Turning Stainless 20" Barrel Down?

[SpoonFed]

Hey all. Been a lurker/heavy reader for a year, finally decided to post my first question.

I have a DPMS stainless 1:8 20" Hbar on my rifle that I hope to someday use in 3-gun, but I am tempted to have ADCO or the gentleman from www.ar15barrels.com turn it down to .650 under the handguards, similar to Govt. profile. I love shooting it, but she's a real porker. Wonderin' if anyone the best way to lighten this thing up? My ideas are to have it shortened to 18" and made .650 under the hanguards, or .750~.800 under the handguards if .650 is too thin. I'm looking for something like a Govt. profile barrel, but in 18". Pic of rifle here: http://home.comcast.net/~fortherecord/AR15/DPMS2.jpg

I spent some time on www.JPrifles.com, and they have stainless 18" barrells in the lightweight (.650 under the handguards) profile... but someone on AR15.com posted you may get accuracy deterioration when turning a stainless. Is this true? Should I stick to .800 under the hanguards instead?

I drew up some specs for my new profile in Illustrator based on my 20" HBar I have now. The front diameter past the .750 gas block area is already .720, so I thought about leaving that the same, but lopping off 2.00" and rethreading for my comp.

Does this profile look favorable for 3-gun?

Link to larger image

[Paule]

I would keep the profile a little thicker under the handguards. Not .800", but .700 - .750" as a minimum. You can go as small as .625" (gov't profile) with 4150 steel in the barrel, but 416 SS (most SS barrels) does not have the same characteristics and you are much more likely to see your shots stringing when the barrel gets hot. This is especially likely when turning an existing barrel down farther as it is difficult to adequately journal the barrel in order to keep the bore concentric with the profile. The weight savings is minimal, not worth getting them ultra-skinny.

[EricW]

Talk to Shawn Carlock (www.defensiveedge.net).

He turns down a LOT of DPMS barrels for 3 gun rifles. He'll know what's right.

[SpoonFed]

Thanks Eric. I'll give Shawn a call to get his advice.

[George]

My .02

Leave it alone and use it as it is. Use a lightweight handguard if you think a little weight really matters a whole lot in a 3 gun rifle (it really doesn't). Just shoot the barrel out and then replace it with one with a profile you really want later (you will know exactly what you want by then).

The extra weight won't mean that much, really. I toted a 12-13 Lb IPSC AR for quite a few years before I got into a sub 8 LB JP. I thought the porker was the cat's meow and it really was because I felt it was. It shot like a house afire and as long as I felt it wasn't a problem, it wasn't ;-)

Why spend the bucks making a great barrel into potentially less. Just put the money into the trigger and other things that you will still be appreciating 2 barrels down the road ;-)

BTW, get a JP trigger, there is no substitute.

--

Regards,

[cking]

I had compass lake make me a 18 barrel mid length gas tube that is .750 for hole length. Reason for bringing .750 forward was in case I decide to mount a forward mounted sight. I've listed the weights of my uppers. Although they are complete uppers with bolts.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=25278

[kellyn]

I'm with George. I'd leave it as is and shoot it out.

I also used to shoot a very heavy AR in 3 Gun (in the pre-comp days of Limited class) and loved it. It did not move at all but it weighed upwards of 15 lbs (Heavy barrel and lead inserts). Shooting prone was a dream, even better than most comped guns. I also won some short range hoser courses with it at SMM3G, even beating the likes of Bennie and Kurt. Would I go back to it? Not likely now that we have comps in Limited/Tactical but I always think of that gun when I hear tales of how ARs have to weigh 7 lbs to be good on short range courses.

BUT if YOU feel the need to spend the money to carve away at it, go ahead.