View Full Version : Pencil barrels thoughts
aleftwich22
03-30-23, 05:02
Planning on building a true 16” with pinned/welded muzzle devise. Looking for thoughts ideas on barrels.
Right now leaning toward Faxon 14.5” pencil with pinned/welded brake.
Any thoughts ideas would be great. Thanks
It's more convenient to have a pinned MD included with the barrel, but that choice is limiting. Results with Faxon barrels have been spotty here; myself and another member got nice accurate barrels, other members got later barrels that were poor with matching customer service.
The idea of a pinned MD with a diameter small enough to permit changing the gas block sounds good, but I would be more likely to change a pinned MD than the gas block behind it. I personally prefer flash hiders to brakes, but it really depends what you plan to use the gun for.
I have one 14.5" AR with a pinned FH and I honestly do not notice the difference in length between it and my 16" ARs. I love the idea, but just don't notice the difference. I am sure if I mainly used the 14.5 then I would be banging the 16" guns into crap every time I moved through a tight area.
Andy
I/we would be victims of Faxon's garbage. I would never buy anthing from those booger eaters.
That said, I'd be reluctant to have a perm brake. We busted out a 14.5 that was running too rich for the AAC can it had, and I took the can off to make the gun shootable. It had that brakeout mount... HOLY FUDGE!! That thing about tore my head of with concussion. Miserable. The only brake-ish device I can stand to shoot on 14.5 is the BCM Gunfighter. By far the mildest concussion.
And extended A2 flash hider is an option too.
And extended A2 flash hider is an option too.BCM A2X, Voodoo Manimal if it must be removable. YHM makes an inexpensive 2.25” flash hider and I think FCD has an extended 6315 now, also. Or a 14.7” barrel like SOLGW has, with a regular A2 or 6315 and a spacer or thick washer. Measure twice, weld once.
As far as pencil profiles go, they work well for general-purpose use, with reasonable rates of fire and reasonable expectations for precision. Perfect for a gun that gets carried a lot. If you have a tendency to shoot until your glove gets hot or engage in shooting styles that require a high percentage of hits on angularly small targets, a pencil is not what you seek.
titsonritz
03-30-23, 12:18
I'd walk on past that Faxon garbage. I have a BCM standard LW 14.5" w/ FSB & A2X FH, a BCM BFH ELW 14.5" w/ FOSSA FH, a Criterion Core 12" carbine gas and a 13.9" mid gas w/ FCD 6315KM-L MD and a SIONICS 16" LW w/ FOSSA FH. All mid-length gas system except for the 12" Core, all have been 100% and they all chrome lined, which I prefer. I shoot my light weight guns way more than govt profile / HB guns.
Bravo Company 14.5” ELW Accuracy: A Quick Look
ELW stands for enhanced light-weight. This barrel is from Bravo Company’s cold-hammer forged series of barrels. The barrel has a “continuous taper” design with a smooth shoulder at the gas block journal, which reportedly improves barrel harmonics. This barrel has a mid-length gas system and a 0.625” gas block journal.
According to Bravo Company, this barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 5 ounces. For comparison, a Colt 14.5” M4 barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 9 ounces.
BCM 14.5” ELW
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/bcm_elw_stock_phonto_01_resized-1298250.jpg
Colt 14.5” M4 barrel. (not stripped)
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/colt_m4_barrel_01_resized-1298030.jpg
I purchased this barrel as part of a BCM factory assembled upper receiver group with the MCMR 13” free-float hand guard. The barrel has BCM’s pinned and welded A2X flash hider.
Shooting off-the-bench at a distance of 100 yards (using a high magnification scope), this barrel produced a 10-shot group that has an extreme spread of 0.946” with a mean radius of 0.33”.
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/bcm_elw_10_shot_group_at_100_yards_01_re-1253570.jpg
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/bcm_14_5_elw_001_resized_08-1253427b-1856118.jpg
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/bcm_elw_borescope_001-2247926.jpg
….
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/m855a1_muzzle_velocities_002-2426796.jpg
....
titsonritz
03-30-23, 18:26
Bravo Company 14.5” ELW Accuracy: A Quick Look
ELW stands for enhanced light-weight. This barrel is from Bravo Company’s cold-hammer forged series of barrels. The barrel has a “continuous taper” design with a smooth shoulder at the gas block journal, which reportedly improves barrel harmonics. This barrel has a mid-length gas system and a 0.625” gas block journal.
