Need some help with barrel choice.

[UWone77]

Sub MOA from a CHL barrel with bulk ammo?


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You also have to account for who is behind that trigger. I can get about 1.5 MOA groups out of my Mountain Barrels, but I'm not a very good precision shooter.

[KevinBLC]

I'll stick with a good proven chrome lined FN barrel like rainiers vs some nitride barrel.

[greenlineaz]

I would definitely go with a Cold Hammer Forged Barrel for a hard use rifle. The RA Mountain Series are what I was looking at for my next build too.

[Txfilmmaker]

You also have to account for who is behind that trigger. I can get about 1.5 MOA groups out of my Mountain Barrels, but I'm not a very good precision shooter.

Just the idea that it can be done, even if I can't do it, is appealing. These barrel discussions are something else. I probably won't ever wear out any barrel, but I still want quality. Mountain, Hanson, BCM button riffled, or whatever. The Mountain a Series may be hard use, but the 1lb 9.8 onces isn't heavy. BTW I will be thrilled if I can shoot 1.5 MOA when I get some practice on my rifle. :)


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[DutyUse]

Just the idea that it can be done, even if I can't do it, is appealing. These barrel discussions are something else. I probably won't ever wear out any barrel, but I still want quality. Mountain, Hanson, BCM button riffled, or whatever. The Mountain a Series may be hard use, but the 1lb 9.8 onces isn't heavy. BTW I will be thrilled if I can shoot 1.5 MOA when I get some practice on my rifle. :)


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Don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to shoot super tiny groups to have an effective carbine.

Vital zone is conservatively 8"x8". So even shooting 4 moa groups nets you lethal shots at 200.. And let's be honest if you ever had to use a rifle to defend home and family it's gonna be 50 and in most likely.

[SINNER]

Someone tell that guy to finish his group before he measures it. LOL 3 gunners.

[rob_s]

So I'm on my third build. I have one shtf type build that's all long lasting parts little maintenance flash light so on. Then I have a "fancy" for lack of a better word build. It has a shrouded kx5 on a 13.7" barrel with high end everything honestly don't shoot it to often lol.

Anyway to my point. I got a free lower so I had to start another build of corse! I want to use this for my anytime someone calls me grab it and go rifle. I also want to use this to start practicing drills.

I've been looking at the northtech barrel 14.5" mid length but I'm not sure I really need it. I know they are made for great accuracy but are they made to shoot a lot also? Because I plan to use this fire arm a lot. If anyone could give me a little more info that would be greatly appreciated thanks.

So you have two guns now that you don't shoot a lot, presumably because they are not suitable for running drills, so you need a third to be able to start doing that?

I are confuse.

Is it about the gun/build or the "drills"? What does "drills" mean to you?

[DutyUse]

So I'm on my third build. I have one shtf type build that's all long lasting parts little maintenance flash light so on. Then I have a "fancy" for lack of a better word build. It has a shrouded kx5 on a 13.7" barrel with high end everything honestly don't shoot it to often lol.

Anyway to my point. I got a free lower so I had to start another build of corse! I want to use this for my anytime someone calls me grab it and go rifle. I also want to use this to start practicing drills.

I've been looking at the northtech barrel 14.5" mid length but I'm not sure I really need it. I know they are made for great accuracy but are they made to shoot a lot also? Because I plan to use this fire arm a lot. If anyone could give me a little more info that would be greatly appreciated thanks.

So you have two guns now that you don't shoot a lot, presumably because they are not suitable for running drills, so you need a third to be able to start doing that?

I are confuse.

Is it about the gun/build or the "drills"?

Rob's post made me realize what I should have advised you originally.

Sell your free lower, get a Colt 6720 or 6920 for 1000-profits of sale. Lack of expensive parts leaves more money for the important aspect. Ammo

That's a hard use, rain or shine training rifle you can depend on forever

[alamo5000]

I am new to the game but experimenting is part of the game here. I built my AR with a pretty nice stainless barrel and I absolutely love the thing. I can shoot tiny groups and I like doing that from time to time. I am not a one trick pony kind of a guy but I do enjoy it. That said to get the groups you need the ammo and just any old ammo will not do. If you want to exploit and use to it's potential a good stainless barrel your ammo costs either just went up or you just became a really good reloader.

If you do not want to buy expensive match ammo and/or you do not want to take the time to reload then you will be better served by some other kind of barrel. As others have said the Mountain Series from RA is a no brainer.

If I were building a quality all purpose rifle I would go with something like a RA Mountain. Don't get me wrong, I like my rifle a lot. I don't regret it one bit. But now that I have a little trial and error under my belt I am seeing the light so to speak. A nice match or even not match stainless barrel are great if you want super accuracy and are willing to get the optic/trigger/and ammo to create that system. But if you just want to pick up a case of cheap ammo and run with it...you have better options.

