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Best Carbon Fiber Barrels: Cooler, Stronger, Lighter

Carbon Fiber barrels are one of the most amazing advancements in firearms since rifled barrels and select-fire. We took a look at what makes these barrels so great, why they perform so much better than other barrels, and who makes the best ones.

After the trigger and of course your own skill, your barrel is going to be probably the biggest deciding factor for your AR-15’s performance.  

Few other things even come close. 

AR-15 Barrel Profiles
AR-15 Barrel Profiles

Now, unlike triggers, which are easy to spot differences in and easy to swap, barrels are…a bit more complicated.  

We’ll cover carbon fiber beats plain ole steel…and a couple of our favorite manufacturers and models.

BSF Barrel with Superlative Gas Block
BSF Barrel with Superlative Gas Block

Table of Contents

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Barrel Basics

In general, your barrel is probably good for 10,000ish rounds UNLESS you’re shooting corrosive ammo (why?) in a stainless-lined barrel.  You can also stretch the life of a barrel considerably by not letting it get hot.  

That means letting the barrel cool, or picking up a bull barrel which is significantly heavier, but has more mass and thus is far less temperature-sensitive.

This extra mass makes it more consistent across environment temperatures and also means you can rip through a mag and still be able to hold onto the barrel without scorching your fingerprints off like Will Smith in the first Men in Black film.

You can get even better results from a carbon fiber barrel.  Check out this video from BSF where they run through a second round mag while gripping the exposed barrel like it’s nothing.

The other advantage of a bull barrel is that a thicker barrel is also stiffer and thus less likely to suffer from little harmonic quirks that can cause the rifle to perform inconsistently depending on what ammo you’re using, how the barrel is mounted in relation to the stock, and a million other little things that make hardcore handloaders and long-range precision nuts pleasantly aroused to think about.

Of course, with carbon fiber, you get a stiffer barrel without the mass.  All the benefits, none of the drawbacks.

If you want to really dig into the physics of what’s happening to your barrel, RSI has a great article on it if you’re into that sort of thing.

Personally, my head starts to hurt after a while, and I’m reminded why I changed my degree from mechanical engineering, but it’s still interesting to see some of the science behind the guns we use.

Now, it’s worth noting that most of these considerations likely won’t bother the average shooter.  If the gun goes bang, and is accurate enough at 100 yards, that’s probably enough.  For the average shooter.

Who Wants to be Average?

For me, I worked at a gun shop with an attached range and I got all my ammo at a discount, and could handload for just the cost of bullets, so over a year or thereabouts, I put just a silly amount of rounds downrange, well over 20,000 rounds in a year,  so I got to be really picky about my barrels.

Like, really picky.

I’m also kind of a metallurgical/machining nerd, and I’ve worked in shops that make barrels and other cold-hammer forged parts and high-end stuff like that, so when I hear about a barrel that gives you the profile of a government barrel, the heat-dispersion and stiffness of a bull barrel, and half the weight of a similarly-profiled barrel?

I call bullshit immediately.

Enter the carbon fiber barrel to totally and completely prove me wrong.

The CA-15 Carbon Fiber Barrel
It turns out, I’m wrong a lot. That’s probably not a comfort to you folks, but hey, at least I admit it?

What’s so special about carbon fiber barrels?  Are they really worth the hype?  What about the $800+ price tag?

In short, abso-freaking-lutely.  Long version, well you’ll just have to keep reading.

What The Hell is a Carbon Fiber Barrel?

Well, let’s start with what carbon fiber is.

Carbon fiber is fiber, made of carbon.

Alright, more specifically, carbon fiber is a polymer-impregnated composite that’s primarily composed of tiny carbon-based filaments 5-10 micrometers in diameter.  

These filaments, also called CF in the industry, or more rarely graphite fiber, are what give carbon fiber composites their name, but also their cool properties.

On their own, carbon fibers have a very high strength-to-weight ratio, are incredibly stiff, resistant to most chemicals, and are very resistant to temperature changes and thermal expansion and contraction.  

