Any experience with WMD Guns Barrels?

[Shytheed Dumas]

I've been looking for a decent mid-priced 1:8 twist, 16" carbine gas system length barrel for my AR-15 without chrome lining. There are plenty available in mid length, but next to nothing in carbine. One of that appears to be readily available for $206 - $220 depending on finish is by WMD Guns:

https://www.wmdguns.com/shop-now/barrels.html

This appears to be a newer company and there are almost no reviews available. I was wondering if anyone here has tried their barrels? I am replacing a DPMS with an ridiculously tight chamber, so wanting to know how reliable it cycles and what sort of accuracy you've seen.

Of course I am open to other barrels that I might have overlooked.

 

[Ibmikey]

I recently bought a 1/8 Faxon nitride m4 barrel from Aim Surplus for $129. The barrel is beautifully machined and has a SS extension. Built a carbine and ran a couple hundred rounds without incident, just plinking at cans and steel plates and have not as yet put it on paper.

 

[Field Tester]

Mind me asking why you don't want the chrome lining?

 

[Shytheed Dumas]

My understanding is that chrome lining in a quality barrel provides corrosion resistance and extended barrel life at the expense of a slight loss in accuracy.

Well I don't make it to the range nearly as often as I would like to, so I am in no danger of wearing a barrel out any time soon. I clean my guns after every range or hunting trip and I obviously don't put my rifle through any kind of battlefield punishment, so corrosion resistance isn't really an issue. All in all, I just don't see any reason to sacrifice any amount of accuracy at all, even if a good chromed lined barrel can outshoot me. In short, chrome lining just doesn't fit any of my needs - assuming I have the right take on chrome lining.

 

[acmax95]

Mind if I ask why you want a carbine length gas system? I have both carbine and mid-length 16" barrels and I much prefer the mid-length systems.

I have a 16" BCM mid-length and it is way smoother shooting than my 16" carbine Doublestar.

 

[james nicholson]

Why not run a chamber reamer through your existing barrel?

 

[fireflyfather]

I have an 18" 1/8 twist, rifle-length gas system WMD melonited barrel.

I'm getting 1.24-1.5 MOA groups with bulk PPU 75 grain bullets over BLC-(2). With a better shooter behind the trigger, I'm betting those would be sub-moa, since the vertical spacing is more like 0.6 moa groups. With a better bullet and varget, I would expect 0.5-0.75 moa groups @100 yards.

WMD makes quality barrels that are very accurate.

I honestly don't see why on earth you would want a carbine gas system in a 16" barrel (mid-length is softer recoil), unless you are playing funny games with your timing (buffer, gas port diameter, etc... trying to save a tiny bit of weight on the rifle).

 

[Shytheed Dumas]

Thanks for that review - just what I was looking for, and in fact my new WMD Guns barrel is in UPS's hands now.

The only reason I bought carbine length was that the original complete upper that it will be used in was carbine length. It worked plenty well enough as countless carbine length uppers have, and it was simply a matter of replacing the barrel only instead of buying a new hand guard, etc.

As for recoil, my new suppressor just came in, which I suspect will turn already minimal recoil into negligible. IIf and when I decide to buy a piston upper, it will definitely be mid length.