With BH MK262 I was barely over 1 MOA in a lead sled.

MK262 mod 1/AA53 is roughly 1 moa capable.

.....

That rifling looks very similar ratchet rifling.  My spidey sense tells me a little bump in MV and easier cleaning could be seen.

I tend to like uppers that are thicker behind the barrel nut threads.  However they tend to run into issues when matching up a handguard.  Especially so if they have anti-rotation tabs…..they hit.  The first thing I noticed on this V seven was that area.  Specifically, they appear have less material where anti-rotation tabs generally contact, and then the receiver thickens up behind that point.  ????

I was pleasantly surprised for something not considered a match bbl.

Yeah dude, if you're getting around 1 MOA with that ammo, you're doing everything right.

5 shot group?

Great. I didn't realize I need to replace my BA 13.9" Hanson barrel.

Seriously though this is interesting. When I bought my barrel last year, I was looking for a CHF nitrided barrel with this kind of consistent profile. The Hanson barrel was on sale and close enough (though button rifled). I've been happy with the BA barrel and it's perfectly gassed but this barrel looks just about perfect!

I'm on the waiting list now.

V Seven is proud of their stuff ($$$) but the quality is right up there with the best. I'm very impressed with my GI upper and lower.

Sidebar: I wonder if those high end mfgs in the pacific northwest use the same anodizing shop. Mega/Zev, Noveske, V Seven all come with a similar ano. Incredibly rich and deep finish that I almost felt bad painting. Almost.

One shot.

Seriously though, it was a 5 shot group.  Was it a fluke?  All but guaranteed and I may have got the golden ticket of track barrels, but it’s nice to know the potential accuracy is there.

Range Report:  Black Hills MK262 Mod 1







The 77 grain MK262 ammunition produced by Black Hills Ammunition has been referred to as the most accurate mass-produced 5.56mm ammunition that has ever been type-classified and issued by the US military.  Since its inception, genuine MK262 has been manufactured solely by Black Hills Ammunition.  For years, MK262 was only available to the civilian population as “seconds,” but more recently Black Hills has made first-run production lots available on the commercial market.  It is the first-run version of MK262 Mod 1 that I tested for this report.

MK262 Mod 1 is loaded in WCC 5.56mm brass and uses a cannelured version of the 77 grain Sierra MatchKing.  The round is charged with a proprietary ball powder.  The primer pockets are crimped and sealed.  Contrary to erroneous information that has been posted on the Internet, MK262 Mod 1 does not have case-mouth sealant.












The 77 grain MK262 Mod 1 projectile compared to the M193 projectile.






MK262 powder.  (The squares of the red grid measure 1/10 of an inch.)






Accuracy


The specification for the accuracy/precision portion of the lot-acceptance-testing of MK262 calls for multiple 10-shot groups to be fired; which is exactly what I like to do for a range report.  An accuracy (technically, precision) evaluation of the first-run MK262 Mod 1 ammunition was performed following my usual protocol.  This accuracy evaluation used statistically significant shot-group sizes and every single shot in a fired group was included in the measurements. There was absolutely no use of any Group Reduction Techniques (e.g. fliers, target movement, Butterfly Shots).

The shooting set-up will be described in detail below. As many of the significant variables as was practicable were controlled for. Also, a  control group was fired from the test-rifle used in the evaluation using match-grade, hand-loaded ammunition; in order to demonstrate the capability of the barrel. Pictures of shot-groups are posted for documentation.

All shooting was conducted from a concrete bench-rest from a distance of 100 yards (confirmed with a laser rangefinder.) The barrel used in the evaluation was free-floated. The free-float handguards of the rifle rested in a Sinclair Windage Benchrest, while the stock of the rifle rested in a Protektor bunny-ear rear bag. Sighting was accomplished via a Leupold VARI-X III set at 25X magnification and adjusted to be parallax-free at 100 yards. A mirage shade was used. Wind conditions on the shooting range were continuously monitored using a Wind Probe. The set-up was very similar to that pictured below.







