BadBoyBilly Posted October 23, 2015 Report Posted October 23, 2015 Hey guys,Took a while off from firearms.... Needed to buy a new car so had to recoup financially before getting back into firearm building. So I have an unfinished 308 project that I'd like to work on over the winter. The next part I need is the barrel. I really would like an 18" rifle length DI setup. Only found two so far. One is from Aero Precision but it's a heavy contour style. Criterion barrels has one but (1018S-HYR-N) which is spec'd exactly how I want it but I have to call them? Just wanted to make sure I'm not missing any other options out there? If not, I guess I'll call Criterion.....
blue109 Posted October 23, 2015 Report Posted October 23, 2015 Criterion is a forum sponsor and make some fantastic barrels. Certainly a good choice. You can probably PM them here if you have a question and don't feel like calling.
jtallen83 Posted October 23, 2015 Report Posted October 23, 2015 (edited) There is X Caliber but you should do some reading here and a Google search before you buy. They get good marks from the bolt gun crowd but didn't seem real up on The 308AR. In there defense I asked for an unusual configuration, 16 inch with rifle length gas. I did get a 1.2 MOA 5 shot,100yard group yesterday. Edited October 23, 2015 by jtallen83 More detail
jtallen83 Posted October 23, 2015 Report Posted October 23, 2015 Forgot to add Faxon to the list. They have some excellent feedback here and their rep, Nathan, is on the site answering questions pretty regular. Bet you could PM him from here.
BadBoyBilly Posted October 23, 2015 Author Report Posted October 23, 2015 I looked at Faxon. They are sold out of everything......
jtallen83 Posted October 23, 2015 Report Posted October 23, 2015 I'd still shoot Nathan a pm. The user ID is under Faxon.X Caliber is made when ordered but I had the barrel in under 10 days, just over two weeks when you figure in the return so they get them out fast.
washguy Posted October 23, 2015 Report Posted October 23, 2015 Bad... if faxon cant fix ya up try this http://aeroprecisionusa.com/308-18-cmv-rifle-barrel.html 250 billsbut if you go to ebay and I hate ebay for gun stuff but look up atx armory...they have this barrel for 219....just got a 16" from atx thats an aero barrel for 179Wash
survivalshop Posted October 23, 2015 Report Posted October 23, 2015 I have a Criterion 18" rifle length ,S/S Nitrated barrel & its got about five hundred rounds from it so far . Nice Barrel , but then I have three Criterions barreled 308AR's.
BadBoyBilly Posted October 24, 2015 Author Report Posted October 24, 2015 Survival, I think that's exactly what I'm going for the 18" ss nitrated barrel with rifle length. Do you mind if I ask what you paid? It looks like it's going to be in the 300ish range?
survivalshop Posted October 25, 2015 Report Posted October 25, 2015 Yes , its in the 300 hundred range , do not remember exact , . This barrel was ordered directly from them , http://criterionbarrels.com/contact-us or PM them from this Forum , they are a sponsor .
blue109 Posted October 25, 2015 Report Posted October 25, 2015 I need a criterion barrel as well! Anyone else? I know they mentioned group buy was a possibility
jtallen83 Posted October 25, 2015 Report Posted October 25, 2015 Been looking at them for a lightweight 16 inch 5.56 for my wife's "blaster" but it will be after the holidays..........
ChaseFan9 Posted October 26, 2015 Report Posted October 26, 2015 Don't forget, Criterion has that .308 16" rifle length barrel now, mine was around $350ish and weighs about 2 lbs.
BadBoyBilly Posted October 26, 2015 Author Report Posted October 26, 2015 (edited) Chase,I'd love a 16" because this build is going to be a "more maneuverable" build. I thought about it, but I have some concerns about the 16" rifle config. About a year ago I built an SBR. One of the concerns when building an SBR when using really short barrels is lack of dwell time. Dwell time is the time between the bullet passing the gas port and exiting the muzzle. The longer the duell time, the more reliable your firearm will be (cycling). My concern with a 16" barrel with a rifle gas system is the lack of dwell. If I were to go with a 16" barrel, i'm thinking a mid length would offer more reliability. Is my logic right??? Edited October 26, 2015 by BadBoyBilly
jtallen83 Posted October 26, 2015 Report Posted October 26, 2015 Once I got the gas port the right size and a spring issue worked out I've been through 12 different types of ammo, most cheaper stuff, and all is functioning well. These guys showed me you can get the dwell time needed on a 16 inch rifle gas barrel to be reliable. .1005 in. was the magic number for my gas port, might have gotten by a tad smaller now that parts have broken in but like you expressed, reliability was my biggest concern.
blue109 Posted October 26, 2015 Report Posted October 26, 2015 (edited) Criterion put in the R&D on that barrel so I'm not worried about it. We have a couple on the forum already running great. Jtallen used an xcaliber 16" and had to open up the gas port a little but looks like it's gtg now Edited October 26, 2015 by blue109
BadBoyBilly Posted October 26, 2015 Author Report Posted October 26, 2015 Cool I'm in talks with Josh right now via email. I'm on the fence......... Tough decision...
survivalshop Posted October 26, 2015 Report Posted October 26, 2015 (edited) My 16" , rifle gas , runs fine , DPMS carbine Buffer system . Edited October 26, 2015 by survivalshop
criterionbarrels Posted October 27, 2015 Report Posted October 27, 2015 Cool I'm in talks with Josh right now via email. I'm on the fence......... Tough decision...There's nothing to lose if you go the Criterion route. If you wind up running into any function issues, we'd be more than happy help troubleshoot and repair (or replace) the barrel if necessary.
BadBoyBilly Posted October 28, 2015 Author Report Posted October 28, 2015 (edited) Thanks Josh, appreciate your info via email. I'm definitely going with Criterion. I'm just stuck on 16" vs 18" and need to figure out which length I want. Edited October 28, 2015 by BadBoyBilly
survivalshop Posted October 29, 2015 Report Posted October 29, 2015 I can tell you, you will not see much difference in Grouping . I've been testing different Bullet configuration & powders in the 16" & 20 " Criterion Barrels & the 20" does have a slight edge , probably better for a long range rifle , but 200 yards , there is not much difference between the two .After the Holidays , I will have input & target results of the 20" HB ,18 " & 16"HB , Criterion Barrels with 155 gr. Bullets ( Hornady A Max & Nolser Match )
BadBoyBilly Posted November 13, 2015 Author Report Posted November 13, 2015 So officially bought the Criterion barrel. I went with 18".
Malig8r Posted November 13, 2015 Report Posted November 13, 2015 So officially bought the Criterion barrel. I went with 18". Nice choice, I'm sure that you'll be happy with it. Looking forward to some pics and a range report.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now