Range report: Hodge barrel with LMT Enhanced BCG *UPDATE page 7*

[MountainRaven]

Recent production Hodge 12.5" barrel:

LMT E-BCG, H buffer, Geissele Super 42; Works fine with Federal XM855, Hornady/Frontier M193, Federal and Hornady Steel Match and Norma 55-gr 223. No joy with 75-gr Tula I bummed off a friend. Which is fine by me, because I don't use Russian ammo in anything that isn't a Russian design (except when I want to find out if it works in my guns, for funsies).

(I was not nearly as scientific as OP: I just ran five rounds with an empty mag for the XM855 from the shoulder and the Norma one-handed, pistol-style, as they were the most warmest and least warmest cartridges.)

[vicious_cb]

Is this the suppressor optimized gas port or unsuppressed use version of the 12.5?

[MountainRaven]

Is this the suppressor optimized gas port or unsuppressed use version of the 12.5?

I don't know that Hodge catalogs them as different versions... in so far as Hodge catalogs anything. Everyone who sells Hodge barrels lists them without any differentiation, AFAIK. But some of them do list that the most recent production 12.5" barrels have larger gas ports than previous production runs.

[drtywk]

I think what vicious_cb is asking is if this barrel was purchased from Forward Controls Design, as they received a run of barrels that did not have the updated gas port diameter. Jim stated that he had a run of barrels that the gas port dimensions got missed on QC and that they would be available under the pretense that they did not have the correct gas port. These particular barrels will run with the LMT enhanced BCG, unlike the barrels with the correct dimensions. Hodge's standard barrels are spec'd to run with a nitride coated BCG and a standard carbine spring with an H or H2 buffer and they get real finicky when you tinker with buffer types (A5) and BCG's.

[MountainRaven]

Barrel was purchased from Weapon Outfitters. FCD and OPTactical all have or have recently had the same barrels, with the same larger gas port. FCD doesn't list a separate "suppressor" barrel from Hodge.

ETA: Misread drtywk's post. FCD not listing a "suppressor" barrel from Hodge is irrelevant and, per drtywk's post they are listed as having a larger gas port.

However, none of Hodge's dealers list anything about the gas port sizing being a QC/QA slip-up and none are priced or listed as blems.

[vicious_cb]

Barrel was purchased from Weapon Outfitters. FCD and OPTactical all have or have recently had the same barrels, with the same larger gas port. FCD doesn't list a separate "suppressor" barrel from Hodge.

ETA: Misread drtywk's post. FCD not listing a "suppressor" barrel from Hodge is irrelevant and, per drtywk's post they are listed as having a larger gas port.

However, none of Hodge's dealers list anything about the gas port sizing being a QC/QA slip-up and none are priced or listed as blems.

Did it say this in the product description? The suppressor optimized 12.5 and general purpose 12.5 barrels are listed as separate products.

[MountainRaven]

Did it say this in the product description? The suppressor optimized 12.5 and general purpose 12.5 barrels are listed as separate products.

https://i.imgur.com/AiI457o.jpg

Yes, it did.