[azcowboy]

Hi All

I have been hanging around this forum since last July when I found it. It has been a great place to learn about this cartridge. Only wish I had found it before I had a rifle custom built back in October of 2006. It has a 16" SS barrel made by a local armor here in Arizona. When I speced the gun out to him I told him I wanted a 1:10 twist because thats what was called on the SAAMI drawing at the time. When he delivered the rifle a month later I noticed the barrel was stamped 1:9. I questioned him about this and was told he had talked with other armorers and determined 1:9 was the correct. At the time it did not seam like a huge issue because barrels were either 1:9.5 or
1:10 so I did not push the issue. Now it looks like 1:11 or 1:12 is the correct twist and that is a big difference from the 1:9 I have on my gun. I guess my question to you all is should I try and get him to remake me a barrel at 1:12 since I never got the barrel I had origionally requested. The rifle has a couple hundred round through it and I am gearing up to start reloading and concerned I am going to run into pressure issues and will not be able to achieve all that this cartridge has to offer. I have mentioned this issue to him a couple of times and be seemed to want to discount the information I had gotten off this board. I would appericate any advice the members on this forum can give me on this matter.

Thanks to everyone on this site, it has been a wealth of information and without it I would have been lost.

Rhett


Here are the specs on my rifle in case it helps

16" SS Barrel w 1:9 twist and SAAMI chamber
Noveske KX3 muzzle device
Troy 10" FF rail system
CMT A4 Upper
NM Chromed BCG
Badger Ordiance Tac Latch
DPMS Lower
Vltor Mod Stock
Nikon Monarch 2.5-10X42 scope on LaRue mount
C Products Mags

 

[paulosantos]

Rhett, welcome aboard. If you want to push the 6.8 to the limits, you would be better off with a 1:11" or 1:12" twist. But you should do ok with the 1:9" twist if you stick with H322.

 

[azcowboy]

Is it worth pushing the issue with the builder since the gun is 1.5 years old. Do I have any leg to stand on, I really want to get the most out of the gun as I have a lot of $$ invested in it. It was my first AR type rifle and I really love it it blows the mini 14 I replaced it with out of the water.

Thanks for getting back to me so fast, I am looking on this site every chance I get and without it would not know I did not get what I should have for the money I laid out.

Rhett

 

[paulosantos]

Your best bet is to buy the barre you want and sell the one you have on E-bay or gunbroker or any other site. A barrel from Ko-Tonics is only $225 so if you sell your for $150 or so, you will make out on a good deal. I seriously doubt your gunsmith will give you your money back. See if you can sell it back to him for some money.

Is it worth pushing the issue with the builder since the gun is 1.5 years old. Do I have any leg to stand on, I really want to get the most out of the gun as I have a lot of $$ invested in it. It was my first AR type rifle and I really love it it blows the mini 14 I replaced it with out of the water.

Thanks for getting back to me so fast, I am looking on this site every chance I get and without it would not know I did not get what I should have for the money I laid out.

Rhett

 

[azcowboy]

Thanks I may just do that, is the DMR chamber owned (patened) by Constructor or can others buy the reamer and have custom cut barrels using that spec. I originaly bought a SS barrel becaus of accuracy now the CL are doing just as well it seems. Any real advantage of SS vs CL these days.

Thanks againg for all you have done for this cartridge and getting it out of the shadows.

Rhett in Az

 

[paulosantos]

Thanks I may just do that, is the DMR chamber owned (patened) by Constructor or can others buy the reamer and have custom cut barrels using that spec. I originaly bought a SS barrel becaus of accuracy now the CL are doing just as well it seems. Any real advantage of SS vs CL these days.

Thanks againg for all you have done for this cartridge and getting it out of the shadows.

Rhett in Az

The CL barrels are still more accurate but only by a little bit. If you are looking for pure accuracy, the SS barrels are the way to go. The DMT chamber is not patented.

Eidt: I meant the SS barrels are more accurate. Thanks Tim.

 

[Test_User]

Paulo meant to say that SS are still more accurate. This really only applies to the KT barrels as they are the most accurate CL barrels I have seen. Normal CL barrels Colt others are 1.5 moa shooters maybe 1" with hand loads. You go with a custom barrel like Pac-Nor Kreiger etc they are significantly more accurate but they should be. Go to the semi match barrels lik the WOA or Denny's Recons whihc are built off Wilson blanks and they are still more accurate but by a smaller margin. Personally I like non Cl barrels over 16 and then for an SBR or if one I planned to do high volume fast shooting I want the CL. With the KT you get a lot of the SS accuracy.

If you want top accuracy with the tops in performance get a 1:12 barrel from AR15Performance.com Harrison is the owner and he goes by Constructor on the net. That will give you what I think is the ideal twist rate true match accuracy and the best vel you can get for the 6.8 IMHO. For what you get he has very good prices. he finished a 18" Pac-Nor 1:12 blank for me and it is perfect. During function testing it was shooting 3/8" 5 shot groups. That is not even broken in. Also unlike the other guy who made that barrel for you Cosntructor probably has the most knowledge about this round. He is also the creator of the DMR chamber which takes the slop out of the chamber and is still very reliable. Any one can use the DMR chamber. Just call up PTG and ask for the reamer. But if I were you I would go with him doing the work for you if you want it to be perfect.

 

[azcowboy]

Thank you for the information, will a CL barrel last longer than a SS one. What would be the price range be for a barrel like you described be but in a 16" version. The gun will be used as an all purpose weapon. Hunting, Target shooting, Home Defense, and maybe 3 gun down the road. Any guideance or insight you can give me will be greatly appericated. I dont want to go down the same road already traveled.

Rhett in Az

 

[paulosantos]

Thank you for the information, will a CL barrel last longer than a SS one. What would be the price range be for a barrel like you described be but in a 16" version. The gun will be used as an all purpose weapon. Hunting, Target shooting, Home Defense, and maybe 3 gun down the road. Any guideance or insight you can give me will be greatly appericated. I dont want to go down the same road already traveled.

Rhett in Az

The CL barrels (15K +) will last at least 50% longer than a SS barrel (10K rounds). If you shoot alot like I do, the CL barrels make more sense.

 

[Test_User]

I don't think any of us shoot as much as you all though I use wish I did. the CL are also very easy to clean up and it doesn't have an affinity for the copper.