Super accurate long lasting barrel, who makes it?

[TigerStripe]

I read somewhere about a barrel type (cut rifled instead of button) that lasted a long time. Who makes them? Also, why are Noveske barrels so popular?

TS

[bigbore]

never mind - I misread

[jmart]

Bore finish and rifling have a direct impact on accuracy, but rifling method doesn't really have that much impact on longevity. The chosen alloy does though.

Noveske offers a 17-4 stainless steel alloy and Arms Tech also offers a high lifetime barrel. Not sure if it's 17-4 or something else.

[TigerStripe]

I read somewhere about a cut or sawed barrel that would last for 50,000 rounds. Maybe I just dreamed it.

TS

[CapnCrunch]

ABS makes one hellacious barrel if you care for lengetivity. I've done some pretty extensive, semi-long term testing on one and it performed beautifully. IM me if you want some details.

[Nitrox]

I think there is a point of diminishing returns when you start pricing out some of the exotic barrels such as the new Noveske Unobtanium SS or ABS carbon barrels. You can easily spend upward of three times the amount of a standard high quality tube that will shoot just as accurately but for only half the time. As far as I'm concerned I'd rather just buy a second barrel for less money.

I know that wasn't the question but it bears saying.

As far as the original question, I'm no expert but I don't know of any certain type of rifling that has proved to last longer than traditional examples found at any reputable barrel manufacturer.

[Aubrey]

I read somewhere about a barrel type (cut rifled instead of button) that lasted a long time. Who makes them? Also, why are Noveske barrels so popular?

TS

I'm not sure if this is what you're asking about, but cold hammer forged barrels, as used on FN, H&K, Sako, Steyr-Mannlicher, Glock, and Canadian Colts (Diemaco), is reported to have a 30K life as opposed to a 15K life for a cut-rifled barrel. I cannot defend these statements by a poster on another forum.

I believe that John Noveske's barrels have become quite popular due to the consistent accuracy users are reporting, while the polygonal rifling that he offers actually results in higher velocities as compared to conventional rifling.

[CapnCrunch]

Nitrox, I bought an ABS barrel as a skeptic, trying to find out exactly what was going on... Let me say that after abusing the piss out of them, I came out a believer. I ended up with zero throat erosion after putting a boatload of ammunition through it. I shot Bill Drill's, Mozambiques, NSR's, and even an ungodly amount of FA mag dumps and it still shot the same. No loss in accuracy out to 500M, no loss in velocity. Yes, there was a suppressor on there a lot of the time. When we borescoped the thing, it looked as if there had been 10x less rounds fired through it than had actually been fired.

The ABS barrels cost around $600... Find me a 25 oz 16" barrel that costs half as much as the ABS with half the performance, and that performs that way for half as long and I'll buy you a steak dinner.

I can say one thing... I shoot a helluva lot. The only two barrels that I'll use on my personal ARs anymore are BCM and ABS. They both fill a void in the market, and they fill those to a "T". Other people might make good barrels, but these two have products that stand apart from others in the pack, and are owned by damn good, and damn honest people.

If you've got any questions about the ABS stuff, IM me, I'll hook you up with hard data.

[twl]

Cap'nCrunch is right on.

For a total package of accuracy, light weight, rapid cooling, and longevity, there is nothing else on God's green Earth that can match an ABS barrel.

Nothing else, from anybody, anywhere.

The only downside is he can't make them fast enough, so there's a long wait.