View Full Version : Rainier Arms mountain series
Rockhopper
11-08-13, 21:22
https://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/browse&category=ar15/m16_barrels_rainierarms_mountainseries
look interesting. chf gov profile. wonder who makes them?
from the description sound like a Noveske ,last batch of CHF was done by Daniel defense
Yup, looks like an FN barrel. Regardless, theyre done to Rainier's spec and standards which is more important IMHO. Wish they made SBR lengths....
BTW, anyone else notice the crown?
good eye didn't notice the countersink
I'm not an expert on muzzle crowns... That's good right? It protects it more from damage than a flat faced crown right?
If these are chrome lined barrels from FN, this might be a heck of a barrel. FN is the only company I know of that makes a match grade chrome lined barrel. These are used in there FN SPR bolt rifles, not sure if these are up to that standard or if they are from FN.
FN is the only company I know of that makes a match grade chrome lined barrel.
Believe Criterion makes match grade chrome lined barrels as well.
Mark
BrigandTwoFour
11-09-13, 11:50
I am intrigued by this. I've been mulling over a BCM 20" government upper, but I like these as well. I wish someone would sell A1 profiles out of these, or do a similar profile to Centurions CHF offerings. Lightweight profile throughout except for a .750 gas block/FSB point.
jaybirdritenour2
11-09-13, 12:49
Noveske is the only one who uses m249 CHF'ed barrel steel and chrome lines to twice as thick(as an M4) like the m249. So my guess is Noveske.
Haha no. Those are FN specs. Noveske, Centurion, PSA, BFH and Spikes use FN as a supplier.
jaybirdritenour2
11-09-13, 14:31
FN uses M249 steel and chromes twice as thick without advertising it? Really? Never new that.
I'm not an expert on muzzle crowns... That's good right? It protects it more from damage than a flat faced crown right?
LOL! Neither am I, just found it interesting... but ya it's there to protect the crown. Then again, as is the chamfering which we more commonly find. I dont know what the exact advantages/disadvantages are between them. Centurion did at some point have something similar on one of their earlier HF barrels. Their Med Cons I think.
jaybirdritenour2:
FN makes the M249.
Little over a year ago Rainier briefly had CHF barrels listed so I purchased one in 16" Middy with pinned gas block. I have bee very impressed with it....accurate and shoots well. They didn't have them long so I wonder if this Mountain series is an extension of that offering.
jaybirdritenour2
11-10-13, 07:56
LOL! Neither am I, just found it interesting... but ya it's there to protect the crown. Then again, as is the chamfering which we more commonly find. I dont know what the exact advantages/disadvantages are between them. Centurion did at some point have something similar on one of their earlier HF barrels. Their Med Cons I think.
jaybirdritenour2:
FN makes the M249.
So if the barrels they make for m4/ar15 are m249 steel are the SCAR's the same M249 steel and same chrome lining or different? That is good of FN to make barrels that can sustain high volumes of fire.
So if the barrels they make for m4/ar15 are m249 steel are the SCAR's the same M249 steel and same chrome lining or different? That is good of FN to make barrels that can sustain high volumes of fire.
No, M4 barrels are button rifled with standard chrome lining. But afaik, FN does not make M4 barrels. Their M16 barrels I believe are button rifled and have standard chrome lining, as per the TDP.
I don't know for sure, but I read somewhere that they use 249 barrels for the SCAR, F2000, and P90.
No, M4 barrels are button rifled with standard chrome lining. But afaik, FN does not make M4 barrels. Their M16 barrels I believe are button rifled and have standard chrome lining, as per the TDP.
I don't know for sure, but I read somewhere that they use 249 barrels for the SCAR, F2000, and P90.
PSA is offering a CHF M4 rifle kit with what they claim is FN "machine gun steel barrel with double chrome lining."
http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/psa-16-chf-m4a1-moe-ssa-rifle-kit.html
^That's different. Those barrels were manufactured by FN for PSA. Koshinn is referring to FN military m16s.
elephantrider
11-11-13, 22:24
FN uses M249 steel and chromes twice as thick without advertising it? Really? Never new that.
