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What 11.5 barrel would you get for a general purpose 5.56?
- Thread starter KCode
- Start date
I have a 11.5 roscoe barrel that’s done me well. It does have an adjustable gas block but it runs very well suppressed.
I am particular about barrel profiles. I like the BCM enhanced lightweight.
Bloodline 11.5" M4 5.56 NATO | Rosco Manufacturing
Browse Rosco Manufacturing's Bloodline Barrels | 11.5" M4 5.56 NATO Bloodline Barrel for sale | Designed to meet modern day carbine shooter's requirements
www.roscomanufacturing.com
I also have a 13.7 purebred but haven’t done any real accuracy testing with it yet.
Criterion Core are fantastic.
Nicely balanced, reasonably light, chrome lined for longer barrel life even with the occasional high-tempo shooting. Good QA, and shoots 3/4-1 MOA with good ammo depending on how an individual barrel likes a particular ammo. More than good enough for an 11.5” general purpose ammo.
Their hybrids are good too, but are both a little heavier and not the most optimal profile from a balance standpoint.
Other recommendations would be an 11.5” Daniel defense barrel or Centurion CHF light or mid weight barrel. I don’t have personal experience with these recommendations and they are just based on specs and feedback from users. So, take them as recommendations to look into the options more. But I can recommend the Criterion options from first hand use.
Im curious of your reasoning for that trade space choice.
Nicely balanced, reasonably light, chrome lined for longer barrel life even with the occasional high-tempo shooting. Good QA, and shoots 3/4-1 MOA with good ammo depending on how an individual barrel likes a particular ammo. More than good enough for an 11.5” general purpose ammo.
Their hybrids are good too, but are both a little heavier and not the most optimal profile from a balance standpoint.
Other recommendations would be an 11.5” Daniel defense barrel or Centurion CHF light or mid weight barrel. I don’t have personal experience with these recommendations and they are just based on specs and feedback from users. So, take them as recommendations to look into the options more. But I can recommend the Criterion options from first hand use.
Does the slight precision gain from a high end stainless barrel really outweigh considerably shorter barrel life for you in an 11.5” “general purpose rifle”? Maybe it does for you, but it seems like an odd recommendation for the OP with no context on why you would choose those.
Im curious of your reasoning for that trade space choice.
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Wait until Black Friday. I believe I got my barrel last year for like $80-$100
Compass Lake is a Custom shop they will turn you are barrel whatever length, contour and style you want, just gotta pick up the phone and give them a call.
This is what I went with on mine
www.wingtactical.com
Made by FN, chf, chrome lined. No idea what it does accuracy wise. I’ve never shot it for groups.
Spike's Tactical 11.5" Cold Hammer Forged (CHF) Lightweight 5.56 Barrel
Founded by a veteran, Wing Tactical finds the best tactical gun parts and accessories for AR-15s, Glocks, and other firearms so that you don’t have to.
www.wingtactical.com
Made by FN, chf, chrome lined. No idea what it does accuracy wise. I’ve never shot it for groups.
Ill second criterion core. I have a 12.5 and a 14.5. Both are gassed and balanced perfectly for a fast swinging rifle. Im also happy with fn and dd barrels. To me general purpose is different from a precision gun and moa or better is acceptable. I also just got a 20" white oak barrel that shoots as well as my custom bolt guns but i dont expect it to last 15000 rounds
You have a lot of options. I’ve used DD, FN, Geissele, Noveske, and Hodge all with good results. Also have an Alpine Research 11.5 that’s optimized for suppressor use, has a small gas port and sig 25 degree taper on the muzzle threads. I thread on a CGS Heilos and it works well.
Edit: the Alpine Research barrel is an 11.5 Midlength gas barrel designed to be run suppressed. It’s pretty neat.
alpineresearchffl.com
Edit: the Alpine Research barrel is an 11.5 Midlength gas barrel designed to be run suppressed. It’s pretty neat.
11.5 Mid Gas Barrel – Alpine Research FFL
alpineresearchffl.com
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Douglas barrels are proven hard-use barrels that fall under the $400 Category, PRI has been using them for decades and so have others for Military use. By using Compass Lake you not only get a quality Blank but you get it made anyway you want and with three different chambering offerings and there's a lot of value in that alone.
