Why replace the stock Stag-10 barrel? Just shim it...

Ilove12gshotguns

Ilove12gshotguns

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I recently bought a new Stag-10 G.I model, and started swapping parts out.

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...-spend-4000-or-more-Let-me-show-you-my-STAG10

The one thing that I didn't want to mess with was the barrel / bolt combo that came factory from stag arms. They seem like a great combo, and the factory barrel is top tier and chromed lined. I wanted to check accuracy before I touched anything to get a baseline.

Took it to the range with 150g surplus, and FGMM 168g to see what it could do. On average a got 2.5" @ 100 with surplus and 1.5" @ 100 with FGMM.

FnRKOtn.jpg


I wasn't very impressed, I hit the Google machine to find out what I could do. Turns out you can "Shim" or mechanically fit the barrel extension into the receiver.

I yanked my barrel out of the receiver and noticed it was loose, and you could move the barrel at the muzzle end over 1" due to the slop with the nut removed.

I measure the barrel extension vs the receiver and found the receiver was .004 wider then the barrel extension. I had some shim stock on hand. I cut .002" piece out the width of the barrel extension and wrapped it completely around, only leaving a small gap for the alignment tab.

I slid the extension back into the receiver, which required a few taps from a rubber mallet on the muzzle end and tightened every up.

Took it back to the range.

1.5" @ 100m with surplus
0.75" @ 100m with FGMM

Hot damn.

Save yourself money, dont buy the most expensive barrel on the market to get accuracy you are looking for. Give the Satg barrel a chance.

My instincts tell me the only reason the aftermarket barrels boast better accuracy is they come factory "bigger" and fit alot more snug in the receivers of these guns, therefore produce better groups.

If I can do this with $12 shim stock and some borrowed tools, surely it's worth a try before you dump $900 on a carbine fiber wrapped "Miracle Barrel"


Cheers
 
Good for you, you just reinvented an old AR15 fix. It's usually the upper that is out of spec and requires the barrel extension to be shimmed. I'm surprised that Stag uppers are that loose though.
 
I heard about the locktight method as well. Just does not seems to work as well.

I beleive it has to do with the locktight breaking down over time/heat. I haven't tried it so , i cant knock it too much. I just didn't want the barrel stuck in there to be honest.
 
Ilove12gshotguns said:
I yanked my barrel out of the receiver and noticed it was loose, and you could move the barrel at the muzzle end over 1" due to the slop with the nut removed.
Click to expand...

Wow. I just install my Faxon heavy fluted and I needed the thread protector with a folded rag over top of the end of the barrel and a rubber mallet to get the barrel into the receiver. It took 10 minutes. I've never built an AR before so your comment really surprises me. You had 1" of play, mine will probably never come out.
 
^^^^ waoh..

I think at that point you might be in the other direction, but definitely out of spec. The barrel extension is to big, or the receiver is to small.

But hell, looks like you wont need to take the time and shim it. :)
 
^^^ apparently.

Shoots fine now, I'm happy. Thought that was about norm for the AR series rifles. I could be wrong.

Thought I would share a trick to save some dough. Worked for me.

Cheers
 
Ilove12gshotguns said:
I recently bought a new Stag-10 G.I model, and started swapping parts out.

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...-spend-4000-or-more-Let-me-show-you-my-STAG10

The one thing that I didn't want to mess with was the barrel / bolt combo that came factory from stag arms. They seem like a great combo, and the factory barrel is top tier and chromed lined. I wanted to check accuracy before I touched anything to get a baseline.

Took it to the range with 150g surplus, and FGMM 168g to see what it could do. On average a got 2.5" @ 100 with surplus and 1.5" @ 100 with FGMM.


I wasn't very impressed, I hit the Google machine to find out what I could do. Turns out you can "Shim" or mechanically fit the barrel extension into the receiver.

I yanked my barrel out of the receiver and noticed it was loose, and you could move the barrel at the muzzle end over 1" due to the slop with the nut removed.

