For the 5th day of TFB Christmas, we’re going to take a look at some great barrels for your pistol or rifle. Being one of the main pressure bearing components of a firearm along with the bolt, the barrel is primarily responsible for much of the accuracy of your firearm as well as other important characteristics including weight and the velocity of your projectiles which can change the terminal ballistics of them for hunting, defense, etc. Upgrading your barrel on a hunting or competition rifle can mean the difference between landing your first cold bore shot or having to take one or several makeup shots and today we’ll take a look at some quality barrels from some of our favorite online retailers. Disclaimer: not all of the barrels listed here will be made from Chromoly.

5th Day of TFB Christmas: Deck the Halls with Barrels of Chromoly!

Ballistic Advantage Hanson Profile 10.3″ Barrel

Machined from 4150 chrome moly vanadium steel with a QPQ corrosion-resistant finish, the Ballistic Advantage Hanson profile barrel is probably going to be one of my next purchases. The main benefit of the Hanson profile barrel is its shoulder-less design which limits barrel whip meaning rapid fire or full auto fire is much more accurate due to the barrel’s propensity to return to its home position much faster than a standard shouldered barrel design.

• 10.3″ In Length
• 1:7 Twist Rate
• Carbine Length Gas
• 20 Oz
• 1.03″ Gas Block Seat for .750″ Low Profile Gas Blocks Only
• On sale for $164.00 at Ballistic Advantage (Normal Price is $205)

PROOF Research Bolt Action Carbon Fiber Sendero Contoured Barrel

I never really quite appreciated carbon fiber-wrapped barrels until I started shooting and carrying a rifle that was equipped with one. Not only is the Sendero contoured barrel 64% lighter than a similarly contoured barrel made of steel, but they’re also still durable as hell and feature improved heat dissipation which equals a longer barrel life. You’ll pay a premium for these barrels but if you’re a serious hunter or shooter who does a high volume of shooting and you need a barrel that will give you the performance you need, then these are some of the best in the business.

• Available in .204, .224, .243, ..257, .264, .277, .284, .308, .338, and .375 calibers
• All Sendero contour barrels are less than 4lbs in weight and some are even sub 3lbs
• Proprietary carbon fiber impregnated with matrix resin for durability and great heat dissipation
• Requires muzzle end to be threaded by your gunsmith to match your muzzle device preferences
• Less exposed metal equals less worry about corrosion from frequent outdoor use
• MSRP starting at around $800

Faxon Firearms 16″ PEncil Profile 10/22 Barrel

Stock 10/22 barrels aren’t the lightest things around and while the 10/22 platform as a whole isn’t super heavy, it always helps to have a lightweight squirrel gun around when you need it. The Faxon Firearms 16″ pencil profile barrels feature 416-R stainless steel construction, a salt bath nitride finish, and a recessed target crown. All of that and the barrel comes standard threaded 1/2×28 for mounting a suppressor or muzzle device and the whole package weighs only 16 ounces, nearly half the weight of a stock 10/22 barrel.

• One of the lightest 10/22 barrels on the market
• Compatible with standard 10/22’s only
• 1:16 Twist Rate
• 6 Groove Rifling
• Made in the USA from Raw Bar Stock
• $165 at Faxon Firearms

14.7″ 5.56 PENCIL PROFILE MIDLENGTH AR 15 BARREL

Recently reintroduced by Ballistic Advantage is their 14.7″ Midlength Pencil Profile barrel. While normally a sub 16″ barrel gets you into NFA territory with a stocked rifle, if you or your gunsmith pin and weld a muzzle device on the end of one of these bad boys you end up with a more compact pencil profile barrel that won’t cost you an extra $200. The best part about these barrels is that they are cheaper than the ones prescribed by the WWSD 2020 build and they are still in stock at the time of writing.

• QPQ Coated
• M4 Feed Ramps
• Mid Length Gas System
• .625″ Gas Block Journal
• 21 oz
• Constructed from 4150 Chrome Moly Vanadium
• $160 at Ballistic Advantage

Faxon Flame Fluted Barrel for the Glock 17

Machined 100% in the United States from 416-R stainless and given a black nitride or PVD coating to increase lubricity, the Faxon Flame fluted barrels are a smart upgrade to an already super reliable pistol platform. The barrel sports an 11-degree target crown and a 1/2×28 muzzle threading so you can slap on your favorite compensator or suppressor. These barrels should maintain a high degree of accuracy due to their 1:10 button rifling and full stress relief vacuum furnace treatment.

• Compatible with Glock 17 pistols Gen 1-4
• Bath Salt Nitried inside and out
• Fully compatible with cast bullets
• Better Fitment and lockup than stock Glock barrels
• Compatible with all SAMMI 9mm spec cartridges
• $199.00 at Faxon Firearms (ships within 2 business days so not too late for a last-minute Christmas gift!)

Faxon OEM Overrun 16″ 5.56 HBAR Barrel

This last one I’m throwing in because it’s under $100 at its current price. If you like heavy barrels and want to pick one up for a current or future build, then you can pick these up while supplies last. Like other Faxon barrels, these are made in the company’s Cincinnati facility. This barrel features a mid-length gas system and a QPQ Nitride finish. These heavy profile barrels are great for full-auto fire (or binary or forced reset fire) and also do great with suppressors due to the increased rigidity.

• Chambered in 5.56
• 1:7 Twist 6 Groove Rifling
• Made from 4150 CMV Steel
• 1/2×28 Threading
• On sale for $99.00 until the overrun stock runs out at Faxon Firearms

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