Do It! I have the the 16" Criterion with Mid Length Gas System. I would definitely want to see a before and after cleaning of yours. I'm hoping my borescope is coming anyday now. Love vids like this.
Notice, the Criterion was the only barrel that had the gas port drilled in a groove between lands. That kind of precision manufacturing isn't cheap. Regardless of whether or not there's an accuracy gain, it shows the company's commitment to quality.
@@subbot8077 DAMN dude lol a year later alright. I see what you're looking at, but that dark line on the bottom is carbon. The edge of the groove is lower, it's an optical illusion
I watched this video and bought one of the Teslong borescopes. What a great purchase. There is a problem like you said. Now I'm looking at my barrels and wow! I bought a new rifle and cleaned it and borescoped it. I ended up sending it back and the manufacturer replaced the barrel. The second one was better but not what I expected. So now I'm a barrel snob? Thanks again buddy!
I enjoy your content! Was really cool to see down the barrels! I just ordered a criterion barrel for one of my builds. So it was nice to see it up close. That Seekins barrel was gorgeous!
I own a Teslong, too. You are right, there are things going on in my barrels I don't like. For those folks who make barrels you need to watch your quality control. We will be grading you based on what we are seeing that we couldn't see years ago thanks to the Teslong.
I'm pretty sure I remember reading last fall that Primary Arms barrels are being made by Criterion under a partnership agreement. Primary Arms seems to be doing everything right.
I agree. I remember when PA first came around, everyone treated them like another Anderson or Diamondback. They've built up their reputation throughout the years with quality business decisions even though value was also their objective.
I just recently got the BLEM PSA 18" CHF MID-LENGTH LENGTH 5.56 NATO 1/7 HEAVY 15" PRECISION LIGHTWEIGHT MLOK UPPER and it's damn accurate. I also got the super42 buffer spring w/ the H2 buffer, the felt recoil went way down. It is a very pleasant rifle to shoot.
I know this is old, and you may know this by now, but the Seekins barrel is a 5R cut. That’s why you are seeing a more polygonal cut compared to straight cut.
The mirror also adjusts in and out by twisting it and there is a collar behind it that you can twist forward to keep the mirror in place. I just got it and I love it!
I also love criterion barrels. I recently used their hybrid 16" 8n .223 wylde for a lightweight build. I have found it to be extremely accurate even with xm93 ball ammo (sub moa at 100 yds). I used it with Barnes Vortx 70 grain to take a mature whitetail doe last year and it delivered a center heart shot at around 100 yards. It shoots that ammo at 1/2 to 3/4 moa and the barrel is just over 2 lbs. I love it!
Can't speak to the core series, but I love my hybrid. Not sure why you want a 14.5" unless its an sbr. Pinned and welded muzzle devices cost extra, and hard (if even possible) to change. You'll like the mid-length gas system though, very low recoil impulse. I'm thoroughly impressed with Criterion, and I opted for the headspaced BCM bolt as well for peace of mind.
I’ve found from decades of shooting that barrels wear first at the start of the barrel and out near the end. Essentially on barrels are used hard! Love the chat!
Noticed you did not have a BA barrel in the lineup today. Did you give up on them after the last barrel and it’s replacement you did a barrel cam video on?
Bought my middy fn barrel for my high round use abuse barrel. Really happy with it. Usually did 1:8 as well but my fn has done well with what I use. Stike I used to think was like mall commando stuff but found myself using some nifty parts they have. Barrel looks great too. Thanks for video always such great detail!
Well I wasn’t quite done when I hit the finished button. I really just want to Thank You! You keep it interesting and I think You are learning right along with Us. Well this got unplugged and is gonna be done whether I’m ready or not. I just want to tell You I appreciate You and give You a heartfelt “THANK YOU!” And You are a thousand percent right with Your closing and a lot of people are going to find out just how true it is. Later my Friend.
Thanks for the forewarning. I got a borescope and was heart broken to realize I had spent $$$$ trying to get a "sewer pipe" gas ported barrel to shoot well. Yes, I saw some things that I did not like. Too bad some of the sewer pipe producers have sent out envoys saying " oh the Germans said it does not matter. " That is pure B.S. No German ever said bullet scrapers did not matter.