I measure the barrel extension vs the receiver and found the receiver was .004 wider then the barrel extension. I had some shim stock on hand. I cut .002" piece out the width of the barrel extension and wrapped it completely around, only leaving a small gap for the alignment tab.

I slid the extension back into the receiver, which required a few taps from a rubber mallet on the muzzle end and tightened every up.

Took it back to the range.

1.5" @ 100m with surplus
0.75" @ 100m with FGMM

Hot damn.

Save yourself money, dont buy the most expensive barrel on the market to get accuracy you are looking for. Give the Satg barrel a chance.

My instincts tell me the only reason the aftermarket barrels boast better accuracy is they come factory "bigger" and fit alot more snug in the receivers of these guns, therefore produce better groups.

If I can do this with $12 shim stock and some borrowed tools, surely it's worth a try before you dump $900 on a carbine fiber wrapped "Miracle Barrel"


Cheers
Click to expand...

Glad to hear you were able to tighten up the groups like that but there is a lot more to a quality barrel than it's fit into the receiver. Proper stress relieving is the biggest difference, it's why expensive barrels don't start stringing as much as they heat up like a cheap barrel does.
Chrome lining is for machine gun barrels, nitriding is a way better surface treatment when accuracy is the goal.
Sounds like Stag is using decent barrels though, there have been a few other guys reporting very good accuracy from their factory rifles.

I'm surprised it was that loose, I've never built an AR where the barrel was sloppy in the upper. Some were tighter than others but never any play like what you describe. I would have been tempted to send that one back, it was an easy fix for you but it shouldn't have been like that.

I do agree that for the most part guys really should give the factory barrel a chance since most people aren't going to benefit from a barrel transplant unless they're really into long range shooting. There is more to be had in the accuracy department though, it just cost a lot to get small gains.

Ilove12gshotguns said:
I'm not, these are mass produced Mil-spec uppers. They are already designed to have slop, and then add the manufacturing error and presto ".004" play.
Click to expand...

There isn't a milspec for the AR-10 platform, this is why it's a lot more work to find aftermarket parts that fit.
They are a mass produced forged receiver though so you are right about them having a better chance of them being a little sloppy once in a while, they don't design them to be a sloppy barrel fit, just sometimes happens when parts are sourced from different manufacturers, they source the raw receiver forgings then finish them and brand them then source a barrel. Sounds like Stag is also using a couple different barrel suppliers depending which model/caliber you order. Tolerance stacking will be more likely when the parts are outsourced.

Whoever assembled the rifle the OP got should have caught that and not just slapped it together anyway.
 
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Could easily have been the different barrel nut torque after removing and reattaching the barrel that made the accuracy improvement.
 
Murray 3-D said:
What are the reasons behind that? Why would proper torque effect the barrels accuracy?
Click to expand...

If the barrel nut is loose, the barrel will have play and will not be consistent. Barrel nut is the only thing that holds the barrel on the receiver. I've seen a lot of AR15 "home builds" where it was quite loose. Usually when bubba doesn't have the proper tools or knowledge to apply enough torque. Can't quite get it to the next hole, so backs off to the previous one.
 
Hitzy said:
If the barrel nut is loose, the barrel will have play and will not be consistent. Barrel nut is the only thing that holds the barrel on the receiver. I've seen a lot of AR15 "home builds" where it was quite loose. Usually when bubba doesn't have the proper tools or knowledge to apply enough torque. Can't quite get it to the next hole, so backs off to the previous one.
Click to expand...

Can this happen if you don’t “season” the threads, in other words, run the barrel nut on the receiver a few times before final lock down?
 
I was getting .75moa with FGMM with my 6.5 factory magpul model. And that was shooting with a crappy rest, 8x scope with a bulky reticle, and I wasn't taking my time to get the best possible groups. These guns are shooter's with the factory setup as long as you do your part.
 
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