Finding the best 7.62x39 AR Barrel might be a challenge. Especially if you’re not sure of which one will fit your AR-style rifle. Barrels have the responsibility of providing you with the best possible accuracy you can get out of an AR-style rifle.
Without it, the rifle itself would be rendered useless. Plus, you’ll need a barrel that is not only designed to give you accurate shooting but something that is tough and can handle most applications. With that in mind, we’ve taken the liberty of adding five of the best 7.62x39 AR barrels on the market.
Before we get to the list, we’ll take a look at why barrel length is important and what characteristics consist of a great 7.62x39 barrel for your AR-style rifle.
Comparison of the Best 7.62x39 AR Barrels
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Barrel Length 101 - What Length of Barrel Should I Opt for?
The question that almost every new buyer asks is: what barrel length is best for me? The answer is that it depends. It will depend on all kinds of factors that will make the ultimate determination of which barrel length to settle for.
For example, if you’re planning on using your rifle in a tactical situation, a shorter barrel like an 18-inch barrel could be sufficient. If you’re looking for a barrel for hunting or long-range shooting then a longer length could do the trick.
Keep in mind that there are some states that actually restrict certain barrel lengths. For example, in the State of New York, you cannot own a barrel that is less than 16 inches in length. If you have any concerns on barrel length and whether or not they are legal, consult your local, state and even federal laws for more information. This might make the decision process a little easier in choosing a barrel without having to trigger any unintentional legal issues.
Why These Barrels Are Our Top Picks
We simply didn’t pick these barrels at random. We chose them based on a few characteristics that stand out. We recommend that you go about choosing your barrel for your own use the same way we did for the purpose of adding them to the review list. Here’s what you need to look for while your search progresses:
Length
As mentioned, a great barrel can come in various lengths. But for you, you need to find one that will best fit your intended application. If you’re planning on using your AR-style rifle for long-range shooting purposes, you may want to consider a longer length. If you’re using it for hunting or target shooting purposes, something shorter could be your best possible option.
Gunner, 7.62x39, Mid-Length, 4150 QPQ is made of 4150 Certified Gun Barrel Quality Steel and 16" long.
Ease of Installation
We’re well aware that most readers may not be expert level gunsmiths and, we’re not going to judge. So we’ve made sure we’ve found the barrels that are easy to install. You should be able to install this on your rifle with the right kind of tools and just minutes of your time. If you lack proper gunsmithing skills, find a drop-in barrel for your rifle.
Price
Of course, we make sure that every barrel fits a certain budget. You might be looking for something more affordable or something more high-end. Regardless of the price tag, you should always hold some of the other traits to high importance like quality. Find the best quality barrel that fits your budget. You shouldn't sacrifice quality just to save money.
Review of the Best 7.62x39 Barrels
The following is a list of the five best 7.62x39 barrels that are currently on the market. As you look through every single one of these, it is important to take note of the features and functions that every barrel has. It might be a match for the barrel you want on your AR-style rifle. It might be close enough.
You’re bound to find a surefire winner on this list if you know what you’re looking for. Now, let’s begin by unveiling our “best overall” choice for a 7.62x39 AR barrel:
Best 16-Inch Barrel:
16" Gunner, 7.62x39, Mid-Length, 4150 QPQ
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
Most recent buyers were happy with this barrel. It has worked with most carbine gas length rifles. The accuracy is top quality and has the ability to hit targets from a good distance. Some have reported hitting targets as far as 300 to 400 yards out. This might be a great mid-range barrel for specific applications.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This barrel has the ability to dissipate heat much faster than most barrels on the market. So if you touch the barrel by complete accident, you won’t accidentally burn your hands. We also like it because it’s a pretty durable barrel that can handle all kinds of abuse. Plus, it has the potential to last you years or even decades.
Who Will Use This Most
This barrel is great for a lot of applications. It also depends on which length you choose. The longer barrel will ideally be used for hunting and long-range shooting applications while the shorter barrel will be used for target shooting or even competitive shooting. Regardless of which length you go with, you still get the same top quality performance that your rifle deserves.
