Looking for absolute most durable barrel.

[Col_Crocs]

Just saw this today. $256 shipped for a CHF with pinned gas block is a pretty good price. Whats the consensus on who makes these DD or FN? How's it gassed?

Ballistic Advantage 5.56 Hanson CHF Barrels

And ofcourse the 10.3 is sold out... Looks nice though. Not as concerned about gassing these days with the availability of Clint's stuff.

[sinister]

Common AR barrels will typically be chrome-lined chro-moly vanadium 4150, either button-rifled or hammer-forged. That said, metallurgy, chemistry, and physics/thermodynamics will typically take them to between 5,000 to 10,000 rounds before they become "iffy" to hit and kill a 200-300-yard military E-type silhouette with unhesitating confidence.

If you're shooting inside 50 to 25 meters you may never notice.

A barrel starts to deteriorate from the throat forward from the first shot. "Mag dumps" are abuse.

Back to the OP's original desire for the undisputed longest-lived barrel, I'd recommend a custom from John Benjamin out of Portland. He hand-produces barrels from 17-4 Precipitate Hardened stainless -- the same stuff used in aircraft landing gear and surgical instruments. It's already harder than 4150, has fewer alloys to burn out (typically sulphur as in 416R stainless, or excessive carbon in chro-moly), and will cost more than your standard $250 mil-spec barrel.

[MQ105]

Just saw this today. $256 shipped for a CHF with pinned gas block is not a bad price. Whats the consensus on who makes these DD or FN? How's it gassed? Unlike you I dont trust companies, they will gas their barrels to minimize the amount of returns from people running shitty ammo through them not to optimize function.

Ballistic Advantage 5.56 Hanson CHF Barrels

These are DD blanks as per BA. If you like the Hanson profile, and I do, they are a great choice. Also per BA, this is not planned to be a recurring production option.

[vicious_cb]

These are DD blanks as per BA. If you like the Hanson profile, and I do, they are a great choice. Also per BA, this is not planned to be a recurring production option.

Just looking over the barrel, everything looks pretty good.Finish is excellent, no defects I can see in the bore. The gas port is even drilled in a grove instead of a land if that actually matters to anyone.

Also Can anyone confirm if these barrel markings match current DD barrels? Looks like a very shallowly stamped "D" in front of the indexing pin.

[everready73]

I think I read on their industry forum on the other site they are DD blanks. Have heard it multiple other places as well.

[vicious_cb]

I think I read on their industry forum on the other site they are DD blanks. Have heard it multiple other places as well.

Can't seem to find anything about it. Got a link?

[everready73]

I can't find the thread I read it in. I sent BA a message on the other forum and will let you know when they get back to me

[Biggy]

The most durable and accurate barrel, will not be the lightest weight barrel. What about having the most durable bolt to go along with your most durable barrel ?
Also, stock up on the match ammo that your barrel likes and have a trigger in your rifle that’s lets you take advantage of it.

[Coal Dragger]

The Ballistic Radio test of the KAC SR-15 E3 Mod 2 seemed to indicate that 20,000 rounds was possible (with no cleaning) on their hammer forged barrel and E3 bolt. Still holding essentially 1.0-1.2 MOA at the end of the test, no breakage of parts, everything still going strong.

Not sure what alloy KAC is hammering their barrels from, or what alloy the E3 bolt is made out of but a test sample of one (yeah I know...) showed good results.

[beschatten]

The Ballistic Radio test of the KAC SR-15 E3 Mod 2 seemed to indicate that 20,000 rounds was possible (with no cleaning) on their hammer forged barrel and E3 bolt. Still holding essentially 1.0-1.2 MOA at the end of the test, no breakage of parts, everything still going strong.

Not sure what alloy KAC is hammering their barrels from, or what alloy the E3 bolt is made out of but a test sample of one (yeah I know...) showed good results.

I would love to see the erosion on that barrel. I am hypothesizing that the longer gas system, and the system as a whole helped with maintaining accuracy by reducing erosion.