Accuracy Evaluations of 14.5” AR-15 Barrels
With Permanently Attached Muzzle Devices

The unwashed masses in my state are not allowed to own SBRs, therefore the shortest commonly available AR-15 barrels that I can legally posses are 14.5” barrels; with permanently attached muzzle devices that bring the overall length up to the legal length.  For this article, we’ll be looking at four different chrome-lined, NATO chambered, 14.5” AR-15 barrels with permanently attached muzzle devices:

>  Noveske 14.5” “Skinny” barrel

>  Noveske 14.5” N4 “Light” barrel

>  Bravo Company 14.5”  “government profile” barrel

>  Colt 14.5” M4A1 SOCOM barrel


The Noveske barrels evaluated have permanently attached Smith Enterprise Vortex flash-hiders.  The Bravo Company barrel evaluated has a permanently attached BCM A2X flash-hider and the Colt M4A1 SOCOM barrel evaluated has a permanently attached Young Manufacturing flash-hider.

All of the barrels were evaluated utilizing free-float hand-guards and match-grade hand-loaded ammunition.  All testing was conducted from the bench at a distance of 100 yards.

I conducted the accuracy (technically, precision) evaluations of the four different barrels listed above following my usual protocol.  These accuracy evaluations 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.  For these accuracy  evaluations, I used one of my standard match-grade hand-loads topped with Sierra 55 grain BlitzKings.  When fired from my Krieger barreled AR-15s, this load has produced ½ MOA 10-shot groups at 100 yards.








All shooting was conducted from a concrete bench-rest from a distance of 100 yards (confirmed with a laser rangefinder.) The barrels used in the evaluations were free-floated. The free-float hand-guards of the rifles 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 attached to the objective-bell of the scope. 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 Colt M4A1 SOCOM barrel







A genuine Colt M4 SOCOM barrel is 14.5” long and has a medium contour  underneath the handguards (not a heavy barrel profile).  The barrel has a NATO chamber and a 1:7” twist.  The SOCOM barrel has the typical M4 circumferential cut-out located approximately 1.4” forward of the gas block for the attachment of an M203, as well as rectangular shaped cut-outs underneath the handguards on the port and starboard sides of the barrel, located approximately 1.4” aft of the gas block, for the same reason.  The SOCOM barrel employs the carbine length gas system.













The barrel stamp located just aft of the flash suppressor reads:

            C   MP
5.56 NATO 1/7








The barrel has an “F” marked front sight base and a side sling swivel.  The “F” mark is located on the port side of the front sight base.














The SOCOM barrel will have a “date code” located immediately aft of the handguard retaining ring.  The handguard retaining ring itself will also have cut-outs located at 4:30 and 8:30; again for the attachment of an M203.

The barrel will also have a small “O” stamp, that is located at the chamber section of the barrel, indicating a chrome-lined chamber and bore.










Naturally, the SOCOM barrel will have M4 feedramps and there will be a numeral “4” stamped at the 3 o’clock position on the barrel extension.







Here are a couple pics comparing the SOCOM barrel to the standard M4 barrel.















The Colt 14.5" M4A1 SOCOM barrel used in this evaluation was free-floated during testing using a Daniel Defense Omega free-float railed handguard.  Using the match-grade hand-loads, I fired three 10-shot groups from the Colt SOCOM barrel at a distance of 100 yards.  Those groups had extreme spreads of:

0.90”
1.02”
0.93”

for a 10-shot group average extreme spread of 0.95”.  All three of the 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 composite group was 0.35”.

The smallest 10-shot group.






The 30-shot composite group.













Noveske 14.5” N4 Light Barrel






For starters, Noveske’s nomenclature of “Light” for this barrel is somewhat misleading/confusing. When most shooters hear the term “light- weight” in regard to AR-15 barrels, they think of the “pencil” barrel profile of the original Colt M16/M16A1 and also the same light-weight profile of the Colt 16” carbine barrel found on the Colt 6520 and 6720.  However, this is not the profile of the Noveske N4 Light barrel.


Colt M16/M16A1 barrel . . .





Colt 6520 16” light-weight barrel . . .



Noveske’s N4 Light profile was designed to produce better accuracy than a government profile barrel without adding any weight.  The 14.5” and 16” N4 Light barrels have the same weight as Colt 14.5” and 16” government profile barrels.

