View Full Version : "FN America Launches New AR-15 Commercial Barrel Line"
McLean, VA – FN America, LLC is pleased to announce the launch of its new AR-15 commercial barrel line, produced at the company’s manufacturing facility in Columbia, SC. Product specifications for each are listed below.
The following models are available: 14.5-inch, carbine-length; 16-inch, carbine-length; 16-inch, mid-length; 18-inch, rifle-length; and 20-inch, rifle-length. The 18- and 20-inch barrels with rifle-length gas systems retail for $379, while the remaining models retail for $349.
“FN barrels are among the best in the world,” said Mark Cherpes, FN America President and CEO. “Our parent company, FN Herstal, has spent decades perfecting the art of making cold hammer-forged, chrome-lined barrels. This knowledge has transitioned and is the same process we use today in South Carolina. Top-quality materials, state-of-the-art equipment and rigorous quality testing produce the most precise, long-lasting barrels money can buy.”
So, should we expect these barrels to be the same high quality as the FN barrels used in military weapons, like the M16, or will this be a "civilian" product?
http://3gunnation.com/news/details/artmid/509/articleid/597918/fn-america-launches-new-ar-15-commercial-barrel-line-
Waiting for the other shoe to drop.....
Just seems that Big gun companies aren't capable of doing something like this without "ACRing" the idea up.
They are already making tons of commercial barrels on this same equipment, no? And they are considered some of the best.
My understanding is
Noveske
Centurion
Palmetto State Armory
Spikes
BCM? (I have never seen who makes BCMs barrels)
CHF barrels are all made on the FN equipment. It would seem to me someone at FN finally realized they should be selling these themselves. I don't see why they would dumb them down for civilians. I also don't think FN uses Forged barrels in their current US military contracts m4/m16. So yes we would get a different barrel, that I think is actually better than mil spec.
They are already making tons of commercial barrels on this same equipment, no? And they are considered some of the best.
Yeah... But didn't their commercial AR come out with some corners cut? I'm just a skeptic.
Could be good, could be awful. Depends to what specs they are making the barrels to and what level of QC is going to be held to. As I have said before, it isn't who makes the parts, but to what specs and QC said parts are made to. Garbage in garbage out if you will.
Unfortunately until a few members on this forum who know what to look for get their hands on a few there will be no way of knowing.
SomeOtherGuy
11-05-14, 11:11
Grant, and other dealers - I'd be interested in a 18" or 20" one of these with (ideally) a pinned low profile gas block installed, or (2nd choice) the barrel dimpled for a set screw block.
It would be better yet if FN would get away from the GI style with a heavier profile towards the muzzle, and do a continuous taper apart from the gas block seat.
Don't they make Rainiers Mountain Series barrels?
didnt know military barrels were 'better' than civilian issue...
how is a military m4 barrel better than what i have?
Waiting for the other shoe to drop.....
Just seems that Big gun companies aren't capable of doing something like this without "ACRing" the idea up.
Are you saying that these big gun companies are capable of "SCARing" their reputations? Sorry, as father I am now expected to have bad jokes. FN is an interesting company because they tend to do things relatively well with out applying the Freedom Group mentality. That said, their looking to make a buck in a market that is ever shrinking after Newtown, and the more desperate these companies get for our dollars the more options we have
didnt know military barrels were 'better' than civilian issue...
how is a military m4 barrel better than what i have?
Depends what you have. If you buy a BCM or Colt, you've got a barrel made to the military specs... short of any barrel length variances due to NFA considerations.
The possibility for FN to mess this up lies in the raw materials (unlikely they'd screw that up), to gas port sizing, and even in to quality control.
Are you saying that these big gun companies are capable of "SCARing" their reputations? Sorry, as father I am now expected to have bad jokes. FN is an interesting company because they tend to do things relatively well with out applying the Freedom Group mentality. That said, their looking to make a buck in a market that is ever shrinking after Newtown, and the more desperate these companies get for our dollars the more options we have
The reason I asked the question is that from what I have read here, the FN civilian ARs are not up to the same standards that one would expect from a top tier AR maker.
ive got a s&w m& p 10
a dpms oracle
and a daniel defense mk18
how do those stack up to a military issue m4
The reason I asked the question is that from what I have read here, the FN civilian ARs are not up to the same standards that one would expect from a top tier AR maker.
