ar-15 barrel upgrade

[powertrainer]

I have a s&w m&p ar-15 5.56. I want to upgrade the barrel to a model 1 24 inch bull barrel. The model 1 is 223 not 5.56, will it match up to the factory bolt.

 

[isc]

yes, but you should still get it headspaced just to be safe.

 

[ants]

One of the interesting aspects of the AR design is that
most commercial barrel swaps are
likely to headspace acceptably,
most of the time.

Of course, the only way to know is to gauge the new assembly.
New barrel is one of the applications where a go/nogo set is properly used,
rather than a field gauge. I've had two barrel swaps out of the last
dozen that did not headspace. The rest were acceptable.



HOWEVER,

You asked about upgrading to a 223 Rem 24" Bull Barrel,
which is normally done in search of accuracy.

This is where setting the true and correct headspace
is one of the steps toward accuracy. Sure would be
a damn shame if you skipped that step, wouldn't it?


By the way, I (me myself and I) would install a new bolt
so the lugs work into the new barrel extension better.
It isn't absolutely required, but it's another step toward accuracy.
I (me myself and I) wouldn't get a whole new carrier, just the bolt.
I'd even swap the extractor, ejector, rings and springs.


But lotsa guys wouldn't do what I would do (me myself and I).
You make your own choice. It's your rifle, not ours.