According to Bravo Company, this barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 5 ounces. For comparison, a Colt 14.5” M4 barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 9 ounces.
IMO, it is the balance and handling characteristic of these barrels that make them a winner.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230330/e13ceaf2d58e1c95b55ae3a22a09a9b3.png
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IMO, it is the balance and handling characteristic of these barrels that make them a winner.
Yep. The barrel weight is allocated WAY better. Opposite of the govt profile. I still run a govt profile too though.
titsonritz
03-30-23, 19:12
Yep. The barrel weight is allocated WAY better. Opposite of the govt profile. I still run a govt profile too though.
Yep, I do to.
titsonritz
03-30-23, 19:14
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230330/e13ceaf2d58e1c95b55ae3a22a09a9b3.png
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Ain't nothing wrong with that.
Sidneyious
03-30-23, 19:22
Is bcm still doing "one time barrel replacement" as an option?
What is the purpose of this build? Are you looking for an ultralight gun? How many ARs do you have/have you built?
I like lighter weight barrels because I don't the need a H-Bar or SOCOM profile for my volume of shooting. My first and favorite AR has a light weight 16" midlength BCM barrel and is nice to handle and carry with an RDS, light, and sling. My "general purpose" build has a lightweight continuous taper (similar to BCM ELW or BA Hanson) profile and a 1-4 optic. It's not as light (scopes are heavy) but it's OK.
Unless you already have 16" guns and are looking for something different; it really is a good barrel length. There are a lot of quality barrels to choose from, you can swap muzzle devices, gas blocks, etc at will, and the 1.5" in extra length is barely noticeable.
I personally would put a thread protector on a 16" barrel before I ran a 14.5 with a permanent brake.
Andy
I like lighter weight barrels because I don't the need a H-Bar or SOCOM profile for my volume of shooting.
I really don't shoot high volume either. But I like overkill/over engineering. I'll always error on the heavy side for any barrel selection.
I personally would put a thread protector on a 16" barrel before I ran a 14.5 with a permanent brake.
Andy
I've cut off several permed brakes when I/we could no longer stand them.
Ain't nothing wrong with that.
Yeah really can’t complain. I usually only shoot groups with an SD-E and I had several more Gucci guns out last weekend, with SD-Es, and I wasn’t able to shoot any of them as well.
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I bought the POS Markm was ripping on. It was shooting plate sized groups and I sent it back into Faxon and they said it had 10,000 rounds on it. It didn't have 100 rounds probably.
I own the BCM ELW 14.5 upper and it shoots much better. Getting ready to tame it a little with a BRT tube because the mini 4 can makes it run hot.
PB
titsonritz
04-04-23, 21:34
I bought the POS Markm was ripping on. It was shooting plate sized groups and I sent it back into Faxon and they said it had 10,000 rounds on it. It didn't have 100 rounds probably.
I own the BCM ELW 14.5 upper and it shoots much better. Getting ready to tame it a little with a BRT tube because the mini 4 can makes it run hot.
PB
Had it been a SOLGW with 10,000 rounds they would have replaced it.
TomPenguin5145
04-05-23, 04:38
For what it is worth I run a 14.7 BA Modern Series Pencil barrel on my AR15. It has somewhere north of 10,000 rounds on it. When I hit 10,000 a few years ago I stopped counting. I have used the rifle for duty use since 2018ish. Still shoots .223 Hornady TAP Urban (55 gn VMax) sub MOA. The spreads do open up after a few mag dumps but not enough to effect it enough at 100 yards for me to care.
I attached a photo of it from 2018...its basically the same...just a different stock and optic now....and a bunch of daily wear.
Had it been a SOLGW with 10,000 rounds they would have replaced it.
I regret not getting any SOLGW kit. I’ve heard nothing but good things yet I’ve kinda stayed in my comfort zone. Good to know there is another top tier option.
PB
I own the BCM ELW 14.5 upper and it shoots much better. Getting ready to tame it a little with a BRT tube because the mini 4 can makes it run hot.
PB
I have the 11.5 ELW-F?? I think that's it. I have a Sandman K and installed the BRT and VLTOR A5 kit. I freaking love how that gun shoots.
I also have the BCM 14.5 ELW barrel with a pinned and welded A2 extended flash hider. The weight distribution is excellent, and it handles much better than a 14.5” M4.
Bcm14.5 ELw-F that shoots with my Larue Stealth barrels or better. I thought I had a fluke with all the inaccurate BCM talk.
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