For my my latest AR project, I want to build a 12.5" general purpose SBR. The kicker: I want a medium contour (.750 diameter) barrel for this build, and I cannot for the life of me find a medium contour SBR barrel. The only 16" medium contour 4150 chrome lined barrel I have found is a CMMG Medium contour carbine length barrel. I have read of problems with their barrels in the past so I am not exactly thrilled to use their barrels for a suppressor host, even though I am going to be sending it off to ADCO to be cut, crowned, threaded. Are there any other barrels that I am missing? There must be more than just one 16" medium contour barrel out there.
Specifications for the barrel:
Medium contour (.750 from chamber forward)
1/7" twist
16" barrel
Carbine length gas
4150 or CM/V steel
Chrome lined
Either set screw or gas block blank (I am going to get it pinned after I get the GB and the barrel)
I haven’t exactly been looking around for what you ask, but it seems that with 12.5" barrels, people are not concerned about weight due to the short length. In many cases a heavier profile is desirable for short barrels to help with muzzle rise. All of the available chromemoly/chrome lined 12.5" barrels i see government/usgi profile.
The only way i see you getting a quality mid-contour 12.5" barrels is going stainless. There are many options then.
Not sure if what you want is out there, but it might be if you look hard. Just not a highly sought after product from what i understand.
That is why I want to find a 16" medium contour barrel, though I am having a real hard time finding one right now. Buy the 16", send to ADCO, have them cut it down to my desired length. Since it is a suppresor host, having concentric threads is an added bonus since Steve does this when he cuts a barrel down anyways.
For those that have cut a M4 cut barrel down before, is there enough room on a M4 cut barrel to thread a 12.5" barrel? I found PSA M4A1 barrels that are medium contour except for the M4 cut.
Actually, it doesn’t. Those barrels have a .625 barrel profile underneath the hand guards, and I don’t want that. That is what is typically called a government profile barrel. I want a thicker barrel under the handguards from the chamber to the end of the barrel, not just past the gas block shoulder.