FN makes AR15 barrels to this spec for Noveske, Centurion Arms, and now Rainier Arms, possibly a few others as well. They obviously make their M249 barrels to this spec, but do not necessarily manufacture all of their barrels to this spec.
pointblank4445
11-11-13, 23:32
LOL! Neither am I, just found it interesting... but ya it's there to protect the crown. Then again, as is the chamfering which we more commonly find. I dont know what the exact advantages/disadvantages are between them. Centurion did at some point have something similar on one of their earlier HF barrels. Their Med Cons I think.
Correct, they did it on the Centurion Med Contour barrel.
Nice. Now they just need some SBR lengths!
the_1iviper
11-12-13, 16:26
Nice. Now they just need some SBR lengths!
this is exactly what i was thinking :cool:
richdkim77
11-12-13, 20:54
Nice. Now they just need some SBR lengths!
A 10.5 is in the works after they release a government 14.5, and a LW 16 & 18.
But afaik, FN does not make M4 barrels. .
If FN does not make M4 barrels, who is making the barrels so FN can fulfill its military contract?
http://kitup.military.com/2013/02/army-awards-m4m4a1-contract-fn.html
This latest decision makes FN the only maker of both M16A4s and M4 carbine variants for the U.S. Military (I think.) The majority of the contract will supply M4A1s to the Army as part of its ongoing effort to upgrade its fleet of M4s.
eternal24k
11-13-13, 12:27
A 10.5 is in the works after they release a government 14.5, and a LW 16 & 18.
Am I the only one who wants a 12" with FSB?
I was kind of hoping for an 11.5... I hope they do all 3 -- 10.5, 11.5 and 12.5. That said, I'm even more curious as to how their LW is going to come out...
I'd probably use one of these for my next build. Would snatch up a LW when they come out.
I just hope they can make enough of the 16" LW units with Centurion CMR rails when they get around to that.
Obscenejesster
12-30-13, 21:09
I have been mulling over one of these barrels for the past couple days. For some reason, I keep going back and forth on this build I'm currently working on and can't make up my mind. Has anyone shot one of these barrels yet? If so, what kind of accuracy can I expect? I've been considering the 16" or 18".
Obscenejesster
01-01-14, 14:54
Does anyone have one of these barrels?
I'm trying to figure out if the 18" is accurate enough for a SPR build. I emailed Rainier and they told me I could expect 1 MOA from them. I'm just trying to stay light and feel that the SS barrels aren't worth the increase in weight for the slight increase in accuracy. I'm not trying to win any matches with 5" groups at 500 yards but I do want something capable of decent accuracy out to 500 yards.
BufordTJustice
01-01-14, 18:12
Does anyone have one of these barrels?
I'm trying to figure out if the 18" is accurate enough for a SPR build. I emailed Rainier and they told me I could expect 1 MOA from them. I'm just trying to stay light and feel that the SS barrels aren't worth the increase in weight for the slight increase in accuracy. I'm not trying to win any matches with 5" groups at 500 yards but I do want something capable of decent accuracy out to 500 yards.
I have the 18" in my thread here:
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?144597-Rainier-Arms-15-quot-Evo-Rail-Review/page2
Waiting on a Precision Armament AFAB before I shoot it (it's arriving tomorrow). I'M EXCITE!
Steel head
01-01-14, 21:16
I have the 18" in my thread here:
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?144597-Rainier-Arms-15-quot-Evo-Rail-Review/page2
Waiting on a Precision Armament AFAB before I shoot it (it's arriving tomorrow). I'M EXCITE!
lookin forward to see how it shoots!
Obscenejesster
01-01-14, 21:32
lookin forward to see how it shoots!
Same here....Hopefully he's a good shooter...LOL J/K.
I'm more interested in seeing how it cycles lower powered ammo. I think I'd prefer a mid or intermediate gas system over a rifle for an 18" barrel even though the rifle is softer shooting, I was thinking about doing an 18" build for a SHTF main and I'd rather have the ability to shoot a wide variety of ammo over a softer shooting rifle.
BufordTJustice
01-01-14, 21:36
Same here....Hopefully he's a good shooter...LOL J/K.
I'm more interested in seeing how it cycles lower powered ammo. I think I'd prefer a mid or intermediate gas system over a rifle for an 18" barrel even though the rifle is softer shooting, I was thinking about doing an 18" build for a SHTF main and I'd rather have the ability to shoot a wide variety of ammo over a softer shooting rifle.