When they are layered with certain polymers, other carbon composites, or ceramics, and then baked to a high hardness, they become a super-material that has extensive applications in aerospace, military, engineering, public works, the wing on your annoying neighbor’s Subaru, and of course real motorsports like F1 and NASCAR.

denny hamlin carbon fiber hood
I’m no expert, but it looks like something went wrong there. You can see the exposed carbon fiber composite there though.

It also makes for a great rifle barrel, or more specifically barrel wrap.

How Do Carbon Fiber Barrels Work?

Well, all the things that make carbon fiber great in say, the F-35 fighter jet, also make it great for a barrel.  A stiffer, less temperature-sensitive, stronger, more corrosion resistant barrel?  

What’s not to love about that?

These barrels are made with (usually) a stainless core that’s noticeably thinner than other barrels.  This core includes the rifling that imparts spin to your bullet and makes your gun, ya know, a rifle instead of a smooth-bore musket.

Christensen Arms CA-15 Carbon Barrel Assembly .223 Wylde
You can see how the carbon fiber material is wrapped around the steel core here.

It also includes the threads that mate your barrel to the receiver, and the threads for attaching a muzzle device.  There are still some things steel is better for.

This metal core is then wrapped in a carbon fiber composite that lends the barrel all it’s cool properties, resulting in a barrel that’s better in nearly every conceivable way when compared to a traditional one.

According to Proof Research, who is one of the premier makers of carbon fiber products and who we’ll talk more about in a minute, this gives us barrels with the following benefits:

  • Up to 64% lighter than traditional steel barrels of similar contour
  • Match-grade accuracy
  • Improved heat dissipation for cooler and longer lasting barrels
  • No point-of-impact shift during high-volume fire
  • Reduced harmonic barrel vibration
  • Unprecedented durability

What’s the downside of a carbon fiber barrel, besides looking just a bit like the hood of your annoying neighbor’s Subaru? (Seriously, what is that dude’s problem?)

Price.  Like I said before, these barrels cost just about as much as a quality rifle on their own.  These are barrels that cost way more than the average AR, and they go above and beyond what the average shooter is really going to need.

But again, who ever set out to just be average?

Of course, with these barrels representing such a significant investment of your hard earned dollars, it makes sense to get the best of the best.  

treat yo self to a gun safe
If you’re gonna upgrade your barrel, you might as well get the best ones.

So let’s look at the best ones.

1. PROOF Research

PROOF Research is a Montana-based company that is committed to using cutting-edge materials science to advance the firearms industry.  

They also make precision composites for the aerospace industry in their Dayton, OH facility, including parts for the F-35 and B2 Stealth Bomber, and I believe they have components in space somewhere.

f35
No disrespect intended, but this look harder to make than an AR-15.

This just goes to show not only how amazing of a material carbon fiber composites are, but it also shows off some of PR’s manufacturing chops.

And make no mistake, they are one of the finest precision manufacturers in the world.

Let’s ignore their awesome, literally space-age rifle barrels.  They still make some of the most accurate steel barrels in the industry.  I’m working on upgrading one of my competition rifles to a PROOF Research barrel in time for my glorious return to 3-Gun this year.

Now, their carbon fiber barrels are a whole different story.  I’d absolutely have one and test it for you guys (maybe do some temp tests with the Seek Thermal Camera) if I had an extra grand lying around…but I don’t.  I wish I did. 

That being said, I have had the notable privilege of wielding rifles sporting PR barrels and I was thoroughly enamored with them. 

Specifically, their .223 Wylde barrels, and their shiny new Ruger Precision Rifle barrel.

The Wylde barrel is obviously a massive improvement, but I have to say, if you really want to get the most out of these barrels, put one in a big, heavy precision rifle.

I have to say, I adore the Ruger Precision Rifle, I really do, but it handles like a depleted uranium surfboard.

Ruger Precision Rifle
Ruger Precision Rifle aka, the heaviest gun in my safe.  It is also heavier than the safe itself.