What Could be Improved and Why
Despite having no obvious cons, one minor improvement that could be suggested is adding on a muzzle brake or flash hider. This could be beneficial for most users who want to reduce a lot of recoil from their rifle.
Plus, without a flash hider, this can have the potential of being a very effective barrel for self-defense applications. If you're hiding your flash, you won't give away your position when facing attackers or prowlers.
Bottom Line
If you need a 16-inch barrel because it’s the ideal length you need (or if you’re obligated to own one due to strict gun laws), this barrel by Faxon Firearms might be your best possible option. This has the ability to work on all kinds of applications and can hit targets from short or even mid-range distances. Either way, this barrel can definitely give your rifle a boost in accuracy.
Best 18-Inch Barrel:
DEZ Arms AR-15 Straight Flute 7.62x39 Barrel w/HBAR Contour
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
A lot of recent buyers were happy with the overall performance. Most of the buyers were hunters who wanted to get the best accuracy out of their rifles. Specifically, these were hunters that were either varmint or deer hunters. Regardless, they were able to hit their targets with precise accuracy from distances ranging from 100 to 500 yards out.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This barrel has a unique design that makes heat dissipation as quick and easy as possible. While the chances of accidentally touching a barrel and getting burned in the process are less likely, it’s always good to have a barrel that will cool off quickly after every shooting application.
More specifically, an extended shooting session at the range can heat this barrel up quite a bit. No matter how hot the barrel gets, it’ll take a matter of minutes to cool off completely. Nothing longer than that.
Who Will Use This Most
This will be a barrel that will definitely be put to good use by hunters everywhere. If you’re a big game hunter or a varmint hunter, this barrel will definitely give you the best probability of landing a kill shot. A one-shot, one kill hunting day is always a good day for you. This barrel can make that happen.
What Could be Improved and Why
One of the things that might be an improvement is making the rifle slightly lighter in weight. While it will improve the accuracy, it does add some overall weight to the rifle. That might be a little uncomfortable for some shooters. The lighter the barrel, the better the likelihood that better rifle handling will be the result.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a barrel and 18 inches is a length that you want to settle for, the DEZ Arms straight flute barrel might be exactly what you’re looking for. This will give you not only top quality accuracy, but it will give your AR-15 rifle a good deal of overall length. If you want a rifle to stand out better than the rest, it starts with a great barrel like this.
3. PSA Gen2 KS-47 16" Carbine-Length 7.62x39 1/10 Nitride Barrel
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
Most recent buyers were pleased with this barrel firing off consistent accurate shots. This barrel was tested out at the range with targets situated at different distances. Most of the shot groups were tighter when the targets were 100 to 200 yards away. One buyer said that this would definitely help him land better shots when hunting for varmints.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This barrel is the best fit for carbine gas systems. It’s at the right length to where it can work with all kinds of carbine AR-style rifles. At 16 inches, this also fits the legal requirements in most states. So you can live in a state where gun laws are quite strict and be able to use a barrel like this so long as the rifle itself is compliant with the laws themselves.
Who Will Use This Most
Expect varmint or small game hunters to rely on this barrel a lot more for their AR-style rifle. This barrel might also come in handy for deer hunters who want to land their bag limit from distances like 200 yards away. This isn’t solely a hunting barrel by any stretch of the imagination. But it’s long enough to fit the application perfectly.
What Could be Improved and Why
One of the improvements that should be considered is adding chrome lining to the barrel itself. This will increase the longevity of the barrel by many years. Corrosion is one of the common enemies against any rifle barrel. But so long as you are able to take care of your rifle and clean it properly, you’ll have a better chance of using it longer than most barrels.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a 7.62x39 barrel that might be considered one of the best in the business, you might find the PSA Gen 2 KS-47 16-inch carbine length barrel to be the closest thing possible. It’s tough, can handle most of its intended applications, and delivers accurate follow-up shots like nothing else. If this checks off a few boxes on your list of what you’re looking for, you might have found a winner with this barrel.