Hehe. Depends on the day. ;)
I'm sure this will be fine. I will be running it with an LMT E-carrier and std LMT mil-spec bolt. The Lower uses the Vltor A5 system and I'm going to start with an A5H4 (6.8oz) buffer and a Wolff RP rifle spring. I'll test first with Federal XM193 since that is my agency issued training round. I'll see if I have any weak stuff laying around. I might just strip all the lube off after the initial function test and evaluate it that way.
DreadPirateMoyer
03-26-16, 09:43
Necroposting this to avoid starting a new thread on the same topic.
Now that these have been out for a few years, does anyone have any further feedback on the Rainier Mountain series of barrels? Accuracy with quality ammo/10-round groups at range? Undergassed or overgassed? Overall barrel quality and impressions?
I ask because I'm in the market for a rifle-length chrome-lined barrel with a medium or lightweight (read: not HBAR or stupid government) profile, and the only two I can find that appear to be reputable are these (likely from FNH) and the Fulton Armory 20" pencil barrel (Criterion), the latter of which I can't use since it has a rifle barrel extension and I'll be matching it with a VLTOR MUR upper.
That said, I always get the heebiejeebies buying any parts not from Colt, BCM, DD, or LMT, so even though these are likely made by FN, I still need confirmation.
pointblank4445
03-26-16, 10:17
Necroposting this to avoid starting a new thread on the same topic.
Now that these have been out for a few years, does anyone have any further feedback on the Rainier Mountain series of barrels? Accuracy with quality ammo/10-round groups at range? Undergassed or overgassed? Overall barrel quality and impressions?
I aks because I'm in the market for a rifle-length chrome-lined barrel with a medium or lightweight (read: not HBAR or stupid government) profile, and the only two I can find that appear to be reputable are these (likely from FNH) and the Fulton Armory 20" pencil barrel (Criterion), the latter of which I can't use since it has a rifle barrel extension and I'll be matching it with a VLTOR MUR upper.
That said, I always get the heebiejeebies buying any parts not from Colt, BCM, DD, or LMT, so even though these are likely made by FN, I still need confirmation.
I have a 16" middy that I used for a build that I started a little over 2.5 years ago. I wanted an FN-made 16" middy barrel, but didn't want to pay for a Noveske. I also wanted to use a certain gas block, so I wanted it to come plain so I took a chance with the Mountain barrel offering.
I came to like the upper/gun so much that I carried it for duty/SWAT for nearly two years (6 months of that was as a secondary to my issued 308 bolt gun). At this point I have 4000 rounds through the gun and it is probably one of my favorite rifles. With Black Hills ammo, I can consistently string together groups that are about 1.5 MOA...and this is with no biopd. No fancy bolts, receivers, or triggers...the gun has had an ALG ACT most of its life, but it has an SSA now.
Here is the gun yesterday (3/25/16); I was taking a bunch of short dot reticle pictures:
http://i.imgur.com/eua3LiH.jpg
Just yesterday afternoon, I was out with a buddy shooting some steel at distance. I was having some bad luck with the 308 bolt gun that I had brought. Between the heavy mirage and the rifle's distaste of the load that I brought, I packed up the 308 and got this AR out of the truck. I wanted to get my confidence back up, so I dropped into prone (probably still grumbling about my misses with the 308), held 2 mils high, and went 5/5 on the 2/3 scale IDPA target 402 yards away. While this isn't a difficult feat for some, this little Rainier-barreled AR did more in 5 rounds than my GA Precision did all day with 5x more ammo.
It hasn't slipped my mind that I may have gotten lucky, but I would say from my sample-of-1 experience, the Mountain barrel has far surpassed my requirements and expectations. Dare I say, the performance has been on par with some of those that you name, and surpassed the others.
Hope that helps.
DreadPirateMoyer
03-26-16, 10:41
That helps a lot. Thank you! That performance looks to be similar to my BCM BFH barrels, which I use as a benchmark for chrome barrels. Good stuff! And that rifle is beautiful, by the way. Worn in all the right ways.
I also just spoke with Rainier and they confirmed these are exactly the same as FN barrels, made by FN to FN specs with no deviation other than the midweight profile. Sounds like a quality barrel in that case, as my fear with components like these is always what the distributor might have changed from the manufacturer's normal spec, which in this case is nothing other than the profile in front of the gas block.
