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NC, USA
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Posted: 6/1/2024 5:57:13 AM EST
[Last Edit: bruh44]
When I got into ARs the best barrels were cold hammer forged and chrome lined. I’m sure CHF is still the best but it seems most companies have gone away from chrome lining. I understand it can cause accuracy issues. I also am aware it can displace heat better. But it seems most manufacturers are doing some form of Nitrite salt bath. So what are the best standard AR barrels out there and why?
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VEN
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Posted: 6/1/2024 6:25:19 AM EST
[#1]
No expert, but nitride has come a long way vs. CL.
Anything I care about for accuracy and longevity gets CHF, CL which for me is Daniel Defense, either factory uppers or barrels. I have a couple of Criterion that are CL but I don't think are CHF. My beaters have nitride barrels. They probably work well enough though. |
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Posted: 6/1/2024 9:14:02 AM EST
[Last Edit: WrenchGuy]
[#2]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By jd2395: No expert, but nitride has come a long way vs. CL. Anything I care about for accuracy and longevity gets CHF, CL which for me is Daniel Defense, either factory uppers or barrels. I have a couple of Criterion that are CL but I don't think are CHF. My beaters have nitride barrels. They probably work well enough though. This pretty much. Very good barrels can be had that are nitride, provided they are a high quality barrel prior to being treated...nitride treatment doesn't make a bad barrel good, just a more corrosion resistant bad barrel. My first choice is a C/L Spike's Tactical Optimal Profile CHF, made by FN. For me its the best combo of profile, weight, accuracy, and durability. |
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Posted: 6/1/2024 9:39:28 AM EST
[#3]
I would vote "top quality" as a Criterion Core barrel or Daniel Defense barrel.
Criterion comes out on top IMO. Very nice barrels. |
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Posted: 6/1/2024 9:54:12 AM EST
[#4]
CHF/CL is still pretty much the standard for hard use barrels. Nitride, IMO, seems to be mostly relegated to cheaper barrels, simply because it’s a cheaper process. Now, that’s not to say there aren’t any good nitrided barrels.
DD, Centurion Arms, Spike’s, etc are all very good. I prefer Centurion due to the tabbed gas block and reasonable gas port sizes. |
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Posted: 6/1/2024 10:41:02 AM EST
[#5]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By WrenchGuy: My first choice is a C/L Spike's Tactical Optimal Profile CHF, made by FN. For me its the best combo of profile, weight, accuracy, and durability. +1, I have several, they're great barrels. |
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Posted: 6/1/2024 11:18:45 AM EST
[#6]
FN, Colt, Noveske, Wilson
Those cover snyrgijg I could need, |
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CA, USA
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Posted: 6/1/2024 6:17:22 PM EST
[#7]
If you're after longevity first, and accuracy second, go with chrome-lined.
If you want accuracy, but it doesn't need to be match-winning, go with QPQ, or nitride, or any of the half-dozen names it goes by. If you want match winning capability, stainless steel is the answer. Green Mountain makes good, chrome-lined barrels. Just about any body makes QPQ, or nitrided barrels. For the SS, there is any myriad of makers, i e. Wilson Arms, Criterion, White Oak Armory, Compass Lake come to mind. What is the purpose of your rifle? Plinking/range toy? Self defense? EIC and President's 100? XTC? What its purpose is will go a l-o-n-g way toward helping you pick a barrel. Jon |
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Posted: 6/3/2024 8:40:48 AM EST
[#8]
I'm an accuracy guy. I've got Proof, Criterion, Shilen but my go-to best performers are 3 from XCaliber. 2 SS and one CF. They all are stupid accurate.
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NC, USA
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Posted: 6/5/2024 9:20:24 PM EST
[#9]
Thank you all for the replies. I’ve always stuck with Bravo, Daniel Defense and LMT. I’ll check out the FN barrels.
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Posted: 7/19/2024 1:02:55 PM EST
[Last Edit: gotigers]
[#10]
My FN CHF CL 10.5" 1:is the most accurate chrome lined barrel i have owned of any length.
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USA
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Posted: 7/19/2024 1:18:56 PM EST
[#11]
What does “best” mean?
Most resistant to erosion under high-rate-of-fire? Most corrosion-resistant? Most accurate? If you gave a CHF chrome-lined barrel to a sniper they’d say it’s the worst. If you have a 1/2moa single-point cut-rifled Krieger to a machine gunner he’d say it was the worst. Switch them and they’d both say they were the best. |
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NC, USA
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Posted: 7/25/2024 4:15:33 PM EST
[#12]
I would hope a sniper isn’t using a 5.56 round.
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Posted: 7/30/2024 11:15:19 AM EST
[#13]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By bruh44: I would hope a sniper isn’t using a 5.56 round. |
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MS, USA
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Posted: 7/30/2024 9:26:52 PM EST
[#14]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Musketjon: If you're after longevity first, and accuracy second, go with chrome-lined. If you want accuracy, but it doesn't need to be match-winning, go with QPQ, or nitride, or any of the half-dozen names it goes by. If you want match winning capability, stainless steel is the answer. Green Mountain makes good, chrome-lined barrels.  Far right in that picture is a GM barrel made for Colt that has NO chrome lining. Picture is a group of the 'more accurate' barrels I currently have and GM is definitely in that group for me.  GM makes very good quality barrels...
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Posted: 7/30/2024 10:24:00 PM EST
[#15]
+1 for Gm barrels. I have one on a Ruger 10/22 and it performs well.
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MS, USA
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Posted: 8/11/2024 2:36:35 PM EST
[Last Edit: MS556]
[#16]
Delete.
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MS, USA
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Posted: 8/11/2024 2:38:50 PM EST
[#17]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By bruh44: I would hope a sniper isn’t using a 5.56 round. Why? What is wrong with M855A1, for instance, or MK 262 within their effective range? |
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Posted: 8/11/2024 2:43:58 PM EST
[Last Edit: FoxValleyTacDriver]
[#18]
If accuracy is your main consideration, then bartlein
Need to know what your expectations are |
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Posted: 8/11/2024 4:23:58 PM EST
[#19]
A lot of good replies here so far, really though it depends on your use case and requirements as to what would be the "best" in you particular situation.
I favor the FN models posted above, though the GM barrels I've used have be stellar also...but my use is general range, classes, plinking, etc. I also have a couple cheaper QPQ barrels that came as part of complete uppers, which will be used as is for cheap steel ammo. For a more precision application I would recommend a high quality stainless model, some of which can be had with a nitride or QPQ finish. Get what suits your application, budget, and skill level. |
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Posted: 8/14/2024 7:17:07 PM EST
[Last Edit: whiskerz]
[#20]
Criterion , Krieger , Douglas. White Oak Armament. In any order. There are 1-3 others. Criterion offers match chrome liner barrels as well.
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TN, USA
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Posted: 8/19/2024 10:12:30 AM EST
[#21]
I'm pretty sure Larue on that list?
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Posted: 9/25/2024 9:39:38 PM EST
[#22]
"Best" at what? Unless you specify what you are looking for it's just random name dropping in an uninformed quest for ultimateness which leads nowhere.
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Posted: 9/25/2024 9:42:58 PM EST
[#23]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Prodigy951: I'm pretty sure Larue on that list? Would be if their gas port sizes weren’t silly. |
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