stainless ar barrel profile?

[tk4]

How thin of a profile can you take a stainless ar barrel down to?

Accuracy is not a major concern. It is a 12.5 inch gun with a 1x optic, primary use is cqb.

I need to put it on a diet.

[jaredr]

maybe some useful specs here - http://www.ar15barrels.com/profiles.shtml. they show a "featherweight" profile of .550", that's mighty small (barrel wall less than .2" if I've done the math). Not sure if it would be unsafe for normal semi-usage, but i'd sure be concerned about my zero wandering significantly as the barrel heated up.

[outerlimits]

+1 on what jaredr says. Tried .550 with a dpms barrel a few yeats ago. Lost accuracy-

[outerlimits]

The .550 was under the handguard and forward if the gas block

Edited November 16, 2010 by outerlimits

[tk4]

The .550 was under the handguard and forward if the gas block

Was this a stainless steel barrel?

I wouldn't want it to be any thinner than milspec. I didn't think you could take a SS barrel down that thin.

How about .65?

[outerlimits]

all of JP's .223 barrels are .650 under the hand guard, so no problems there.

[tk4]

all of JP's .223 barrels are .650 under the hand guard, so no problems there.

Thank you. That's what I'll go with.

[TRUBL]

I had one of JP's pencil thin barrels he offered a few years ago.....5" under the HD and it was very accurate. Lasted 10K rounds too. Turn pretty colors of gold and blue at times.

Now I shoot one at .65" under the HD....no real need to go less, maybe .60".

I do 16" rimfire tension barrels with a full .5" contour out to the end now a days.....lots of fun and REALLY light!! Might look into doing a CF AR barrel that way sometimes too....hmmmm.