Recent Experience with LaRue Barrels

MontanaMan

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Apr 26, 2007
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I don't have one, but thinking of a Predator for a lightweight build. Doesn't have to be .5 MOA for this application, but a consistent 1 MOA would be fine.

Any recent experience with their barrels? Past (real life) reports have always been pretty mixed, biased to maybe just so-so, so I've stayed away.

Thanks.

MM
 
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The predatar barrel is not a light-weight barrel. For decades the de facto standard for what constitutes a light-weight 16” AR-15 barrel has been the “pencil” barrel found on the Colt 6520/6720. That barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 6 ounces. The 16" predatar barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 10.5 ounces, making it more than a quarter of a pound heavier than an actual light-weight barrel. The gas block and set screws add an additional 2.6 ounces.



Colt 6520/6720

colt_6520_barrel_032-1891129.jpg








predatar



predatar_barrel_map_background_0b2-1932959.jpg








predatar_barrel_weight_on_scale_001-1932960.jpg








predatar_gas_block_on_scale_002-1932961.jpg








The predatar barrel is over-gassed for a 16” barrel with a mid-length gas system. The gas port has a gauged diameter of 0.082”.





pin_gauge_in_barrel_001-1932972.jpg








I tested the predatar barrel in a complete AR-15 rifle, fired from my bench-rest set-up at a distance of 100 yards. Six, 10-shot groups were fired in a row using match-grade hand-loads topped with the Sierra 77 grain MatchKing. The six, 10-shot groups had an average extreme spread of 1.38”.

The six, 10-shot groups were over-layed on each to form a 60-shot composite group. The mean radius for the 60-shot composite group was 0.41”.





predatar_barrel_60_shot_composite_group_-1932987.jpg








A cherry-picked 3-shot group fired from the predatar barreled AR-15 at a distance of 100 yards had an extreme spread of 0.198 MOA.




predatar_barreled_ar15_cherry_picked_3_s-1933000.jpg






....
 
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For clarification because Mark spells all kinds of stuff funny. Are you asking about the PredatAR, the PredatOBR, or the stealth?

I have a whole crap ton of LTs and they all shoot sub MOA. My .260 shoots closer to sub 3/4 average.

Having said that, I don’t think I’ll buy any more LT stuff. Maybe mounts and triggers but that would be about it. Their customer service has drastically changed and their premium price doesn’t seem to get you the superior product it used to.
 
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Do yourself a favor and avoid anything LaRue, Marks LaRue is a fucking Turd and treats his customers like shit if they don't absolutely bow down to him and drink the LaRue Kool-Aid.

He was relative once back in 2008-2010 when the AR market was regaining strength and he had a quality product when he used LW barrels, now he skates by from turning out cheap at home builder kits.

Best way to get a LaRue rifle to shoot accurately, replace the factory barrel with just about anything else.

Here's a link to my first and last interaction with Mark LaRue, and if you do a bit more googling you can find countless forums of him abusing customers, and disregarding legitimate customer service issues.

arfcom has turned into a shell of it's former self. To many self professed know it alls and fanboys. I get liking a product but how anyone can dispute Mark's style is beyond me.

I have a UU kit and it's fine but for 'builds' I still prefer Aero and then what you put into it. Plenty of outstanding barrels out there!

I'm a lmt fanboy though or rather, love their stuff but I don't get all pi$$y like some do when you hammer their goods...'kac boys here me' lol
 
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The predatar barrel is not a light-weight barrel. For decades the de facto standard for what constitutes a light-weight 16” AR-15 barrel has been the “pencil” barrel found on the Colt 6520/6720. That barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 6 ounces. The 16" predatar barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 10.5 ounces, making it more than a quarter of a pound heavier than an actual light-weight barrel. The gas block and set screws add an additional 2.6 ounces.



Colt 6520/6720

colt_6520_barrel_032-1891129.jpg








predatar



predatar_barrel_map_background_0b2-1932959.jpg








predatar_barrel_weight_on_scale_001-1932960.jpg








predatar_gas_block_on_scale_002-1932961.jpg








The predatar barrel is over-gassed for a 16” barrel with a mid-length gas system. The gas port has a gauged diameter of 0.082”.





pin_gauge_in_barrel_001-1932972.jpg








I tested the predatar barrel in a complete AR-15 rifle, fired from my bench-rest set-up at a distance of 100 yards. Six, 10-shot groups were fired in a row using match-grade hand-loads topped with the Sierra 77 grain MatchKing. The six, 10-shot groups had an average extreme spread of 1.38”.

