Description
The Faxon Gunner 22 ARC 16 inch Barrel is a Match Series AR-15 barrel in Faxon’s Gunner profile, combining a light contour with 5R rifling and a rifle length gas system. At 1.57 pounds it keeps a .22 ARC build handy rather than nose heavy.
The Gunner Profile
Faxon’s Gunner profile is a hybrid: a pencil contour under the handguard where weight does nothing useful, and a government profile out past the gas block where rigidity and heat capacity matter. The result is a barrel that weighs close to a pencil but shoots closer to a heavier contour.
That is exactly the right compromise for a 16 inch general purpose rifle. You get match grade accuracy without the muzzle-heavy balance a bull barrel forces on you.
Faxon Gunner 22 ARC 16 inch Barrel and Cartridge
The .22 ARC drives a fast, high ballistic coefficient .224 calibre bullet from a 6.5 Grendel case, which is why this barrel requires a 6.5 Grendel bolt and bolt carrier group rather than a standard 5.56 bolt. It is the flattest shooting cartridge on the AR-15 platform.
A 1:7 twist stabilises the heavy, long .224 projectiles the cartridge is designed around. The rifle length gas system on a 16 inch barrel spreads the pressure curve out, which lowers bolt velocity and makes the rifle noticeably softer than a mid-length or carbine setup would.
Steel, Rifling and Finish
The steel is 416R stainless, the grade used for match barrels because it machines to tight tolerances and holds them. Rifling is Faxon’s 5R button rifled profile, with angled lands opposite grooves rather than opposite each other, which reduces bullet deformation and fouling while extending barrel life.
Salt bath nitride is applied inside and out, hardening the bore surface as well as protecting the exterior. It cannot chip or flake the way a coating can, and it is why nitride barrels clean so easily.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Faxon Firearms
- Series: Match Series, Gunner profile
- Item Number: 15B22A7R16NGQ-5R-NP3
- Caliber: 22 ARC, uses 6.5 Grendel bolt and BCG
- Length: 16 in.
- Twist: 1:7 right hand
- Profile: Gunner
- Gas system: Rifle length
- Material: 416R stainless steel
- Rifling: 5R button rifled
- Finish: Salt bath nitride, inside and out
- Muzzle threads: 1/2×28 TPI
- Gas block diameter: .625 in., 1.9 in. journal
- Barrel extension: M4, Nickel Teflon coated
- Crown: Recessed 11 degree target crown
- Weight: 1.57 lbs.
- UPC: 816341028043
Building Around This Barrel
A complete .22 ARC upper needs a 6.5 Grendel bolt and carrier, a .625 gas block, a rifle length gas tube and a handguard long enough to cover it. Faxon recommends an adjustable gas block so the system can be tuned to your load, which matters most in suppressed use.
Why Buyers Choose the Faxon Gunner 22 ARC 16 inch Barrel
The Faxon Gunner 22 ARC 16 inch Barrel is the sensible middle ground in a cartridge where options are still limited. It gives a general purpose rifle real reach without the weight penalty of a heavy contour, and it is made and inspected in Faxon’s own Ohio plant.
Who Should Buy It
Builders who want a light, flat shooting general purpose AR-15, varmint and predator hunters, and anyone who already owns a 6.5 Grendel bolt and carrier and wants another upper.
Be clear about what you need alongside it. The 6.5 Grendel bolt and BCG are required, a .625 gas block is not the most common size, and .22 ARC ammunition is thinner on shelves than 5.56.
Full specifications are published by Faxon Firearms. Gas blocks and other build components are listed alongside the rest of our catalog.
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