Any match grade pencil barrel or lightweight options out there?
Check out Faxon. They have a good selection of pencil profile barrels. I have one of their 18 inch rifle length barrels and it is very light and shoots well.
Any match grade pencil barrel or lightweight options out there?
The barrel manufacturer will bore out the end of the barrel so that the resulting diameter is a hair over bullet diameter. Then mill holes/slots in the barrel same as a traditional muzzle brake. Not much different than magnaporting a handgun barrel, actually. It can be done with any firearm. But the barrel isn't typically threaded anymore so you can't change muzzle devices. Personally, I just go with an unthreaded muzzle or stick a thread protector on it if it's already threaded. I don't have much need for flash hiders or muzzle brakes.
Does anyone know of companies doing this porting work?
Herron Arms does barrels with integrated flash hiders; possibly Casey at Tactical Ordnance as he does the Vang Comp treatment for shotguns... Not going to be cheap for maybe an ounce of weight savings. You would honestly be better served going with a lighter profile (Pencil profile) barrel and then get a smaller muzzle device, or just a thread protector.
Also depends on what kind of barrel if you're re-machining one; a hard chromed barrel for example is far harder to work on as the chrome can chip and cause havoc with the cutters. If it chips near the new crown it's pretty much toast.
Just some things to think about!
Go with a 20” barrel with rifle length gas. Cheap, plentiful and shoot awesome with very little recoil impulse.
Not sure why there is an obsession to go with 18.6” barrels; you’re going to pay for it as a specialty.
Personally, I’d rather the extra money put into a quality 20” than a so-so 18.6” length. Ymmv
Thanks! I am looking at having a 20" Faxon Gunner turned down to 18.6. Since its ~.5" diameter at the end I wouldnt have material to have a shoulder for a brake to mate up to. Be nice to have as short a barrel allowed with some form of recoil reduction and compensation to mitigate muzzle rise.
Buy a 20 inch Norinco for the price of a barrel, it comes with all sorts of spare parts AND a barrel.
Where are people sourcing these 20" Faxon Gunner barrels.



























