what you want.

[Army Chief]

Just to keep things interesting, you might want to add a third contender here, as Shilen makes a 1:8 that is currently anchoring the Rainier Custom Shop line.

My default answer on any barrel question is usually "go with the Noveske," but I'm sufficiently impressed with the Shilen-based UM Series that I'm in the process of having a mid-gas 16" UltraMatch (http://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/detail&product_id=1004) built for myself.


http://www.rainierarms.com/img/shop/product/ebf32f42c2bdbbfb0301fb3c97afeb33.jpg

John H. doesn't exactly need my help getting the word out on these, but feature for feature these Rainier UM uppers look pretty hard to beat ...

■ Rainier Arms 16″ UltraMatch Barrel (mid gas) - 1:8 Twist / Bead Blasted Finish
■ Forged Milspec M4 Upper Receiver
■ Daniel Defense 12.0 LITE Rail System
■ Pinned Gas Block
■ Young National Match Bolt Carrier Group
■ PRI Gas Buster Charging Handle
■ PWS FSC556 Compensator

Of course, if you're just looking for a barrel, rather than a completed upper, that too is available (http://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/detail&product_id=809).


http://www.rainierarms.com/img/shop/product/0c42241cdefc5689fc9c0adda769cde0.jpg

AC