Looking to buy a free floated 16" chf pencil profile barrel.

Couple of questions/opinions.
1. To me it makes more sense to free float the lightweight barrel as opposed to heavyweight barrel because it eliminates any pressure towards the end of the muzzle, from a hand guard that may affect accuracy. Wouldn't a heavyweight barrel be less prone to any pressure exerted from the hand guard?

2. Would a pencil/lightweight barrel put more stress on the barrel nut/receiver because of flex?

3. Would a free floated barrel effect the life of the barrel vs typical hand guard?

Thanks All...

what you said makes sense to me, however free floating barrels is for accuracy; and if you want accuracy you dont want a pencil barrel.
still, free floating a barrel is always good.

Yes.

No.

Probably not.  Some free float barrel nuts and handguards can slightly reduce barrel temperatures due to heat sink effects so would extend barrel life, probably not enough to matter.


Lightweight barrels can have quite good accuracy, it just degrades faster as the barrel heats up faster if you're firing a lot of rounds.

Isn't the manufacturing method also at play here? A barrel full of stress (CHF) would see more dramatic heat spread, where a stress-relieved cut rifled barrel would see much less?

 

DD M4 V7 L W
RAINIER Arms  R U C   l w

Best compromise between accuracy and weight is going to be a 16" carbine type profile.   There are some amazingly accurate 16 inch M4 profile barrels out there at reasonable prices.  I have a true 1 MOA 16" CMMG M4LE (melonite) barrel.  I was stunned at how well it shoots.  But, pencil barrels are really catching on and there is no reason they can't be accurate, too.  It will depend on the manufacturer and attention given in the manufacturing process.

I have a sporter profile barrel on a varmint bolt action rifle that is no bigger in diameter than pencil profile AR barrels and it will shoot 1/2 MOA.  But, it is a pretty expensive custom barrel from a precision barrel maker (Douglas).  So, it can be done.  The issue becomes degradation in accuracy when the barrel gets hot, and smaller diameter barrels heat up faster.  If you're not shooting enough to get the barrel hot, it may not matter, if the quality is there.  Regardless of barrel contour, a free float hand guard on an AR  will let you eliminate any effect the hand guard will have on accuracy, and regular hand guards do have an effect.  

A free float hand gard will help any barrel profile perform better.

Free float away....Your not going to notice a significant difference in accuracy........the notch up front on govt profile barrels are for grenade launchers and since most of us arent going to have one I dont want the extra weight up front.......yea the LW barrel may heat up a little faster, but guess what.....they cool down just as fast.  Also why your at it pull the handguard on any standard govt profile AR and tell us what you see.

ARs all started with LW barrels and there is a reason why most gun companies have gone back to them.  Example....FN SCAR



For what its worth all my ARs sport LW barrels now......I dont notice a difference in accuracy between govt profile and LW.

The only thing wrong with the pencil barrels were some troops trying to use the A1 as a LMG rather than an assault rifle.
For those of us without happy switches, it takes a good bit of shooting to get a pencil hot enough to matter.

Now, all that said, what are your accuracy expectations for this gun?
My A1 clone shoots straight enough to keep me happy.  When I had a younger man's eyes, I shot a 5 shot group of 0.855" at 50 yards (with an -8* wind chill according to the target).
Moon

"Pencil" barrels are the same under the handguard as M4/"Government" profiles, so their heat performance is the same and accuracy is usually very close.

Bingo

you won't notice any negative effects to free floating...

you won't notice any positive effects to not free floating...

everything else has been answered

Thx guys!  Answers all questions.

You guys who do not notice an improvement in accuracy with a free floated barrel must not do much precision shooting.  Even where on the non-free floated hand guard or quad rail I positioned a sandbag or front rifle rest made an inch or more difference in 100 yard point of impact.  Support hand placement was also critical.  Changing to a free float modular rail over my 16" M4 profile barrel made a big difference in not having to be so exact in front bag, rest or support hand position.

I had potential 3/4" five shot groups double in size from a single shot made if I did not touch the non-free floated quad rail exactly the same way.

Anyone know of a serious precision shooter using a non-free floated guard or rail?  They are not just throwing their money away.

Now, if your rifle will not shoot better than 2.5-3" groups at 100 yards, and you don't do precision shooting, it may not matter.

My last carbine build used a lightweight RRA chrome line 16" barrel with a free float tube.  Plenty accurate enough to suit me and I'm picky.  It is as accurate as any of my carbines with M4 profile barrels.

Extra points awarded

 

My Colt Lightweight Sporter has a pencil barrel non-free floating & it shoots damn good