Preferred replacement AR15 barrel

Rockrivr1

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I have an AR15 that the barrel has finally reached the end of it's life. The rifling and grooves are pretty much gone and its time to replace the barrel. I'm looking forward to doing this myself as I've never done it before and figure it would be a fun project to take on.

So with that said I'm collecting the items I'll need to do the work. My question though is what replacement barrel would you recommend? I'm looking online and there are dozens of them to choose from with prices all over the spectrum. If this was your project, what brand of barrel would you purchase?

Thanks
 
I’m watching this thread - I’m trying to build as authentic an upper as possible for a HBAR lower I purchased recently and am struggling with this very question.
 
Take a ride to Green Mountain Rifle Barrell in Conway NH. Nice stuff at great prices.

My brother used one of their 18in SS barrels in a build and is very happy with it. We were getting consistent sub-MOA with 69gr SMK reloads.

I have one Wilson Combat 18in SS also have quite a few Ballistic Advantage barrels in 5.56 and .300blk. Also have two BCM HF chrome lined. Just picked up a Faxon SPR profile with flutes but I have not shot it yet. It has the 5R rifling and wylde chamber.
 
My brother used one of their 18in SS barrels in a build and is very happy with it. We were getting consistent sub-MOA with 69gr SMK reloads.

I have one Wilson Combat 18in SS also have quite a few Ballistic Advantage barrels in 5.56 and .300blk. Also have two BCM HF chrome lined. Just picked up a Faxon SPR profile with flutes but I have not shot it yet. It has the 5R rifling and wylde chamber.

Is there any one that stands out above the others? I'm on the fence but may go with an 11.5 barrel and SBR it. If not I'd go 14.5 carbine length.
 
I have never worn out a barrel as I put rounds through a lot of uppers. I have a feeling the BCM will last the longest if you were to really dump rounds and heat them up. It is also the most expensive.

The Ballistic Advantage I think has the best bang for the buck. I love the BA “Hanson” profile. It makes a lot of sense to me. Both the BA and Faxon have similar construction being high quality 4150 with some form of ferritic nitrocarburizing.

I remember watching In-Range interview one of the guys at Faxon. It was very interesting as he was making the case that 4150 with nitrocarburizing and their process allows them to stress relive the barrel so it heat strings less then a CHM chrome barrel does.
 
Biggest question is what you plan to do with it? For my 3gun rifle, I have an 18 inch SS barrel with rifle leangth gas made by green mountain. It’s very accurate and shoots soft as butter. Very happy with it. I also have a cheap build with left over/take off parts and I used a 14.5 inch barrel I bought on sale for $39.99. Built kind of a QCB rifle with cheap optics that was also on sale, thing runs great. Can ring the gong at 100 yards all day long too. Very happy with both barrels as I use them for their entendad applications. So, what you plan to do with it is the bigger question.

Kyle
 
Is there any one that stands out above the others? I'm on the fence but may go with an 11.5 barrel and SBR it. If not I'd go 14.5 carbine length.

To answer you, I am a fan of BA “Hanson” barrels. I like having more “meat” around the chamber with the gradual taper to pencil out front. Found them to be slightly more accurate in 5.56 then BCM and cost less (~$100). I cannot get as good of accuracy with .300blk, but I think that’s just the caliber.
 
Lots of good options. BCM, Daniel Defense, on and on. BCM aren’t the best out there, but are a dependable option. I’ve had very good luck with barrels from White Oak Armament, but they’ve all been 20” steel match barrels, not chrome lines carbine barrels.

If you’re looking at 14.5”, you wouldn’t go wrong with a Colt SOCOM barrel. They’re a little heavy, but people get fantastic precision out of them and it would last a while.

I recently put a 14” Black River Tactical barrel on a new upper and can give a range report next week.

As for the barrel extension, yes almost all of them come with the barrel extension installed.
 
Have several FN barrels and they are great. Next barrels will probably be Faxon with a gunner profile. in the 14.5" you can get it with low profile brake attached which allows you to slide gas block on and off if needed.

After seeing the InRange TV what would Stoner do series I looked into Faxon and found a few people running their barrels so I could shoot some. Almost looking forward to the next rebarrel.
 
