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WOA 3-Gun barrel vs SPR

maestrogustav

Private
Minuteman
Dec 6, 2021
7
9
Virginia
I am building an 18in SPR-ish upper in 5.56 and deciding between:

WOA MK2.3 3-Gun-- 1 in 8 "intermediate" gas (1in shorter than rifle)
WOA SPR contour-- 1 in 7 rifle gas

The SPR seems to have more of a track record. The MK2.3 is about 5 ounces lighter.

Any experience or thoughts would be appreciated, thanks.
 
Well, it's going to be made from the same blank, using the same reamer, in the same facility by the same people, so odds are real good they should shoot similarly. After that the deciding factor is what you want to do with it. Bench/prone shooting? More weight=more stability=easier to shoot accurately. Almost anything else that involves moving with the rifle or more dynamic shooting? Less weight is better for obvious reasons and I wouldn't be afraid to go with their lightest contour and not lose any sleep about MAYBE some accuracy loss after mag dumps.
All that said, I definitely prefer a rifle gas 18" over a proprietary intermediate gas 18".
 
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Define what you want the rifle to be used for, and make your decision based on that.

If you're looking to build a Mk12 SPR clone or a target rifle, go with the SPR contour (41 oz) and don't look back.

I once built a "lightweight SPR" around a LaRue PredatAR 18" barrel that weighed about the same as the WOA Mk1.9 contour (around 30 oz). It was a nice starter gun and served me well as I began to shoot more frequently. But as I began to improve and hunt more, it felt like a bit of a compromise. Groups would open up after a few short strings of fire at the range due to the light profile, and the 18" barrel was less than ideal when trudging it through brush on long hunts (I'm rather short). I eventually learned that rather than 1 compromised rifle, I wanted 2 focused rifles that were built to suit more specific roles . So I sold the LaRue and built an 18" Mk12 SPR and a 14.7" Recce that do a better job at their intended roles.

I must also admit that while the 18" LaRue's midlength gas system didn't bother me at the time, I was really impressed by the soft recoil impulse afforded by the 18" Mk12's rifle-length gas system. I definitely prefer using the longest gas system regularly available on just about every barrel I build around now.
 
If weight is your number one priority, get the 3 gun. Otherwise get the SPR.

I choose their 3 gun 18" mk1.9 last year for a "light weight" SPR build, but I haven't had a chance to take it out yet.
 
I am building an 18in SPR-ish upper in 5.56 and deciding between:

WOA MK2.3 3-Gun-- 1 in 8 "intermediate" gas (1in shorter than rifle)
WOA SPR contour-- 1 in 7 rifle gas

The SPR seems to have more of a track record. The MK2.3 is about 5 ounces lighter.

Any experience or thoughts would be appreciated, thanks.
It all depends on your goals for the rifle.
But if your thinking of an SPR build and precision shooting, then a full rifle gas system and heavier barrel is the better choice. What ammo do you plan on running?