10.5" 300 Blackout Barrel Selection

[NEA_1029]

Hey everyone new guy here, long time lurker, first time poster . Recently started my 10.5" SBR build in 300 blackout and needed some help with barrel selection. Ive been searching for a 10.5" barrel but its been a hard decision because there are so many nice options and wanted to see what everyone thinks/recommends. If any of y'all are running a similar setup please feel free to chime in, post some pics, and/or give your opinion. Ive listed some of the manufacturers below to get this started in no particular order.


Noveske 10.5" SS comes with a pinned gas block and tube

V7 10.25" SS comes with gas block and tube < i know its not 10.5" but will still work for me.

Seekins Precision 10.5 Radial Fluted SS also available non fluted

Black Rain Ordnance 10.5" Double Fluted SS

Others..Black Hole Weaponry, Bison Armory, Rainier, Mega Arms, DD, Etc...

[alamo5000]

What upper and what handguard are you going to use? (just curious)

I've never done anything in 300BO so I have no advice on the barrel but I have always wondered about durability of stainless barrels if you're shooting primarily subs all the time.

Based on my reasoning if you shoot mainly subs you would get a pretty darn good amount of rounds downrange out of the thing (depending of course on how hard you shoot)... so at least in theory you could pick up a stainless barrel and it would last you quite some time...

I would think having some kind of notion of how much and how hard you shoot (and how regular) could narrow your choices some depending on the answer...

[din]

Because of the low bore pressure you'll get plenty of barrel life, even with supers.

Now that I finally got my Form 1 stamp I'm getting off my butt and finishing my 10.5" Noveske build. If I was doing over again and wasn't so incredibly anal about sticking with the builds I plan out in my head I'd just go with a Ballistic Advantage barrel, but I've had the Noveske pipe sitting in a drawer for almost a year now and it's already Cerakoted, blah blah blah. I see a lot of people trying to do the absolute cheapest builds they can, and maybe there are magical $75 barrels out there that shoot .5 MOA with wonky remanufactured ammo, but I feel strongly that not sticking with a proven quantity is pants-on-head retarded. BA has a solid reputation at this point for a reason, so unless you're just itching for a boutique barrel I don't think you're find a better value. Rainier would also be on the short list, and Black Hole, but that's about it among those mentioned.

I also have a 16" 300 BLK with a Wilson Combat barrel with a carbine gas system, and it's fine for what it is. It was the first AR I ever built, and I learned a lot from all the mistakes I made in attempting to get a new (to me) cartridge to do what I wanted it to do, instead of listening to people with actual knowledge who were telling me what it could actually do. I still shoot it sometimes while I've been waiting to finish my SBR, but mostly it's just a big, expensive lesson that gets the stinkeye while I horde ammo for the new build.

[NEA_1029]

Build specs include a CMT PDW Lower and CMT UPUR-2. Using either 10" SLR Ion Lite or 9.7" Helix hand guard if I go the V7 route.

This is the first time I'm dipping my toes into 300 BO and I want to do it right. I will be primarily shooting subs and even some reloads as this will be suppressed 95% of the time. Also I don't think I will have any clearance issues with the rail and suppressor cause the same lengths worked well for my 11.5 SBR

I wouldn't say I'm hard on my rifles and I don't shoot off range as much as I used to but usually it's a couple hundred rounds a month easy. Hunting and stuff every now and then with supers n this setup would be sweet!

[UWone77]

Looks like your budget is wide open for a barrel.

Honestly, you cannot go wrong with any of the barrels you listed. Only thing I'd say about Rainier Barrels, if you go with Rainier, do the UltraMatch. It's worth the extra cash. Longevity, accuracy is better than the match line.

Noveske is also a good choice. Higher price, but like you already mentioned, it comes with a pinned Gas Block and tube, which bought separately turns out to be a decent deal.

Ballistic Advantage and Faxon are also lower priced barrels I've had good luck with. The main reason I like the BA ones though, they offer a pinned gas block as well.

[din]

One nice thing about Noveske is that you can also order the barrel with a headspaced bolt.

[Dstrbdmedic167]

I'll pretty much echo UW. All good choices. Ballistic has been getting my money as of late. Pinned GB and quality barrels in an affordable price bracket....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jerry R]

I like the Rainier UM barrels - a lot. For a small fee they will pin a gas block for you; and you can choose the GB you want from them.

[fledge]

Faxon mentioned on a thread elsewhere that they are planning on 300blk lightweight barrels in the near future. Depends on how long you want to wait to see if that will fit your need.

[BoilerUp]

Would 10.3" work? TPersonally, I'd be inclined to go with the BA Hanson: http://ballisticadvantage.com/10-3-i...ce-barrel.html

300 BLK isn't exactly a distance or match caliber, so I'd have a really hard time justifying anything much over $200. I'm happy with my 8.5" SS BA 300 BLK barrel, but I haven't pushed it hard or asked it to do much, so I can't really make any claims. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably go with a melonite barrel over a SS.

But as was said above, there are so many great choices that it's really hard to go wrong with any of the choices you mentioned.

[Ordnance]

I'll be the digresser. Noveske is NOT what they used to be since John passed. Between the downward spiraling customer service, and decline in product quality, they aren't worth the coin anymore. I'd do a Mega Arms, Seekins, DD, or RA Ultramatch.

[UWone77]

I'll be the digresser. Noveske is NOT what they used to be since John passed. Between the downward spiraling customer service, and decline in product quality, they aren't worth the coin anymore. I'd do a Mega Arms, Seekins, DD, or RA Ultramatch.

I can't argue that, but the last 2 barrels I bought were shooters, and just as accurate as the ones I have from when Johnny was still around.

[tact]

If PacNor still makes barrels for them I don't see how anything would have changed. However, I think one can find something equally accurate for less.

[Ordnance]

I can't argue that, but the last 2 barrels I bought were shooters, and just as accurate as the ones I have from when Johnny was still around.

Mines accurate as well, but the cost doesn't warrant the level of product I received, along with at least a dozen others I know. I had to clean up burrs in my gas block pin hole and my gas port. Plus, the CS has been on a level I can only describe as worthless, from a company who used to take pride in what they produced and helping customers who were having issues. Hell, I still don't have a simple measurement I requested from them that they didn't respond until 2 weeks after the 3rd email, which they only responded to ask me why I wanted it, and then even after I explained why, they still didn't get me the measurement. Not that hard to get a length to port measurement on a barrel. If you can't take the 2 minutes to measure one thing for a product that you charge a considerably higher amount than the industry, then maybe you falsely believe a reputation will carry you through. Fact is reputations fade, and word spreads. Leupold is just now getting the memo, and I'm curious to see how that works out as they claim they're making an effort to refocus their business.

[Ordnance]

If PacNor still makes barrels for them I don't see how anything would have changed. However, I think one can find something equally accurate for less.

I haven't heard that name in a LONG time, lol. I think they've faded a bit in long gun production to manufacturers like Bartlein, Broughton, Brux, Hawk Hill, Benchmark, and Proof (even though I'm not a fan of their service). They used to make pretty damn good barrels though.