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Posted: 5/16/2010 12:49:02 PM EDT
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Hello. I have been lurking around for quite awhile now and have finally decided to build an AR.
I want to build an SPRish type rifle and I need help finding a good barrel. I want an 18 inch barrel that is accurate and not stainless. I found one by Sabre Defence and another by BCM. Are there any others that I have missed and what would you recommend? Thanks for the help. |
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BCM has black ion bonded SS barrels
http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-18-SPR-SS410-Barrel-Rifle-Length-Gas-Ionbond-p/bcm%20ss410%2018-8%20ib%20bk.htm |
| I have a 16" SS 410 from Bravo, and my experience has been less than impressive. Not bad, but nothing to jump up and down about. While at the range yesterday, I did get to shoot a While Oak 18" in SS with a 1:7 twist. It shot very well. I'm thinking that my next barrel will be either a White Oak or a Ranier Arms. |
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White Oak Armament 18'' SPR SS, get it coated if you have to have it black.
This is my first AR so I was pretty happy with 1/2 inch 5 shot groups (I have had several one hole 3 shot groups) at 100 yards with factory 55gr FMJ. I did not understand how good my WOA barrel was until I started shooting with other folks that had AR's, it out shoots every other AR, ( and bolt gun ) I have shot against, and pissed a few people off that have spent a ton of money on 24" bull barrel custom AR varmint guns, and custom hand loads, just to have my gun eat their lunch with factory ammo. My brother has a custom made 26" bull barrel Ruger M77 22-250 bolt action that he prairie dog hunts with that does not shoot any tighter than my AR, and it weighs twice as much, and he spent four times more money on than my AR. |
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I don't want to say that I'm saying anything bad about the BCM barrel (I have one up for sale), but it just didn't do for me in the rig that I have. I guess it depends on what you want it for. Still in all, I don't think that going with a White Oak could ever be a bad choice. It's a matter of budget too. Most say that the WOA barrels are great for the price. If price is no object, then that would open up the possibilities a bit. Schillen, Krieger, Ranier Arms, Centurion, etc.
I got on this super accuracy kick for just a little bit and fell off of it pretty quickly too. I'm not in for replacing a barrel after 2500 rounds to keep the very best accuracy. I'll be swapping barrels every other month. So...how much do you want to spend. I love spending other people's money. |
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I'm basically looking for something to put holes in paper and shoot rock chucks. I don't really have a set budget. I could spend 400 on a barrel if you could convince me what i was getting was really worth it. Read on another thread about Rainier Arms and also Superior barrels. Any thoughts?
Ya, I love spending other peoples money too. Thanks. |
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Ah, I like quality stuff, but I kind of try to temper that with a grain of practicality too. I know that most are not likely to shoot out a barrel, but for me, shooting is my golf. When I go shooting, I usually shoot a lot and usually 500 rounds, or more, in a sitting. Bench rest shooters have told me that they get around 2500 rounds out of a barrel before they see the groups opening up. Not to say that it would be a big deal, but the point is that barrels can get shot out, especially those that aren't chrome lined.
I think that the White Oak stuff is nice for middle of the road. Very reasonable cost with very above average performance and at around $275, I wouldn't worry so much about shooting it out. Really, I've even been considering the barrels that J&T Distributing sells. I don't know if you are interested in a bull barrel, but they claim regular reports of one hole groups at 100 yards with their bull barrels. Unless I'm mistaken, they are Wilson barrels. At around $200, it might be worth a try. The only thing is that they are going to be HEAVY. I was considering having them chop one of their 20" barrels down to 18" and threading the muzzle for a brake or something. I've grown fond of the Levang comps lately and it would go nicely on a bull barrel. |
| Good luck with the build. There's so much nice stuff out there it's hard to decide. I'm no barrel buff so I did a good bit of research and what I was looking for was a barrel that will shoot well with just about anything and I think the WOA fits that profile, from what I've seen at the range. |
| I ordered one of those DPMS Mini SASS barrels from Midway. I returned it without even installing it. The finish was so bad that I had to question the overall quality of the barrel. Although the price is attractive, you still need to get an appropriate gas block (.936, I think) and that drove the price up to equal that of the WOA. That's the way I looked at it because I have a butt load of .750 gas blocks laying around. |
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I have a Adco built SPR Mod1 upper that has a WOA barrel. While it did shoot half moa or better groups every once in a while. It was far from consistent. Now I could barely get it to shoot under 1 MOA. I have tried all kinds of factory match ammo, and my handloads didn't fare any better either. If it was even off by a couple of tenths or so, the group would open up to 2-3MOA.
