Barrel change got away from me

[Crusty]

I bought a match barrel (Dez Arms, 18", SST) to upgrade my rifle and one thing led to another and it got mostly out of control.

Here's my new upper that I just finished with an ASA Side Charge receiver, new handguard, a JP Revolution trigger in the lower and my other bits and scope moved over to it. Can't wait to go shoot this one because it has the potential to be my best one yet.

The new barrel had a larger than spec gas port (.089") so I made a stainless reducer which installed in the gas block between the barrel and the gas tube to reduce the port to Alexander's .076" spec.

With the bright sun, tree limbs casting shadows and my phone camera that's the best picture I can take right now.

[LRRPF52]

That looks great.

Looking forward to seeing how it shoots.

Did you bed the barrel into the upper, lap the upper, or use any of the more advanced accuracy-enhancing techniques discussed here?

[Crusty]

Yup and yup.

The ASA receiver wasn't off by probably more than .0005" and likely that was due to variance in the anodizing but it's perfect now. That ASA side charging receiver is superb and my rifle's thin, easy to handle and very easy to operate. Since there isn't a traditional charging handle now I made and formed a pad from a thick leather strap that's cemented along the top of my buttstock as a cheek riser to get my head up where it needs to be.

I made the previously mentioned gas reducer from the shank of a stainless bolt.

The gas block is sealed to the barrel, the gas tube is sealed in the gas block and I even filled the ends of the roll pin with JB so there shouldn't be any pressure leakage in that area.

I polished the feed ramps and chamber but I'll do it again when I get the right polishing compound. They were pretty smooth as I received them.

Spent some time with a fine diamond hone going over my extractor until cases come off of it effortlessly and beveled the ejector so cases coming in from the right side of the mag can't catch on it.

I installed some nylon washers into my top scope turret to make a poor boy's zero stop so I don't crank it too far down.

I also bought some hexagonal boron nitride and I've already swabbed the barrel with hBN twice (after a near sterile cleaning) and coated some bullets, which I'll load tomorrow and then begin the break in process. This barrel will only ever see hBN coated bullets and I'm going to start over with load development for it.

I also reworked an ASC mag which feeds much better now and doesn't gouge the brass.

Did the final fitting and forming of my Kydex rail mounted brass deflector to hopefully put my brass into a cardboard box on the bench.

I'm ready to light this rocket.

[LRRPF52]

What bullets did you hBN?

I used to moly coat, but haven't done it in years.

[Crusty]

I've got a bunch of ELD-M 123s so that's what I'm using. I might load up some SMK 123s too.

Moly doesn't work that good, it's messy and it can form cakes in your bore because it breaks down at high temperatures. David Tubb believes in hBN to the point that he's selling hBN and coated bullets, but other professional shooters claim good results with it too. If the hBN coating is effective you'll typically have to increase the powder charge around 2% because the reduced bullet friction results in lower pressure and lower MV. I'm mostly trying it for increased barrel life and easy bore cleaning, but there's a case which can be made for coated bullets exiting the necks uniformly and reducing the incidence of fliers. Supposedly your first shot with hBN will be in the group with subsequent shots.

[Crusty]

Took it to the range for the first time today and it operated just fine. The gas is right and it cycles normally and it's a pleasure to shoot. I have to adjust my trigger reset though - I've got it set too short and so it's prone to finger doubles but otherwise that JP Revolution trigger improved my groups since I was no longer pulling any shots. I swabbed the copper out after every shot for the first 10 rounds, then after each of 4 three round strings, and then finally after each of 4 five round strings.

The barrel's not broken in yet but it's looking promising - here's some handheld shots at 100 yards after I got the scope dialed in. The load's just a powder weight that I picked based on past experiments and I haven't done any accuracy node searches for it or velocity measurements yet.

BTW, any of you folks looking for a great match barrel that doesn't cost great should check out Dez Arms. Based on the one that I've actually seen and shot, their barrels are well made and nice looking, sub MOA and you'll be surprised at the price.