A lot of that weight is the barrel and the Proof Research carbon fiber barrel eliminates a lot of that, gives you superior head dispersal, and is in general a lot more accurate.

You can check out the rest of Proof Research’s stuff at Optics Planet and Cabela’s or compare prices below.

Most Accurate Carbon Fiber
799
at OpticsPlanet

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Available Coupons

What’s your take on Proof barrels if price were no object?

Readers' Ratings

4.99/5 (1043)

Your Rating?

2. Carbon Six

Carbon Six is a smaller and, to my knowledge, a relatively newer outfit (at the very least, I haven’t heard anything about them until recently, and what I’ve heard has been pretty impressive.

carbon six logo
Also, their logo looks like a Golden Snitch.

With a Carbon Six barrel, customization is the name of the game.  Your barrel is custom made just for you, which means you get to pick:

  • Caliber
  • Chambering
  • Twist Rate
  • Length
  • Contour
  • Threading
  • Carbon Wrapping

Now, the last part needs some explanation.  Carbon Six is actually the only carbon fiber barrel maker that lets you pick the pattern of your carbon wrap.  You can check out the two options below.

You can also get each part of your barrel Cerakoted in a variety colors so you can really go all in on the custom look, which I think is a great option if you’re building a rifle that’s not just a plain scary black rifle”.

polymer 80 lowers
I defy you to label a bright pink rifle an “assault weapon”. An assault on good taste, maybe.

Because of all these amazing options, Carbon Six makes the list on customization options alone.  If you’re gonna spend the cost of a new gun on just a barrel, you might as well get something you really like.

But they also cite ½ MOA performance on top of the benefits of carbon fiber barrels we’ve already talked about.  What’s not to love about that?

Of all the carbon fiber barrel makers on this list, if I had to pay for one with my own money…Carbon Six would definitely be in the running.  A precision rifle, for my purposes, is going to be more about chasing better accuracy at the range and maybe the occasional competition.

For me, that makes it a fun gun.  Carbon fiber makes a great barrel material for a hunting rifle, especially if you’re trekking over rough terrain, don’t get me wrong.  Every ounce of weight savings is a godsend in that situation.

That said, I don’t hunt enough to build a rifle around a barrel that expensive.  But will I spend that much money to have the best looking and best performing gun at the range?  Absolutely.  

3. Christensen Arms

Christensen Arms makes a variety of products, including complete rifles, accessories, uppers, lowers, handguns (I think just 1911’s right now) and of course, some really nice carbon fiber barrels.

I personally can attest to the awesome machining the folks at Christensen Arms put into their products.  

I have used their stuff for a couple years now, and I have nothing but nice things to say.  I’m also thinking about maybe getting one of their 1911’s, but I never like buying guns I can’t handle in a store first, but for such a quality manufacturer, I may make an exception.

Christensen Arms makes the list because they’ve managed to get quality carbon fiber AR barrels out at a price point that almost makes my wallet not cry.  Almost.

wallet
Me, every time I go to the gun store.

Christensen Arms has great bolt-action barrels and other products, but their carbon-wrapped AR barrels are a good $300 or so less than their competitors, and they don’t compromise on quality.  

The last Christensen Arms barrel I put a round through was an AR built with their upper, lower, and barrel, and I was getting some respectable ¾ MOA groups on a…less than stellar trigger.  

I have no doubt that with a smoother trigger that would let me do my part a little bit better, that rifle would have been a half-MOA AR easily.

And no, I don’t know why somebody but a parts kit trigger in a rifle with a $550 barrel.  Troy, if you’re reading this, what the hell man?

617
at OpticsPlanet

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Available Coupons

4. BSF Barrels

BSF makes the list because they are doing some truly interesting things with the manufacturing of these types of barrels.  Whereas most companies wrap the barrels in carbon fiber composite, BSF uses a proprietary jacketing method that only lets 5% of the carbon fiber actually contact the barrel.  

I’ll let BSF explain.

