AR-15 Barrel Considerations
Construction of your barrel comes with several choices in material used:
• hard chrome lined barrels choice of the U.S. Government because government issued AR-15s often need a service life of at least 8,000 rounds
• stainless
• chrome steel and,
• chrome lined.
Barrel’s Length
The standard AR-15 barrel length is 16 inches. Sixteen inches is long enough to provide good performance and long enough to provide the desired accuracy, while remaining short enough to be maneuverable in tight quarters.The 14.5-inch M4-style barrel is popular, though you have to add a flash suppressor attached to bring the overall length to 16 inches. Twenty-inch barrels are slightly more accurate than the 16-inch barrels, though the compromise in mobility is noticeable…not the best choice.
Check information on Head Down Products for 10.5 to 16 inch barrels
Barrel’s Weight
AR-15 barrels are referred to as “heavy” or “light.” A “heavy” barrel (HB designation) simply means there is more metal than the “light.” The heavy barrel whose thickness does not vary from the front to the back offers the most durable design. For a 16-inch barrel AR-15, the lightweight (or M4) profile offers the most advantages as far as weight and handling.
Twist
The barrel’s twist rate refers to the distance a bullet travels in the barrel to complete a full revolution. A 1/9” twist rate means that your bullet will make a complete revolution for every nine inches traveled in the barrel. Heavier bullets require a faster twist rate to correctly stabilize them…too fast of a twist rate will potentially cause a bullet to spin apart. It is important that your barrel and bullets fired match.
For more information on selecting a barrel that is right for you, contact me at Head Down Products.