Are there any companies that can guarantee accuracy out of their uppers? |
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I ordered one of those DPMS Mini SASS barrels from Midway. I returned it without even installing it. The finish was so bad that I had to question the overall quality of the barrel. Although the price is attractive, you still need to get an appropriate gas block (.936, I think) and that drove the price up to equal that of the WOA. That's the way I looked at it because I have a butt load of .750 gas blocks laying around. Mine came directly from DPMS and the finish was perfect. Nice, uniform dull black, excellent machining and it shoots quite well. Very happy with the Mini-SASS. |
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Are there any companies that can guarantee accuracy out of their uppers? Superior Barrels guarantees that every single upper will shoot MOA or less, and provides two 5-shots groups shot by the upper, with notes. If any of our uppers do not shoot MOA or less, it will not ship. |
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We use Federal Gold Medal 69 grain ammunition to prove the uppers that we build. The reason for this is so that our customers can use an "off the self" ammunition and achieve the same results.
I would not recommend anything other than US commercially made ammunition. The reason for this is that the tolerances of US made ammunition is tighter than imported ones. You just don't see the variations as you do with the imported stuff. Besides, you're keeping Americans employed. 
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I have an 18" SS Douglas premium air gauged barrel that I bought as a blank and had Compass Lake Engineering profile into a true SPR profile. I spoke with frank from CLE about accuracy he guarunteed me itd shoot sub moa and if for some weird reason it didnt, send it back and hed profile me a brand new barrel for free. It has M4 feed ramps and is bead blasted so to dull the color of the SS. Im going to send it to Rainier Arms to have it coated black for 60 bucks. The Douglas barrels are what the real MK12's use. If SF guys trust their lives on so will I, and Frank couldnt have been a nicer guy. It was between this barrel and a Krieger, but he informed me that if I wanted reliable feeding from a magazine there was no other way to go other than Douglas. Hope this helps. Actually I have so many AR projects going right now I may have to get rid of it 
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What ammo do you guys test those superior uppers with? this, I'm thinking of one for a 3 gun build I'm working on, but I often shoot brown bear ammo any issues, I understand I'm not gonna get sub MOA groups with it though? I have a Sabre 18'' barrel I shoot mostly Horandy 75 gr practice through, but also run 62 gr Brown Bear in it. The Horandy is real accurate in it, the 62 gr acceptable for most 3 gun/carbine matchs. I also have a White Oak in a SPR, that rifle I mostly shoot hand loads. Very accurate. |
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What ammo do you guys test those superior uppers with? this, I'm thinking of one for a 3 gun build I'm working on, but I often shoot brown bear ammo any issues, I understand I'm not gonna get sub MOA groups with it though? I have a Sabre 18'' barrel I shoot mostly Horandy 75 gr practice through, but also run 62 gr Brown Bear in it. The Horandy is real accurate in it, the 62 gr acceptable for most 3 gun/carbine matchs. I also have a White Oak in a SPR, that rifle I mostly shoot hand loads. Very accurate. What diameter gas block does the WOA SPR barrel use. I couldn't find where it said on the web site or anywhere else. Thanks. |
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Are there any companies that can guarantee accuracy out of their uppers? Superior Barrels guarantees that every single upper will shoot MOA or less, and provides two 5-shots groups shot by the upper, with notes. If any of our uppers do not shoot MOA or less, it will not ship. My vote as well, superior barrels is good to go. Planning my SPR upper build right now around your 18" barrel, completely satisfied with the 20" on my SDM. |
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are superior arms barrels M4 feedamped or rifle feedramped? I have a LaRue stealth upper that it will be going on. If you are talking about Superior Barrels, our Amynta (Recce) and our Terebratus (SPR) have M4 extensions. Our Hoplite (SDM) has the standard rifle extension. All of our barrels that are listed are in stock and ready to ship. Most of the time when you order it ships on that day, worst case within 24 hours. |
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Are there any companies that can guarantee accuracy out of their uppers? Superior Barrels guarantees that every single upper will shoot MOA or less, and provides two 5-shots groups shot by the upper, with notes. If any of our uppers do not shoot MOA or less, it will not ship. My vote as well, superior barrels is good to go. Planning my SPR upper build right now around your 18" barrel, completely satisfied with the 20" on my SDM. Thanks for the kind words. You will not be disappointed in our Terebratus barrel. I have always loved our Hoplite but the Terebratus is an easy one to come back to. In fact I took my personal one out yesterday to shoot after proving the uppers we had ready to ship out to customers. I hit our 10 lb sledge hammer head hung at 300 yards 8 out of 10 times, damned wind. I was shooting 53 grain SMK. Basically our barrels will shoot anything 40 grain to 90 grain accurately, depending on the quality of ammunition used. Lesser quality ammunition will shoot better through a better made barrel. I have seen people who think they can't shoot be very pleased with their performance after shooting one of our barrels. Hell, I am pleased with my performance after shooting our barrels! 
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18" BCM stainless ion bond. Sweet shooter...my favorite rifle by far http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/kbadphoto/Pets/M4-A3/IMG_1519.jpg NIce looking rifle. Ion Bond is a good product but unfortuantely it only treats the outside. Hard Blue treats the INSIDE and we apply it to the outside as well. Inside and out you get a great looking, accurate, long lasting barrel from us. |
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