The Best AR-15 Barrels

The AR-15 market has expanded rapidly in the 21 years since the AWB expired. What was once a relatively limited space has expanded to cover all budgets and use cases. With hundreds of options for every budget and build, finding the right barrel can be difficult. Some people subscribe to the buy once, cry once philosophy and suggest spending top dollar on every barrel; however, I tend to find this disingenuous. Not every build needs to be match grade or able to survive a nuclear apocalypse. In this article, I will go over multiple categories and price ranges and showcase some solid barrel choices in each category. For the sake of consistency, all barrels in this article will be the 16” model.

Budget Barrels

Budget barrels often get a bad rap in the shooting community, but in the year of 2025, there are some truly excellent options to be had for relatively cheap. While these may not offer the best in terms of accuracy and gassing, they are solid barrels and will generally perform more than adequately in most entry-level builds. Barrels in this category will be less than $200 and can generally be found on sale for less than $150. This can be one of the trickier categories, as there are many no-name barrel manufacturers selling cheap barrels with poor QC and little to no information. Many new prospective buyers can be lured in with flashy marketing and end up with a subpar product. Hopefully, this article will help steer you in the right direction.

Primary Arms’ Expo brand has been quietly performing phenomenally in the budget barrel space, balancing solid performance in both the durability and gassing categories while retaining solid combat accuracy. With the chrome-lined barrels priced at $169.99 MSRP and sale pricing dropping as low as $100, they are a solid choice in this budget range. Expo barrels have excellent profiles for general-purpose rifles, balancing weight and durability. Additionally, Primary Arms openly lists the gas port size on each barrel, something even some higher-end manufacturers neglect. In my experience, Expo barrels hit well above their price range, and if you can snag one on a sale, they are a phenomenal choice.

• Material: 41V50 Chrome Moly Vanadium Chrome Lined Bore
• Profile: Medium
• Finish: Manganese Phosphate
• Twist Rate: 1/7"
• Gas System Length: Mid-Length
• Gas Block Journal: .750" Dimpled
• Muzzle: 1/2x28 Threaded
• Chamber: 5.56

Ballistic Advantage has been in the barrel-making space for many years. Producing solid options in most budget ranges, they have made a name for themselves as a reliable barrel maker. The Performance series by BA sits comfortably in the $180 range normally and dips even lower on sale. Performance series barrels ship with a pinned low-profile gas block pre-installed, providing an additional level of durability over a normal set screw installation. BA Performance Series barrels offer a solid set of features at a reasonable price, making them a good choice for any entry-level build.

• Material: Chrome Moly Vanadium
• Profile: Hanson
• Finish: QPQ Corrosion Resistant
• Twist Rate: 1/7"
• Gas System Length: Mid-Length
• Gas Block Journal: .750"
• Muzzle: 1/2x28 Threaded
• Chamber: 5.56

Roscoe is another manufacturer I find slept on by the shooting community. With solid performance, gassing and reliable accuracy, they are another phenomenal choice in the entry-level category. Roscoe Bloodline barrels perform extremely well in the budget category with solid gassing and decent accuracy across the board. Roscoe has come to be known in the barrel making space for their reliable build quality and QC while maintaining a competitive price point. With Bloodline barrels running about $130 street price, with sales occasionally dropping them below $100, they are another excellent choice for an entry-level build.

• Material: 4150 Chrome Moly Vanadium
• Profile: Government
• Finish: Nitride
• Twist Rate: 1/7"
• Gas System Length: Mid-Length
• Gas Block Journal: 750"
• Muzzle: 1/2x28 Threaded
• Chamber: 5.56

Mid Tier Barrels

Barrels in this category are a step up in multiple ways from the budget offerings. Generally offering better barrel material, accuracy and durability. These barrels will typically be less than $300 and offer notable performance improvements over entry-level barrels. This price tier is where you start getting into some truly high-quality duty-grade setups while still not completely breaking the bank. Additionally, at this price point, you start seeing more consistent QC and attention to detail.

Centurion has been making excellent-quality barrels for quite some time. Offering solid cold hammer forged chrome-lined barrels with excellent accuracy and gassing. Centurion barrels are high-pressure tested and magnetic particle inspected, assuring uniform quality for any barrel coming out of the factory. The Centurion T-marked gas block system guarantees proper alignment, while a pinned system ensures rock-solid installation with solid performance even under heavy use. At around $300 street price and as low as $270 on sale, Centurion barrels are excellent choices for any hard-use carbine.

• Material: 4150 Chrome Moly Vanadium Chrome Lined
• Profile: Medium
• Finish: Manganese Phosphate
• Twist Rate: 1/7"
• Gas System Length: Mid-Length
• Gas Block Journal: 750" T Marked
• Muzzle: 1/2x28 Threaded
• Chamber: 5.56

Criterion has quickly become one of the most highly regarded barrel manufacturers in the industry. Offering solid durability, soft gassing and truly excellent accuracy. Criterion CORE barrels are designed with a custom profile to enhance performance. The thicker profile towards the rear offers excellent heat absorption performance during hard use, while the slimmer profile in the front ensures proper balance, allowing for a much handier carbine. Additionally, all CORE barrels are chrome lined and hand lapped and honed. Typically, chrome lining a barrel can lead to issues with accuracy due to uneven application of chrome in the bore, however, Criterion takes the next step to ensure outstanding accuracy. Street price on the CORE barrels is $320 and they have been on sale as low as $280. I have had excellent luck with multiple Criterion barrels and find they are perfectly suited for any mid-tier or high-end rifle.

