View Full Version : Bull Barrel for My MP15 Sport
Northwoods
12-30-13, 16:12
Was thinking it would be nice to have a bull barrel for varmit hunting...what options do I have for my mp15 sport? Its currently bone stock now.
Why the bull barrel? it seems I always hear there is little to no advantage over gov or lightweight barrels.
Northwoods
12-30-13, 17:12
I was under the impression they were way more accurate
Use the search function as I believe bull barrel accuracy has been discussed many times.
It would be a waste. Put a better upper on it and you might gain some accuracy.
The sport I had was very accurate. The only thing holding it back was the trigger. A second hand RR 2 stage and free float tube helped it out shoot most of my high end rifles. The barrel is the best part about that rifle.
It would be a waste. Put a better upper on it and you might gain some accuracy.
Yes Scott, the upper receiver is what's holding him back...
OP, what distances are you shooting out to and HOW (bench rest, prone, bipod, etc...) are you shooting? What optic are you running?
I can say, run out and buy a melonite treated stainless steel barrel, but if you're shooting a red dot or irons at 100yards, you'll be better served keeping your stock barrel and free floating the barrel with a new handguard instead.
Northwoods
12-30-13, 19:40
Open sights, max is 100 yards. Sometimes on a bench, sometimes standing..What would be a good free floating barrel
Use what you got and find out if it limits you before making any changes. Chances are, with the right optic, your current configuration will work just fine
Open sights, max is 100 yards. Sometimes on a bench, sometimes standing..What would be a good free floating barrel
Your current barrel would be free floated by changing the handguard to something that does not contact the barrel, but rather just the barrel nut at the receiver.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-floating_barrel
You would have to change your front sight base to a low profit gas block, or have it shaved to fit under the handguard. That would be a far better combo with irons than spending a single penny on a bull barrel.
Use what you got and find out if it limits you before making any changes. Chances are, with the right optic, your current configuration will work just fine
Or the above. How long have you had the rifle and how many rounds do you have through it?
I'd put a trigger in and call it a day. GH
SpeedRacer
12-31-13, 08:05
The Sport does quite well and is quite accurate for what it is, a very low budget rifle. Unless by "varmint" you mean field mice at 100yds, it will get the job done as is. If anything, grab a decent optic or red dot.
Turd polish is a horrible investment. By the time you spend $300-400 on a new barrel and free float tube and trigger, etc...you could have sold the Sport and bought a Colt.
The Sport does quite well and is quite accurate for what it is, a very low budget rifle. Unless by "varmint" you mean field mice at 100yds, it will get the job done as is. If anything, grab a decent optic or red dot.
Turd polish is a horrible investment. By the time you spend $300-400 on a new barrel and free float tube and trigger, etc...you could have sold the Sport and bought a Colt.
Yes, but that doesn't get him any closer to a good varmit gun. The colt is a top quality gun (likely to go more rounds before failure) but it isn't any more accurate.
Yes, but that doesn't get him any closer to a good varmit gun. The colt is a top quality gun (likely to go more rounds before failure) but it isn't any more accurate.
Yes but (touching back on speedracer's post) unless he's shooting mice at 100yards, his current barrel or that on a Colt would be more than sufficient.
Best suggestion would be to build another complete upper. That way you have variation and you can do what you need. A change you can definitely do to the lower would be the trigger.
Get a good trigger group, this is the one thing that will improve accuracy. Everything else is window dressing.
Northwoods
01-05-14, 12:31
What does everyone recommend for a free floating hand gaurd?
North. that is preferential. Looks etc. Is there a certain style you really like? i recommend going to rogtac.com or riflegear.com to look at their selection. Also how much are you looking to spend? is the sky the limit?
Wolfhound86
01-05-14, 12:51
I prefer 14.5" welded. When you add compensator/flash hider to 16" barrel it makes it nearly 18" and there is a huge difference 16 and 18 inches if using for home defense. I am just not willing to go through the NFA headache to get a more optimal HD gun.
What does everyone recommend for a free floating hand gaurd?
That's all going to go on personal preference. You can go with a simple tube, and save quite a bit vs some of the keymod and quad rail options. If you want to use the rail to mount objects, you're going to want to figure out what you're mounting and where you want it.
Take a look at the VTAC Alpha. Good place to start, and it will secure to your existing barrel nut. Railed top, and ability to mount rails around it in sections, or run it clear to save weight. Affordable and solid. I had one on a BCM build until it was sold late last year.
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I was under the impression they (bull barrels) were way more accurate
Barrel quality determines accuaracy, not profile. A bull barrel is stiffer and often more consistent as it heats up or with a wider variety of ammo. You can do a lot of quality varmint shooting with an HBar profile barrel
Get a good trigger group, this is the one thing that will improve accuracy. Everything else is window dressing.
The trigger has nothing to do with the mechanical accuracy of the rifle. It will not turn a 2 moa rifle into a sub-moa rifle. It will not turn a 2 moa shooter into a sub-moa shooter. A good trigger simply lets a shooter be more consistent with less shooter fatigue.
For me, the essence of an AR is light weight and easy handling.
I'd never put a bull barrel on an AR. Rather just get a quality lightweight.
Even with my amateur skills, or lack thereof, I can hit man sized targets at 300m with my DD 11.5" lightweight barrel using AE 55 gr and an Aimpoint.
I can only imagine what an shooter with actual skill could do with my rifle configuration, let alone one with a magnified optic, match ammo and a slightly longer (but still lightweight) barrel.