The six, 10-shot groups were over-layed on each to form a 60-shot composite group. The mean radius for the 60-shot composite group was 0.41”.





predatar_barrel_60_shot_composite_group_-1932987.jpg








A cherry-picked 3-shot group fired from the predatar barreled AR-15 at a distance of 100 yards had an extreme spread of 0.198 MOA.




predatar_barreled_ar15_cherry_picked_3_s-1933000.jpg






....
nice write up!!!!
 
My 18" PredatAR barrel was a solid ~MOA shooter with factory ammo, and I was very happy with it for the money. It weighs about the same as a 16" gov't profile barrel (28~30oz), but with the gradual taper keeping the meat near the chamber, it handles really nicely. I think it will do just fine for what you're hoping to achieve -- BUT my Faxon Pencil and Gunner barrels are a good chunk lighter, and shoot just as well as the PredatAR. For what it's worth, the LaRue was 100% reliable with every type of ammo I fed it, and I rarely cleaned it.
 
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Just because YOU can't shoot that well, does not mean that I can't. Ocean front? Close, actually, they were shot on my lakeside range on my property

Why don't you try reading some of my threads dipshit, I'm probably one of handful of people on this site that can actually shoot AR's at that level consistently, always posting my results instead of making false claims. That's how I know you're 100% full of shit.

See we here on the Hide try to weed out the liar's and the Trolls, if you want to blow smoke up people's asses go back to AR15.com

So either shoot a 6x5 and show us you can back up your bullshit marksmanship claims or STFU and go back to playing Air soft. Nuff Said!!
 
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Why don't you try reading some of my threads dipshit, I'm probably one of handful of people on this site that can actually shoot AR's at that level consistently, always posting my results instead of making false claims. That's how I know you're 100% full of shit.

See we here on the Hide try to weed out the liar's and the Trolls, if you want to blow smoke up people's asses go back to AR15.com

So either shoot a 6x5 and show us you can back up your bullshit marksmanship claims or STFU and go back to playing Air soft. Nuff Said!!
Sorry, I don't fap off to photos of groups. I will leave that to you. The only thing you know is shit, so fuck off asshole. So glad you are enjoying your online fame. I don't need the attention that you apparently do. Mamma not breast feed you?
 
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That’s right animal! Post up a 5x5 or 6x5 and show these non-shooters what’s up.

Bonus points if you’re using a bipod and small rear bag vs a front rest and benchrest type bag.
Not only do I use a bipod and bag, I use a Harris. You know, the ones you all hate!

I also shoot my Area 419 in 6.5CM. 1/3MOA with my handholds. Sorry, no photos of groups for you to FAP off to.
 
Not only do I use a bipod and bag, I use a Harris. You know, the ones you all hate!

I also shoot my Area 419 in 6.5CM. 1/3MOA with my handholds. Sorry, no photos of groups for you to FAP off to.
Clearly the only thing you can operate is your cocksucking keyboard commando mouth.

But the world needs liar's so here you are.
 
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Wow.. What a bunch of self-absorbed, self-important turds all in one thread! None of your mammas breast feed you sorry assholes? Sorry to rain on your fap parade!

The really funny part is you think that 1/2moa is so impressive that I must by lying!!!!
 
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Wow.. What a bunch of self-absorbed, self-important turds all in one thread! None of your mammas breast feed you sorry assholes? Sorry to rain on your fap parade!

The really funny part is you think that 1/2moa is so impressive that I must by lying!!!!

It’s the 1/4 moa with factory ammo. There’s too much variance in factory ammo to do that consistently. I’ve had great luck with some factory ammo, but the best it can do is about .3moa for a single 5 shot group, and closer to .4moa for a 25 shot average (5x5 shot twice). That same rifle with handloads has shot numerous sub .1-.2moa groups with handloads.

Couple the factory ammo with a Larue, and it’s just HIGHLY unlikely that your claims are valid. You may have shot one 3 shot group that was 1/4 moa, but you’re probably not going to average that in a 5x5 or 6x5.

It’s amazing how many of the greatest shooters and guns never have proof and never show up at matches.
 
