Anyone use Blackhole Weaponry barrels ? One of the few polygonal AR15 barrel makers it seems. Their prices are much lower than Noveske, LW etc. Opinions ?
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Anyone use Blackhole Weaponry barrels ? One of the few polygonal AR15 barrel makers it seems. Their prices are much lower than Noveske, LW etc. Opinions ?
I got one coming in 6x45. I'll let you know what I think of it when it shows up. I can say that I'm not to happy all ready as I see they dropped their prices $40 right after I ordered it. But them's the breaks.
Did you get a chance to try out the barrel ?
I've got just shy of 500 rounds through a 5.56 stainless blackhole barrel and I'm very pleased with it.
So much so, I'm buying one in 6.8 this week.
That's great... is the polygonal bore easier to clean ?
Looks like they switched from enfield to polygonal rifling sometime in the past 6 mos (which is just a slight change of the broach profile).
My 14.5" heavy barrel is enfield rifled, but I have had a HK in the past that was poly. I don't think the difference between the enfield and the poly is all that significant, but they're both easier to clean than conventional as the lands aren't recessed and therefore don't collect as much crud.
The quality of my 14.5" is top notch. The ground surfaces are dead nuts on dimension and fit my upper with just the right amount of tension (you couldn't easily pull the barrel out once seated - and that's before the nut ever came close to it, but you didn't need to drive it in either).
This thing also shoots better than me. With shitty optics and bad ammo (wolf and cheap federal) putting a 5 round group into a quarter was not difficult at 50yds. Now if I had some real glass on it, and some bullets worth mentioning, I'm certain ragged holes would be the norm. It's also not a floated barrel. For the shortest gun I could build without a tax stamp, she's a tack driver.
I'd love to see a stainless Blackhole against a stainless Noveske barrel head to head.
I was finally able to try out my Blackhole Weaponry barrel in 6x45mm. I zeroed at 25 yards then confirmed at 100 and 200 yards on an 8" steel plate. At 25 yards with a new in box made in the USA 4x Weaver (not the new Chinese ones) all shots were in a quarter inch, not much of an accuracy test but it was only for zero. 20 shots at 100 yards got 19 hits on an 8" plate. The first few shots were center mass hits but the paint eventually wore away so I did not know exactly where the rounds were hitting. The miss happened when I pulled the scope slightly high left. 10 shots at 200 yards got 10 hits on the same plate. This will be for deer in my woods where 75 yards is about max.
Shots through my Shooting Chrony showed an 85 grain Speer HPBT Gameking bullet at a velocity of 2684 to 2703 fps using H-335. I plan on running this for deer season and seeing how it rings out on whitetails. I used a 20" 6x45 in the early 90's deer hunting and it worked well. With a scope and free floated barrel I think this one will work just as well.
black hole has a small table at the Portland gun show.. i've stopped and looked a couple times i've been in there for ammo (the only reason i go at all)... not impressed with what i've seen, nor with the specs they've given. cheap, unlined steel, with undesirable profiles... maybe you guys are seeing something i'm missing
The barrels may not be chrome lined, but that doesn't make the steel they use cheap. The profiles they displayed at the show may not be desirable to you, but somebody is buying them and from a quick search at a couple of other websites such as snipershide, folks are pleased with what they're getting. Over at ar15armory.com they're running a group buy.
The other bonus is they will build your barrel to order.
In all the handful of posts I saw, the Black Hole barrels were accurate. One thread on snipershide detailed a kaboom that may have been related to the BH barrel (barrel extension separated from barrel) but BH made good on it. Not that it makes the kaboom experience any less serious.
They may not offer barrels for everyone one but nobody does. I'm still looking for a barrel that has all the features I need and want for my build
My barrel is a 416R Stainless Steel barrel. The same barrel steel that Lilja, E.R. Shaw, Douglas, Lea Baer and others use in their barrels. 416 will still rust and corrode but not as readily as other steels, but it's easier to rifle consistantly.
The barrel profile is the profile I wanted. Approximately 1" to a .750" gas block and .740" to the muzzle. I talked to the owners of Blackhole Weaponry and they informed me they would machine what ever profile I wanted. So if they were willing to do that for me why wouldn't they do it for others?
Would chrome lining be nice? No. It's not like I'm going to find corrosive Eastern Block ammunition for a 6x45. This round is and will probably only remain a handload opption. Cor Bon has some ammo but at $44 per 20 no way. Chrome lining aids in corrosion resistance and barrel longevity neither of which are concerns for this rifle.
What did I see in their barrels? Price and the fact that they were making 6x45 barrels. I'm happy with the barrel. It is accurate and the machining and finish were excellent.
I will tell you one thing, Carl, the owner, is awesome. He took care of me like none other. Best customer service.
Getting my 14.5" barrel today. Will have a range report soon.
Got a chance to go shoot it at my local indoor range. This barrel is sweet!!! Was shooting XM193 and was getting 2" groups standing at 25 yards. Not too shabby.
I'll do a full review soon. Was too excited to shoot it. Going to try end get out to the 100 yard range this weekend.
Quick cell phone pics...
My 14.5" Midlength
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4121/...61ba5456_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/...17e5542a_b.jpg
your spread should be no more than 3cm, or about an inch, at 25m, to confirm a zero. even crappy barrels can do that, so you should definitely work on that some.
I have a 13.7 inch satin stainless barrel from black hole that I had custom ordered, it has been good I'm getting 1 to 2 moa at 100yrds and 3-4 Moa at 200yrds I'm getting a 16inch barrel soon to replace a Hbar 16 on my RRA upper I like the barrel and I believe it more accurate than I can shoot, oh Fyi I don't bench shoot. so i am pretty happy with my MOA on a 13.7 barrel
Very good quality.
I have the 18' 3 groove poly.
BTW, This type of SS barrel does not usually have chrome lining.
negative- i didn't even know they were ALL stainless, until i just verified on their website. that would explain the crappy black-oxide finish i took as bad parkerizing, but it doesn't explain why i was told, buy their own rep at their own table, that they were unlined chromoly. so they either dropped their CM line, or that guy was at a gun-show.
i don't know how i feel about these newfangled 3-groove riflings. they seem to be popping up right now for some reason. somebody educate me- whats the ratio of land to groove with the 3-groove?
Is it cheaper to rifle a barrel with 3 grooves?