Biggest question is what you plan to do with it? So, what you plan to do with it is the bigger question.

Kyle

This will be a pure plinker. Practice, practice and more practice with different scenarios. Doesn't need to be sub MOA, but decent accuracy is something I'll look for. She will get hot with controlled mag dumps and sustained firing through mags. So something that can stand up to the beating is what I'll ultimately be looking for.
 
This will be a pure plinker. Practice, practice and more practice with different scenarios. Doesn't need to be sub MOA, but decent accuracy is something I'll look for. She will get hot with controlled mag dumps and sustained firing through mags. So something that can stand up to the beating is what I'll ultimately be looking for.

Then I would re-highlight a Colt SOCOM barrel. They’re designed for the extra heat of sustained fire, with the benefit of nice precision due to the stiffer barrel. But if you want a mid-length gas system, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
 
just remember, having a boutique name doesn't always mean high quality, just high prices.

True, but BCM isn’t exactly a cheap option. My point was that there are arguably better barrels in the same price range, but that BCM is a dependable option. Basically, they’re not super-awesome like some say, but you still can’t really go wrong with one.
 
I know this thread is about AR barrels, but PSA is on the verge of putting FN CHF barrels in the GF3 AK’s in 7.62. I know some like to hate on Palmetto, but I think they are doing some awesome things.

Ok, back to AR barrels...
 
True, but BCM isn’t exactly a cheap option.
true. below is a pic of an 80% build. i'm on their mailing list, they sent out a flash sale notice for blems and test fired uppers including a bcg. i got the upper w/bcg for $299. barrel hammer forged, chrome lined. i couldn't find a blem or sign of prior use on it. not my first choice for configuration but price was right and it's a toy. deals on decent stuff are out there if there's no rush.
80%25.jpg
 
This will be a pure plinker. Practice, practice and more practice with different scenarios. Doesn't need to be sub MOA, but decent accuracy is something I'll look for. She will get hot with controlled mag dumps and sustained firing through mags. So something that can stand up to the beating is what I'll ultimately be looking for.
You can have my White Oak 20" ss barrel for $100 when I take it off after the end of the season. It will have about 2000 rounds through it but will still pound the x-ring out to 300 yards.
 
What are you going to DO with this AR-15? shtf/cqb carbine? benchrest target rifle? Something in-between? Heavy barrel? Pencil barrel? What length? What twist rate?

Both my ARs are chambered in .223 Wylde in 1:8 twist. I find this a very good option as it shoots almost all ammo weights, from 45gr to 77, and everything in-between. My first is a 20" that came on my RRA upper, and has a rifle-length gas system. I built my second gun completely from scratch, and chose a 14.5" (plus muzzle device bringing it to 16") with midlength gas tube. but both with the same chamber and twist, and both stainless steel vs chrome-moly, or chrome-lined.

Check out the Rainier Arms barrels. I think their 'match' barrels are outstanding, and a good value for what you get. Good luck and have fun!

AR-15 .223 / 5.56 Barrels | ArmaLite 15 223 / 556 | AR15 Rifle Barrel
 
Spikes Tactical CHF barrel made by FN.

I'll second that input on a 14.5" Colt Socom heavy barrel.
They go for $250.00 and are a nice barrel.
I have one on an sbr.
Just pin and weld a proper compensator to it to reach 16" in length.
 
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I don't think BCM is as great a deal for the money as it once was.

I would use white oak or green mountain for anything serious.

For a reliable workhorse, I would go FN, Rainer or Sota. The Sofa arms people make some wonderful stuff. (Or FN makes it for them. As I believe their barrels are mostly FN. They sure look like some of the better FN kit. )
 
This will be a pure plinker. Practice, practice and more practice with different scenarios. Doesn't need to be sub MOA, but decent accuracy is something I'll look for. She will get hot with controlled mag dumps and sustained firing through mags. So something that can stand up to the beating is what I'll ultimately be looking for.
Heck no need for anything special.
mid grade plinker barrel , green mountain is a good start.
 
Another vote for Green Mountain in Conway, NH. I have a 16” 5.56 on one AR and an 18” .223 Wylde on another. Both are great shooters. Go visit their shop, they have some good deals there.
 
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