As for Proof SS barrels they are also reasonably priced, in fact they are the cheapest Single point cut Barrels on the market, Locked Loaded and BattleHawk Armory have sales on them all the time.
Last I checked accuracy and hitting the desired target was the main priority in shooting?? DD barrels are a good selection for a blaster but at damn near the price of a CLE Douglas, so yeah I'd choose a CLE Douglas made to my specifications any day.
Yes, but is 3/4 MOA vs 1 MOA worth getting 5k rounds vs 20k rounds of acceptable precision from the barrel?
For me, that trade off is worth it for my 20” Service Rifle competition gun with Shilen SS barrel. It could mean the difference between a 10 and a 9 at 600.
But on my 11.5” grab n’ go, general purpose gun? That extra 1/4 MOA will not result in a better measure of effectiveness, but it will result in me spending 4x as much in barrel replacements and not having the piece of mind that I can keep rolling if the logistics chain is cut.
Craddock Precision can build 11.3" barrels from Bartlein blanks with Carbine +1" gas systems. They're absolutely amazing in the accuracy department, with velocities approaching 12.5" barrels with mid-length gas systems.
This is going to be a 11.5 which will use a red dot. We aren't talking 600 yards shots on a 2" plate.
Agreed, Accuracy is definitely at the bottom of my list of buying criteria when buying an 11.5 barrel.
A CLE Douglas or PR SS will get at .5 MOA or less, Barrels are consumables 99.999% won't even come close to 20k or even 5K! By the time someone gets close to 5K chances are they will send that rifle down the road to buy something else or will rebuild that rifle into a different configuration that will probably require a different barrel style anyway.
Show me someone today with current ammo prices that is pumping 20,000 rounds down any tube that not sponsored!?
Well that would have been helpful in your OP, my general purpose rifles all have Krieger or Douglas barrels In them, I enjoy having the capability of going from plinking and banging steel to dropping some Rock Chucks at 400yrds but those are my priorities.
When shopping for an 11.5" barrel I always pick whichever one is 12.5" long with a mid gas system.
Okay, 1/2 MOA (presumably with load development?). It still does not provide an improved measure of effectiveness for the intended targets for an 11.5” general purpose gun.
Most people will not shoot out a chrome lined or nitrided barrel, you’re right. And that’s the point. But many people will shoot out a stainless barrel after 2-5 years.
The absolute max will be maybe a LPVO out to 300 yards.
I would like the budget to be <$300. I will also be building a 14.5 which will be a Douglas barrel probably. That will be the outside general purpose. The 11.5 will be suppressor use HD mainly.
LMT, after you shoot it out you can bludgeon someone to death with it.....or use it as a pseudo crowbar.
On a serious note.....criterion (CORE) and DD make nice bullet tubes. A complete KAC upper isn't a bad way to go either. You can find good deals on uppers with the E3 bolt.
On a serious note.....criterion (CORE) and DD make nice bullet tubes. A complete KAC upper isn't a bad way to go either. You can find good deals on uppers with the E3 bolt.
You were onto something with that Roscoe 11.5" K9.
They're actually really nice for the price. I think accuracy is a little better my go-to DD, maybe a hair worse then my most accurate criterion. The trade off is worth it for the patrol length gas system. They're running about $160 too. You really can't go wrong.
They're actually really nice for the price. I think accuracy is a little better my go-to DD, maybe a hair worse then my most accurate criterion. The trade off is worth it for the patrol length gas system. They're running about $160 too. You really can't go wrong.
If you are considering something cheap like a BA, faxon or roscoe; you should look at del ton. I'm a 12.5"/mid gas guy but just went with a DTI 11.5" FSB upper for a simple shop gun. I'd ask them how it runs with a can though.
Andro corp will be running a bf sale also, their 10.3" FSB barrels are ported for cans. I'd take one of those over a DD or colt.
