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!
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.
Why would you use a GI barrel nut in the first place?
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.
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.
TITANIUM’S THERMAL EXPANSION COEFFICIENT IS NEARLY HALF THAT OF STEEL. THIS GIVES THE ADVANTAGE OF A MORE SECURE FIT AS THE TEMPERATURE RISES.