As you can see in the pics below (16” version pictured), for the N4 Light barrel, Noveske has done away with the next-to-useless M203 (grenade launcher) cut-out found on the Colt government profile barrel.  The N4 profile also has a more evenly distributed barrel diameter (and thus weight) fore and aft of the gas block journal, which moves the center of gravity of the barrel farther aft compared to a government profile barrel.  This all makes for a superbly handling barrel.





Colt 6920 government profile barrel . . .





Noveske 16” N4 Light barrel . . .






The reason that Noveske uses the “Light” nomenclature for their N4 barrels is simply because the N4 barrels are lighter than Noveske’s original  medium contour stainless steel barrels.  


The Noveske 14.5” N4 Light barrel is a cold hammer forged barrel.  It has “M4” feed-ramps and a chrome-lined chamber and bore.  The barrel has a 5.56mm NATO chamber and a 1:7” twist and has been high-pressure/magnetic particle tested; as the barrel stamp indicates.  Contrary to erroneous Internet reports, the N4 barrel does not have polygonal rifling.


The barrel stamp . . .





The Noveske 14.5” N4 Light barrel used in this evaluation was free-floated during testing using a Larue Tactical free-float railed handguard.   Three 10-shot groups fired from 100 yards using match grade hand-loads had extreme spreads of:

1.029”
1.360”
1.275”

for a 10-shot group average of 1.22”.  As above, I over-layed the three 10-shot groups on each other using RSI Shooting lab to form a 30-shot composite group. The mean radius for that composite group was 0.37”.



…..



Bravo Company 14.5” Barrel






This is the cold hammer forged (BFH) version of Bravo Company’s 14.5” barrel with a mid-length gas system.  As can be seen in the pic above, this barrel has a government profile.  This is a chrome-lined, NATO chambered barrel with a 1:7” twist.  Bravo Company states that these barrels have been high-pressure/magnetic particle tested according to the current mil-spec.

The Bravo Company 14.5” barrel used in this evaluation was free-floated during testing using a Daniel Defense Omega free-float railed handguard.

Three, 10-shot groups of the match-grade hand-loads were fired in a row from the Bravo Company 14.5” barrel from a distance of 100 yards with the resulting extreme spreads:

1.58”
1.96”
1.50”

for an average 10-shot group extreme spread of 1.68”.  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 of the 30-shot composite group was 0.49”



The smallest 10-shot group . . .






The 30-shot composite group . . .





….









Noveske 14.5” “Skinny” Barrel




Noveske’s “Skinny” barrel is their version of the light-weight “pencil” profile barrel.  This barrel is a cold hammer forged barrel.  It has “M4” feed-ramps and a chrome-lined chamber and bore.  The barrel has a 5.56mm NATO chamber and a 1:7” twist and has been high-pressure/magnetic particle tested.  The barrel has traditional rifling.


The Novekse 14.5” “Skinny” barrel was tested while wearing a Centurion free-float rail.  For this barrel, I fired eight 10-shot groups in a row from the bench at a distance of 100 yards using the match-grade hand-loads.  The extreme spreads for those eight groups were as follows:

1.78”
1.89”
1.68”
1.71”
1.81”
2.12”
1.60”
1.84”

for an average extreme spread of 1.8” and a composite mean radius of 0.55”.




…..


Some additional data for comparison.  (All barrels were free-floated during testing.)






.....

Thank you for sharing this data Molon!

Those Colt's are better performers than I realized!

Very interesting!  Thanks, Molon!

 
Molon's original post of the Colt 14.5" SOCOM barrel is what led me to buy mine back in the day. Mind you, I bought mine when they were expensive ($400 with FSB, barrel nut, and handguard end cap was the norm back then). It's installed in my favorite AR, and with irons it has proven to be a shooter out to 500 yards and beyond.


I need to snag a few more of those barrels while they are cheap. I've seen people post links here recently to GB where they can be had for less than $200....

Where are these sub $200 6921 barrels?

/science

I don't see them now, but there were links posted not long ago in a thread here in tech.


Here is a normal 14.5" for $215z




http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=536522012


 

ETA: here is the link I was referring to. $185


http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=523107593

Great thread.

I'm glad someone can afford all these toys to run these experiments for us.

So many people have no clue how good Colt barrels, especially in the SOCOM profile flavor, are.  Glad you posted this over here.  May open some eyes.

It would be interesting to see how they compare to a FN barrel of the same profile.