They have a noncompete clause with Colt if I'm not mistaken, someone on here knows a lot more than me on this. However their barrels that are manufactured for other companies are thought to be quite good, the point that Markm and others are trying to make is that often times manufactures like to cut corners on some of their products when they produce for the civilian market, this remains to be seen from FN on these barrels, however is not out side the realm of possibility. I was making the point that firearm manufactures are trying to drum up sales to help this years bottom line, which won't be near post Newtown levels.
ive got a s&w m& p 10
a dpms oracle
and a daniel defense mk18
how do those stack up to a military issue m4
I started to giggle with DPMS, but something tells me your serious, are you?
WickedWillis
11-05-14, 13:07
ive got a s&w m& p 10
a dpms oracle
and a daniel defense mk18
how do those stack up to a military issue m4
Only the MK18 stacks up to mil-spec. The DPMS couldn't be farther from it.
Only the MK18 stacks up to mil-spec. The DPMS couldn't be farther from it.
But some of those DD's are ridiculously over-gassed... which is what I'm getting at. If FN pulls that crap so booger eaters can run Tula ammo, then there's no upside to these barrels hitting the market for serious AR shooters.
the dpms was my first AR
its not THAT bad
its been ok
ive put maybe 6 or 7 hundred rounds thru it with only a couple hiccups
WickedWillis
11-05-14, 13:21
But some of those DD's are ridiculously over-gassed... which is what I'm getting at. If FN pulls that crap so booger eaters can run Tula ammo, then there's no upside to these barrels hitting the market for serious AR shooters.
Sorry, I was answering Proteus' question there.
But some of those DD's are ridiculously over-gassed... which is what I'm getting at. If FN pulls that crap so booger eaters can run Tula ammo, then there's no upside to these barrels hitting the market for serious AR shooters.
The upside would be that the price for FN barrels coming from other manufactures ( hopefully still made to more exacting standards) would most likely drop to compensate for these FN barrels. The way I think about it is, would a guy buy the Mountain Series from Rainier when he knows he can get the same barrels with out going through the middle man. Even if they are compromised.
I started to giggle with DPMS, but something tells me your serious, are you?
Laugh all you want, I've seen some stainless DPMS barrels that would shoot!
mastiffhound
11-05-14, 16:06
It's the pricing that doesn't make any sense to me? I can buy either the CHF or the cut rifling FN barreled uppers from Palmetto State for between $75 to $100 less than what FN is going to charge for their barrels. I can then remove the receiver, resell it, and even if I only sell it for $25 I'm still way ahead. Am I missing something?
A very interesting development. Would be nice if they offered 14.5" and 16" barrels in an "intermediate" profile. Something slightly heavier than the standard skinny 6520 pattern barrel, but not a heavy barrel and tapered in profile like the DD S2W.
dramabeats
11-05-14, 16:58
Laugh all you want, I've seen some stainless DPMS barrels that would shoot!
A stainless barrel SHOULD shoot well, the real test is what their CL barrel can do.
Voodoo_Man
11-05-14, 17:05
Hmmm
Very interesting indeed, especially at the price points they are releasing...
If FN makes these barrels as well as they can make them, then they will be great barrels. However, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if they cut some corners. Honestly, I wouldn't even look at them if I was going to buy a barrel for a build as I would probably just get one from BCM.
Levi
Please attempt to respond and post with rational and coherently formulated sentences so people will know whether or not we should take you seriously.
the dpms was my first AR
its not THAT bad
its been ok
ive put maybe 6 or 7 hundred rounds thru it with only a couple hiccups
Then why not just buy a barrel from one of the many companies that buy their CHF barrels....aren't Noveske barrels FN?