Make sure if you are using a water-based product, SL2000, Boretech and so on, make sure you flush and dry patch out. I use Lock Ease on a patch if I'm going to use the rifle within a week for hunting. If stored for long periods of time, I use general CLP in the barrel and on my precision rifles I use Tetra Gun Fluoropolymer Penetrating and Bore Conditioner. New barrels I buy for future chambering I oil those barrels as they sit in my gun safe with a dehumidifier inside. Prior to shooting, with an oil-based lands barrel, I dry patch out, flush and dry patch out. I then use lock ease or oil. Krieger barrel I bought today said never run a dry barrel after cleaning and they recommend oil oR lock ease. Speedy Gonzalez a hall of fame bech rest shooter uses the lock ease and so does Mark Buettgen who is a world record holder and bench rest national shooter. FYI. Wipe-Out is a great product to clean with and can be left in the barrel.
The Criterion barrel has had a good number of rounds put through it. That crocodile surface in the throat is from heat and erosion. That is normal with use. The barrel looks like it was super smooth when new.
From my understanding you usually don't want to have a bunch of perpendicular machining marks to the lands and quite of few of these have very pronounced perpendicular machining marks. I'm curious to see how they all stack up when actually test fired one day.
The US in on of few nations that still uses traditional rifling techniques using machines as old as ww1 era that have been retro fitted. Well made CHF rifle barrels are impeccable, mirror finish and allow for methods that you could not achieve with traditional like tapering. If it's a millitary style rifle it has to be chrome lined on top. I love mil spec or + AKs and ARs, psa has the best selection. The prices of FN uppers and kits are amazing, you can build a nice rifle without spending a fortune that often outpecs expensive builds. And yes they work great with steel case FN makes a lot of US millitary weapons, I just wish they had more of FN barrel profiles, chamberings and twist rates I like AKs more and ammo is still affordable but I only buy imports or build with imported parts. If you want a good AK. Zastava USA m70 chf chrome lined in 7.62x39 and 5.56. Is the best for the money. A Wasr is still fine but you have to replace all furniture WBP ia always solid.
Have you ever considered using a thread protector when testing a barrel for accuracy...to cut down on other factors influencing accuracy test results? Lord knows there are plenty already, besides a brake or flash hider.
P.S. That entry level PSA barrel looks like it was polished with steel wool...sure, it's shiny, but yikes! Question is, how consistently does it shoot?
Lol things got cringey @12:56.. Thanks for the informative video. PSA is my go to for AR Platforms but If I am ever going to build anything bigger than 7.62 NATO I'll get a higher end barrel.
motino yes sir I’ve watched how they criterion makes theirs it’s just good to see because I own a criterion barrel and I do see a differnce in the accuracy.
@@carlreeves6108 I built an AR a recently and found out proof barrels are way outside anything I will ever be able to afford for a barrel. Nice to see them put that extra level of effort to quality for their prices.
motino yep I wanted a proof but couldn’t afford it and all the research I did said criterion are the next best thing at an affordable price, it would be nice to have a barrel that ways less than a pencil barrel and maintains accuracy after a long string of fire though lol.
I got one of those PSA premium giessle uppers in 10.5 inches and love it, got it on my go to pistol. Like you I opted for a BCM bcg and man that thing is tough as nails
May be a dumb question, are the lands visible to the naked eye by shining a light in and looking into the barrel? All i ever see is the rifling. 18 inch 223 wylde.
Not a dumb question, if you never asked you would never know the answer! Yes, you can see the lands, but you won’t get a detailed view. Rifling is essentially made of two components, lands and grooves. The lands are the raised, or higher half of the rifling, the grooves being the lower half. Another way to look at it is that in typical 6 groove rifling the lands are the areas with a narrower, more constructing diameter between two spots on opposite sides of the barrel, whereas the grooves with be two opposite areas with a larger, more open diameter.