The Wind Probe.





The test vehicle for this evaluation was one of my semi-automatic precision AR-15s with a 20” stainless-steel Lothar Walther barrel.  The barrel has a 223 Wylde chamber with a 1:8” twist.















Prior to firing the MK262 ammunition, I fired a 10-shot control group using match-grade hand-loads topped with the Sierra 77 grain MatchKing.  That group had an extreme spread of 0.69”.








Three 10-shot groups of the MK262 Mod 1 were fired in a row with the resulting extreme spreads (from smallest to largest):

0.96”
1.12”
1.21”

for a 10-shot group average extreme spread of 1.10” (1.05 MOA).  The three 10-shot groups were over-layed on each other using RSI Shooting Lab to form a 30-shot composite group.  The mean radius for the 30-shot composite group was 0.33”.  


The smallest 10-shot group.






The 30-shot composite group.






Velocity


I chronographed the Black Hills 5.56mm MK262 Mod 1 ammunition from a semi-automatic AR-15 with a chrome-lined, NATO chambered 20” Colt M16A2 barrel.







Chronographing was conducted using an Oehler 35-P chronograph with “proof screen” technology. The Oehler 35P chronograph is actually two chronographs in one package that takes two separate chronograph readings for each shot and then has its onboard computer analyze the data to determine if there is any statistically significant difference between the two readings.  If there is, the chronograph “flags” the shot to let you know that the data is invalid.  There was no invalid data flagged during this testing.

The velocity stated below is the muzzle velocity as calculated from the instrumental velocity using Oehler’s Ballistic Explorer software program. The string of fire consisted of 10 rounds over the chronograph.











Each round was single-loaded and cycled into the chamber from a magazine fitted with a single-load follower. The bolt locked-back after each shot allowing the chamber to cool in between each shot. This technique was used to mitigate the possible influence of “chamber-soak” on velocity data. Each new shot was fired in a consistent manner after hitting the bolt release.  Atmospheric conditions were monitored and recorded using a Kestrel 4000 Pocket Weather Tracker.







Atmospheric conditions


Temperature:  79 degrees F
Humidity:  37%
Barometric pressure:  30.12 inches of Hg
Elevation:  950 feet above sea level



The muzzle velocity for the 10-shot string of the Black Hills 5.56mm MK262 Mod 1  ammunition fired from the 20” Colt barrel was 2848 FPS with a standard deviation of 10 FPS and a coefficient of variation of 0.35%!

For those of you who might not be familiar with the coefficient of variation (CV), it is the standard deviation, divided by the mean (average) muzzle velocity and then multiplied by 100 and expressed as a percentage. It allows for the comparison of the uniformity of velocity between loads in different velocity spectrums; e.g. 77 grain loads running around 2,650 fps compared to 55 grain loads running around 3,250 fps.  

For comparison (and to give you an idea of how good the CV is for this factory loaded MK262 Mod 1 ammunition) the mil-spec for M193 allows for a coefficient of variation of approximately 1.2%, while one of my best 77 grain OTM hand-loads, with a muzzle velocity of 2639 PFS and a standard deviation of 4 FPS, has a coefficient of variation of 0.15%.







….

I'm planning on using a ZEV wedge lock handguard for this build. When I first picked-up the ZEV handguard, I immediately noticed the distinctive color and smooth and lustrous finish.  The ZEV handguard has a velvety, luxurious look that feels so good in the hand.  The ZEV handguard is sure to stand out on the firing line.





....

I have this build in 14.5.  Zev 13" Wedgelock and 14.5 Track 2.0 on a CMT billet upper/lower.  I actually shot it today as I have a class this weekend.  Shot both Razorcore and IMI M193.

Vseven owner is the old head tech for barrel manufacturing at Noveske when John was alive, or something to that effect. That would explain a lot.

I picked up a leftover Mega version of that rail a couple of years ago and have managed to find two more since… extremely comfortable rails and super smooth anodizing for sure. And the lockup is solid as a rock.

