Need some help with barrel choice.

[alamo5000]

I have gotten lucky with both my builds. The UCWRG rifle was built for my wife and she shoots from the bench. Only thing that has changed on that rifle is now that she is starting to shoot further out she replaced the RDS for a magnified optid. My NTD build that I did for 2-Gun events. I am very pleased with the way it turned out and have no plans to change out or add anything to this rifle. I did a ton of research and reading to find what I was looking for. Between UWone77 and rob_s I probably got some of the best advice. Now granted I didn't listen to rob_s when he said "buy a colt" because I was dead set on building but, I did listen to the message of "buy a colt" and that message is keep it simple. Identify your NEEDS.

I had a very similar experience. I agree. Once you take the time to really define your needs and tendencies and what you are really interested in these choices become a whole lot easier or at least the list becomes shorter.

I too got great advice here. UW is the one that turned me onto my barrel (RA Select Medcon) and I couldn't be more over joyed with the thing.

DTR!!!! Define the Rifle!!!

Better yet define what YOU LIKE TO DO.

For me I like accuracy the whole thing interests me. It doesn't eliminate my interests in other things by ANY means but reloading and trying to hit dimes at 100 yards is enjoyable to me. Other people hate that stuff to no end. Nobody is right and nobody is wrong. If you want to hit dimes at 100 yards... start looking stainless. If you hate that stuff and want to hit steel targets and will shoot 500 rounds a day then go with something else.

After I got my first one done now I want to build like 4 or 5 rifles... all with different purposes to them. UW is a bucket-o-knowledge but even he doesn't know what kind of shooting you like to do. Of all his talents I am sure ESP isn't on the list. LOL

A friend of mine has a 14.5 pinned barrel with a slide fire on it. If you put a stainless barrel on that gun it would be just stupid. For me, I might go out in the back yard 2 or 3 times a week and shoot 2 or 3 mags at a time on a regular basis. Those are two totally different things.

There is certainly no lack of choices of good barrels but many people just don't think through what they want or like all the way. Sometimes people end up with a half baked rifle by not thinking through what YOU PERSONALLY like to do.

[alamo5000]

It's almost like a dating service. Do you like blondes or brunettes? Or do you have a thing for chubby girls? I think Asian girls can be really cute. But then again I have seen some really hot red heads as well.

And NO you can't have em all.

But in the case of rifles you might be able to have em all, but you will have more than one rifle if you do.

[GOST]

You could just buy one of everything. I kid, like others have said a chrome lined barrel from a reputable manufacturer will do. A high quality stainless will do also, but will give no benefit with bulk ammo. Most of the time a more expensive barrel with cheap ammo will be out performed by a less expensive barrel with decent ammo.

Like Comp said you may want to consider weight and balance. The profile of BCM ELW 16" makes this barrel feel like a LW 14.5" barrel, and is supposed to handle heat as well as a government profile.

As far durability goes I doubt a CHF barrel will be anymore durable than a standard button rifled barrel that's been chrome lined. The chrome lining is stronger than the under lying steel and it doesn't know whether the steel is CHF or not. The advantage to CHF is that sometimes there is more consistency in the bore.

I have had great luck with BCM BFH barrels, but there are a lot of good barrels out there.

[DutyUse]

My first AR barrel was a heavy profile on a Rock River a friend sold me, it was fine but like comp mentioned a little front heavy. Next a BCM m4 profile CL button rifled, little lighter. After owning and using a bunch my absolute favorite "all arounds" now are BCM/Nov CHF 14.5 Light weights. Yes they must be pinned, but that little lack of material essentially takes away (or at least mostly reduces) the weight penalty of using something like a latanc muzzle device, and theoretically makes for a stiffer barrel. For me, there accurate enough to easily hit C zone silhouettes at most practical ranges and are fast into action. Now I rarely shoot 500rds a day anymore because ammo prices have sky rocketed, but not uncommon to shoot a 120 round American Eagle "mini-can" after I get off work.

I couldn't agree more with what Comp and others posted, figure out what you want to do with the rifle then build accordingly. I'll warn you though it's addictive

[Txfilmmaker]

I picked up a 14.5" LW rifle at the gun store, once. It did feel really good. I've won 2 muzzle devices to choose between. One is the Dragon the other is a White Sound Defense FOSSA 556. It's a great flash hider with some muzzle rise mitigation.


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[UWone77]

If I were you, I'd go buy a Colt 6720 and start shooting "drills" with it. Change out parts as your activities and abilities overrun the capabilities of the gun.

6 months ago when I saw Colt's for $799 to $849, I probably said that same thing 100x over to several new shooters in person and online. I don't think 1 person took my advice. Probably ended up spending 1.5-2x what the Colt cost, only to get a rifle that wasn't as good.

For anyone that wants to "customize" their gun, I'd also look at the Colt OEM1 and OEM2 models.

[Txfilmmaker]

6 months ago when I saw Colt's for $799 to $849, I probably said that same thing 100x over to several new shooters in person and online. I don't think 1 person took my advice. Probably ended up spending 1.5-2x what the Colt cost, only to get a rifle that wasn't as good.

For anyone that wants to "customize" their gun, I'd also look at the Colt OEM1 and OEM2 models.

I've shared that advice a lot.


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[SINNER]

I wound up getting 3 6721 HBAR's (MD legal BS) for right around 2k from a LGS a that overbought about 6 months ago. No way you can lose on a Colt for that kind of coin. Out of all the AR's I own my 6920 with a LW profile barrel is still one of my best handling and shooting AR's. That gun shoots almost every type of ammo I have tried consistently well.