Would love to see some criterion barrels reviewed. Also would like to see a video of all the tools you use when measuring and building ARs and where to get them.
Amazing knowledge you have . Thanks for sharing it with us. Spotting the .004 gas port difference with the naked eye was talent for sure. Bang the like peeps geez.
Me and a friend bought these same barrels. Both of ours wouldn’t cycle, hers less than mine. Turns out the ports were undersized. Hodge says on his website they’re designed for suppressor use only. I feel like my criterion barrel is more accurate.
Different sizes for different purposes. I went hunting for Hodges barrels after watching this. My bet is that the different gas ports are for suppressed/never suppressed.
Hey can you please do a video on parts wear on sbr/pistol ar15s? Everyone says that they wear more than a rifle length but I don’t understand how that would be the case if the rifle is properly gassed.
@@granite6196 Weren't the labels on the bag identical between the two bags? How would Hodge know, before sending the bagged barrel to the reseller or end buyer, which bag contained the barrel with the larger gas port? How would the reseller or end user know?
@@seanoneil277 one reads "200512" and the other "190611" on the label so they don't read identically (that and of course different lot and dates numbers on the label, but that doesn't matter). Who knows though, the one lot may have been ordered to a different spec.
I just got one of those myself. I slapped it together and have test fired it. I know it is supposed to be super-under gassed for suppressor use, but it ran Wolf well. I didn’t have the correct pin-gauge to match the port size but was much smaller than .070”.
It appears to be home made, but could be something you can buy. Nevertheless it's just a tube with a hole in one end that matches the barrel bore and threads on the other end to match the barrel threads. I'm sure it's held to fairly tight tolerance and concentric itself so that if the threads are concentric to the bore then the pin gauge will slide right into the barrel. It's a neat little simple design to ensure alignment.
Alot of the "magic" is in the port size and buffer system. An over gassed barrel would have more recoil, more gas, harder on parts. An undergassed barrel could lead to short stroking, weak ejection, FTF/FTE etc. A perfectly gassed AR runs like a sewing machine and is a joy to shoot. Tolerance stacking is more of a make or break scenario. An out of tolerance AR could cause light primer strikes, bcg slamming vilantly into buffer, flat out not run, or even deadly.
@schooloftheamericanrifle you mentioned checking a muzzle device or a suppressor with an alignment rod at 10:08 in. The only option I can think of is a barrel straightness gauge. Is this what you're referring to? If not, what's the proper tool?
For clarity, the reason I see the straightness gauge as viable the only viable option is because with a can on, a range rod, or concentricity gauge rod is too short. Would love to hear of a better solution. Thanks
@@devinmorton1846 On the NFA subreddit, I see folks using 3' precision ground drill rod to check for concentricity issues. I'd assume Mr. SOTAR is using the actual "alignment rod" that I've seen for sale on Midway, but I don't want to put words in his mouth.
Griffin Armament makes alignment rods. I started with a McMaster-Carr generic but it had a burr and I figured for my purpose, it was worth spending a few more dollars from Griffin. Way less than Geissele, as I recall.
"FN makes these barrels to Hodge's specs" So what does that mean exactly AFA what FN does vs. what Hodge does for a given barrel? I'm assuming that this is CHF by FN, so is FN just providing a CHF blank in the white so Hodge cuts the chamber and then chromes the bore/chamber (would Hodge also phosphate the outside or is that FN?) Or does FN cut the chamber to Hodge's specs and then FN chrome lines it as well?
Barrel profile is one thing. Barrel material is another highly speculated thing QC to some degree Mostly its hodge sitting down with FN and saying what he wants out of his barrels. Is a hodge barrel an FN barrel? Most definitely. Is an FN barrel a hodge barrel? Not really. Same goes for centurion and noveske chf. Its a rabbit hole you can spend a year researching.
Hodge uses a proprietary steel, does some changes with the chamber, and also the gas journal and BE. Hodge spec is .0625~ on the 12.5. There are also some agency runs around that are .069~ But Jims guns are .0625~
@@MrKadidle51 it's FN'S "proprietary" chf steel that they call "machine gun steel", same stuff used in all their chf barrels for Noveske and Centurion ect.. Fn is the one who calls it "proprietary machine gun steel" and other companies run with it; but in all reality it's just their specifically sourced 4150 cmv that's cold hammer forged and extra thick chrome lined. Is it better steel than other cmv that other companies use? Maybe, who knows. But theyre good barrels for sure.
