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Thread: Anybody using a Brownell's retro carbine barrel?

  1. #1
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    Anybody using a Brownell's retro carbine barrel?

    Question: Anyone have measurable experience with Brownell's retro carbine barrels?

    Background: I've been wanting to buy or build a simple and very light, fixed carry-handle, carbine-gas upper w/ 14.5" barrel (something very much like an RO723) - it will go on an NFA lower. I require quality components as I intend to put some use on it. I probably won't need to save my life with it, but you never know. At any rate, a suitable barrel has been been quite elusive.

    I would prefer Colt and the easy way is probably a new M4/6921 barrel, but I really want the lightweight profile (a little nostalgic perhaps). I've considered having a 6520 barrel cut down, but . . . at this point, I am considering other options as well. I have had good experiences with Brownells - LOTS of parts, very long time.

    I will appreciate hearing feedback on these barrels from anyone with some experience to share.
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    I have one of their 20" pencil profile rifle barrels on backorder, the anecdotal reports of their barrels seem to be positive and the specs seem decent. Ballistic Advantage is making the current run if them.

    That being said, while I wholeheartedly support Brownells commitment to the Retro market, they really have had some problems getting their act together with regard to quality control. Their uppers, lowers, and the initial run of their BA-made barrels all had some minor issues.
    The early A1 uppers (the run I got mine from) had carry handle channels milled too narrow to accept standard carry handle optics mounts, the A1 lowers had selector markings on the right side (incorrect for an M16A1) and some of the initial run of the Ballistic Advantage barrels were blemished during the process of drilling the gas ports when the bit over penetrated and hit the opposite side of the bore. Brownells issued a recall and later sold this run of barrels at a significant discount, I haven't heard of anyone having accuracy problems with these blem barrels.

    I was kind of in the same boat as you with regard to wanting a 653 or 723 style carbine. True 14.5/14.7" pencil profile, carbine gas barrels seem to have fallen out of vogue. The Brownells 14.7" is one of the only games in town for this, short of cutting down a Colt, but the Brownells 14.7s are still only available in 1/12 twist IIRC.
    I ended up caving in and building my carbine with a BCM 14.5 M4 barrel. Late-model 723s actually did have an "M4" type profile barrel, but the pencil barrel was what I really wanted. With the M4 barrel mine tips the scales at 5lbs14oz without the sling and mag, and it is a wonderfully handy little thing, but it would have been nice to knock that down a couple more ounces by having the barrel I had actually wanted in the first place.
    Last edited by Circle_10; 06-20-17 at 19:45.

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    Thanks for your reply and information. I was interested to learn that the barrels are being made by Ballistic Advantage - that at least gives me some idea of the level of quality. I generally avoid aftermarket parts, but as you have observed the options for a lightweight 14.5" carbine gas barrel are currently few. While I'd prefer a faster twist, I mostly shoot M193 sooo . . . a 1/12 barrel is not truly problematic. The only carry-handle upper I have in spares at the moment is an unramped Colt A2 - the standard rifle extension featured on the Brownell's barrel would present a better match than most available Colt barrels. I know an M4 extension would work fine for my use.

    BTW, I had previously ogled your IDF-inspired carbine - Very NICE! I am a HUGE Zahal fan. It had occurred to me that there would be a few style points to be had with a menusar/katsar sort of IDF-esque carbine. I'm just working up a light, simple alternative upper for an everyday use carbine.
    SI VIS PACEM PARABELLUM

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    Quote Originally Posted by Vorpal_weapon View Post

    BTW, I had previously ogled your IDF-inspired carbine - Very NICE! I am a HUGE Zahal fan. It had occurred to me that there would be a few style points to be had with a menusar/katsar sort of IDF-esque carbine. I'm just working up a light, simple alternative upper for an everyday use carbine.
    Thanks, I actually changed it up a bit. Here'st currently looks, more of a GUU-5/P style mutt now, with a field expedient foregrip and a paint-pen "rack number" ("04" because..well, it's my fourth complete AR).