4. PSA Gen2 KS-47 10.5" Carbine-Length 7.62x39 1/10 Nitride Barrel
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
Most of the buyers added this onto their AR-pistol which is chambered in shooting 7.62x39 shots. Some have used this to add on their SBRs. Either way, it delivers superior performance for short-range shooting. Most of the shooting was accurate from as far as 150 yards out. One user said that it made his AR-15 pistol more accurate than ever after the upgrade.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This is a short length barrel that is like it’s PSA counterpart that is longer in length. However, this is more suitable for pistols and short barreled rifles. It’s tough, accurate, and all around reliable for most applications. Other than that, it’s a must-have for any AR-style build be it a building project or a currently existing rifle or pistol.
Who Will Use This Most
This will probably be used mostly by AR-15 pistol owners. This might be a possible upgrade barrel compared to factory or stock version models. For applications, this will likely be used for target shooting or competitive shooting. In applications like this, accuracy is one thing that a shooter must hold to a higher standard.
What Could be Improved and Why
Once again, it might be appreciated to add chrome lining to the inside of the barrel. This way, it will prevent the barrel from suffering an early death due to corrosion. The best possible way to prevent it would be to clean the barrel often so it won’t be ineffective due to the debris or corrosion that could affect the overall performance.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a barrel that might be excellent for your AR-15 pistol or SBR, this barrel is the perfect length. You can get all kinds of consistent accurate shooting in target practice or competitive environment. You’ll get an edge on your competition with much tighter shooting groups. If you want something that you can rely on in the heat of competition, this barrel might be for you.
5. PSA Gen2 KS-47 8.5" Pistol-Length 7.62x39 1/10 Nitride Barrel
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
Most buyers used this for their AR-style pistols. They’ve reported better accuracy with targets situated from 50 to 75 yards out. This happens the instant you install the barrel on your pistol. Breaking in doesn’t take long according to most buyers. If you’re looking for a barrel that will take minimal time to break-in, new buyers highly recommend this one in particular to their friends.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This is a short length barrel that will be more for AR-style pistols. It might be suitable for SBRs, but it’s more for AR-15 pistols. It’s short, durable, and definitely gets the job done in the applications it was made for. If it’s legal to own it where you are and you have an AR-15 pistol that needs an upgrade, this might be the barrel you’ll want.
Who Will Use This Most
Target shooters and competitive shooters will likely use this barrel. This barrel is made for AR-15 pistols, so it will be best used for these applications with this gun in particular. This will also be used most by users who want to get the best accuracy possible out of their AR-15 pistol.
What Could be Improved and Why
One of the things that might be improved could be adding on a sight to ensure much better accuracy. Other than that, the barrel itself is good enough for what it’s intended to do.
Bottom Line
This might be one of the best barrels on the market for pistols and SBRs on the market. If you’re looking to maximize the accuracy of your small-barreled rifle or pistol, you might have found a winner on your hands. For all your short-ranged shooting needs, this PSA Gen 2 8.5 inch barrel might be your go-to choice.
Will a Barrel Affect Accuracy?
The short answer: it depends. To give you a better explanation, it depends on a few factors. One is the barrel twist ratio. The other is the weight of the ammo.
For example, a barrel twist ratio of 1:10 is common with these barrels listed above. They probably won’t be as accurate if you’re firing off lighter weight rounds. If you’re firing off rounds that way 80 grain or above, you might get better accuracy since it’s suitable for 1:10 twist barrels.
Conclusion
The best 7.62x39 AR barrel is out there. Now it’s up to you to find the right one for your AR rifle. Whether you’re looking for a specific length or needing one for a specific purpose, it’s always important to find the one that best fits your personal preferences and needs. Find the barrel that will work for you the best and it will stick with you for a long time.
