So I've ordered a PSA M15 lower and am looking to build a 224 valkyrie. I'd like to have a weapon capable of 1000 yds., although most of my shooting is 600 yards or in. Any suggestions on barrel length, rate of twist, or manufacturer for upper?
Ar 15 build
- Thread starter Dakota792
- Start date
Let me preface this with I haven't built one yet but I've been reading/following the .224V since it came out. My opinion below is based of that reading....
Barrel length is gonna be kind of a personal decision. most guys seam to stick in the 18-20" range for compactness. But if you want every last FPS then a 24" barrel is a must. Most people will tell you to look into craddockprecision.com for either a criterion, or a Bartlein. But I am also starting to see some more positive reviews of X-Caliber barrels in the last two years, and I'm sure there are tons more. I believe that the 1:7 twist works great in the 22+ barrels for the 88-90gr projectiles. Go sorter than that and the 1:6.5 might be needed to make up for the loss in velocity. As for the receiver, again kinda personal choice but I'd pick up a heavy/thick walled billet upper or one that mounts the hand guard directly to the receiver vs bolting to the barrel nut. Personally I picked up a Mega Arms heavy billet for my build but I got luck when I found it as they are out of business. The Voltor MUR, JP, and the Aero Precision M5E1 enhanced are all worth a look for the long heavy barrels. If you go with a 18" barrel any standard forged upper should work fine. Some like the Odinworks and BCM are machined tight enough you'll need to heat the upper to slip the barrel in.
Barrel length is gonna be kind of a personal decision. most guys seam to stick in the 18-20" range for compactness. But if you want every last FPS then a 24" barrel is a must. Most people will tell you to look into craddockprecision.com for either a criterion, or a Bartlein. But I am also starting to see some more positive reviews of X-Caliber barrels in the last two years, and I'm sure there are tons more. I believe that the 1:7 twist works great in the 22+ barrels for the 88-90gr projectiles. Go sorter than that and the 1:6.5 might be needed to make up for the loss in velocity. As for the receiver, again kinda personal choice but I'd pick up a heavy/thick walled billet upper or one that mounts the hand guard directly to the receiver vs bolting to the barrel nut. Personally I picked up a Mega Arms heavy billet for my build but I got luck when I found it as they are out of business. The Voltor MUR, JP, and the Aero Precision M5E1 enhanced are all worth a look for the long heavy barrels. If you go with a 18" barrel any standard forged upper should work fine. Some like the Odinworks and BCM are machined tight enough you'll need to heat the upper to slip the barrel in.