“After turning down the barrel, we jacket a 416R Stainless steel match barrel in a roll-wrapped carbon fiber sleeve and load it under tension. 95% of the carbon fiber does not touch the stainless steel creating air gaps and allowing air to foil around the steel and cool the barrel faster.  We use this jacketing method rather than wrapping the barrel in carbon fiber because this method of wrapping has been proven to trap heat and cause delamination.  The carbon fiber we use is specially designed to move at the same expansion rate as 416R stainless steel.”

So, to recap, you have a barrel that sheds heat fast even when compared to other carbon fiber barrels.  This means you have a barrel that can stand up to some truly impressive round counts without a break, and it still won’t heat up.  

If you’re one of the chosen few that get to run full-auto guns, I’d highly recommend BSF barrels as the best way to let loose those mag dumps without stressing your rifling or heating your barrel.

This heat dispersion should give you a barrel that lasts for a very long time, which is a good thing because like all the other barrels on this list, BSF barrels aren’t exactly cheap.  

But as with all the manufacturers here, the quality, the materials, and the sheer engineering that go into these things makes it worth the cost of admission if you’re looking for the highest performance barrels around.

Best Bang for Buck Carbon Fiber
500
at Brownells

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Available Coupons

Full review of our BSF Barrel.

BSF Complete Upper
BSF Complete Upper

Parting Shots

There we have it folks.  

These are, in my humble opinion, the best makers of Carbon Fiber barrels on the planet, and just possibly, the very best barrels period.  If you’re looking for a barrel that’s light, sheds heat quickly, and is crazy consistent, these are where you should be looking.

What do you think of carbon fiber barrels?  Know any other manufacturers out there in this space?  Are you a representative for one of these companies that wants to make my year and send me a barrel to test (lol)?  

Looking at “regular” AR barrels?  Check out our Best AR-15 Barrels.

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23 Leave a Reply

  • Commenter Avatar
    Mitchell Deloach

    Are there any brands manufacturing carbon fiber barrels for handguns?

    December 24, 2020 6:02 pm
  • Commenter Avatar
    Terry Ferrier

    Correct me if Im wrong, but the only advantage I can see to these CF wrapped barrels is weight savings. There are currently complete AR'S that are capable of 1/2 moa right out of the box equiped with CHF melonite coated barrels & mil spec NB coated triggers.
    You kinda made it sound like the only way to get 1/2 moa groups, one had to have a CF barrel & an upgraded trigger. There are reviews of Savage's MSR 15 Recon to where guys are shooting 1/2 moa out of the box, & a few other rifles as well.

    February 8, 2020 2:36 pm
    • Commenter Avatar
      Austin Roberson

      I think you missed the point of the heat dispersion and how much life is added to it

      June 18, 2021 2:56 pm
  • Commenter Avatar
    Bruw

    Any comment on Fierce Firearms C3 carbon barrels?

    January 24, 2020 11:55 am
  • Commenter Avatar
    Josh

    What handguard is that on that bag complete upper?

    January 2, 2020 2:27 pm
  • Commenter Avatar
    Tim M.

    I'd like to know a couple of things that aren't generally talked about in detail in any of the Carbon-Fiber wrapped barrel write-ups or videos I've seen or read.

    Can you tell me exactly what type of resins are used to laminate the CF to the barrels. In one string of comments one of the manufactures states that they use a proprietary resin but none of the others states this. Does this mean that all or most of the other manufactures use readily available CF resins? If so, which resin is it exactly?

    My second/last question may come off sounding stupid but I'm basing it on a comment early in your write up. You state that "Usually" 416 stainless barrels are used. Does this mean that sometimes 4140 ChromeMoly is used or some other barrel steel?

    Thanks for taking the time to reply.

    December 19, 2019 5:09 pm
  • Commenter Avatar
    Joshua

    All these carbon fiber barrels are ".223 Wylde" so that means I cannot use 5.56 ammo, correct?

    August 24, 2019 10:05 am
    • Commenter Avatar
      Eric Hung

      Hey Joshua, .223 Wylde lets you use BOTH .223 and 5.56 ammo.

      August 24, 2019 10:39 am
      • Commenter Avatar
        Jimmy

        Was wondering the same. Thanks Eric.

