Looking for a low to mid budget 16" barrel and I’ve read these are pretty good. Has anybody had a bad experience with these? Can I get something better for about the same price?
Are you looking for a carbine or midlength gas system? Lightweight, M4, or other profile? Cold hammer forged or not?
Daniel Defense has the most options in the 16" barrel length but they typically run a little more since they cold hammer forged. Bravo Company has standard barrels that cost a little less.
Both are good to go!
I’m looking for a carbine length m4 profile. I found this one at what seems like a good price. It doesn’t mention being hammer forged though.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=29320/Product/AR_15_M16_M4_BARREL
The one listed above from Brownells is cut rifled not hammer forged. Still good to go.
Daniel Defense makes great barrels. You can’t go wrong.
Is it at least the quality of a Colt?
I would go with their recent production CHF bbl if you are wanting to stay in the upper tier spectrum.
Lately Colt has had some struggles with quality. I have observed that Daniel Defense is producing to a higher quality standard than Colt.
So I would put a hammer forged DD barrel above Colt, but a cut rifled barrel is somewhat of a step down. Unless you are really going to shoot the heck out of your gun it will not matter.
I’d like to get something good quality. I have a Colt rifle and I want to make a carbine upper for it. I can get a Colt barrel assembly for around $350 but I want to do a rail covered low profile gas block and I’d be a waste to get the FSB and I don’t know if the gas tube would work.
What about a BCM?
you can just get a BCM upper with a rail covering the low pro has block already installed. Cant go wrong with BCM. Might as well get a midlength since it costs the same as a carbine.
I’m using my existing Colt bolt and I’d feel better about fit and finish with a Colt upper receiver. Anyway, I thought it’d be a fun project to take a Colt upper receiver and assemble the rest.
I don’t think quality is the correct word to use, but I believe it meets the same standard the Colt does. All of the barrels listed are good choices. Per the chart, Colt-DD-BCM meet the same exact standards assuming an M4 type barrel, which from your posts is what I assume you want.
I would be more than happy with any of the three mentioned; Colt, DD or BCM.