Want To Build Some Thing Relay Special In X39?

[TenRingKing]

http://mcgowenbarrel.com/shop/ar15-7-62x39-hbar-750-carbine-11-5-matte-ss/      Some how my barrel order got duplicated, they had contacted me a couple of weeks ago that my barrel was ready to ship. The only problem was I had received my barrel 6 months ago. Here is the details in the barrel. Stainless Steel, 11.5" long, .308 Bore, 1-12 twist, 5/8x24 threads with a 11 degree crown. Unless you spec the gas port size, it comes small for suppressor applications. If your are not comfortable or just don't have the time, you can send them your hand load and they match the gas port. If you want mind boggling performance, I highly recommend having them match your gas port and assemble you upper. You will under stand when you shoot it, fine tuning makes all the difference in the world.The chamber Is match grade. You will need a chamber gage if you don't already have one.   Loading x39 in .308 is so much more interesting as your selection of high quality bullets is outstanding compared to x39 in .310 or .311. You will love that end of it. You do it right, you will be so impressed with what barrel/build can do. Talk about a little gun that shoots big! this is it.  Can't say enough about McGowen quality, have 3, hands down the the best AR uppers I ever owned. 

Edited September 2, 2017 by TenRingKing

[Robocop1051]

Did they charge you twice? Or did you score two barrels for the price of one???

[TenRingKing]

It was going to be charged to me but I contacted them before they shipped and they were able to stop shipment. Great folks to deal with there, no problem.

[Robocop1051]

So what are you building?

[sketch]

+1??

[TenRingKing]

On 9/2/2017 at 11:29 AM, Robocop1051 said:

So what are you building?

Well, its still a work in progress, been busy.  The build is on a Spikes upper and lower with a HREA hand guard & there compensator on the front. https://www.hera-arms.com/lc-gen2. Another great product that works. This is phase one, smallest gas port option.   So far from a reloading aspect has been very interesting. There is a short dwell time distance with the small gas port size made for some interesting results so far. These 3 loads and there FPS are based on a 20" barrel. These are all MAX+ loads that I only use in the McGown barrel builds. My magnetospeed chrony does not mount on this upper so do not have FPS from this barrel, yet. Here are the test loads.Bullet- 123Gr Lapua FMJ - OL of 2.185 -  IMR 4198 27Gr FPS 2540 /  RL7 - 28Gr - FPS 2560 and VIT N120 - 28Gr - FPS 2640. Now the IMR and the VIT loads will not cycle the action. Not even close! Now the RL7 load. PERFECT OPERATION !  and what I mean is it operates like the load was matched to the barrel. Run full mags no problem, no failures to extract and hold the bolt back. Accuracy? well at 50 yards with my Ultra Dot 6 red dot, It will put 50 rounds in a ragged hole silver dollar size. The recoil is relay smooth with stock buffer and JP recoil spring. I must say, was not expecting this. Honestly, could not improve performance if I wanted to. The down side of course is that this is the ONLY powder that will work in this configuration.  But man does it work!  Next will be a RL7 load with the Sierra 135Gr varmet HP. Had great performance out of my 20"  (2450 FPS) rifle and want to see what it will do in this barrel. If it works anything like the 123Gr load, I'm done. RL7 is my primery powder so no problem there. Robocop, have seen some of your past builds, very nice, you can have some real fun with this.

[Robocop1051]

I have a love/hate relationship with Hera. I think they are ugly as sin, and yet I still want all their parts. I'm not sure why, but I'm totally down with their P90 lookalike parts. Being in an anti-American state, I don't have the luxury of a SBR... but if I could... I'd totally want to build a Hera 5.7x28 rifle!! And now I hate myself more for voicing that. 

[TenRingKing]

Got out over the week end and another great outing. The Sierra 135gr varmint with the strange 4 leaf clover hollow point. The first time I seen these I said to my self, no way can these be "varmint accurate" but boy they are.  Have loaded them in 308W as well as 308x39. True Sierra performance. Well, the 135gr load in this gun was nothing less then spectacular! The added bonis is that the 135gr sierra and the 123 Lapua have identical point of impact. 2 targets at 50 yards, 2 ragged holes with Sierra edging out the Lapua. Shot about 75 rounds of each and again perfect operation. Well to sum up this barrel/build. Since some day would like to have a suppressed rifle and this would be the one it would happen with. I am a little uncomfortable that only one powder works on this build, but it works SO well that untill that changes there is no rush to open the gas port.  In a way kinda nice, when you can not improve the performance, less time loading and testing and more time loading and shooting. Forget all the stories about x39 accuracy you have heard. This 308x39 is everything you love about 308w in a smaller package. My 308x39 target rifle will not take a back seat to any comparable mid size cartridge. With velosities in the 2650+ FPS it will hold its own with 30 cal performance. Hope the new owner of this barrel knows what he getting. 

[98Z5V]

On 9/18/2017 at 7:22 PM, TenRingKing said:

 The added bonis is that the 135gr sierra and the 123 Lapua have identical point of impact. 2 targets at 50 yards, 2 ragged holes with Sierra edging out the Lapua.

That's pretty damn cool, right there - I never would have thought that to happen.  Damn cool, though!  

[TenRingKing]

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/9513         Sierra takes a back seat to no one in the accuracy dept. They make nice stuff. One of the perks shooting x39 in .308 is the Lapua 123gr Spitzer. A incredible bullet for 27 cents each. They are also a out standing practice/planking 308W round. Lapua also has a .311 123gr Spitzer for the same price to use in traditional Soviet rifles. By far the best performing bullet in these weapons.