CQB AR15 build - barrel recommendations?

dink27

dink27

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Location
Stratford Ontario
Howdy Nutz,
I'm thinking about building a CQB upper for my AR15 over the winter, and need you to school me in barrels. This will be for CQB matches and plinking at my home range.
I've pretty well settled, on the upper receiver, gas block, and free float forend. I might get a few compensators to play with, suggestions are welcome. The big item I have not decided on is a barrel.

I'm pretty sure I want to go with an 11.5" barrel, though 10.5" would probably work just as well for my purposes. My budget for the barrel on this project is currently a max of $300.
The two barrels I'm looking at with the most interest are from S&J Hardware and Spikes Tactical.

Noveske from Questar
$466.69
-too expensive for me wallet and out of the running

Spikes from Fabsports
Props to sigger brought this up in another thread
sigger69 said:
Fabsports http://www.fabsports.ca/ar15-c-8_57.html?language=en
Click to expand...
$295
-11.5"
-.556 Nato chambered
-M4 barrel extensions
-1/7 twist
-1/2x28 threads
-cold hammer forged
-17.5oz
-.750" gas block seat
-hard chrome lined
-Mil-Spec Phosphate finish


S&J barrel from S & J Hardware
$226.99
-11.5"
-.556 Nato chambered
-M4 feed ramps
-1/7 twist
-Threaded for flashider
-Made in Canada
-Gas Nitride Finish inside and out

I'm not sure what the weight of the S&J barrel is, or the gas block seat diameter, I assume the "threaded for flashider" is a standard for the 1/2x28.

3 Questions then;
  1. hard chrome or nitride and why?
  2. Does anyone know how S&J does their rifling; CHF, button, cut, other?
  3. Is it worth looking at anything else? Like NEA barrels?

Thanks,
D!NK
 
The only question is.. Why haven't you purchased the barrel from Fabsports yet?

You are just asking questions for nothing.:p
Forget Noveske.. $500?? Pft. Forget it.

S&J. Most likely a good barrel....but they came out when not alot of barrel were available. Now barrels are everywhere. They should be charging $149 for a no name barrel. Yes, sorry, it is a no name barrel.

Spikes. Top Notch. And at that price!! Lucky to find spikes in stock anywhere in the U.S. i would grab that. Fabsports sold out on the Spikes 14.5" in a matter of days. They also get White Oak that sells fast.

Even the Spikes Lothar Walter is a top of the line Barrel. I would take that over the Noveske.

So yes. Spikes hands down. Not even a contest.



P.S Forget NEA. What they say and what you get are not always the same.
Give them 5 - 7 years to get some manufacturing experience. Let them make some proper Bolt carriers first before you trust their barrels.
 
I just received the 11.5" Spikes barrel yesterday and damn is it light! Buy it... you won't see a CHF 11.5" barrel from anywhere else. The Spikes are made from FN blanks.
 
sweet..i was just reading this
didn't know anyone was selling this particular spike's tactical barrel in canada...esp for that price - just bought one for a future cqb build :p
 
Apparently, nitride is just as hard as chrome but a lot less complicated. Similar kind of finish that is put on other parts like a BCG. Some companies call it Melonite. I read up what I could about it before I bought my S&J. Yes, it's 1/2x28.

One thing chrome seems good for is it typically does not collect copper, making it much easier to clean with more consistent performance/ accuracy. So far Nitride seems to have those same qualities, for after several hundred rounds and no special cleaning I could not see signs of copper buildup.

I never shot groups with my carbine, so I can't tell you what MOA it's batting, but my 16.5" S&J shot like a laser. Once I got my Eo 511 dialed in I could hit anything I aimed at between me and 200y. Good enough for me for an affordable Canadian barrel on a carbine poodle plinker.

I have an 11.5 in the mail.
 
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