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Franken Recce & First review of Proof button rifled 16" 223W on the way.

357Max

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Minuteman
  • Sep 11, 2019
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    Marylandistan
    I think one of the best bargains currently is the Proof 16.25"/8T/223 Wylde/mid gas from Stockys. Regular price is $299, but it goes on sale a few times a year for $239. It is on sale currently for that price 4/9/23.
    Sale price shows up in the cart.

    I've not seen a single review on this Proof button barrel so I'll be the Huckleberry.

    Just finished assembling a Franken Recce with the button Proof today. Pretty pleased with how it turned out. Hopefully it'll shoot well.

    First rounds go down range Friday. IMI 77 Razor Core & MK262 77smk hand loads I'm working on now.


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    I have one of those proof barrels and it shoots great. I havent tried any factory ammo but with 8208 and 69smk it is sub moa out to 400 yards. With 8208 and 50gr vmax it is 1/2 moa. I use it for coyote hunting at night on properties that are shorter range shots. Very good barrel for the money. It does take a few more patches when cleaning compared to the cut rifled barrels I have but who cares, patches are cheap
     
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    I think one of the best bargains currently is the Proof 16.25"/8T/223 Wylde/mid gas from Stockys. Regular price is $299, but it goes on sale a few times a year for $239. It is on sale currently for that price 4/9/23.
    Sale price shows up in the cart.

    I've not seen a single review on this Proof button barrel so I'll be the Huckleberry.

    Just finished assembling a Franken Recce with the button Proof today. Pretty pleased with how it turned out. Hopefully it'll shoot well.

    First rounds go down range Friday. IMI 77 Razor Core & MK262 77smk hand loads I'm working on now.


    View attachment 8116864View attachment 8116865View attachment 8116866
    Looks good Brother..

    How was the fit in the Mega upper??
     
    Looks good Brother..

    How was the fit in the Mega upper??
    Fit is very good. I normally install the national match shim in the upper, but this ADM lower has the nylon headed tension screw.
    Added a .003 shim with the front take down pin.
    Very tight, zero rattles.
     
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    How did you pull that off, isn't that a monolithic upper?
    It is a true monolithic. I drilled and tapped the back side of a Brownells truing mandrel, added a flex attachment. So I hook the drill up at the rear and pull the mandrel to true. Works well.

    This is the set up. Made it for a Vltor Fusion mono originally.
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    Reactions: bfoosh006 and S197
    Nice. I see you have a Riflespeed gas block. I just put one on my AR10 and tuned it to my load. I really like not having to have a special tool to adjust it.
     
    Last edited:
    Nice. I see you have a Riflespeed gas block. I just put one on my AR10 and tuned it to my load. I really like nit having to have a special tool to adjust it.
    Yeah I’m looking forward to trying the Riflespeed GB. Fits well in the Mega. Not a lot of room in there.
    The plan is to put a can on this one. Problem is I don’t know shit about cans or all the various attachment methods. The learnng curve continues.
     
    Yeah I’m looking forward to trying the Riflespeed GB. Fits well in the Mega. Not a lot of room in there.
    The plan is to put a can on this one. Problem is I don’t know shit about cans or all the various attachment methods. The learnng curve continues.
    Pick what’s important to you out of flash suppression, noise suppression, gas blowback, and operator safety/toxic exposure. Maybe add sturdiness as well. It’s very much a game of optimization.

    With the Riflespeed block the can’s quality of gas blowback is likely less important.
     
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    Have an update on this Recce/Proof button barrel. I'd say the Proof button barrel is GTG & a solid buy especially for the $239 I payed.
    Gun has been flawless.

    First off the barrel head space was go +.001 with a new RCA bolt.
    It has run everything I've put through it so far with the Riflespeed gas block settings 2-4 for 3:30ish ejection. I started on setting 6 and it spit the xm193's at 1:00, down 2 clicks brought it right around to 3:00. I'm digging the Riflespeed block.
    Setting 2 was with healthy doses of Lever evolution that produces lots of gas.

    I haven't done any load ladders for it yet, just threw together some loads that ran well in my 18" Proof CF barrel.
    The fired brass is exactly the same as my 10.5" Craddock so at least these 2 can share sized brass.

    Loads I've tried below. Next I'll load some ladders for the one's that show promise.

    Factory Federal 5.56 XM193 bulk 55gr. Box said 3165fps. Actual in this barrel was 3159 avg with SD 23 across 10 shots & was only good for 2moa

    Factory IMI Razor Core 77 smk went 2588 / SD 20.1 & grouped 1.154"
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    Staball Match
    25.3 with 77smk @ 2.265 = 2664 / SD 5.6
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    Lever
    26.6 with 77smk @ 2.265
    1st x 5 = 2765 / SD 16.3
    2nd x 5 = 2774 / SD 21.4
    Lever SD's usually come down with more cow bell, but damn 2770 is rocking for 77's from a 16". I'll try 26.8 and see if SD improves.
    Brass pictured below, top row is Lever @2770 Bottom row is Staball match @2665
    Wouldn't know there 100fps apart from the brass. For a mid gas barrel, it's not beating up the brass even with these full power 5.56 loads.
    IMG_7633(1).jpg


    More Lever
    73 eldm @ 2.294
    27.0 = 2807 / SD 12.2

    Lever 77RDF @ 2.294
    26.4 No speed & didn't shoot all that great 1.207" 5 shot

    AA2520 with 77smk @ 2.255
    25.3 No speed, but this is my MK262 load that shoots lights out in the 18". Didn't do bad .893" I'll work up a ladder for this.
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    Little update. Second outing after first cleaning.
    Changed scope, more on that later.
    Sighted in with bulk 5.56 Blaster ammo & then switched to factory IMI 5.56 Razor Core 77.
    Didn’t have much time today for the AR, 22 match tomorrow.

    This button Proof is impressive.

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    Oh yeah & this happened to my SPR on the 6th round, never had one of these before.
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    looks like a shooter!!!!! how do you like that adj block
    I’m digging the block. There not cheap, but it works very well. They give you 2 adjustment pins with the block. Each pin can run 2 rotations or have adjustment range 0-12 x 2. I’m running the std. Pin between 2-4 unsupressed. It’s very responsive. 2 clicks brought ejection from 1:00 to 3:30 when tuning it. You can also change out the front coller if ever needed due to hand guard length change.