6.5 grendel xcaliber and faxon barrels, suprised at how little fouling there is.

[john 800]

I built a couple 6.5 grndel ar 15s last year, (some may remember helping troubleshoot both builds when new) both the cartridge and custom barrels were completely new to me. I continue to be impressed with how little of copper comes out when I clean them. Almost none. I am using patch out with accelerator and get very copper. Is that due to better or smoother barrels? Or is that because of the bullet going 500 fps slower than I am used to? Maybe both? One is an xcaliber, one a faxon, if it matters. Fwiw, from what I have heard the xcaliber was a pretty good quality custom barrel and the faxon was more of a budget option, but still usually better than a factory barrel. From accuracy and how easily they clean the faxon is right there, both seem to shoot great.

 

[boltfluter]

I built a couple 6.5 grndel ar 15s last year, (some may remember helping troubleshoot both builds when new) both the cartridge and custom barrels were completely new to me. I continue to be impressed with how little of copper comes out when I clean them. Almost none. I am using patch out with accelerator and get very copper. Is that due to better or smoother barrels? Or is that because of the bullet going 500 fps slower than I am used to? Maybe both? One is an xcaliber, one a faxon, if it matters. Fwiw, from what I have heard the xcaliber was a pretty good quality custom barrel and the faxon was more of a budget option, but still usually better than a factory barrel. From accuracy and how easily they clean the faxon is right there, both seem to shoot great.

John,
If they both shoot and clean up to your standards then that is a win win in my book! Who cares what the brand is with the results you are getting. Slower velocity will generally get you less fouling. Carry on young man.
Paul

 

[Woofie]

I have had good luck w/Faxon barrels in a couple of calibers.

 

[Tesoro]

I have a pencil 556 faxon and it shoots very tight and stays clean.

 

[5soutdoorsTX]

We had been using X-Caliber on our custom guns in our shop for years before we shifted from using "custom" barrels and locking in profiles for a couple of straight off the shelf line ups, and had always been very happy with the accuracy, and the level of fouling. Glad that you've found the value in their stuff as well. We started back up with them on our one-offs again and they're super quick despite their advertised minimum wait times.

I don't have much experience with Faxon, so I cannot opine.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Several factors to copper fouling but most originates from the throat area and the finish left by the reamer or and post chamber finishing done. Particularly so with lapped bbls. Barrels often get blamed for fouling when it's typically not the fault of the bbl at all. Counterintuitively, a finish can be too smooth and promote fouling...like crazy. But to my point, most fouling is a result of jacket upset in the throat area. That displaced copper becomes suspended in the high heat gas, forming a plasma. As the pressure and temp drops, that copper get deposited along the bore, ie, copper wash at the muzzle.. but this does not discount the area where it all began and streaks being left anywhere, in part due to the jacket damage done at the throat.

Bottom line...nice work chambering your barrels! That's where most of it begins. The reamer plays a big role too, of course.

 

[john 800]

Several factors to copper fouling but most originates from the throat area and the finish left by the reamer or and post chamber finishing done. Particularly so with lapped bbls. Barrels often get blamed for fouling when it's typically not the fault of the bbl at all. Counterintuitively, a finish can be too smooth and promote fouling...like crazy. But to my point, most fouling is a result of jacket upset in the throat area. That displaced copper becomes suspended in the high heat gas, forming a plasma. As the pressure and temp drops, that copper get deposited along the bore, ie, copper wash at the muzzle.. but this does not discount the area where it all began and streaks being left anywhere, in part due to the jacket damage done at the throat.

Bottom line...nice work chambering your barrels! That's where most of it begins. The reamer plays a big role too, of course.

That is interesting. It makes perfect sense but I never thought of the chamber job having an effect. Thanks for the info!