Pencil barrels

[Basscar38]

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

[Pappabear]

I bought a 16 inch pencil. Skinniest barrel I have ever seen. It shot horrible for the first couple hundred rounds but now it shoots 1.0-1.5 MOA after a heavy break in period. Be prepared to spend a few bucks breaking it in.

PB

[CPM]

I bought a 16 inch pencil. Skinniest barrel I have ever seen. It shot horrible for the first couple hundred rounds but now it shoots 1.0-1.5 MOA after a heavy break in period. Be prepared to spend a few bucks breaking it in.

PB

I would be shocked if that break in period had anything to do with the thickness of the barrel walls.

[elephantrider]

after a heavy break in period. Be prepared to spend a few bucks breaking it in.

Was that a Faxon, or a nitrided barrel? Was the 'heavy' break-in just more rounds down the barrel, or was it also additional cleaning?

[feraldog]

my preference for the last 40 years has been pencils. and faxon pencils are fine.

[PrarieDog]

No knock against Faxon. Have a BCM pencil barrel in 16". Great barrel. 1.5 moa. Chrome lined cut rifle average barrel but shoots well for what t is.

[NickySantoro]

my preference for the last 40 years has been pencils. and faxon pencils are fine.

Me too. I've never owned a rifle that didn't shoot better than I did, pencil barrel or otherwise.

[wanderson]

If you read any threads with input from Battlefield Las Vegas, they claim chrome has a longer life than nitride.

Faxon says nitride is normally more durable than chrome BUT at extreme temps chrome is more durable than nitride.

I run a BCM 14.5” pinned pencil barrel, chrome lined. Accuracy wasn’t a top priority for this build, otherwise I’d run a heavier profile nitride barrel. This was bought about 5 years ago when there wasn’t a lot of real world feedback on nitride.

No complaints re:BCM but between the two, I’d choose Faxon.

[AR-n-Ky]

I think Faxon is an excellent choice. They offer a 14.5" barrel with either three prong or break, factory installed.

As a matter of fact, this is going to be my next barrel for my WWSD type built.

I have a Faxon Firearms 10.5" pencil barrel on my SBR built and it is easily a 1.5 MOA barrel. With Hornady America Gunner 55gr. HP bullet, it has turned in a few under that. This barrel has also turned in groups under 2" with Lake City M193.

Besides Faxon Firearms making an accurate barrel, their pencil weight is one of, if not the thinnest/lightest barrels out there. So, in my opinion it's the best of both worlds. Light and accurate.

[titsonritz]

I think Faxon is an excellent choice. They offer a 14.5" barrel with either three prong or break, factory installed.

It should be noted these factory installed pinned/welded muzzle devices are low profile and will allow installation and removal of a .625" gas block without removal of the MD. This will be the barrel I use for my next LW build.