I'm sure some of you guys are aware that some AR15 shooters will purposely exclude a Flash Hider from their barrels to eliminate any possibility of accuracy loss. I'm sure the $3,000 Les Baer rifle which is guaranteed to shoot 1/2" 5 shot groups is offered only without a FH just for this reason.
But, have you ever considered that just the opposite can also be the case in some instancer?! I'd like to confirm this;
Recently I had a 20" RR National Match barrel recontoured and shortened to 18". I shaved the full length of the barrel down to a .750" diameter. My rifle is adorned with a Daniel Defense rail and a collapsible stock. It is my preferencve for my AR rifles to be lighter and more tactical in style, but to still be accurate. Yesterday I headed to the range with my newly modified barrel. I knew how this barrel had shot in the past when it was a heavy 20" NM barrel and what loads it preferred. I took the same 10 precision handloaded rounds along with me to the range, except this time I had left the flash hider off of the barrel, and put it in my field box with a creasant wrench on standby. I had known that often there is no change in accuracy with or without a flash hider, but if there was to be an affect, accuracy would likely be better without a FH. So I figured I'd try it first without the FH. From off of my Hart rifle rest and using wind flags I proceeded to fire a 5 shot group with the bare barrel. I was not happy to see a 1 1/4" group with shots scattered all through that group and no clustering pattern of the shots. Prevoiusly, 3/4" to 1" groups and sometimes tighter had been the norm with the 20" barrel. With an attitude of "Oh well. I might as well fire off the next 5 handloads just to be sure", I proceeded to install the flash hider onto the muzzle threads first, and then fire another 5 shot group. This was a 1" group with the first shot of the group being seperated high up by itself, and the remaining 4 shots clustered into a 9/16" group.
Obviously, the standard "bird-cage" FH had changed the harmonics of the barrel and improved the accuracy. So, we can't always assume that what seems to work most of the time will work all of the time....as it is usually assumed that it's best to omit flash hiders or other attachments from a barrel when seeking accuracy. Had I requested for the muzzle threads and FH be cut off and removed from the barrel, I'd have ruined a fine barrel and likely never known the true cause for the loss of accuracy. I'd have believed that the radical recontouring had spoiled the barrel, and blown a fast $160 in doing it.
But, have you ever considered that just the opposite can also be the case in some instancer?! I'd like to confirm this;
Recently I had a 20" RR National Match barrel recontoured and shortened to 18". I shaved the full length of the barrel down to a .750" diameter. My rifle is adorned with a Daniel Defense rail and a collapsible stock. It is my preferencve for my AR rifles to be lighter and more tactical in style, but to still be accurate. Yesterday I headed to the range with my newly modified barrel. I knew how this barrel had shot in the past when it was a heavy 20" NM barrel and what loads it preferred. I took the same 10 precision handloaded rounds along with me to the range, except this time I had left the flash hider off of the barrel, and put it in my field box with a creasant wrench on standby. I had known that often there is no change in accuracy with or without a flash hider, but if there was to be an affect, accuracy would likely be better without a FH. So I figured I'd try it first without the FH. From off of my Hart rifle rest and using wind flags I proceeded to fire a 5 shot group with the bare barrel. I was not happy to see a 1 1/4" group with shots scattered all through that group and no clustering pattern of the shots. Prevoiusly, 3/4" to 1" groups and sometimes tighter had been the norm with the 20" barrel. With an attitude of "Oh well. I might as well fire off the next 5 handloads just to be sure", I proceeded to install the flash hider onto the muzzle threads first, and then fire another 5 shot group. This was a 1" group with the first shot of the group being seperated high up by itself, and the remaining 4 shots clustered into a 9/16" group.
Obviously, the standard "bird-cage" FH had changed the harmonics of the barrel and improved the accuracy. So, we can't always assume that what seems to work most of the time will work all of the time....as it is usually assumed that it's best to omit flash hiders or other attachments from a barrel when seeking accuracy. Had I requested for the muzzle threads and FH be cut off and removed from the barrel, I'd have ruined a fine barrel and likely never known the true cause for the loss of accuracy. I'd have believed that the radical recontouring had spoiled the barrel, and blown a fast $160 in doing it.