Then why not just buy a barrel from one of the many companies that buy their CHF barrels....aren't Noveske barrels FN?
Last I knew Noveske got their CHF barrels from PAC-NOR which is a local company to them.
Levi
A stainless barrel SHOULD shoot well, the real test is what their CL barrel can do.
The AP4 barrels shoot well (just north of an inch with light match loads in my case, 5 shot groups), say all you want about them. The DPMS barrels cut corners with a softer steel and over-sized gas-ports. Accuracy is not one of their shortcomings IME.
Let me make it clear - I think DPMS is crap.
what causes a barrel to be over gassed? too big of a port?
whats the problem with being over gassed?
accuracy? excessive wear and tear on the bolt or extractor?
what causes a barrel to be over gassed? too big of a port?
whats the problem with being over gassed?
accuracy? excessive wear and tear on the bolt or extractor?
Gas port size.
However, if you want to really get into it, true bore diameter matters. a 5.56 barrel with a large bore will build up less back pressure than a barrel will a similar size gas port and tighter bore.
Biggest factor is gas-port size really.
Specific barrel lengths/gas systems have a range of port size values that should be adhered to avoid under or over gassing the system.
what causes a barrel to be over gassed? too big of a port?
whats the problem with being over gassed?
accuracy? excessive wear and tear on the bolt or extractor?
If it is over gassed it will wear out faster and have a sharper recoil impulse(I speak from experience in regards to the recoil, though not a lot you can pick up the sharper force). Also, if the barrel starts out over gassed as you shoot it wear will expand the size of the gas port over thousands of rounds that could result in even more issues up to and including the rifle being able to reliably function over the course of its life as the port expands to where it is throwing so much gas the the carrier is out running the ability of the mag to feed rounds.
Punching paper it isn't an issue, but if you plan on betting your ass and balls on the rifle working when you need it, proper materials and port size makes a lot of difference.
ok thanks for all that. im assuming too large a port is what causes over gassing. i imagine there would be a strict formula adhered to with designers/ manufacturers so that there wouldnt be any issues.
a formula that should be pretty exact regardless of gas system length and barrel length. is there no such magic formula that is an industry standard?
ok thanks for all that. im assuming too large a port is what causes over gassing. i imagine there would be a strict formula adhered to with designers/ manufacturers so that there wouldnt be any issues.
a formula that should be pretty exact regardless of gas system length and barrel length. is there no such magic formula that is an industry standard?
Not when there's ppl who'll spend 1800 on a correctly made Daniel defense rifle with a proper gas port that'll function amazingly with m855 or m193 but cheap out on their DD or other companies rifle with bad ammo, calling the company mad that their rifles are jamming with Tula or any other under powered ammo. Forcing companies to open up their ports so the rifles stop jamming on those ppl.
To have a proper gas port the proper ammo is just as important.
Cheap ammo is the reason for large gas ports.
Not when there's ppl who'll spend 1800 on a correctly made Daniel defense rifle with a proper gas port that'll function amazingly with m855 or m193 but cheap out on their DD or other companies rifle with bad ammo, calling the company mad that their rifles are jamming with Tula or any other under powered ammo. Forcing companies to open up their ports so the rifles stop jamming on those ppl.
To have a proper gas port the proper ammo is just as important.
Cheap ammo is the reason for large gas ports.
This is true. I have two BCMs that do not like Tula, will cycle, but not 100%, and often fail to lock back on an empty mag. But with brass cased .223 and 5.56 nary an issue. This is called a clue that it is not the rifle but the ammo that is causing a problem contrary to what some people may tell you. But with the mindset of many that "Good enough" is "Just as good," "and "Just as good" = "It is above milspec" and you run into people having issues. These types are usually the ones you run into at the range, the shooters who buy into the hype, the bullshit, and don't do their research and think .223 ammo and 5.56 Nato are the same loading when they are not. They also think that the Taurus Judge is the end all be all defensive pistol and that you never had to shoot a pistol beyond 7 meters because 80% of shootings occur less and that, and if you can make hits past that you must be special forces or something because that takes skill :suicide: because their trigger control sucks so bad that they don't shoot groups at 7 meters but shotgun patterns. A little information is a vary dangerous thing, more so when it comes to guns and for those who take things serious the devil truly is in the details, because ignoring those details may result in you meeting the ****er before the other son of a bitch you were intent on sending to meet him yourself.
justin_247
11-05-14, 20:36
Last I knew Noveske got their CHF barrels from PAC-NOR which is a local company to them.
Levi
No...
Noveske gets their stainless blanks from Pac-Nor, and they get their CHF barrels from FN (who manufactures them according to Noveske's specific requirements).
so who makes the best AR barrels in the world? FN?
so who makes the best AR barrels in the world? FN?
Depends on what you are wanting out of the barrel. Accuracy? longevity? Carbine length gas system? Mid length? Horse cock diameter to beat your enemies with once you run out of ammo? Depends on the mission of the rifle. Might be FN, might not be, again depends on what your end goal is as well as to the specs that the barrel is made. Sorry who the less than straight answer but reality there isn't one. Depends on what you define as best.
justin_247
11-05-14, 20:55
They are already making tons of commercial barrels on this same equipment, no? And they are considered some of the best.
My understanding is
Noveske
Centurion
Palmetto State Armory
Spikes
BCM? (I have never seen who makes BCMs barrels)
There has never been any confirmation that FN manufactures BCM's BFH line of barrels. A lot of people don't realize that there are manufacturers other than FN and DD who make hammer forged barrels, such as Winchester, Remington, and Ruger.
I'm sure there are more out there who don't advertise.
Depends on what you are wanting out of the barrel. Accuracy? longevity? Carbine length gas system? Mid length? Horse cock diameter to beat your enemies with once you run out of ammo? Depends on the mission of the rifle. Might be FN, might not be, again depends on what your end goal is as well as to the specs that the barrel is made. Sorry who the less than straight answer but reality there isn't one. Depends on what you define as best.
ok. what barrel/AR type rifle would you want for afghanistan urban warfare that would be considered the best
They really can't make a bad barrel as much as they can make bad choices. Two specifically.
Gas port. They know what each gas prize does, they what what companies like no seek have speced in the past. They can either pick a gas port tailored to 5.56 pressure ammo or they can choose one tailored to .223 cheap steel crap. Obviously as a community we'd like to see 5.56 specs.
Contour. Again they know their choices. Let's pray they don't choose government profile for all of these.
Barrel steel, bore (from forging mandrel) and chrome lining are all an absolute and are all great.
SomeOtherGuy
11-05-14, 21:10
There has never been any confirmation that FN manufactures BCM's BFH line of barrels. A lot of people don't realize that there are manufacturers other than FN and DD who make hammer forged barrels, such as Winchester, Remington, and Ruger.
I'm sure there are more out there who don't advertise.
Winchester is (today) just a brand name used by FNH-USA, as is Browning. A US-made Winchester barrel would be an FN-made barrel. There are some models that are Japanese and those have Japanese-made barrels (CHF machines are also present in Japan).
Remington makes CHF barrels but most of them are, ahem, not distinguished in their quality. Ruger is somewhat better, but if you happen across a truly outstanding CHF barrel, odds are it was made by either FN or Steyr (though HK, Sig, and Howa are also possibilities).
justin_247
11-05-14, 21:22
Winchester is (today) just a brand name used by FNH-USA, as is Browning. A US-made Winchester barrel would be an FN-made barrel. There are some models that are Japanese and those have Japanese-made barrels (CHF machines are also present in Japan).
Remington makes CHF barrels but most of them are, ahem, not distinguished in their quality. Ruger is somewhat better, but if you happen across a truly outstanding CHF barrel, odds are it was made by either FN or Steyr (though HK, Sig, and Howa are also possibilities).
That is true about Winchester, being that it was bought by FN. But they had hammer forging machines in the U.S. before they were purchased by them.
No...
