Gunsmithing smith for batch of 300BLK ar barrels

[rjacobs]

I have had a few of my customers asking me for recommendations for higher end 300blk barrels. I am in contact with Bartlein and Krieger so far, but have a few others I am thinking on to see if they can provide blanks for me if Krieger or Bartlein cant provide the blanks I am looking for(7 twist).

I need some recommendations on a smith that would be capable of doing the machine work on a run of barrels(thinking somewhere between 10 and 25 barrels). Looking to get chambered, barrel extension/head space, contoured, gas port drilled, and threaded. Probably also go with matched bolts too. I have contacted CLE and I have another guy I have chatted with that I know is capable of doing the work.

Just wanted to get input from the guys here that will probably have a lot more recommendations on smiths for this type of work that I dont know about.

 

[wtopace]

Most guys will probably shy away from having to contour 25 barrels. If they are already contoured, it shouldn't be too big of a deal to chamber them up and drill the gas port. Have you decided on the contour you are looking for and the gas port length / size (pistol / 0.067)?

 

[LRI]

How long on the finish length?

 

[rjacobs]

pistol gas, on the 9" a .098 is perfect(its what the AAC measures out to). Im still researching the 16", but I am looking towards a .070-.072. There arent very many pistol gassed, 16" barrels on the market so this is more of a "crap shoot" so to speak. I believe one of the only 16", pistol gassed barrels out there is the CMMG and from what I can tell they are using a .086 gas port, which some say is a little large. Some testing has shown a .067 is about minimum, I was thinking of going just slightly larger to ensure everything works well, but I am betting a .067 would work. The smith I spoke with said he would start where I wanted and test for me for a small fee(basically cost of ammo). I want a 16" barrel myself so I will have him do this on the barrel I will end up with.

I want these to cycle everything, supers, subs, suppressed, unsuppressed.

As far as the contour, im thinking something like .950 to the gas block then .750 from there out, but might thin out the chamber to gas block area a little depending on the smith's advice.

I spoke with a smith today who was willing to do a min 30 barrels once he had some CNC time free'd up. The cost wasnt terrible and included everything.

 

[rjacobs]

How long on the finish length?

wanting to run some 9's and some 16's. Bartlein suggested getting 21" blanks and cutting in half for the 9's and 27" blanks and cutting down to get a 9" and a 16". I am thinking I will get more 9" barrel orders than 16" barrel orders. If I got a ton of 16" barrel orders it would definitely screw up my pricing, although I could still get them to the guys, I just wouldnt make a penny on them if the ratio got screwy which would suck. But really I would probably just go ahead and have extra 9" barrels done that I could sell later on.