I see what you've done, there.

The finish on that handguard has a very deep, and even, satin-like finish. I completely agree with you that the finish is, indeed, very smooth and lustrous. I wonder how they are able to achieve such a uniform finish? That handguard is not only aesthetically please, but also appears to be of a robust design. Beautiful.

This may affect barrel availability
https://www.ar15.com/forums/general/Triarc-going-out-of-business-/5-2545564/

I realize it was a jab at Geissele, but now I’m kinda in the mood for some red velvet cake.

Do you ever gauge the gas ports?

TRIARC 16" Track 2.0 Barrel:  A Quick Look


....

Buyers beware . . .



....

Picked up a 16" last week when Primary Arms had it on sale. No markings whatsoever on it. Also picked up their Easy Pin gas block and it is easy to pin.

Have you gauged the gas port?

...

I don't have a gauge. Sorry

Took it out today to make sure it functions.
Center and 9 o'clock are RIO M855
3 and 6 o'clock are MagTech M855

Very mild recoil and ejecting at 4 o'clock. Using an A5H2 buffer and Accupower 1-4X

I just looked it up and it looks like they fixed their license. It is active now. FWIW though, I've been waiting for my barrel to ship since 05/05/22.

They need to change CEO's or production managers.  Their CS is poor (I own multiple uppers from them) and they cannot move product.  Way too much backlog.  

Sad, because what they offer is top notch.

Primary Arms has their 16” and 14.5” barrels in stock atm.  They have them in stock pretty frequently.

My barrel shipped today. The site did say they had a 10 day estimated shipping time IIRC. It took them a couple of extra days, although it was accurate if you go by 10 business days.

I keep hearing bad things about vendors I have used with no issues. I'm kind of confused.

Edit: it arrived today

I used the 16.x" Zev rail on my spr build, that is using alot of Rainier parts, and I noticed the finish is the same on their Upper and Lower as well. I can't remember for sure, but I swear when I went to the actual Rainier store the guy that grabbed my stuff from the back
said that "Zev does the finish on their parts", or something to that effect, when I asked about it.

On Black Friday I got 1.5 and 13.9 from Primary Arms for like $150 each

When is molon going to post his accuracy testing

Purchased a 14.5 and 16. These maybe my go to for the time being. @molon these post are much appreciated as always.

I've decided that I'm going to use an SOLG upper receiver for this build.  It will be a nice thermal fit with the barrel extension of the TRIARC barrel and the anodizing of this upper receiver also has a smooth and lustrous finish, with a velvety, luxurious look that is sure to stand out on the firing line!

The internal specs of the upper receiver mate perfectly with the TRIARC bolt carrier group.



...

IMO, the midnight level 3 grandmaster ano finish SOLGW uses is the best finish out there

The current SOLGW / ZEV / MEGA anodizing appears to be the same as the old MEGA ano, which was always top-tier.  I've got recent parts from all three, and they perfectly match my old MEGA parts.  They all have super-tight fits, too.

...

Can we expect an evaluation sometime this month?

Is this their new rail?

No its not.

Absolutely.  Hopefully. Maybe.



....

That's the ZEV Wedge-Lock handguard.

...

I recently picked-up an SOLGW stripped lower receiver to go with this upper receiver group.  The fit is damn near perfect.  And even though the these upper and lower receivers were purchased in different time frames, they both have the same smooth and lustrous finish, with a velvety, luxurious look that is sure to stand out on the firing line!




....

That looks great! How does the handgusrd attach to the barrel nut? I've never seen on in person.

there's a torx screw on the bottom muzzle side that pulls together two wedges to clamp onto the oversized barrel nut. Since Molon used a solgw upper, it has the index pin predrilled so there's anti rotation built in as well.

With this interesting little mechanism.  I'll be posting more about it soon.




...

Good to know that an SOLGW upper will be needed in order to make it work right with indexing leaving no guesswork room for error.

I'm intrigued