I’ve been performing testing and evaluations of the Hornady 5.56mm 75 grain TAP T2 ammunition for more than 15 years. I’ve fired thousands of rounds of this ammunition through dozens of different AR-15s. In all those years of testing, the smallest 10-shot group that this ammunition was able to produce, when fired from a semi-automatic AR-15 at a distance of 100 yards, had an extreme spread of 0.977”.




hornady_556_75_grain_tap_t2_10_shot_grou-1933488.jpg






hornady_75_grain_tap_t2_pulled_bullet_00-1933487.jpg






The above group was fired from an AR-15 with a match-grade, stainless-steel bull barrel with a 223 Wylde chamber, from my benchrest set-up, using a 25X magnification scope while the wind conditions on the range were continuously monitored with a Wind Probe.





Lothar Walther 20” barrel . . .

lothar_walther_barrel_002-1887746.jpg





This barrel has repeatedly produced 3/4 MOA 10-shot groups at 100 yards when using match-grade hand-loads.




lothar_barrel__control_group_77_smk_meas-1933581.jpg





Bench-rest set-up . . .

benchrest_krieger_rifle_02_JPG-1287996.jpg





The Wind Probe . . .

wind_probe_25_resized-1288014.jpg








….
 
Animal - here's the problem. You're posting these claims on a forum populated by people who actually shoot. Maybe you can get away with this crap on some cosplay, mall ninja, airsoft forum, but it's really not going to fly here. And the nastier and more profanity laced your posts are the more we all know you're full of sh*t.

And BTW - I'm actually a LaRue fanboy and own a couple of their uppers. If you'd said you were getting .8 or .9 MOA I might be inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt. But .25" groups with the ammo you're using - maybe if you're cherry picking 2 shot groups at 50 yards.
 
Animal - here's the problem. You're posting these claims on a forum populated by people who actually shoot. Maybe you can get away with this crap on some cosplay, mall ninja, airsoft forum, but it's really not going to fly here. And the nastier and more profanity laced your posts are the more we all know you're full of sh*t.

And BTW - I'm actually a LaRue fanboy and own a couple of their uppers. If you'd said you were getting .8 or .9 MOA I might be inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt. But .25" groups with the ammo you're using - maybe if you're cherry picking 2 shot groups at 50 yards.

Sorry to burst your bubble. Please forgive me

Don’t want to be treated with profanity, then don’t be an asshole
 
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My character is just fine. You see, my momma taught me not to take shit from fuckturds like you and your ilk. The older I get, the less tolerance I have for stupidity like yours.

Your inability to use proper capitalization and grammar and the fact that you are unable to form proper sentences, says quite a lot about you. You really should learn to use the mosterst gooderish English if you are going to attempt to insult someone, no matter how badly it fails.

You don't know who I am, what I have done, what I am capable of, yet your insecurities inspires you to talk shit. You deserve shit back. Based on your apparent immaturity, I have probably been shooting since you were in diapers.
 
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My character is just fine. You see, my momma taught me not to take shit from fuckturds like you and your ilk. The older I get, the less tolerance I have for stupidity like yours.

Your inability to use proper capitalization and grammar and the fact that you are unable to form proper sentences, says quite a lot about you. You really should learn to use the mosterst gooderish English if you are going to attempt to insult someone, no matter how badly it fails.

You don't know who I am, what I have done, what I am capable of, yet your insecurities inspires you to talk shit. You deserve shit back. Based on your apparent immaturity, I have probably been shooting since you were in diapers.

And in all that time of shooting, you never learned that achieving precision beyond the level that the barrel nor the ammunition was capable of could be done?

You could simply say that you experienced those groups once or twice, which is plausible based on randomness alone, but no, you’ve elected to double down and insult others because;

1) Most people don’t believe what you are saying based on their experience and the experience of thousands of others who have posted precision claims.

2) You have provided zero proof. You’d be tearing the BR and F class/Hipower world up with your skills. It’s hard to fathom that a shooter of your skill-set isn’t well known, or that you can’t provide any objective evidence.
 
The predatar barrel is not a light-weight barrel. For decades the de facto standard for what constitutes a light-weight 16” AR-15 barrel has been the “pencil” barrel found on the Colt 6520/6720. That barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 6 ounces. The 16" predatar barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 10.5 ounces, making it more than a quarter of a pound heavier than an actual light-weight barrel. The gas block and set screws add an additional 2.6 ounces.



