In that case you may want to consider something like BCM's Stainless 16" mid barrel, Centurion Arms 16" Standard/Medium profile barrel (a bit heavier than the usual Gov't profile).
The Daniel Defense CHF barrels are very high quality, and quite reasonably priced. If you must have a heavier profile, look at their "Strength To Weight" (S2W) barrels. Try a lightweight first though, you might be surprised.
I have a DD 10.3" light profile CHF barrel on my AR pistol, and it shows phenomenal accuracy at 100 yards.
In another forum I was browsing not too long ago, The owner of a large Range by the name of "Battlefield Las Vegas" stated that his 20 PSA CHF 10.5" and 12" rifles performed as well as his LMT and Daniel Defense rifles after more than 15k rounds.
That is not what was posted. Here is the actual quote:
"I just recently purchased twenty of the complete PSA 12.5" and 10.5" uppers to test them out. So far they have functioned properly like the Daniel Defense and LMT's and have had zero issues. They don't have a huge amount of rounds through them but no issues of jamming have been reported."
He also made absolutely no mention of the difference in accuracy between those different brands of barrels.
I personally rented/fired one of the full-auto "M4"s at that business and probably 1/3 of the rounds that I fired key-holed badly, at just 10 yards.
....
You can buy Daniel Defense barrels, at least here in Canada. I'm not sure who KAC uses for their barrels, but I can vouche for Colt Canada (nee Diemaco) making top notch CHF barrels, I've personally used Colt Canada's product to make hits that most people think only happen in the movies. As far as LW, Government or Heavy barrels, I guess it all comes down to what you're looking to do with the rifle it's going on. The DD S2W barrel is going to be the one I throw on my Mk12 SPW "psuedo clone" when I make it back to OT at my job. I am a bit weird in that I always pick up rifles with very long barrel lives, all of the ones mentioned are known for accuracy and durability.
-S.
Have you even looked at the difference in the profiles between those two barrels? How do you know that those two barrels "specs identically"?
What factual data or valid, verifiable references do you have that both the barrels are manufactured and quality controlled to the same specifications?
Can't speak on the specs, but just checked websites today to confirm something I thought (priced almost the same apples to apples).
Noveske 16" CHF $455 vs. BCM ML 16" $309. Noveske includes gas block (w/ Pin) and tube, BCM does not, roughly $65ish so it's really an ~$81 difference. Noveske barrel is machined for pinned gas block, BCM is not, but don't really know how much $$ that is....let's say $50 bringing the difference to $31. Assuming the shipping is equal, price is pretty darn close apples to apples.
My experience shooting and reading on Noveske barrels along with included block and pin (makes it idiot proof for me), along with them adding a head spaced bolt (needed an extra bolt anyway) for less additional $$ than buying one commercially ($55 vs. $79 @ BCM) drove me to Noveske barrels. Since all my AR's shoot better than me, barrel accuracy isn't a decision driver for me yet. I suspect when I get enough rounds downrange, I'll still be happy with my decision.
Back to someone else for the spec differences.
It's called speculation based on deductive reasoning. I at no time presented these as facts. I am aware that there are probably small technical differences in the barrels, that was the purpose of this thread, to hopefully gain some insight into those differences. So please share whatever information you have.
Barrel Profiles
Colt 6520
http://www.box.net/shared/static/ld80rvpbe2.jpg
Novekse “Skinny”
https://app.box.com/shared/static/w3...64u3sg3jgv.jpg
Centurion Arms “light weight”
http://www.box.net/shared/static/qiroxvm32d.jpg
Colt 6920
http://www.box.net/shared/static/q241k2povu.jpg
Bravo Company BFH
https://app.box.com/shared/static/gs...dcq6ji0y7d.jpg
Noveske N4
http://www.box.net/shared/static/hhvmdvg94f.jpg
Colt 6721
https://app.box.com/shared/static/3bnl8bdr23.jpg
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Accuracy Evaluation of a Bravo Company 14.5” Barrel
https://app.box.com/shared/static/vb...ujjjeqx04v.jpg
The focus of this article is the cold hammer forged (BFH) version of Bravo Company’s 14.5” barrel with a mid-length gas system. As can be seen in the pic above, this barrel has a government profile. This is a chrome-lined, NATO chambered barrel with a 1:7” twist. Bravo Company states that these barrels have been high-pressure/magnetic particle tested according to the current mil-spec.
I conducted an accuracy (technically, precision) evaluation of the Bravo Company 14.5” BFH mid-length barrel following my usual protocol. This accuracy evaluation used statistically significant shot-group sizes and every single shot in a fired group was included in the measurements. There was absolutely no use of any Group Reduction Techniques (e.g. fliers, target movement, Butterfly Shots).
The shooting set-up will be described in detail below. As many of the significant variables as was practicable were controlled for. Pictures of shot-groups are posted for documentation.
All shooting was conducted from a concrete bench-rest from a distance of 100 yards (confirmed with a laser rangefinder.) The Bravo Company 14.5” barrel used in this evaluation was free-floated during testing using a Daniel Defense Omega free-float railed handguard. 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 shade 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/xo4duzdgtp.jpg
https://app.box.com/shared/static/lkg47ptc04.jpg
For this evaluation, I used one of my standard match-grade hand-loads topped with Sierra 55 grain BlitzKings. When fired from my Krieger barreled AR-15s, this load has produced ½ MOA 10-shot groups at 100 yards.
https://app.box.com/shared/static/n5...y2inihdvzq.jpg
Three, 10-shot groups were fired in a row from the Bravo Company 14.5” barrel from a distance of 100 yards with the resulting extreme spreads:
1.58”
1.96”
1.50”
for an average 10-shot group extreme spread of 1.68”. The three, 10-shot groups were over-layed on each other using RSI Shooting Lab to form a 30-shot composite group. The mean radius of the 30-shot composite group was 0.49”
The smallest 10-shot group . . .
https://app.box.com/shared/static/v1...kxxo1why9o.jpg
The 30-shot composite group . . .
https://app.box.com/shared/static/ff...kdlc7ncuwm.jpg
….
Noveske 14.5” N4 Light Barrel
http://www.box.net/shared/static/if9xfp9b6u.jpg
The 14.5” N4 barrel was tested in the same manner as described above. Three 10-shot groups fired from 100 yards using match grade hand-loads had extreme spreads of:
1.029”
1.360”
1.275”
for a 10-shot group average of 1.22”. As above, I over-layed the three 10-shot groups on each other using RSI Shooting lab to form a 30-shot composite group. The mean radius for that composite group was 0.37”.
…..