• Material: 4150 Chrome Moly Vanadium Chrome Lined Hand Lapped
• Profile: CORE
• Finish: Phosphate
• Twist Rate: 1/8"
• Gas System Length: Mid-Length
• Gas Block Journal: .625”
• Muzzle: 1/2x28 Threaded
• Chamber: 223 Wylde

Sons of Liberty Gunworks makes phenomenal barrels with an even greater warranty. The SPR barrels offer top-tier accuracy with some smart engineering choices to ensure rigidity. The SOLGW SPR barrels are an extremely heavy profile with a 5/8x24 barrel thread. This makes for an extremely rigid barrel, allowing for excellent groups even under sustained fire. I have had multiple SPR barrels from SOLGW put out 10-shot groups at just under an inch with match-grade ammunition, which is an impressive feat. Due to the profile, they can retain accuracy during a lengthy stage of fire. I have taken these barrels to multiple day shooting sessions, and they have remained consistently accurate whether I am taking a cold bore shot or engaging multiple targets at a distance. Additionally, SOLGW has a quite frankly ridiculous warranty on their barrels. If you ever manage to shoot out one of their barrels to the point where it starts having problems, they will replace the barrel for free. At around $320 street price, these barrels are solid performers. When coupled with the added insurance that you will never need to worry about buying a replacement, this is one of the best choices for an accurized AR-15 in this budget.

• Material: 416R Stainless
• Profile: SPR
• Finish: Black Oxide
• Twist Rate: 1/7"
• Gas System Length: Mid-Length
• Gas Block Journal: .750”
• Muzzle: 5/8x24 Threaded
• Chamber: 223 Wylde

High End Barrels

Here we are at the top of the food chain. Barrels in this budget are the cream of the crop, offering solid performance in every category, constructed out of solid materials or out of more exotic materials like carbon fiber. Priced at $350- $1200, these are not for the faint of heart, but when money is no object and you want the best performance you can get out of a carbine, look no further. Some of the barrels we will get into in this category will be for specialized purposes like maximizing performance to weight or longevity and durability.

Geissele is one of the best-known names in the AR-15 space, and for good reason. The Super Duty is one of the best complete rifles on the market with excellent performance in every category. Geissele also sells barrels standalone, and in my opinion, they are some of the best high-end duty barrels on the market. With a solid, balanced profile and excellent gassing, the Geissele CHFs are phenomenal shooters. Similar to the Criterion CORE barrels listed earlier in the article, the Geissele CHF barrels, despite the chrome lining, remain incredibly accurate. I grouped 10 rifles with 16” Geissele barrels built for an associate, and all would group 1.2 MOA or below 10-shot groups with match-grade ammo. This is truly outstanding accuracy for a cold hammer forged barrel. Add to this the bombproof installation of the Geissele gas block, and you have one of the best barrels for any duty carbine on the market without sacrificing accuracy. Street price on the Geissele barrel with bombproof gas block is $450, however, Geissele barrels by themselves regularly go on sale for less than $300, making them phenomenal value purchases for those with patience. Even at retail, they remain one of the best barrels on the market.

• Material: 4140 Chromoly
• Profile: Tapered
• Finish: Manganese Phosphate
• Twist Rate: 1/7"
• Gas System Length: Mid-Length
• Gas Block Journal: .750” Bombproof
• Muzzle: 1/2x28 Threaded
• Chamber: 5.56 

Proof research has been notable in the precision game for years. Known for excellent accuracy and their carbon fiber barrels. Hunting with an AR-15 has been commonplace for years, and the Proof barrels are an excellent fit for this. With the 16” heavy profile CF barrel only weighing in at 27 ounces, this offers an excellent balance of performance to weight. In my experience, the Proof barrels excel in retaining accuracy by dispersing heat quickly and keeping the weight low. My 14.5 will put out a .6 MOA 5-shot group with my hunting load of choice and has been an excellent performer in the years I have owned it. At nearly $1000 street price, these barrels are costly but are, in my opinion, one of the best carbon fiber offerings on the market.

• Material: Carbon Fiber
• Profile: Heavy
• Finish: Marbled Carbon Fiber
• Twist Rate: 1/8"
• Gas System Length: Mid-Length
• Gas Block Journal: .750”
• Muzzle: 5/8x24 Threaded

Craddock Precision is a name you aren’t likely to hear at your local gun shop, despite making some of the best AR-15 barrels on the market. They are one of the most customizable and accurate barrels money can buy. Using Bartlein blanks, when ordering, you can customize nearly everything about the barrel, from the twist rate to the gas journal diameter and even the material. Configured as cheaply as possible from their website for a 16-inch barrel, it will set you back $727, while fully configured with 400MODBB and fluting, it will cost you nearly $1200, making it the most expensive barrel on this list. In my time on a custom SPR with a full Craddock barrel, I was blown away by how it performed. With 77-grain handloaded match ammo, I was printing .53 moa 5-shot groups and .7 moa 10-shot groups regularly. If you need the best accuracy an AR-15 barrel can offer and the ability to customize everything down to the finest detail, look no further than Craddock.

• Material: 416R SS or 400MODBB
• Profile: Customizable
• Finish: Customizable
• Twist Rate: Customizable
• Gas System Length: Customizable
• Gas Block Journal: Customizable
• Muzzle: Customizable

Final Thoughts

There are hundreds of barrel options on the market in the US. As citizens of the USA, we are extremely lucky to be able to purchase parts and build these rifles under the 2nd Amendment. The options listed in this article are my personal picks in these categories based on my experiences, but it would be impossible to cover every manufacturer available. I am eager to read your comments about personal preferences on barrel manufacturers. If you have any suggestions for barrels or input, please leave them down below, and I will be happy to respond to questions.