Colt 6520/6720

colt_6520_barrel_032-1891129.jpg








predatar



predatar_barrel_map_background_0b2-1932959.jpg








predatar_barrel_weight_on_scale_001-1932960.jpg








predatar_gas_block_on_scale_002-1932961.jpg








The predatar barrel is over-gassed for a 16” barrel with a mid-length gas system. The gas port has a gauged diameter of 0.082”.





pin_gauge_in_barrel_001-1932972.jpg








I tested the predatar barrel in a complete AR-15 rifle, fired from my bench-rest set-up at a distance of 100 yards. Six, 10-shot groups were fired in a row using match-grade hand-loads topped with the Sierra 77 grain MatchKing. The six, 10-shot groups had an average extreme spread of 1.38”.

The six, 10-shot groups were over-layed on each to form a 60-shot composite group. The mean radius for the 60-shot composite group was 0.41”.





predatar_barrel_60_shot_composite_group_-1932987.jpg








A cherry-picked 3-shot group fired from the predatar barreled AR-15 at a distance of 100 yards had an extreme spread of 0.198 MOA.




predatar_barreled_ar15_cherry_picked_3_s-1933000.jpg






....
Molon, thank you for the very detailed & useful info, as usual.

Thanks to the others, some of who actually made some useful comments too; & overall, I agree for the most part with Jake's assessment of LaRue's business practices.

And since LaRue is out over 6 months on barrels & won't quote lead time, I think I'll look elsewhere. Craddock Rock Creek or WOA are my most used barrel sources, but that last Craddock I got was 14 weeks & it's more than that now.

Maybe just end up with a CLE Criterion as he's a little less on lead time as of now.
MM
 
And in all that time of shooting, you never learned that achieving precision beyond the level that the barrel nor the ammunition was capable of could be done?

You could simply say that you experienced those groups once or twice, which is plausible based on randomness alone, but no, you’ve elected to double down and insult others because;

1) Most people don’t believe what you are saying based on their experience and the experience of thousands of others who have posted precision claims.

2) You have provided zero proof. You’d be tearing the BR and F class/Hipower world up with your skills. It’s hard to fathom that a shooter of your skill-set isn’t well known, or that you can’t provide any objective evidence.
He's apparently gained a lot of skills since moving.

"I didn't say someone in this thread had disdain for Hodnett, but I have seen it on the site.

I am not an accomplished shooter, nor highly knowledgable in LR, but I do have some experiences - one is shooting 308s at a mile. I have only shot beyond 100 twice, both times at a Hodnett class. I have 100 yards on my property. Boring to some, but that's what I have available.

I hit the plates often enough to call it repeatable. Several others in the class did as well. Its far from the best caliber for that distance, but it can be done."
 
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Molon, thank you for the very detailed & useful info, as usual.

Thanks to the others, some of who actually made some useful comments too; & overall, I agree for the most part with Jake's assessment of LaRue's business practices.

And since LaRue is out over 6 months on barrels & won't quote lead time, I think I'll look elsewhere. Craddock Rock Creek or WOA are my most used barrel sources, but that last Craddock I got was 14 weeks & it's more than that now.

Maybe just end up with a CLE Criterion as he's a little less on lead time as of now.
MM

I would give CLE a call and see how fast they can spin you up a Criterion SS barrel in a 1-7.7 Twist and the CLE Match Chamber.

CLE is still turning barrels out in a reasonable time 6-8 weeks i think.
 
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I would give CLE a call and see how fast they can spin you up a Criterion SS barrel in a 1-7.7 Twist and the CLE Match Chamber.

CLE is still turning barrels out in a reasonable time 6-8 weeks i think.
Yes, you're right & that's not bad today. Probably as good an option as any & with CLE you always know they are going to do it right, no matter what blank you choose.

MM
 
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I don't have one, but thinking of a Predator for a lightweight build. Doesn't have to be .5 MOA for this application, but a consistent 1 MOA would be fine.

Any recent experience with their barrels? Past (real life) reports have always been pretty mixed, biased to maybe just so-so, so I've stayed away.

Thanks.

MM
There quality an customer service has declined, go with a WOA house barrel.
 
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I have an 18" version of the Larue Tactical Stealth 2.0, and it shoots pretty good. It's the only Larue I've ever had, but I've been happy with it. I'm waiting on a 14.5" barrel right now though, as I'm wanting to make the overall package a bit more handy. When I decided to shorten it up, I gave thought to going with a better barrel, but the 18" Larue barrel shot well enough I just decided to save the money and stay with another Larue. Not gonna be happy if the new one doesn't measure up...

Larue Stealth 75 gr TAP.JPG
 
Do yourself a favor and avoid anything LaRue, Marks LaRue is a fucking Turd and treats his customers like shit if they don't absolutely bow down to him and drink the LaRue Kool-Aid.