That $215.00 6921 barrel didn't sell because the reserve price wasn't met. I bid on that barrel previously up to 275 and DID NOT pass the reserve price the seller has it set to, so who knows just how high he has it, in order to sell the barrel. I looked at the seller's other items and saw a ton of stuff over-priced so I am guessing he is trying to get well over $300 for the thing...

My money, while I'm questioning saying this, would be on the Colt, but it would be a square off I would love to see.

 

Probably why shorter barrels are often time more accurate. Less barrel movement.

I'd like to see these three added to the list too..

Green Mountain 14.5" mid CL

Ballistic Advantage 14.7" mid QPQ

Spikes Tactical 14.5" mid CHF

bump

It might be interesting to test a "budget barrel" for comparison.

10-shot group from a 24" barrled AR-15 . . .













...

What are the full details of your 55gr blitzking load?

Indeed.


...

Colt makes a great barrel.  Alot better than most shooters realize.

It seems like profile may be the most critical factor in barrel accuracy based on these results.  They seem to go almost perfectly in line from worst to best based on how heavy they are.  Out of curiosity, what is the weight difference between the standard M4 and the SOCOM profile barrel?  Great work as always, thanks for sharing.

I didn't strip my SOCOM barrel to get an accurate measurement, but IIRC the difference is approximately 3-4 ounces.  

Some additional data on the subject . . .



Colt 6520: 1 pound, 6 ounces.








Centurion Arms 16” “light weight”:  1 pound, 10 ounces.







Colt 6920:  1 pound, 12 ounces.










Noveske 16” N4:  1 pound, 12 ounces.












Colt 6721, 16" HBAR: 2 pounds, 3.4 ounces.







….

http://www.phase5supply.com/


Colt socom barrels for $185 shipped

and they ship fast.

FAXON GUNNER

A Faxon 14.5 GUNNER profile might be a good choice for the mix.

It has a Government profile behind the gas block and pencil up front.
Faxon claims it's better than a pure pencil profile barrel at keeping the groups from opening up when it gets hot, while still being light.


How well do the M4, Government and pencil profiles in front of the gas block actually help accuracy vs hurt ( weight)?

I use that last chart all the time when people say Colt barrels suck

 

Excellent thread Andrew Molon. Thanks for taking the time to put it together. Interesting results.

Who the hell is Andrew?

Maybe he thinks you are 87GN's troll account.

Sorry for the worthless post but, this made me LOL...

Good stuff, Molon. I will keep on buying colt.

FIFY

Lol! My bad. Been a long time since I've seen you post. I did mix you up with 87GN. Sorry about that. Again excellent thread though.

Great tests Molon!

I'd like to see if the BCM counterpart of the Colt SOCOM produces similar results.

No problemo.  


...

Nice edit.


...

I was surprised at what I could get out of a 6920 with decent ammo and optics.

Excellent info. Thanks.

I think a budget barrel thread would be VERY popular. Sub $200 barrels maybe?

16" and 18" barrels from AR Performance and Green Mountain get a lot of accuracy claims. I'd love to see if they actually perform in a more controlled environment.

Green Mountain's GM-M8 (Chrome lined) and GM-M37 (Stainless)

AR Perf's 16" 5.56 5R Stainless Scout barrel, Wylde chamber 1/2-28
16" 5.56 5R Scout barrel, Wylde chamber 1/2-28


On Topic: I am continually impressed with the Colt HBAR accuracy, and I kick myself for not buying one of their 6700s from CDNN last year.

If time allows this summer, I'll try to put a "budget barrel" on The List.

Da nada.



....

those tests are why I prefer normal or heavier contour barrels, I prefer sub MOA accuracy and a little more weight to a 1.5MOA+ light weight barrel. Probably an OCD thing for me that I have to have it as accurate as possible. Im looking into a lightweight build but I cant bring myself to get a pencil profile etc barrel for one. Maybe a lightweight build minus lightweight barrel. I know 1-2 MOA is still very good as AK's can be 3+ but like I said, Probably an ocd thing for me.

Thank you. I have a few friends that build low buck ARs that ask me what the most accurate / least expensive barrel they can buy is and I usually offer up Green Mountain if nothing else is on sale, with the caveat that I have no idea how good it is, just going on word-of-internet.

Have you shot the 52 grain Black Hills ammunition from any of your other barrels?

...

Another "Thanks" Molon.

De rien.


...

Was just searching through some of the groups I shot with my Green Mountain 14.5" M4 profile 1/6 twist barrel and found this group below, using LC M193: