Molon
02-06-16, 13:49
Observations on the Accuracy of a 20” Lothar Walther AR-15 Barrel
https://app.box.com/shared/static/54r3ei5eya6fzsli811me0ipfvslbaxk.jpg
I’ve used a 20” stainless-steel Lothar Walther barrel for evaluating the accuracy (technically precision) of several different 5.56mm/223 Remington factory loads now. Prior to firing each of these factory loads, I’ve fired a 10-shot control group using some of my “generic” hand-loads; by generic, I mean that these hand-loads were not “tuned” for this specific barrel. The targets that will be shown below are a collection of some of these 10-shot control groups.
I purchased this 20” Lothar Walther barrel directly from Lothar Walther. The barrel is manufactured from LW50 stainless steel. The Lothar Walther website states that LW50 was developed “in 1994-95 as a safe alternative to 416R and to solve durability problems associated with 416R.”
Lothar Walther barrels are produced using button rifling. This barrel has traditional rifling (not polygonal rifling) and has a 1:8” twist rate. The barrel has a 223 Wylde chamber, “M4” feed-ramps and a recessed target crown.
https://app.box.com/shared/static/v5lif59x2b61vdv6p71mvxjo6tpq0ki8.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/on562g608i8tdfshdk0xc7uor85ngedx.jpg
I installed this Lothar Walther barrel in a LaRue Tactical Stealth upper receiver with “M4” feed-ramps.
http://www.box.net/shared/static/zkmlpnn4xq.jpg
The barrel was free-floated with a LaRue Tactical 12” railed handguard.
https://app.box.com/shared/static/a29ztftyl3p0qdxai5p21bsbej8eoyfb.jpg
All shooting was conducted from a concrete bench-rest from a distance of 100 yards (confirmed with a laser rangefinder.) The free-float handguard of the rifle rested in a Sinclair Windage Benchrest, while the stock of the rifle rested in a Protektor bunny-ear rear bag.
Sighting was accomplished via a Leupold VARI-X III set at 25X magnification and adjusted to be parallax-free at 100 yards. A mirage shield was attached to the objective-bell of the scope. Wind conditions on the shooting range were continuously monitored using a Wind Probe. The set-up was very similar to that pictured below.
https://app.box.com/shared/static/7o9zt9idk7889mmzlcbkjaqe16r5mz8h.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/34onzav3qv4qj12lgbf6ebe7xs3n1akn.jpg
Finally, the 10-shot control groups . . .
https://app.box.com/shared/static/y2m1skojf80dda3r9l6pjcxwsj5g9vcf.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/y5obg9p7avwdd3bol7oqutrqrtzipixi.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/v3oxcx1my6sqzxf7620fs9iqxkxnwiul.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/0311rb7hc64c90e82hypj94qkvjxaxyh.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/yk23cjetfymqigsef3pusosx580m2s5t.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/migpaalc5hrvoe7dpdallijbvzs9m5b4.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/f025hsxlf82s6numat9sjrsxxuuaztc0.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/jj73mcxb3eparuujqcgyde044ng1yn5d.jpg
.......
Lastly, for any Internet Commandos in our viewing audience, here's a pic of a 3-shot group fired from the Lothar Walther barrel. The group has an extreme spread of 0.183".http://www.ar15.com/images/smilies/icon_smile_big.gif
https://app.box.com/shared/static/qr0tfk7rq236wgsa1ono6s9k7kwp29kg.jpg
...
https://app.box.com/shared/static/54r3ei5eya6fzsli811me0ipfvslbaxk.jpg
I’ve used a 20” stainless-steel Lothar Walther barrel for evaluating the accuracy (technically precision) of several different 5.56mm/223 Remington factory loads now. Prior to firing each of these factory loads, I’ve fired a 10-shot control group using some of my “generic” hand-loads; by generic, I mean that these hand-loads were not “tuned” for this specific barrel. The targets that will be shown below are a collection of some of these 10-shot control groups.
I purchased this 20” Lothar Walther barrel directly from Lothar Walther. The barrel is manufactured from LW50 stainless steel. The Lothar Walther website states that LW50 was developed “in 1994-95 as a safe alternative to 416R and to solve durability problems associated with 416R.”
Lothar Walther barrels are produced using button rifling. This barrel has traditional rifling (not polygonal rifling) and has a 1:8” twist rate. The barrel has a 223 Wylde chamber, “M4” feed-ramps and a recessed target crown.
https://app.box.com/shared/static/v5lif59x2b61vdv6p71mvxjo6tpq0ki8.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/on562g608i8tdfshdk0xc7uor85ngedx.jpg
I installed this Lothar Walther barrel in a LaRue Tactical Stealth upper receiver with “M4” feed-ramps.
http://www.box.net/shared/static/zkmlpnn4xq.jpg
The barrel was free-floated with a LaRue Tactical 12” railed handguard.
https://app.box.com/shared/static/a29ztftyl3p0qdxai5p21bsbej8eoyfb.jpg
All shooting was conducted from a concrete bench-rest from a distance of 100 yards (confirmed with a laser rangefinder.) The free-float handguard of the rifle rested in a Sinclair Windage Benchrest, while the stock of the rifle rested in a Protektor bunny-ear rear bag.
Sighting was accomplished via a Leupold VARI-X III set at 25X magnification and adjusted to be parallax-free at 100 yards. A mirage shield was attached to the objective-bell of the scope. Wind conditions on the shooting range were continuously monitored using a Wind Probe. The set-up was very similar to that pictured below.
https://app.box.com/shared/static/7o9zt9idk7889mmzlcbkjaqe16r5mz8h.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/34onzav3qv4qj12lgbf6ebe7xs3n1akn.jpg
Finally, the 10-shot control groups . . .
https://app.box.com/shared/static/y2m1skojf80dda3r9l6pjcxwsj5g9vcf.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/y5obg9p7avwdd3bol7oqutrqrtzipixi.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/v3oxcx1my6sqzxf7620fs9iqxkxnwiul.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/0311rb7hc64c90e82hypj94qkvjxaxyh.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/yk23cjetfymqigsef3pusosx580m2s5t.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/migpaalc5hrvoe7dpdallijbvzs9m5b4.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/f025hsxlf82s6numat9sjrsxxuuaztc0.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/jj73mcxb3eparuujqcgyde044ng1yn5d.jpg
.......
Lastly, for any Internet Commandos in our viewing audience, here's a pic of a 3-shot group fired from the Lothar Walther barrel. The group has an extreme spread of 0.183".http://www.ar15.com/images/smilies/icon_smile_big.gif
https://app.box.com/shared/static/qr0tfk7rq236wgsa1ono6s9k7kwp29kg.jpg
...