What is your experience with thin barrels and high intensity shooting? I have a lightweight profile Daniel Defense that I am considering putting into a training role but I am wondering if the thin profile is not appropriate. This gun will see high round counts in short time spans while suppressed with regular full-auto use.
Thin barrels and high intensity shooting
- Thread starter LukeNCMX
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pointblank4445
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In my experience, each barrel has their own identity and personality. While you can stack the deck in your favor with a thicker profile, it's not a guarantee of better accuracy nor is a thinner barrel a guarantee of poor accuracy/performance when hot. While I can not quantify this, I suspect (based on precision Palma profiles) that profile "efficiency" and having thickness where it counts is a factor.
Ultimately, you don't know till you know and it's more about what you're willing to accept accuracy overall.
I will echo Mark Smith's recommendations that 2MOA or better is about the line if you want to get out to 400ish yards consistently on respectably sized targets without much grief.
I will cite some examples I've personally had.
I've used Hodge's barrels in at least 8 builds now for people.
One of the first was an absolute sub-MOA tack-driver...for about 15 rounds... and then would slowly open up to nearly 4 MOA with match ammo after about 30 rounds. While much can still be done at shorter ranges with 4MOA, its worth noting the shift.
Again, this was only 1 of 8 and every factor of the system (including optic, ammo, shooter in addition to the gun) was painstakingly examined and was ultimately determined the barrel was the factor.
Compare this to another Hodge barrel I have where after being VERY hot with 2x magazines expended can do this 5-round group with non-match 62gr open tip standing-to-prone from 100y on the clock:
Moving away from Hodge, I have some Daniel Defense barreled guns using 16" Gov-profile barrels. In one case, I had 2x off of the same production run, built into identical uppers (Hodge uppers with P-lock handguards).
One is an absolute tack-driver that is now my SPR. The other lives with a co-worker in a more general purpose use as whether match or not, hovers about 2.25-3 MOA no matter the best match or worst ball ammo.
My SPR in question will maintain superb accuracy no matter how hot it gets. Here are my targets from the Ridgeline/Reston SPR class just following Reston's burn-down CQB portion on TD2 and my barrel was HOT. Groups were standing-to-prone @ 100y under time with the top-most target done in under 5s on NRA A23/5 smallbore targets:
But then again, I wouldn't expect any slim to keep up with what Seehafer did with his HK MR223a3 gun (and its super fat barrel):
While I don't have his patience, mine also is a tack-driver that I've pushed out to 850y even while the handguards were too hot to touch with bare hands.
Ultimately, you don't know till you know and it's more about what you're willing to accept accuracy overall.
I will echo Mark Smith's recommendations that 2MOA or better is about the line if you want to get out to 400ish yards consistently on respectably sized targets without much grief.
I will cite some examples I've personally had.
I've used Hodge's barrels in at least 8 builds now for people.
One of the first was an absolute sub-MOA tack-driver...for about 15 rounds... and then would slowly open up to nearly 4 MOA with match ammo after about 30 rounds. While much can still be done at shorter ranges with 4MOA, its worth noting the shift.
Again, this was only 1 of 8 and every factor of the system (including optic, ammo, shooter in addition to the gun) was painstakingly examined and was ultimately determined the barrel was the factor.
Compare this to another Hodge barrel I have where after being VERY hot with 2x magazines expended can do this 5-round group with non-match 62gr open tip standing-to-prone from 100y on the clock:
Moving away from Hodge, I have some Daniel Defense barreled guns using 16" Gov-profile barrels. In one case, I had 2x off of the same production run, built into identical uppers (Hodge uppers with P-lock handguards).
One is an absolute tack-driver that is now my SPR. The other lives with a co-worker in a more general purpose use as whether match or not, hovers about 2.25-3 MOA no matter the best match or worst ball ammo.
My SPR in question will maintain superb accuracy no matter how hot it gets. Here are my targets from the Ridgeline/Reston SPR class just following Reston's burn-down CQB portion on TD2 and my barrel was HOT. Groups were standing-to-prone @ 100y under time with the top-most target done in under 5s on NRA A23/5 smallbore targets:
But then again, I wouldn't expect any slim to keep up with what Seehafer did with his HK MR223a3 gun (and its super fat barrel):
While I don't have his patience, mine also is a tack-driver that I've pushed out to 850y even while the handguards were too hot to touch with bare hands.
I have a Colt pencil barrel 6520 and we had a few legacy models of those at work when I first started. Both get HOT fast. Like need gloves hot. Like touch a steel reinforcing pin on an AK wood forend after 3 mags hot.