AR-10 barrel

[jcslone]

Gonna start building an AR-10 here in the next few weeks and I've got everything picked out except for my barrel...I was going to place an order with Krieger but I dont want to wait 8-12 months on it lol! What are some other options i have? Im looking for something that I can push out to 1k and shoot sub-moa.

Here's the parts list so far...
MATEN upper/lower
A2 buttstock
RRA LPK
LaRue LT110
Vortex PST 6-24 FFP
Armalite .308 BCG
A shit ton of Krylon and isomat :-D

 

[sch2046]

What caliber?

 

[EXTREMEPREJUDICE]

Bartlein, Hart, Schnieder, Lothar Walther, Shilen, Douglas, etc., lots of options. If you are going to use the Armalite BCG make sure the barrel is compatible with the Armalite barrel extension.

 

[BillyGoatMachine]

Rainier usually has their match barrels and Noveske's in stock. It's worth a look for maybe instant gratification.

 

[cjlane]

The custom barrels are going to have some wait. you can get an off the shelf barrel while you wait for your custom barrel.

 

[leadbullet]

I bought a 21' Noveske 4-5 years ago and it is super accurate, i will buy anoither soon to replace this almost shot out one.

 

[jcslone]

Gonna be .308, forgot to mention that sorry. Looking for 20", 1-11 twist and fluted.

 

[ORD]

Gonna be .308, forgot to mention that sorry. Looking for 20", 1-11 twist and fluted.

.308...AR-10/Armalite pattern...20"...1:11 twist...AND fluted...you are looking at a custom barrel to get all those specs. I'm not aware of any current production, "off-the-shelf" tubes that meet your listed requirements.

Check with Paul at Craddock Precision and see what he can do for you: Wix.com craddockprecision created by pa4444 based on pro-bistro His usual lead times for most .308 AR barrels is only around 1.5 months max and he'll be able to get you the length, twist, contour and options you want at a reasonable price as well as ensure (assuming you provide him with your bolt) that the barrel is setup and headspaces properly.

If you can live with barrels in other twists (like 1:10 for example) or otherwise have them worked on in terms of fluting, etc., then the Rainier Arms UltraMatch (1:10) and Select (1:11) barrels are great values for the money, as are the Noveske 21" barrels (1:10 poly) if you can source one. Finally, the Armalite SASS barrels (no fluting, 1:10 twist) and the AR-10T barrels (no fluting, no muzzle threads, 1:10 twist) are also good options that will deliver excellent accuracy without breaking the bank (provided again that you can find them), but you are going to have to "settle" at first and then have the barrels worked on to get you the features you want.

Best advice I can give is to go the custom route and deal with the wait-time if you are steadfast in the list of options you provided. Good things come to those who wait!!

 

[jcslone]

Just checked rainier and noveske, no .308 options. Black Hole Weaponry has a 20" 1-11 heavy bull barrel for $329 that looks good (and if i forked over more money they'd flute it too but then it would be as much as a Krieger). I've heard good things about their barrels over on CalGuns.net but does anyone here have info on them?

 

[jcslone]

Lead time for the BHW barrels is 10-12 weeks which I dont mind. Theyre set up for DPMS which leads to my next question: how do the DPMS BCGs compare to the Armalite ones in terms of durability, reliabilty, and overall quality?

 

[ORD]

Lead time for the BHW barrels is 10-12 weeks which I dont mind. Theyre set up for DPMS which leads to my next question: how do the DPMS BCGs compare to the Armalite ones in terms of durability, reliabilty, and overall quality?

