I'm looking for recommendations for an accurate but lightweight 16" barrel for a lightweight build.
Any recommendations, gentlemen?
Any recommendations, gentlemen?
Accurate lightweight 16" barrel recommendations?
- Thread starter NativeCraft
- Start date
It's pretty hard to beat Proof Research carbon fiber barrels in the "light but accurate" department. Their 16" with intermediate length gas system is extremely accurate.
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If you don't mind going the 14.5" route with a pin and weld, the Noveske 14.5" "Skinny" hammer forged, chrome lined barrel weighs just 20.5 ounces without a gas block. With a decent optic and match grade ammo, they will shoot considerably sub-MOA in a sub-five pound rifle.
Here's an example that only weighs 4 LB 15 OZ:
Here's an example that only weighs 4 LB 15 OZ:
Thanks for the responses so far, gentlemen.
I guess I could go to a 14.5" barrel. The purpose for this rifle will be for dispatching varmints such as coyotes and groundhogs while I'm kicking around out at the farm, usually riding my ATV. Max distances will probably be 200-250 yards.
I guess I could go to a 14.5" barrel. The purpose for this rifle will be for dispatching varmints such as coyotes and groundhogs while I'm kicking around out at the farm, usually riding my ATV. Max distances will probably be 200-250 yards.
Pretty much any barrel will do that just make a lighter handload with vmax bullets and go to town.
Noveske 14.5” “Skinny” Barrel
Noveske’s “Skinny” barrel is their version of the light-weight “pencil” profile barrel. This barrel is a cold hammer forged barrel. It has “M4” feed-ramps and a chrome-lined chamber and bore. The barrel has a 5.56mm NATO chamber and a 1:7” twist and has been high-pressure/magnetic particle tested. The barrel has traditional rifling.
The Novekse 14.5” “Skinny” barrel was tested while wearing a Centurion free-float rail. For this barrel, I fired eight 10-shot groups in a row from the bench at a distance of 100 yards using the match-grade hand-loads. The extreme spreads for those eight groups were as follows:
1.78”
1.89”
1.68”
1.71”
1.81”
2.12”
1.60”
1.84”
for an average extreme spread of 1.8” The 80-shot composite group formed from those eight 10-shot groups had a mean radius of 0.55”.
…..
Accuracy Evaluation of a Colt 16” Light-weight Barrel
I conducted an accuracy evaluation of a 16” Colt light-weight barrel from a distance of 100 yards with the results shown below. The Colt light-weight barrel has a barrel diameter of 0.625” at the gas block and approximately 0.57” forward of the gas block. The barrel profile has a slight taper underneath the handguards from the chamber to the gas block with an average diameter of approximately 0.64”. The stripped light-weight barrel weighs approximately 1 pound, 6 ounces.
The light-weight barrel is chrome lined, has a NATO chamber and a 1:7” twist. This barrel employs a carbine gas system and has M4 feedramps. This is the barrel traditionally found on the Colt model 6520 and now the Colt model 6720. This accuracy evaluation was performed with a LaRue Tactical free-float handguard installed.
This accuracy evaluation used statistically significant shot-group sizes and every single shot in a fired group was included in the measurements. There was absolutely no use of any group reduction techniques (e.g. fliers, target movement, Butterfly Shots).
The shooting set-up will be described in detail below. As many of the significant variables as was practicable were controlled for. Also, a control group was fired from the test-rifle used in the evaluation using match-grade, hand-loaded ammunition; in order to demonstrate the capability of the barrel.
All shooting was conducted from a concrete bench-rest from a distance of 100 yards (confirmed with a laser rangefinder.) The barrel used in the evaluation was free-floated. The free-float handguards of the rifle rested in a Sinclair Windage Benchrest, while the stock of the rifle rested in a Protektor bunny-ear rear bag. Sighting was accomplished via a Leupold VARI-X III set at 25X magnification and adjusted to be parallax-free at 100 yards. A mirage shade was attached to the objective-bell of the scope. Wind conditions on the shooting range were continuously monitored using a Wind Probe. The set-up was very similar to that pictured below.
Six 10-shot groups were fired in a row in a slow and steady manner. Those groups had extreme spreads of:
1.18”
1.92”
1.28”
2.53”
0.96”
2.24”
for an average extreme spread of 1.69”. Using RSI Shooting Lab, I over-layed all six groups on each other to form a 60-shot composite group. The composite group had a mean radius of 0.56”.
…….
Noveske’s “Skinny” barrel is their version of the light-weight “pencil” profile barrel. This barrel is a cold hammer forged barrel. It has “M4” feed-ramps and a chrome-lined chamber and bore. The barrel has a 5.56mm NATO chamber and a 1:7” twist and has been high-pressure/magnetic particle tested. The barrel has traditional rifling.
The Novekse 14.5” “Skinny” barrel was tested while wearing a Centurion free-float rail. For this barrel, I fired eight 10-shot groups in a row from the bench at a distance of 100 yards using the match-grade hand-loads. The extreme spreads for those eight groups were as follows:
1.78”
1.89”
1.68”
1.71”
1.81”
2.12”
1.60”
1.84”
for an average extreme spread of 1.8” The 80-shot composite group formed from those eight 10-shot groups had a mean radius of 0.55”.
…..
Accuracy Evaluation of a Colt 16” Light-weight Barrel
I conducted an accuracy evaluation of a 16” Colt light-weight barrel from a distance of 100 yards with the results shown below. The Colt light-weight barrel has a barrel diameter of 0.625” at the gas block and approximately 0.57” forward of the gas block. The barrel profile has a slight taper underneath the handguards from the chamber to the gas block with an average diameter of approximately 0.64”. The stripped light-weight barrel weighs approximately 1 pound, 6 ounces.
