Upgrade my AR or trade it and buy a better one?

Upgrade barrel or get new AR

  • Upgrade barrel

    Votes: 26 68.4%

  • New AR

    Votes: 12 31.6%
  • Total voters
    38
  • Poll closed .
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Z

zerobarrier

Contributing Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
792
Location
Houston, TX
Ok so I have a S&W M&P 15T that is a few years old with thousands of rounds thru it. I have added upgrades already, magpul acs stock, giesslie trigger, ar stoner competition muzzle compensator, magpul pistol grip - all which can be taken off and factory parts put back on.

The rifle shoots 1" groups at 100yds and 3-3 1/2" at 300yds. I would like it to be better. It has the original barrel. So I am thinking, is it better for me to upgrade to a match barrel or buy a new competition type AR like the repr or colt competition or another brand?

It will be used to bench and prone shooting 600yds and less. Mainly target and silhouette shooting and competing locally.

What are your opinions?

Also I would like recommendations on new barrels or new AR's, whichever you voted for.

Thanks

Oh bullets will be 69gr SMK's or whichever bullet that works the best in the 69-75gr range after some expirementing that I load myself.
 
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How about building a new upper? A stainless heavy barrel with a 1:8 twist is perfect for what you want. The 1:8 is great for most ammo and perfect for the 69 SMK.
I have a Wilson HB and have been thinking about getting it fluted to shed weight. It's capable of 1/2" MOA. I typically get around 3/4".
You also have a good excuse to buy / build another rifle:D. Oh the choices we must make in life:)
 
You've got a good lower with quality accessories and a good trigger, so I'd just either build or buy a new upper . . . maybe just the barrel.

How much do you want to spend to shave an inch or - maybe - an inch and a half off your 300 yard groups?
 
barrel, BCG (just because), Float hand guard and a nice Timney or Gieselle trigger . Then a precision Optic , really not much need to go above 14x on top end and a 3-9 is pretty darned good!
 
Did it shoot better at one time and groups have opened up recently?
 
HOOfan_1 said:
Yeah I would just build a new upper. Ranier Arms or BCM SPR barrel.
Click to expand...
I will look at them. I am pretty much thinking a new upper for match ammo then use this one for iron sights and plinking ammo.

Anyone have experience with Model 1 sales? They have a Upper 24" heavy varmint barrel flutted and threaded for $495, no BCG. 1:8 twist Alum free floated fluted and kurled handguard with a swivel stud. Pretty much everything I am looking for.

I want 20" plus heavy barrel, fluted or not, 1:8 or 1:7 twist, threaded, free float handguard with swivel stud for my harris, no other accessories on the handguard.
 
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Not that I know of, I just recently started try to do more precision. Before it was just pull the fun trigger
Click to expand...

ok, so you really don't know if replacing the barrel will tighten your groups up or not. i agree it's usually the place to start. I'm just saying you you may wind up replacing more than the barrel before you get the accuracy you want.

model1sales would not be my first choice for sub-MOA accuracy.

i'd look at the high power vendors like white oak, compass lake, etc.

a muzzle device can screw with accuracy kind of like a bad crown, but it's unlikely to be the culprit
 
Thanks taliv. I like the white oak varmint complete upper 20" 1:7 twist. So what is the difference between varmint and match barrels? The varmint ones seem to be more $.
 
the service rifle match barrel is a specific size and shape due to rules for NRA / CMP competition. varmint barrels are unrestricted. (i don't think that drives the price, just saying that's why they're different
 
You've got a lot of what you want. Just not the accuracy. Instead of ditching the rifle completely, either build another upper or rebarrel the one you have.

First, though, would be to do everything you can to wring what accuracy there is from the existing barrel. Try everything from different ammo to a standard flash suppressor. The barrel may not be the problem, it may just be that you haven't found "The Load" for it.
 
The rifle shoots 1" groups at 100yds and 3-3 1/2" at 300yds. I would like it to be better. It has the original barrel. So I am thinking, is it better for me to upgrade to a match barrel or buy a new competition type AR like the repr or colt competition or another brand?
Click to expand...

How many shots are in those 1" groups? There is quite a difference between 3, 5 or 10.

Have you already experimented with different loads and exhausted that route?

Hard to say without really knowing where you're at with the rifle that you have.
 
If your goal is to shoot better groups, wouldn't your purpose be better served with a bolt action rifle. Sub MOA is reasonably common on manny new bolt action rifles.
 
Since you are asking for advice here is my two cents : keep your current rifle as is and use it for a fun gun. Build a complete rifle specifically to meet your needs (paper punching, varmint hunting etc.) as the rifle would be built differently for different desired results. Or buy one of the Colt Competition licensed rifles (I have no experience with these) that are built for bench shooting but cost less than a 6920. A target rifle from most makers will cost more than the Completion previously mentioned and a Model 1 Sales barrel will shoot well but you can do a whole lot better...look into cold hammer forged, chrome lining, Melonite (or Nitride) application, 1/8 twist, barrel weight and profile etc.
 
Bushpilot said:
How many shots are in those 1" groups? There is quite a difference between 3, 5 or 10.

Have you already experimented with different loads and exhausted that route?

Hard to say without really knowing where you're at with the rifle that you have.
Click to expand...

4rd groups. I worked up loads with 3 different bullets and 2 different powders going in .3 increments then took the best two groups sizes and did 2 10rd groups

So I could try more bullets
 
Sheepdog1968 said:
If your goal is to shoot better groups, wouldn't your purpose be better served with a bolt action rifle. Sub MOA is reasonably common on manny new bolt action rifles.
Click to expand...
Yes and I do have a few bolt action rifles that I do this with, but I also wanted to use my AR as well. I don't really like taking it and doing mag dumps anymore so it did not get much use and just sat in the safe. Sure its fun but lately been expensive and if they are rounds I made well it just seemed like a waste of my time to load 100rds(~1hr of my time) to shoot them off in 2 min.
 
taliv said:
the service rifle match barrel is a specific size and shape due to rules for NRA / CMP competition. varmint barrels are unrestricted. (i don't think that drives the price, just saying that's why they're different
Click to expand...
Ok thanks. My other question is what barrel twist do I want. 1:7, 1:7.7, 1:8. I'd like to use 69-77gr bullets

If 1:8 is fine I am liking this one from White Oak: http://www.whiteoakarmament.com/xcart/product.php?productid=17554&cat=259&page=1. They have one with 2" or 2.25" handguard, not sure what difference that makes. I would like to compete with it so I should probably stick with the match uppers and not varmint

Also are muzzle devices like flash hider or compensators allow in most competitions? The reason I ask is I have a SpecWar 762 QD on order and would like the option of putting it on.
 
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