Barrel quality determines accuaracy, not profile. A bull barrel is stiffer and often more consistent as it heats up or with a wider variety of ammo. You can do a lot of quality varmint shooting with an HBar profile barrel
The trigger has nothing to do with the mechanical accuracy of the rifle. It will not turn a 2 moa rifle into a sub-moa rifle. It will not turn a 2 moa shooter into a sub-moa shooter. A good trigger simply lets a shooter be more consistent with less shooter fatigue.
The trigger has everything to do with accuracy.
The trigger has everything to do with accuracy.
Please explain objectively how a trigger affects the mechanical accuracy of a firearm. Note the words "mechanical accuracy"
The trigger has everything to do with accuracy.
The problem is you missed the word MECHANICAL.
The trigger has not one thing to do with mechanical accuracy. It affects theoretical accuracy by removing the need for a perfect pull of the trigger by the shooter, not shifting point of aim. I've watched guys with custom 1911s (3.5 lb trigger, dot sights, comps) get out shot by guys running department issue Glocks (heavy ass trigger in the neighborhood of 10lbs) and that's at distances < 50m. The trigger can only affect the accuracy of the shooter, not the rifle.
The mechanical accuracy of a properly built rifle is a product of its chamber, rifling, barrel length, crown, and the ammo the shooter chooses to run. If you're running enough rounds through, barrel profile becomes a concern as well. Very little else comes into play when talking about mechanical accuracy of the rifle itself.
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Please explain objectively how a trigger affects the mechanical accuracy of a firearm. Note the words "mechanical accuracy"
I agree it has nothing to do with mechanical accuracy but that is rarely the problem. Stock triggers in AR's are terrible and that is the reason for large groups also most people can't shoot worth a darn.
Folks who can't shoot worth a darn with the stock trigger won't shoot any better with an upgraded trigger. While a quality trigger helps, it helps because the shooter has to spend less mental energy focusing on achieving a break with the sights on target. If the shooter doesn't know when to break the shot, trigger quality means nothing
I beleive that as the barrel inserts from the rear of the receiver on the M&P 15/22 the barrell diameter is limited by that fact.
TED
I beleive that as the barrel inserts from the rear of the receiver on the M&P 15/22 the barrell diameter is limited by that fact.
TED
The OP is discussing a M&P 15 sport. Not the 22LR M&P 15/22.
The OP is discussing a M&P 15 sport. Not the 22LR M&P 15/22.
OOPS. Ummm, yeah, I knew that, I was just eh testing you, yeah, great job!!
TED
Folks who can't shoot worth a darn with the stock trigger won't shoot any better with an upgraded trigger. While a quality trigger helps, it helps because the shooter has to spend less mental energy focusing on achieving a break with the sights on target. If the shooter doesn't know when to break the shot, trigger quality means nothing
So you are clueless! This sounds like your excuse for not spending a couple hundred for a real upgrade.
So you are clueless! This sounds like your excuse for not spending a couple hundred for a real upgrade.
Heh! You really know how to swerve out of your lane
I prefer 14.5" welded.
While I prefer the flexibility and future upgradability that threads provide, finding that 1.5 inches of 'compactness' is generally unnoticeable.
Obscenejesster
01-10-14, 10:10
Yes Scott, the upper receiver is what's holding him back...
OP, what distances are you shooting out to and HOW (bench rest, prone, bipod, etc...) are you shooting? What optic are you running?
I can say, run out and buy a melonite treated stainless steel barrel, but if you're shooting a red dot or irons at 100yards, you'll be better served keeping your stock barrel and free floating the barrel with a new handguard instead.
Is the upper receiver on the M&P 15 Sport sub standard or something?
Is the upper receiver on the M&P 15 Sport sub standard or something?
It depends largely on which standard you're using. That said, for he OP's intended task, it's likely adequate.
To the OP and to others where applicable and before this thread goes further south: Read more, post less and the "search" button is your friend.
Most, if not all of the topics being discussed here have been covered elsewhere.
To the OP: Swapping to a bull barrel won't be worth it without adding a fee float handguard. Add to that, you'll likely want to add a low profile gas block to fit under the new hand guard. All the work can be done by you if you have the proper tools or you could pay a gunsmith to do the work. At the end of the day, a new upper as close to the desired configuration might be the best way to go. Either way, research, research, research!
Obscenejesster
01-10-14, 13:49
It depends largely on which standard you're using. That said, for he OP's intended task, it's likely adequate.
To the OP and to others where applicable and before this thread goes further south: Read more, post less and the "search" button is your friend.
Most, if not all of the topics being discussed here have been covered elsewhere.
To the OP: Swapping to a bull barrel won't be worth it without adding a fee float handguard. Add to that, you'll likely want to add a low profile gas block to fit under the new hand guard. All the work can be done by you if you have the proper tools or you could pay a gunsmith to do the work. At the end of the day, a new upper as close to the desired configuration might be the best way to go. Either way, research, research, research!
I was just asking because I know nothing about the M&P Sport and never will. It's not my cup of tea. That being said, your comment came across as if the Sports receiver is less accurate than others. I read a little bit and it looks like it is lacking a forward assist and dust cover but nothing else that would effect accuracy which is what the OP is more concerned with.
Is the upper receiver on the M&P 15 Sport sub standard or something?
I was being facetious. For the intended purpose any upper within spec would be just fine, including the M&P 15 Sport
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