He was relative once back in 2008-2010 when the AR market was regaining strength and he had a quality product when he used LW barrels, now he skates by from turning out cheap at home builder kits.

Best way to get a LaRue rifle to shoot accurately, replace the factory barrel with just about anything else.

Mark is not the most personable guy, but I have some deep respect for some of his work. The Stealth barrel, while I do not like the lack of transparency in the metallurgy, has performed quite well, and I have a few, and we are starting a RECCE build with it. It is at least as good as Criterion. His rifles are dated in terms of design, but hold up nicely, especially the big bore.

He started this build you own thing, which I thought I was the only one that noticed that the rear end of the upper and lower do not match, and it is a little goofy, but it has a following and works well. It was just that he had a niche 10 years ago in design excellence and to have the curve lines not match up, was like... why ?

His AR triggers are very good. I did a blindfold test between his MBT-2 and Geissele SSA and SSA-E, and just like the Coke v. Pepsi commercials of the 1970s, I was surprised at the results.

So, I would separate the man from the product. He can be very abrasive. He has a soup-nazi approach if you ask when your rifle will be completed, but there are days where my inner Mark LaRue come out. :mad:

So, take each product one by one. Rails are 10 year old technology. Mounts, sort of the same, but still do a good job if you need a quick disconnect. bipod mounts are superior, and the US Army chose his for the Mk22 with Harris bipod. Barrels are superior. Not an A+, but at $240 +/-, you get a darn good buttoned rifled 5.56mm barrel. Rifles are still contenders in 7.62mm, but he holds to the .260 Remington, when most have moved on to accept the 6.5 CM. He is a fan of the 6.5 Grendel, and I think everyone needs one, and if you are going to get one, you might as well get a LaRue. Generally, the upper and lower receivers are top shelf in terms of function and fit and finish. I don't personally like the integrated trigger guard, but once I get past that, they are pretty nice. As I mentioned, I think the Upper build kit is interesting. It is affordable, and there is a group think following to it, and design of the upper and rail connection is unique, but the aesthetics are missing.
 
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Sorry, I don't fap off to photos of groups. I will leave that to you. The only thing you know is shit, so fuck off asshole. So glad you are enjoying your online fame. I don't need the attention that you apparently do. Mamma not breast feed you?
My wife breastfed both of our babies.

They didn't grow up to act like you are on this thread over shooting groups.

Maybe you should have been breastfed too?
 
He's apparently gained a lot of skills since moving.

"I didn't say someone in this thread had disdain for Hodnett, but I have seen it on the site.

I am not an accomplished shooter, nor highly knowledgable in LR, but I do have some experiences - one is shooting 308s at a mile. I have only shot beyond 100 twice, both times at a Hodnett class. I have 100 yards on my property. Boring to some, but that's what I have available.

I hit the plates often enough to call it repeatable. Several others in the class did as well. Its far from the best caliber for that distance, but it can be done."
My god...are those actually his words from the thread you linked to ?

What's so hard about saying you don't know something?
 
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Mark is not the most personable guy, but I have some deep respect for some of his work. The Stealth barrel, while I do not like the lack of transparency in the metallurgy, has performed quite well, and I have a few, and we are starting a RECCE build with it. It is at least as good as Criterion. His rifles are dated in terms of design, but hold up nicely, especially the big bore.

His AR triggers are very good. I did a blindfold test between his MBT-2 and Geissele SSA and SSA-E, and just like the Coke v. Pepsi commercials of the 1970s, I was surprised at the results.

So, I would separate the man from the product. He can be very abrasive. He has a soup-nazi approach if you ask when your rifle will be completed, but there are days where my inner Mark LaRue come out. :mad:

So, take each product one by one. Rails are 10 year old technology. Mounts, sort of the same, but still do a good job if you need a quick disconnect. bipod mounts are superior, and the US Army chose his for the Mk22 with Harris bipod. Barrels are superior. Not an A+, but at $240 +/-, you get a darn good buttoned rifled 5.56mm barrel. Rifles are still contenders in 7.62mm, but he holds to the .260 Remington, when most have moved on to accept the 6.5 CM. He is a fan of the 6.5 Grendel, and I think everyone needs one, and if you are going to get one, you might as well get a LaRue. Generally, the upper and lower receivers are top shelf in terms of function and fit and finish. I don't personally like the integrated trigger guard, but once I get past that, they are pretty nice. As I mentioned, I think the Upper build kit is interesting. It is affordable, and there is a group think following to it, and design of the upper and rail connection is unique, but the aesthetics are missing.

