What profile did you go with?  How much weight did you save?  Notice any changes?  Cost?  And who did the work?

Pictures would be awesome/
Thanks

I would think this would completely throw off the balance of the gun by turning down under the handguards. If you did this you may need one of those lead weights in your a2 trapdoor.

Try contacting Kurt's Kustom Firearms or Adco in the Industry section.  Several hundred people have done what you're talking about.

My question would be why would someone want a bull barrell turned down when they could buy a slimmer profile and install it? Wouldn't it cost about the same or maybe a little less? I'm just guessing here as I've never had it done.  Take care.

Try Adco cheaper than a new barrel.

Quoted: I would think this would completely throw off the balance of the gun by turning down under the handguards. If you did this you may need one of those lead weights in your a2 trapdoor.

I think newbies who don't know what they are talking about should post less and shoot (& read) more.

Pongo,
I've had 2 barrels turned down from HBAR.

The first was a 20" HBAR turned down to A2 profile.  Save a full pound and the difference is night and day in it's handling.  The 20" now weighs the same as a 16" HBAR.  Kurt's Kustom did the work - took 6 weeks and $60 work was top notch.  Very Happy.

Second was a 16" HBAR turned down to 'Medium Profile" (0.75 for the entire length).  ADCO did the work took about 2 weeks and $70, again the work was top notch.  Weight savings was minimal though (just over 1/4 pound) and I haven't seen any better accuracy than my Lightweight profile barrels.  If I had to do it again I'd go for the full M4 Profile (for 1/2 pound of weight savings) or go to full lightweight profile for even more weight savings.  Work was well done - but I should have asked to shave more off.

Don't know if this will help much, but I'm currently having my DPMS 24" .308 fluted and cut down to 22".  Overall weight reduction should be at least  1.5 lbs.

This shoud help balance out a weapon that is really too heavy to do anything but benchrest shoot.

According to the engineers at DPMS (who're doing the work) the gas system might be a touch slower, and the 2" reduction shouldn't affect accuracy much at all. (All reports I've heard comparing the 18" to the 24" say they shoot almost exactly alike anyway)

My question would be why would someone want a bull barrell turned down when they could buy a slimmer profile and install it? Wouldn't it cost about the same or maybe a little less? I'm just guessing here as I've never had it done. Take care.

Because, in case you haven't looked lately, there aren't exactly a whole flaming lotta choices in barrel profiles out there!  There's HBAR, then there's "M4".  Anything else is pretty much a custom job.

I wanted a mid-length barrel with the A2 contour, so I went with ADCO.  I also had an HBAR turned and fluted by KKF, and the work was well above satisfactory...  

I would not hesitate to use either.

As far as results, both were noticeably lighter than the original HBAR, with the "A2" being the lighter of the two of course.

I'm glad I did it, and I'll do it again if I can't get the profile I want "off the shelf".

Quoted: Quoted: I would think this would completely throw off the balance of the gun by turning down under the handguards. If you did this you may need one of those lead weights in your a2 trapdoor. I think newbies who don't know what they are talking about should post less and shoot (& read) more.

+1

Removing weight from the front of the rifle never, ever, ever "throws off the balance".  The closer the center of mass is to your shoulder, the easier the rifle is to maneuver.  Period.

I was curious about turning down a SS 20" barrel to take away some weight.

What is the Diameter/s of a HBAR 20", (At barrel nut, Behind and in front of FSB) What does it weigh?

If its anything close to a WOA 18" SPR it is something like this. .825".750".725" But I dont think that it is? After all they call it a SPR contoured barrel. What does it weigh?

I know the diameter/s of a gov't profile 20" Bushmaster. What does it weigh?

Quoted from the Bushmaster  website regarding Gov't Pro 20" "Diameter tapers from .980 inches to .670 at the chamber end to .610, then steps up to .100% at the sight base, and tapers to .720 from the sight base up to the last 5/8" which is .700 at the muzzle for reduced weight"

Whats the difference between an A2 and a Gov't pro on a 20"?

What do you guys think? Should I have a 20" HBAR contoured to reduce weight? It doesn't seem to cost much.

Sorry for all the technical questions.

Quoted: I know the diameter/s of a gov't profile 20" Bushmaster. What does it weigh?

2.5lbs with front sight & barrel nut - but without a flash supressor (which can add between .14 lbs to .2 lbs depending on the unit).

Thanks Tweak and Forest.

That is just the info I needed

I've never done it - yet - but I plan to do it.

I have a 16" RRA bull barrel (0.92" diameter).  It's okay for me, I'm big.  It's too heavy for my wife and daughter.  I want to turn it down to something lighter.  I can save about 1 lb by going to 0.75" diameter.

A company called AR15 BARRELS.com can do this for me.  They're local to me here in So Cal.  It woill cost $50.  It will cost an additional $30 to thread the muzzle for a flash suppresor, for a total of $80.  A new barrel will cost $300 to $425 (depending upon barrel brand) to get the same thing.

I plan to turn it down.

 [ link to LARGER image ]

RRA stainless turned down.