    Mine is actually sort of becoming a "travel" carbine that I cart around in my Jeep with me. It isn't quite sufficiently vetted for reliabilty that I'll use it in a dedicated HD role, but the light weight compared to my Aimpoint PRO equipped HD carbine makes it nice for drives out into the sticks.
    I'd love to build an IDF style SBR.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Circle_10 View Post
    Thanks, I actually changed it up a bit. Here'st currently looks, more of a GUU-5/P style mutt now, with a field expedient foregrip and a paint-pen "rack number" ("04" because..well, it's my fourth complete AR).


    Mine is actually sort of becoming a "travel" carbine that I cart around in my Jeep with me. It isn't quite sufficiently vetted for reliabilty that I'll use it in a dedicated HD role, but the light weight compared to my Aimpoint PRO equipped HD carbine makes it nice for drives out into the sticks.
    I'd love to build an IDF style SBR.
    I know you said you used a BCM barrel, so I have a few questions. 1.) Is your front sight base "F" marked? 2.) If so, do you notice any problems using it with a carry handle rear sight? 3.) Who installed the front sight base for you? I only ask, because I'm in the process of building a RO723 clone, but I want to build mine with the later M4 style barrel.

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    I'm using one of their rifle-length retro 1-7" twist pencil barrels on a retro Colt 605 dissipator build. Unfortunately I have not been able to get it to the range yet but it was cut down from the 20" to 16" and the gas port opened up to 103 from 97 so as to rub it as a true dissy. Hopefully this month I'll be able to get it to the range.
    Never forget every word you spoke when you took your oath of office.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hammer_Man View Post
    I know you said you used a BCM barrel, so I have a few questions. 1.) Is your front sight base "F" marked? 2.) If so, do you notice any problems using it with a carry handle rear sight? 3.) Who installed the front sight base for you? I only ask, because I'm in the process of building a RO723 clone, but I want to build mine with the later M4 style barrel.
    I bought a stripped 14.5" M4 barrel from BCM and then sent the barrel, a non-F .750 front sight, and a BCM A2X flash hider to John Thomas at Retro Arms Works to have it all put together. Fast turnaround time, I think he had my stuff for less than six hours before it was in the mail headed back to me.

    A note on the above carbine though, the whole issue with the improperly machined A1 upper receiver finally got on my nerves and I ended up swapping out the upper for a slick-side and returning the A1 to Brownells for a refund.
    So now the gun is even more of a GUU-5/P mutt because slick-side uppers and M4 barrels were something that seemed to happen quite a bit in the USAF.

    I had one fairly severe flyer here but I have pretty bad eyesight so I'm not going to complain too much about this for a 100 yd grouping.


    ETA: just as an aside, Hammer_Man, both iterations of this carbine sport the M&A Parts CAR stock you were asking about in the other thread.
    Last edited by Circle_10; 06-10-18 at 06:02.

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    So I just ordered a Brownells A1 upper with FA. I hope the quality is there.. What should I look for? Problem areas? Where are you all getting your A1 carbine handguards?

    Thanks,
    1986s4

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    I think you will be more than satisfied with it. I bought one of their A1 20" barrels and built a retro Colt 605 with it but I have not had the chance yet for any range time. We'll see how that works and how accurate it is as soon as I get it to the range. To be honest it was one of the smoothest and easiest installs I've ever done with the barrel timing perfectly at 35#.
    Never forget every word you spoke when you took your oath of office.

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    So my Brownells upper receiver came in and it looks good. Even finish, clean threads, no dings [I'll do those myself]. Waiting on the 14.7 barrel with A1 FH then off to my local gun assembler. I'm going to put it on a unused lower I have; a Colt Sporter with the offset pivot, irregular pins and block that requires the Sporter BCG. From a distance it will look the part and hopefully shoots well.

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