The light-weight barrel is chrome lined, has a NATO chamber and a 1:7” twist. This barrel employs a carbine gas system and has M4 feedramps. This is the barrel traditionally found on the Colt model 6520 and now the Colt model 6720. This accuracy evaluation was performed with a LaRue Tactical free-float handguard installed.
This accuracy evaluation used statistically significant shot-group sizes and every single shot in a fired group was included in the measurements. There was absolutely no use of any group reduction techniques (e.g. fliers, target movement, Butterfly Shots).
The shooting set-up will be described in detail below. As many of the significant variables as was practicable were controlled for. Also, a control group was fired from the test-rifle used in the evaluation using match-grade, hand-loaded ammunition; in order to demonstrate the capability of the barrel.
All shooting was conducted from a concrete bench-rest from a distance of 100 yards (confirmed with a laser rangefinder.) The barrel used in the evaluation was free-floated. The free-float handguards of the rifle rested in a Sinclair Windage Benchrest, while the stock of the rifle rested in a Protektor bunny-ear rear bag. Sighting was accomplished via a Leupold VARI-X III set at 25X magnification and adjusted to be parallax-free at 100 yards. A mirage shade was attached to the objective-bell of the scope. Wind conditions on the shooting range were continuously monitored using a Wind Probe. The set-up was very similar to that pictured below.
Six 10-shot groups were fired in a row in a slow and steady manner. Those groups had extreme spreads of:
1.18”
1.92”
1.28”
2.53”
0.96”
2.24”
for an average extreme spread of 1.69”. Using RSI Shooting Lab, I over-layed all six groups on each other to form a 60-shot composite group. The composite group had a mean radius of 0.56”.
…….
Bravo Company 14.5” ELW Accuracy: A Quick Look
ELW stands for enhanced light-weight. This barrel is from Bravo Company’s cold-hammer forged series of barrels. The barrel has a “continuous taper” design with a smooth shoulder at the gas block journal, which reportedly improves barrel harmonics. This barrel has a mid-length gas system and a 0.625” gas block journal.
According to Bravo Company, this barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 5 ounces. For comparison, a Colt 14.5” M4 barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 9 ounces.
BCM 14.5” ELW
Colt 14.5” M4 barrel. (not stripped)
I purchased this barrel as part of a BCM factory assembled upper receiver group with the MCMR 13” free-float hand guard. The barrel has BCM’s pinned and welded A2X flash hider.
Shooting off-the-bench at a distance of 100 yards (using a high magnification scope), this barrel produced a 10-shot group that has an extreme spread of 0.946” with a mean radius of 0.33”.
….
....
ELW stands for enhanced light-weight. This barrel is from Bravo Company’s cold-hammer forged series of barrels. The barrel has a “continuous taper” design with a smooth shoulder at the gas block journal, which reportedly improves barrel harmonics. This barrel has a mid-length gas system and a 0.625” gas block journal.
According to Bravo Company, this barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 5 ounces. For comparison, a Colt 14.5” M4 barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 9 ounces.
BCM 14.5” ELW
Colt 14.5” M4 barrel. (not stripped)
I purchased this barrel as part of a BCM factory assembled upper receiver group with the MCMR 13” free-float hand guard. The barrel has BCM’s pinned and welded A2X flash hider.
Shooting off-the-bench at a distance of 100 yards (using a high magnification scope), this barrel produced a 10-shot group that has an extreme spread of 0.946” with a mean radius of 0.33”.
….
....
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very hard to find but imho, these and the spikes pistol barrels are the best lw barrels around. For me personally, these are my #1 and 2 choices. Not a fan of DD, felt they were inconsistent in the 3 I had (though now you couldn't give me anything from that anti 2a company and shame on anyone for supporting them). Centurion has a lw barrel but it's more midweight which gets great reviews
of course compass lake, Kreiger, Lothar are great but I don't think you get much more vs the two (colt and spikes/fn pistol lw pistol barrel).
If you are only going out to 300 yards, I would save the weight by shortening the barrel. You can get criterion 13.9” @ 1.8lbs. Adding a socom flash hider to bring you to 16” or go 12.5 and sbr it!
Yup. It gets to be a little annoying that so many companies name their barrels "light weight" when they really aren't. The de facto standard for decades for what constitutes a light weight 16" AR-15 barrel is the "pencil" barrel found on the Colt 6520/6720. That barrel weighs 1 pound, 6 ounces.
The ubiquitous Colt 16" government profile barrel weighs 1 pound, 12 ounces.
The Centurion "light weight" barrel weighs 1 pound, 10 ounces, making it's weight much closer to that of a government profile barrel than a Colt light weight pencil barrel.
A real farce is larue calling it's 16" predatar barrel an "ultralight profile". The barrel weighs 1 pound, 10.5 ounces.
...
Colt barrels by themselves are over priced and sell for 300.00+ and at that price there are a lot better barrels out there
'a lot better'
ok I'll play but first you need to define 'a lot better' because for rack grade barrels, their socom and 6520 barrels are pretty solid and consistently shoot better than the guy behind the trigger 99% of the time
Here are some options for an accurate but lightweight 16" barrel for a lightweight build: Faxon Firearms 16" Gunner Profile Barrel, Ballistic Advantage 16" Hanson Profile Barrel, Criterion 16" Hybrid Contour Barrel, Rosco Manufacturing 16" Purebred Barrel.
All of these barrels are known for their accuracy and lightweight design, so you can't go wrong with any of them.
All of these barrels are known for their accuracy and lightweight design, so you can't go wrong with any of them.
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