Had a little red head pop up in the background there probably wondering who the heck are you talking to , but anyway loved seeing the inside of barrels and a couple of them needed to have the gas ports cleaned of metal around the inside of the barrel they had burs sticking up from them
Where’s the link to that particular bore scope? I see a few different ones on Amazon of that brand and around your said price but don’t see any link to it. Thanks
Before and after on the criterion would be awesome. Getting one of the MI 18" criterion rifles. Can't wait for this panic crap to pass. I'm sure they're liking the cash though.
I have their 14.5 Carbine and 16" middy barrels, and they both are around 1.75 moa with ten shot groups using surplus 62gr. One has a 70gr Hornady hand load that comes in around 0.9 - 1 moa with ten shot groups. The other likes Black Hills 262, and hovers around 0.8 - 1 moa, depending on the weather. Both are more consistent than my BCM, Colt, and DD barrels were, and on par with my BRT, though that one is gassed better. All three fall short of my Lothar Walther LW50 barrel, which was back when they hand-lapped their polygonal barrels.
Happy with my two I got in 2018 except through normal carry the 16" Freedom Rifle the upper receiver has lost a little of the covering. I contacted PSA just before Covid19 started. Have not contacted them back because I don't want to send it off in these uncertain times.
The rust spots on the stainless steel barrel is created by carbon steel tooling. The term is called contamination. And on the PSA barrel they stuck a steel rod down barrel to knock the burrs off around the gas hole
When learning to tig weld stainless steel I turned out some beautiful welds, cleaned them with a carbon steel brush. Was so proud of myself when I left work. Came in the next morning and damn if everything wasn't rusted and I had to remake it all
"PSA's quality control process is amazing"... Dude there were blatant metal shavings still hanging off the edges of the lands. That thing looked terrible.
Another great informative videos. Do you like the Centurion barrels over Proof barrels? Thanks for recommending the Teslong bore scope. Best 50 dollars I spent. Its compares to much more expensive scopes.
We have a budget Bear Creek upper in 450 Bushmaster. We half ass cleaned it and sighted it in. We weren’t initially impressed with the groups. We put it away for a few months, bought a bunch more ammo, shot it and still wasn’t impressed. On a whim, I absolutely cleaned the living crap out of the barrel, and I’m talking squeaky clean here. My 18 year and his buddies then shot it on a Lead Sled, and said the groups were one big ragged hole @100 yds. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part, but from here on out I’m sold on super clean barrels for accuracy.
Awsome! I just ordered me a camera after I watched one of your other vids. I also ordered a bartlien 223 barrel from white oak armament. A proof research 6.5 barrel from optics planet. I plan on posting some new vids soon to my channel! Thanks for look😁👍🏻
Was there a break in period for the criterion to settle in? My 18" criterion did not like 55gr much at all. Best group I got was 1.1" at 100 yds with PPU ball 55gr but that was one of the last groups I shot where most of the ones prior were like 2-3 MOA at best. I was kind of disappointed honestly wondering if if the barrel or the ammo. Going to try match ammo next time and see what that does.
I bought a new Proof Research prefit in 308W. After opening, I got out the borescope. It was full of pits. I found that unacceptable for a $600 barrel. Proof Research told me to suck it up and shoot it. They did not want to replace it. Not very good customer relations. I will never buy another barrel from Proof Research.
I was told you want a layer of carbon in your barrel and not copper. After a few copper strip cleanings, eventually you'll create a layer of carbon and copper won't stick to the barrel. This is for the ultimate in accuracy. Copper=bullet deformation which isn't conducive to accuracy.
Wish I still had the photos from my PSA 6.5 Grendel barrel to share. Horrible horrible accuracy. The chamber and rifling looked like it was cut with a chisel. The best way I could describe the chamber is it looked like a "Ultra ribbed condom" inverted. Got my money back. Good CS but PSA deleted my photos I left of the barrel and cracked gas block screws :/ Hope they sent that torque wrench off to CAL.
👍👍 I always enjoy your content. Thank you. I can't locate your gunstreamer page. I search and it comes up with nothing. I even looked at every gun channel there. If you could supply a hyperlink, that would be much appreciated John. Have a good one. 🇺🇸
If you are a regular guy that hunts game and sometimes go to the range to improve your tech then these very expensive barrels aren't worth it. PSA inexpensive barrels will do the trick. My choice is Roscoe barrels.
