Barrel Nut Material

[sentinel77]

Hi, I'm looking to build an my first AR15, and I'd like to save as much weight as possible. I came across the V Seven Titanium GI Barrel Nut and was immediately intrigued. It's essentially a mil spec barrel nut made of Grade 5 Titanium with an ion bonded treatment (black). The cost is around $58, which is steep, but it is considerably lighter than a mil spec steel barrel nut. With all that in mind, I'd like to know if there are any other benefits to going with the V Seven's barrel nut over a regular mil spec steel barrel nut. Is it stronger and more reliable in the long run? Will it protect against heat and corrosion any better? Thanks for the input guys!

[lysander]

You know they make aluminum barrel nuts for some free-float handguards that hold up just as well as steel. The weak point is the aluminum receiver threads. Aluminum is lighter that titanium.

As to the heat and corrosion - not really.

[titsonritz]

Why would you use a GI barrel nut in the first place?

[1168]

What handguard are you planning to use? If your not yet married to one, I would suggest you take a gander at the URX4, as it uses no steel (edit: except sling swivel cups), and is quite durable. There are others that are lighter still.

[GH41]

Why would you use a GI barrel nut in the first place?

This^^^ During the height of the lightweight craze I set out to build one. The first thing I figured out was that the ti parts really didn't offer much bang for the buck. I just couldn't justify spending a fortune to reduce the weight of something that wasn't very heavy to start with.

[Biggy]

TITANIUM'S THERMAL EXPANSION COEFFICIENT IS NEARLY HALF THAT OF STEEL. THIS GIVES THE ADVANTAGE OF A MORE SECURE FIT AS THE TEMPERATURE RISES.