Does anyone know the gas port size on these or 18" FN barrels? That's the only thing the guy at Rainier didn't know.
And, of course, any further experiences or insights appreciated.
556BlackRifle
03-26-16, 10:53
I'm glad you resurrected this thread. I've been eyeing the mountain barrel as well and look forward to hearing how it shoots.
I do not know the gas port size, but rainier has always been forthcoming about it when I've asked them. Not "its a secret."
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I wanted a chf carbine barrel for a custom build and got a FN barrel from rainier as opposed to noveske, bcm, etc. Price was right, they were very helpful on the phone and even went to go measure the gas port while I waited
DreadPirateMoyer
03-26-16, 14:42
Nice. I'll give them a call on Monday and see if I can get the gas port size. Hoping it's under Crane spec (.0995) as I run suppressed a lot.
BufordTJustice
03-27-16, 09:50
I shot several thousand through my 18" with rifle gas. Ran on setting 6 from full closed (out of 15) on my SLR rifle works gas block with an LMT e-carrier and A5H4 buffer. Literally never had a malf. I sold it to a buddy in favor of Faxon's lighter gunner profile.
Buddy is still using it and it still runs like a scalded dog. Smooth shooter, too.
I'm resuscitating this thread rather than starting a new one. Rainier has the mountain chf barrels at a VERY attractive price right now. Is there any reason I should avoid the 18" rifle gas barrel for a "SPR" type build? Use would be 90% range, 10% hunting (deer/coyote) and scaring prairie dogs.
Thanks
Andy
I think Rainier Arms has an excellent track record with their CHF barrels and their other precision line. If I could find one shorter I would definitely buy it at its current price. They also have an excellent customer service. I would absolutely not hesitate to buy one if it suits your purpose even for a hard use, not just a range toy.
I'm resuscitating this thread rather than starting a new one. Rainier has the mountain chf barrels at a VERY attractive price right now. Is there any reason I should avoid the 18" rifle gas barrel for a "SPR" type build? Use would be 90% range, 10% hunting (deer/coyote) and scaring prairie dogs.
Thanks
Andy
I'm resuscitating this thread rather than starting a new one. Rainier has the mountain chf barrels at a VERY attractive price right now. Is there any reason I should avoid the 18" rifle gas barrel for a "SPR" type build? Use would be 90% range, 10% hunting (deer/coyote) and scaring prairie dogs.
Thanks
Andy
For your application, I'd argue that's a pretty ideal setup.
I wouldn't consider rifle length to be a drawback for that - only way to cause issues is to run underpowered .223 on a heavy buffer setup, even then it'll actually run well if clean/lubed well.
Thank you, alx01 and TehLlama
It will replace the 20" Faxon Gunner barrel I am currently running (which is going to be used in an A1 ish build)
The rifle will have an A5H2 buffer with a standard rifle recoil spring.
Andy
Run N Shoot
03-05-19, 19:06
I love my 16” upper with the Mountain series barrel. Very accurate and I like the profile. As mentioned, Rainiers Customer Service is top notch.
An update - I ordered a "standard weight" 18" Mountain Series barrel from Rainier Arms and mated it with a .750 Troy gas block, ALG rail, and BRT linear compensator.
I zeroed the rifle today with Hornady 75 gr 5.56 at 100 yards and shot some mild 55 gr handloads and Norma 55 gr .223.
The barrel definitely has potential, but I was not shooting my best. I would pull one shot from each 5 shot group (knowing I pulled it) and have the other 4 rounds touching each other. I shot a 10 round group with 8 rounds into one big hole and two called shots an inch away in different directions - very frustrating.
The rifle was problem free and oh so nice to shoot with an A5H2 buffer and rifle action spring. Scope is a Vortex 2.5-10x32 PST.
Post Script - I just saw on Rainier's site that the gas port on the 18" barrels is .089.
Cell phone pic at the range with my LMT carbine:
https://i.imgur.com/9fnWajd.jpg
SwampYankee
03-16-19, 23:44
Nice rifle(s). Good to hear you think they have good potential for accuracy, I bought some of the 16 inch mid weight uppers and had some 13 inch Mk8 G rails installed. Now just waiting on the gen 2 viper PST. 1-6
Eurodriver
03-17-19, 09:43
with my LMT carbine:
Let’s Make Trannys great again.
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