Noveske gets their stainless blanks from Pac-Nor, and they get their CHF barrels from FN (who manufactures them according to Noveske's specific requirements).
I stand corrected. I thought all of their barrels were special made for them by Pac-Nor.
Levi
turnburglar
11-06-14, 02:29
ok. what barrel/AR type rifle would you want for afghanistan urban warfare that would be considered the best
That's a pretty silly question. Alot of manufactures make great rifles. A few make crap. Any great rifle will do. Would I have rather had my bcm kmr than my issued colt? Maybe. My experience over there was heavy machine guns and close air support trumped whatever bullshit you had in your hands.
but if you happen across a truly outstanding CHF barrel, odds are it was made by either FN or Steyr (though HK, Sig, and Howa are also possibilities).
Do not forget ones from Beretta Group - especially SAKO/Tikka barrels.
Singlestack Wonder
11-06-14, 05:40
Never mind...
That's a pretty silly question. Alot of manufactures make great rifles. A few make crap. Any great rifle will do. Would I have rather had my bcm kmr than my issued colt? Maybe. My experience over there was heavy machine guns and close air support trumped whatever bullshit you had in your hands.
why is it a silly question?
Grant, and other dealers - I'd be interested in a 18" or 20" one of these with (ideally) a pinned low profile gas block installed, or (2nd choice) the barrel dimpled for a set screw block.
It would be better yet if FN would get away from the GI style with a heavier profile towards the muzzle, and do a continuous taper apart from the gas block seat.
The 10K question is, how good are they? HPT/MPI? What is the GP size? What is the contour? Seeing how they cannot use ANYTHING from the TDP to make these, where did they get the drawings? Borrow them for PSA again? I hope not.
At the prices they are quoting, something from BCM, Centurion, etc would probably be a better deal.
http://www.gandrtactical.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=BRL-BFH-16-MID-LW
C4
the dpms was my first AR
its not THAT bad
its been ok
ive put maybe 6 or 7 hundred rounds thru it with only a couple hiccups
You asked, it was answered. DPMS = sub par AR. Some put that rnd count through ARs in a day of shooting. If I had "a couple hiccups" in 6 or 7 hundred rounds in an AR...even my old Shlubmaster gave me zero malfunctions in years of use.
The 10K question is, how good are they? HPT/MPI? What is the GP size? What is the contour? Seeing how they cannot use ANYTHING from the TDP to make these, where did they get the drawings? Borrow them for PSA again? I hope not.
At the prices they are quoting, something from BCM, Centurion, etc would probably be a better deal.
http://www.gandrtactical.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=BRL-BFH-16-MID-LW
C4
Which is why I really am looking forward to the BCM BFH ELW & BFH ELW-F uppers hitting the shelves.....:)
KalashniKEV
11-06-14, 09:24
Yeah... But didn't their commercial AR come out with some corners cut? I'm just a skeptic.
The reason I asked the question is that from what I have read here, the FN civilian ARs are not up to the same standards that one would expect from a top tier AR maker.
That was the info that was put out, and it maybe might have been true for the pre-production samples, but it is not correct for what came to market.
I sent a "chart survey" (Yeahhhhhh, I know...) to FNHUSA Customer Service earlier this year and the specs they returned were identical to the LE6920.
They did not tell me how this is done within the constraints of the TDP licensing agreement's language on commercial production.
Gas port. They know what each gas prize does, they what what companies like no seek have speced in the past. They can either pick a gas port tailored to 5.56 pressure ammo or they can choose one tailored to .223 cheap steel crap. Obviously as a community we'd like to see 5.56 specs.
The only spec that differed slightly on the FN15 Carbine was the .062" port.
Colt quotes theirs as .063".
Is the sky falling yet? ;)
That was the info that was put out, and it maybe might have been true for the pre-production samples, but it is not correct for what came to market.
I sent a "chart survey" (Yeahhhhhh, I know...) to FNHUSA Customer Service earlier this year and the specs they returned were identical to the LE6920.