A BCG is a BCG is a...well...you get the point. They all have their advantages/disadvantages/feature sets/etc., but they are all quality components that will serve you well. As it sounds like you already know...you just need to make sure that you match the BCG pattern to the barrel extension pattern (i.e. - Armalite-Armalite and DPMS/etc.-DPMS/etc.) and that you don't mix and match. As just one example of big differences, the Armalite pattern BCGs use a different forward assist setup than the DPMS pattern (neither of which matter in your case as the Megas don't have provision...and don't need...the forward assist). The biggest advantage to the DPMS pattern right now is that there are multiple different sources for compatible carriers and bolts, including but not limited to DPMS, Fulton, JP Enterprises (with enhanced bolts) and other companies also making NiB carriers, etc. Armalite is only made by Armalite in terms of availability in the aftermarket and can be difficult (if not nearing impossible) to source in their entirety or in terms of replacement parts if needed.

 

[jcslone]

Gotcha, good stuff to know! thanks!

Looks like BHW barrels are capable of .5 moa with average groups being .7ish moa from what ive found so far. That being said Lija has 20" barrels in stock now for $465...is the $130 price difference worth it???

 

[ORD]

The BHW 308-AR barrels I have fired were at least MOA capable and slightly better with good quality ammo, but I have not handled one that would do anywhere near the 1/2 MOA mark you mentioned on a consistent basis and frankly, for a ~$325 drop-in tube...you shouldn't expect 1/2 MOA or close to it. The Lilja barrels are truly excellent and some semi-auto shooters swear by them for .223/5.56 small-frame and both .260 and .308 large-frame AR builds. They are very uniform blanks that are held to very tight tolerances from start to finish and are from a company that stands behind their work as they have for nearly 3 decades now. Whether a Lilja is worth "more money" to you is your call, but I have no hesitations in recommending them. Just be advised...the most common "finished" Lilja barrel for an AR-10 is a heavy pig at ~4lbs fluted (their flutes are pretty shallow compared to many others I've seen/used myself on other AR-pattern barrels)! Depending on what you are planning on doing with the rifle, the extra weight can be a real burden or at a minimum, an inconvenience. Same may be true of BHW but I'm not sure about their specific contour for their larger match tubes.

 

[jcslone]

Mmk, I found that group data searching here on the hide actually. The guy's best group was just a hair under .5 but he was averaging around .7. And 1 moa aint too bad. That being that, I think I'll go with the Lija cause they have rxactly what I want in stock. Oh and their 20" AR10740 .308 barrel only weighs 2.56# unfluted which aint bad. Gonna switch to DPMS for the bcg cause thats what the Lilja is set up for and there's more options anyways.

Thanks for all the input guys! now am i missing anything?

 

[ORD]

Mmk, I found that group data searching here on the hide actually. The guy's best group was just a hair under .5 but he was averaging around .7. And 1 moa aint too bad. That being that, I think I'll go with the Lija cause they have rxactly what I want in stock. Oh and their 20" AR10740 .308 barrel only weighs 2.56# unfluted which aint bad. Gonna switch to DPMS for the bcg cause thats what the Lilja is set up for and there's more options anyways.

Thanks for all the input guys! now am i missing anything?

The BHW barrels are fine barrels, but my experience with the 4-5 I have had a chance to really shoot is that they are MOA or slightly better barrels...not 3/4 MOA or better and NOT 1/2 MOA. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the either barrel personally...but the Lilja would still get my vote. As for weight...that's pretty good. The most common, I think its their AR1024 tube, is the one I was talking about weighing so much. Sounds like the one you have picked out is a smaller/lighter contour to get the weight down by almost 1.5lbs.

The market is still pretty hot for all things Armalite-pattern right now. Not saying to go out and start gouging people on the price, but have a look on GunBroker using the advanced search for completed auctions over the last 30-days and last 90-days and see what prices have been like on complete Armalite/AR-10 BCGs before selling yours as it is VERY possible that you could end up ahead on the deal at the end of the day and somewhat offset the addt'l price on the barrel (or pick up an extra few mags, etc.).

Good luck!

 

[Blackstone]

Bartlein AR10 installed by GAP in .308.
Lothar Walther stainless in a factory AR10T configuration.
Both are sub-MOA capable.