So for me, if I want to shoot tiny groups I pick up $1.25 cents a round ammo and do that. If I want to shoot other stuff I go to Wal Mart and get the $33 box of 100. The rifle will shoot either but not to the same effect.

[DutyUse]

That's what I could pull off this morning using a 16" noveske chf barrel, a 3-9 Zeiss and xm193.

Not gonna win any awards but FN barrels are like UW mentioned, often more accurate then their owners.

[Txfilmmaker]

That's what I could pull off this morning using a 16" noveske chf barrel, a 3-9 Zeiss and xm193.

Not gonna win any awards but FN barrels are like UW mentioned, often more accurate then their owners.

Your grouping here shows that you can get much better than 4 MOA groups with a very good combat barrel. That's very good shooting.
I'm not falling into the trap of wanting tiny groups, but I see it's possible to get good accuracy from a "non-match grade" barrel.
UWone77 wrote earlier:
"A quality Chrome Lined CHF or button rifled barrel will suit your needs. 20k+ rounds easily. Look at the BCM Filthy 14 rifle, that gun is still running after what? 40k rounds on a Chrome Lined Button rifled BCM Barrel?"

So a solid long lasting barrel does not have to be CHF

BoilerUp mentioned the Melonite barrels and wrote me a nice letter discribing the science behind it. He said the they would last longer than chrome lined, but I won't wear out either.

I really got into the idea of getting the Mountain Series barrel when it went on sale, but I am still dealing with budget issues.
Mountain Series Barrel $285 shipped. Gas Block $ 45 plus? Barrell nut $8 Gas tube &12? Sights $90-140 depending on choice. Range bag $50? etc. Total $490-540

Ballistic Advantage Hanson Barrel with gas block $205 Barrell nut $8 Gas tube &12? Sights $90-140 depending on choice. Range bag $50? etc. Total $365-415

If I decide to get the Mountain Series barrel, I can just wait a few months to get the rest of the stuff. It's taken over a year to get this close. It is nice to be this close. If I had not won all of what I have, I wouldn't have to decide. So it's not so bad that I am having to work through these decisions. :-)

[DutyUse]

Barrels certainly don't need to be cold hammer forged to be quality. Colt and BCM etc Chrome lined barrels are excellent. Look on the EE's for a slightly used colt take off, some good deals to be had. The reason I trend to CHF is outstanding consistency and QC.

Your on the right track bro. Any questions just ask, someone here will give you some good advice.

[LMMzach]

So you have two guns now that you don't shoot a lot, presumably because they are not suitable for running drills, so you need a third to be able to start doing that?

I are confuse.

Is it about the gun/build or the "drills"? What does "drills" mean to you?

I shoot my first rifle I built everytime I go out. It's not that I can't use that.

"Drills" just means fun for me. Idk if I came off like I wanted to be top operator of the world or what but that was not my intention I apologize. Doing drills and being more mobile while shooting is just something I would like to get into. So I wanted it to be in mind.

I looked around and I couldn't get much info on the northtech barrel.


But after all the feedback I think that is not worth it for me to spend that kind of money. I might just try to change up my northtech/Noveske build to better suit what I want.

Thanks

[rob_s]

But after all the feedback I think that is not worth it for me to spend that kind of money. I might just try to change up my northtech/Noveske build to better suit what I want.

Thanks

I'm still not sure what "drills" means (and I didn't take it to mean any sort of operator nonsense), but I think the above is a good plan.

What you're likely finding is what most of us find after we "build" something based solely on internets and aesthetics, and that is it doesn't really do anything very well, or at the very least has quite a few shortcomings in terms of how we'll actually use the gun.

I went through this myself back in the day. I read and read and read and I "built" an AR with all the best parts at the time (and things were a lot goddamn simpler then before all these nobodies decided to make a buck making AR parts). Then I went out and shot my new prize. Guess what? It was heavy as hell and damn near useless for the way I was shooting. I based all of my "research", as it turns out, on the word of a bunch of dim-bulbs on the internets that never went out and shot, and if they did never left the bench, and never shot from the bench more than 50 yards (in that regard, not a goddamn thing has changed in all these years).

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.

[Computalotapus]

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.

The other thing is remember that the weapon is a tool and like any good tool it needs to be balanced. I remember I really wanted to tuck a KX-3/5 under a rail and I was pushing around the idea of a 13.5" barrel and pinning a KX-3/5 to it to achieve this. UWone77 stepped in and told me that it would make the rifle really front heavy. I tried to tell myself naw I can deal with the extra weight, I am glad I took a few days to think it over before making my purchase. I feel using the knowledge I have gained from doing my research and listening to advice helped me make better decisions.

I have two rifles purpose built with very minimal accessories. And both rifles fit exactly what they were built to do.