Andro corp will be running a bf sale also, their 10.3" FSB barrels are ported for cans. I'd take one of those over a DD or colt.
since you plan to run purely suppressed, go MCX and be done with it, and get the benefits of a folding or A3 style stock while you're at it.
Pic of my own 11.5" using the 8" handguard (though you can also get the SD handguard and tuck the suppressor, which is nice)
Mine's built on an AR lower, but the actual sig lower ends up being about the same. The blue mag was purely to annoy a friend of mine.
Pic of my own 11.5" using the 8" handguard (though you can also get the SD handguard and tuck the suppressor, which is nice)
Mine's built on an AR lower, but the actual sig lower ends up being about the same. The blue mag was purely to annoy a friend of mine.
K9 11.5" Kinetic Consulting 5.56 NATO | Rosco Manufacturing
The K9 11.5 offers a proprietary patrol length gas system that is smoother than carbine length, more reliable than mid-length. Features an optimized gas port to run reliably suppressed and/or unsuppressed. The K9 continuous taper is the most effective profile to dissipate heat from hard use...
www.roscomanufacturing.com
I was doing some reading up on the Rosco K9 and the material it is made out of was frowned upon and I believe the 12.5 at least is suggest to not be rapid fired with. I like the idea of a middle road gas system but I don't know...
I might play it safe and go with a good ol carbine gas system and a Criterion CORE. I think that would combine well with a A5 buffer system.
I might play it safe and go with a good ol carbine gas system and a Criterion CORE. I think that would combine well with a A5 buffer system.
They didn’t have the K9 when I bought mine.K9 11.5" Kinetic Consulting 5.56 NATO | Rosco Manufacturing
The K9 11.5 offers a proprietary patrol length gas system that is smoother than carbine length, more reliable than mid-length. Features an optimized gas port to run reliably suppressed and/or unsuppressed. The K9 continuous taper is the most effective profile to dissipate heat from hard use...
Nitrided 416r will hold up to anything you'd throw at it in a semi-auto.
This is literally exactly what you are looking forThis is what I went with on mine
Spike's Tactical 11.5" Cold Hammer Forged (CHF) Lightweight 5.56 Barrel
Founded by a veteran, Wing Tactical finds the best tactical gun parts and accessories for AR-15s, Glocks, and other firearms so that you don’t have to.
Made by FN, chf, chrome lined. No idea what it does accuracy wise. I’ve never shot it for groups.
Spikes tactical!?! For $300??? When I could go with Criterion for the same price? I could never...
Spikes in name only. It’s an FN barrel. Chf, triple thick chrome line, lightweight cut, carbine gas, 1/7 twist. It’s 1/2# lighter than the criterion.
Well, FN makes barrels per Spike's specs, and it is on Spikes to QA/QC the barrels they get. How much did they do that?
That barrel is pricier than a Criterion, and close enough in cost to a DD that I'm not seeing the appeal. Criterion and DD are known quantities. I can't say the same for Spike's barrels that they have made by FN. That said, I'm sure that barrel would do the OP just fine.
Regarding weight, it's 4.1 oz lighter, or 1/4 lb, not 1/2. And all that extra weight on the Core barrel is by the chamber which doesn't really get felt when readying the rifle up to aim, but does help with heat dissipation.
Well I just spoke with CLE about a Tactical Douglas 11.5 with a hybrid chambering. Honestly this sounds overkill but really nice...
The build will be basically 95% Geissele so I honestly don't want to cheap out on the barrel.
At this point I think these are the choices and in the order I'm thinking.
The build will be basically 95% Geissele so I honestly don't want to cheap out on the barrel.
At this point I think these are the choices and in the order I'm thinking.
- CLE Douglas Tactical with carbine gas and a Wylde/CLE hybrid chambering $410
- Criterion CORE 11.5 $310
- BCM ELW 11.5 fluted $309
Ok.....I checked them out and I like what I see. I don't know anything about them but I like the fact that they offer $200 chrome lined barrels.
Can you tell me a little bit more about them? This gun will be suppressed but I do not want it to only function with a suppressor.
A man can only get so hard. I had a batch of FN "SAW" barrels once. Supposedly thicker chrome lined. Shot fucking great. Always been looking since.
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