        September 28, 2019 8:34 am
  • Commenter Avatar
    Tom C

    I have a Falkor Petra 300 win mag with the Dracos straight jacket barrel. This is an AR platform and you can send rounds down range at a rapid pace and still grab ahold of the barrel. No shift in point of impact from first (cold bore) shot to last shot in a 10 round magazine. Check out Falkor defense or Dracos barrel websites for much better explanations than I can give.
    I do not work for or have any affiliation with either Falkor Defense or Dracos barrels.

    May 11, 2019 2:01 pm
  • Commenter Avatar
    Chapin Pearson

    Anybody had experiences with the carbon fiber barrels from Wolfpack Armory

    February 5, 2019 8:33 am
  • Commenter Avatar
    TANNER RICHEY

    Anyone making 12 Gauge carbon fiber barrels?

    January 9, 2019 10:42 am
  • Commenter Avatar
    Geo

    Would the CF wrap cause the thinner steel core to heat up more, wear quicker etc. due to insulating the heat within the steel instead of allowing it to dissipate?

    December 29, 2018 10:02 am
    • Commenter Avatar
      David, PPT Editor

      No, it would take a lot of math and science to explain in detail but the tl;dr version is that CF is much more conductive of heat than steel, so it actually does a very good job of wicking away and dissipating the heat.

      December 29, 2018 3:36 pm
    • Commenter Avatar
      Name

      Good catch. This is absolutely true. While carbon fibers may have improved thermal conductivity, the epoxy substrates that make up a fiber reinforced polymer (more general term for carbon fiber composites) are insulators and have very low thermal conductivity. The other problem with heat transfer is that the thermal mass of the CF is very low compared to a full steel barrel, hence the weight savings, but the heat can not dissipate and must be transferred by convection (air flow over the surface). Fiber reinforced composites are not good at that. I do not doubt that these barrels are insanely light and stiff, but heat transfer is not a strength of any polymer.

      May 4, 2019 7:15 pm
  • Commenter Avatar
    David T Middlebrooks

    Any thoughts on these barrels regarding Mirage? I'm looking at a semi auto platform and I'm concerned with not being able to see my target after a string of rounds.

    November 19, 2018 8:33 am
  • Commenter Avatar
    Oliver

    Do these barrels take an adjustable gas block the same way a steel barrel would?

    September 28, 2018 11:31 pm
  • Commenter Avatar
    Tristan

    anything about dracos? I am trying to buy a carbon fiber barrel and i have been stuck on dracos but i dont know of anyone shooting them and contacting them to buy one is hell. They have a really good warantee though. who should i go with?

    August 6, 2018 12:07 pm
    • Commenter Avatar
      David

      Never used them, sorry. But if contacting them to buy one is problematic - is the warranty something you can count on? If you can't even contact the company to buy them in the first place, how will you contact them if there is a problem?

      August 6, 2018 2:54 pm
  • Commenter Avatar
    Alan

    SO if you were going to start a build with one of these barrels (like the well priced and nice looking BSF wylde 16.5” barrel), how would approach the other components? In other articles, less pricey components (such as Anderson and Aero lowers) were highly reviewed and recommended........but would a high priced high quality barrel dictate use of much higher quality components? Of course, higher price doesn’t necessarily equate to higher quality. Just curious....not sure if there’s such a thing as budget or value AR build that uses an expensive barrel. Seems like using fine china to serve Kraft Mac and Cheese.

    May 16, 2018 4:11 am
    • Commenter Avatar
      Eric Hung

      Hi Alan, I did a build with the BSF barrel and I went with all high quality components. I'd say definitely go with a good adjustable gas block and a free-float handguard.

      May 17, 2018 12:49 pm
      • Commenter Avatar
        Benjamin Ray

        hey alan, i have an aero upper and lower with a proof research barrel and all jp guts. its more like serving a james beard award meal and not putting it on fine china. this may offend some but i dont eat plates and my build is amazing

        November 11, 2018 8:39 am
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