They did not tell me how this is done within the constraints of the TDP licensing agreement's language on commercial production.
The only spec that differed slightly on the FN15 Carbine was the .062" port.
Colt quotes theirs as .063".
I reviewed the FN civilian ARs at SHOT....and yes I was told all the right things of course. So, having seen conflicting info....
Actually your statement is wrong. Many AR companies churn out crap, a handful actually make good ones.
That's a pretty silly question. Alot of manufactures make great rifles. A few make crap. Any great rifle will do. Would I have rather had my bcm kmr than my issued colt? Maybe. My experience over there was heavy machine guns and close air support trumped whatever bullshit you had in your hands.
The FN AR's I looked at were not correct. I'm pretty sure we have a thread that discusses all of the issues that were noted.
I reviewed the FN civilian ARs at SHOT....and yes I was told all the right things of course. So, having seen conflicting info....
The FN AR's I looked at were not correct. I'm pretty sure we have a thread that discusses all of the issues that were noted.
And that was exactly my point. My first reaction, FN has a great reputation, they provided me all the correct answers about the civilian rifles, but I read here that all is not well. I am really hoping these are top quality AR barrels, but there appears to be at least room for skepticism at this point.
KalashniKEV
11-07-14, 09:48
The FN AR's I looked at were not correct. I'm pretty sure we have a thread that discusses all of the issues that were noted.
If I recall, the discrepancies noted were 6061 RE, which it is a 7075, and unstaked castle nut.
Were there any other issues noted?
jtaylor996
11-07-14, 10:56
Well, Brownell's (http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/barrel-parts/rifle-barrels/ar15-m16-hammer-forged-barrels-prod71548.aspx?avs|Make_3=AR-15/M4&avs|Manufacturer_1=fnh%20usa) has them up now, with pics showing a Gov't profile. So that's the first disappointment so far. Their description looks like it was lifted from PSA's website almost. The do list MPI testing.
I've noticed over the last year or so that CHF barrels from PSA are getting rarer and rarer. I wonder if they're going to stop supplying PSA with these identical barrels now?
Well, Brownell's (http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/barrel-parts/rifle-barrels/ar15-m16-hammer-forged-barrels-prod71548.aspx?avs|Make_3=AR-15/M4&avs|Manufacturer_1=fnh%20usa) has them up now, with pics showing a Gov't profile. So that's the first disappointment so far. Their description looks like it was lifted from PSA's website almost. The do list MPI testing.
I've noticed over the last year or so that CHF barrels from PSA are getting rarer and rarer. I wonder if they're going to stop supplying PSA with these identical barrels now?
How well do these barrels hold up to use and abuse? Does anyone have first hand experience?
Supposedly Rainier's Mountain Series barrels are made by FN to Rainiers specs... well they just went up in price ~$75... wonder if this has something to do with it?
Well, Brownell's (http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/barrel-parts/rifle-barrels/ar15-m16-hammer-forged-barrels-prod71548.aspx?avs|Make_3=AR-15/M4&avs|Manufacturer_1=fnh%20usa) has them up now, with pics showing a Gov't profile. So that's the first disappointment so far. Their description looks like it was lifted from PSA's website almost. The do list MPI testing.
I've noticed over the last year or so that CHF barrels from PSA are getting rarer and rarer. I wonder if they're going to stop supplying PSA with these identical barrels now?
I thought MPI was sort of useless without HPT... Then again, I'm no expert.
Purchased my FN 15 rifle early this year and very happy with the quality and actually surprised how accurate it is with original barrel. No ar expert but what's the difference between the new barrels being offered compared to current fn line rifles? Would it be as accurate as the current rifles?
I have a FSB FN 18-inch barrel with about 500 rounds through it that I use for pleasure shooting. It is accurate and consistent. Off a sandbag rest and with the same handloads, at 100 yards the difference among it and my BCM and Colt 20-inch guns is fractions of an inch. None of them are free-floated. Obviously, a mechanical shooting rest would tell a better story but, for me, the point is moot. YMMV.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.