difference between match barrel and not

[constructor]

can fire lapping significantly hone a barrel enough to get close to the performance without the cost?

Tubbs will help take off the sharp edges but, lapping can't make a non match barrel a match barrel.
Match barrels are air gauged and lapped so they are uniform to .0005 in bore size from end to end, they are held to tighter tolerance on straightness too. Production companies making AR barrels do not bother to check straightness or unifomity at all, some companies producing barrels they call "match grade" have a bow in them visible with the light shake test, high end barrel makers like Krieger will not let a barrel out if it has a bow in the bore. In 17 years I have never seen a Krieger with a bow in it, I have seen bowed or crooked bores in every other brand.

[carnaby]

can fire lapping significantly hone a barrel enough to get close to the performance without the cost?

Not to mention that hand lapping is done on a long blank before the chamber and muzzle are cut. The ends are discarded as they are sacrificed to line you up when you are lapping. No way to reproduce this with fire lapping.

[Ando]

can fire lapping significantly hone a barrel enough to get close to the performance without the cost?

Consider also the cost of the Final Finish bullets and the time and cost of loading and shooting the 50 rounds vs spending on a higher quality barrel.

[john ze]

Production companies making AR barrels do not bother to check straightness or unifomity at all, some companies producing barrels they call "match grade" have a bow in them visible with the light shake test, high end barrel makers like Krieger will not let a barrel out if it has a bow in the bore.

[bolster]

Tubbs will help take off the sharp edges but, lapping can't make a non match barrel a match barrel.
Match barrels are air gauged and lapped so they are uniform to .0005 in bore size from end to end, they are held to tighter tolerance on straightness too. Production companies making AR barrels do not bother to check straightness or unifomity at all, some companies producing barrels they call "match grade" have a bow in them visible with the light shake test, high end barrel makers like Krieger will not let a barrel out if it has a bow in the bore. In 17 years I have never seen a Krieger with a bow in it, I have seen bowed or crooked bores in every other brand.

Speaking of bows in barrels, I watched a show on the military channel about FN and their M16 build process. I watched a lady put a finished barrel into a jig to check for straightness. When they weren't straight, she would bang on them with a mallet (I am not making this up) until they fit in the jig right, and in some cases they would just be discarded.

[constructor]

I have seen another program that shows them doing it in a hyd press, it wasn't Remington or Win but some other good sized production company.

[jherpin1]

I'm having difficulty understanding the need for a "match grade" barrel. My Stag 7 barrels shoots under 1Moa with most factory loads, and when I'm up to the task regularly shoot 1/2 moa with my hand loads. I have been thinking about getting a barrel made from Ar15Perfomance, but not sure of any practical benefit.

[Simple Man]

I'm having difficulty understanding the need for a "match grade" barrel. My Stag 7 barrels shoots under 1Moa with most factory loads, and when I'm up to the task regularly shoot 1/2 moa with my hand loads. I have been thinking about getting a barrel made from Ar15Perfomance, but not sure of any practical benefit.

The prctical benefit is because you can.LOL Excellent video H.

[constructor]

I'm having difficulty understanding the need for a "match grade" barrel. My Stag 7 barrels shoots under 1Moa with most factory loads, and when I'm up to the task regularly shoot 1/2 moa with my hand loads. I have been thinking about getting a barrel made from Ar15Perfomance, but not sure of any practical benefit.

We don't call our barrels "match grade" and that is what I have been saying all along if our regular barrels shoot under 1MOA then is a match grade barrel worth an extra 100 or $200
As far as price our 16" 6.8 SPCII stainless uppers cost $25 more than a Stag 16" CM barrel upper and ours come with a 9310 bolt, Mega upper receiver, a real 11 twist barrel(not just marked 11 twist), M16 carrier made by the same company that makes Colts, so those that think Stag is cheaper aren't really checking things very close.

[gaLadhon]

We don't call our barrels "match grade" and that is what I have been saying all along if our regular barrels shoot under 1MOA then is a match grade barrel worth an extra 100 or $200
As far as price our 16" 6.8 SPCII stainless uppers cost $25 more than a Stag 16" CM barrel upper and ours come with a 9310 bolt, Mega upper receiver, a real 11 twist barrel(not just marked 11 twist), M16 carrier made by the same company that makes Colts, so those that think Stag is cheaper aren't really checking things very close.

Speaking of polished stainless (from an earlier post), I really love my ARP 18" 6.8 stainless barrel, but I see that you're not offering them any more! What a shame! From what I've read, they're about as close as you can come to match grade quality in a production grade barrel. BTW, who made these for you, was it Kreiger? Are they giving you supply headaches with that particular model? If so, I'm sure we could raise an army of loyal followers to go over there and kick their narrow hineys!