Mark thinks too highly of his own products. He used to just be an ass online, but as of late, he’s been caught in numerous lies. Instead of just owning up that maybe “he got the wrong info”, he just continues to lie. If your products require lying to sell, you need a better product, it’s that simple.

I’ve owned 5 LaRue barrels, 2 UU kits. Of those 5 barrels, only 1 has shot good enough for me to keep. Oddly enough, that barrel has a chamber that is cut off center. Some of the barrels that were removed from my stable could shoot a decent group, but they would string or have a severe POI shift as it warmed/cooled. While they aren’t bad barrels for <250$, I would take a Rainier Arms match or WOA barrel over a LaRue any day of the week.
 
Mark thinks too highly of his own products. He used to just be an ass online, but as of late, he’s been caught in numerous lies. Instead of just owning up that maybe “he got the wrong info”, he just continues to lie. If your products require lying to sell, you need a better product, it’s that simple.

I’ve owned 5 LaRue barrels, 2 UU kits. Of those 5 barrels, only 1 has shot good enough for me to keep. Oddly enough, that barrel has a chamber that is cut off center. Some of the barrels that were removed from my stable could shoot a decent group, but they would string or have a severe POI shift as it warmed/cooled. While they aren’t bad barrels for <250$, I would take a Rainier Arms match or WOA barrel over a LaRue any day of the week.

I hear you. I cannot recall a lie from ML, but he also is not one to want to hear criticism. As one "in the industry," I will tell you that every manufacturer, assembler and dealer takes a lot of complaints every day, and as an industry, I would rather hear "us" support each other and assume positive intent. In our business, we get 98 out of 100 people super happy with what we do. Those who make it to writing a review drop to 94 out of 100 with positive reviews. Those 6 with not so positive reviews then repeat their comments 16 times in 8 different forums, and 1 of the 6 make it their life's ambition to tell everyone what a shit our business is. I'll bet the same is true for LaRue.

What is interesting is the adoration that occurs in the LaRue forum on ARF com. The fan base is extremely loyal. Loyal to the point that there are a dozen or so people who will take up the virtual sword on anyone complaining about LT. Then, the conversation devolves to a contest or dick measuring ordeal between the firm in TX and the firm in PA. As if there cannot be two good trigger, rail and optic mount companies ?

I think LT makes some good products, and some that were "good in the day," and has not innovated in the ways that others have. Some of his staples I think are pretty solid, like the OBR, and his billet uppers and lowers, his trigger and many of his mounts.

I am surprised at your results on the barrels, as that has not been what I have heard from others, nor my experience. Keep in mind that Rainier and WOA are profiling and chambering someone else's blanks, whereas LaRue is drilling steel. I agree that both of those companies have a fine finished product. Barrel making has come a long way in 10 years, and there are a lot of very good barrel makers and blank makers out there.
 
I hear you. I cannot recall a lie from ML, but he also is not one to want to hear criticism. As one "in the industry," I will tell you that every manufacturer, assembler and dealer takes a lot of complaints every day, and as an industry, I would rather hear "us" support each other and assume positive intent. In our business, we get 98 out of 100 people super happy with what we do. Those who make it to writing a review drop to 94 out of 100 with positive reviews. Those 6 with not so positive reviews then repeat their comments 16 times in 8 different forums, and 1 of the 6 make it their life's ambition to tell everyone what a shit our business is. I'll bet the same is true for LaRue.

What is interesting is the adoration that occurs in the LaRue forum on ARF com. The fan base is extremely loyal. Loyal to the point that there are a dozen or so people who will take up the virtual sword on anyone complaining about LT. Then, the conversation devolves to a contest or dick measuring ordeal between the firm in TX and the firm in PA. As if there cannot be two good trigger, rail and optic mount companies ?

I think LT makes some good products, and some that were "good in the day," and has not innovated in the ways that others have. Some of his staples I think are pretty solid, like the OBR, and his billet uppers and lowers, his trigger and many of his mounts.

I am surprised at your results on the barrels, as that has not been what I have heard from others, nor my experience. Keep in mind that Rainier and WOA are profiling and chambering someone else's blanks, whereas LaRue is drilling steel. I agree that both of those companies have a fine finished product. Barrel making has come a long way in 10 years, and there are a lot of very good barrel makers and blank makers out there.

Interesting reading/testing.