Not rebranded. FNH makes most companies' CHF barrels including PSA, Hodge, Noveske, Centurion, Spikes, etc. The difference between them is the companies provide their own specifications. Are you going to argue that Noveske and Centurion CHFs, two of the objectively best and most accurate CHF barrels on the market, and PSA CHF barrels are the same because they both are made by FNH? I agree the QC was somewhat lacking but this is a sample size of 2. To say that the barrels are just rebrands is just ignorant. Even at the end of the video, Chad says "They are his own recipe, he has his own chamber specs for these" acknowledging the fact they are unique to Hodge and not just an "FNH Rebrand"
Potentially yes. They should in theory work BUT, tolerance stacking is a real thing. You need to inspect and gauge to know. You should test fire and look for further signs of issues. Just because a gun fires does NOT mean it’s right. It could be more prone to failures but still fire.
Generally if its a good bolt from a reputable manufacturer you shouldnt have any issue swapping bolts....just always have the headspace checked to make sure its safe, but bolts aren’t like “hand fitted” to a specific rifle... when a rifle is made most manufacturers just grab a bolt/bcg from the bin, make sure it fits headspace (good companies then test fire) and then thats the bolt for that gun.... you should always do your own testing...like firing a few hundred rounds through the gun/bolt before you bet your life on it...and It doesnt hurt to inspect and if possible due all the guaging etc but generally if its good parts it should be within spec enough to run and not be an issue
@@ryanpeck3377 any company is capable of having some problems and with the current frenzy to buy guns it’s more likely from ANY company. Right now it’s more important than ever to not take things for granted.
@@mikeg8447 you really should test headspace with each bolt/barrel combination unless they are sold together as matched and headspaced. Just the other day I came across a “deal” on a barrel/BCG combo. Contacted the manufacturer and got “well, they should be OK but no - we don’t check them.” Tech agreed that I needed to check headspace myself.
One was already opened by the owner so the oil was proly dried.. It happens, it's not like they specifically measure a certain amount each time. It's just doused and packed up quickly.
Hey Chad, love your content. Was wondering if there's any way to gauge the index key hole on the stripped upper, without having the barrel. I bought a VLTOR MUR upper and it may just be my eyes, but the index key hole looks a tad off center relative to the gas tube hole. Any advice? Thanks
One is bigger because of the mistake that FN made at the time . Leading to one barrel being a .069 instead of the smaller . This mix up by FN led to the whole batch being .069
@@aamc7676 no clue actually. I’ve seen some say it was steel chosen by Jim and others say it’s a proprietary alloy developed by FN. Supposedly the actual specs of the barrel are protected by NDA. This is all just third person info though, so take with a grain of salt.
@@aamp84 Gotcha. Some googling said in 2015, Hodge required 9310H steel for his barrels. I imagine that's different now. I can understand the NDA. Glad to see some of Hodge's stuff in the wild.
@@samhyde6545 it's up to hodge to do the qc in the long run before putting their name on it tho. That being said it could've been a special run/lot of barrels made for suppressor use that got mixed up.
Would love to see some criterion barrels reviewed. Also would like to see a video of all the tools you use when measuring and building ARs and where to get them.
I would love to see all major manufacturers' barrels done like this. 👍
Amazing knowledge you have . Thanks for sharing it with us. Spotting the .004 gas port difference with the naked eye was talent for sure. Bang the like peeps geez.
Anyone else think that the companies who market this stuff crap their pants when their parts show up on his bench?
Only if they aren’t *really* confident in their own quality control processes.
".069 fits"
nice
Hodge does make suppressor optimized barrels so that’s possibly why the one has a larger gas port
Can you do a video on barrel life when it comes to different calibers and what round count you can expect before having to replace a barrel. Thanks
Do you have a list of the gauge sizes for your go's and no go's ?? Loving your videos. Learning a lot !!! Thank you. 🇺🇸
Me and a friend bought these same barrels. Both of ours wouldn’t cycle, hers less than mine. Turns out the ports were undersized. Hodge says on his website they’re designed for suppressor use only. I feel like my criterion barrel is more accurate.
Did you try different buffer weights ? The difference in gas port size can be tuned with springs and buffer weights.
Would be cool to see a grade A new barrel compared side by side like this with one that has 5-10k rounds on it
everytime i see a video i click cause i know imma learn something
If you ever think you know a lot about AR's, just watch one of his vids. Another great vid.
I've assembled a bunch of AR-15s, and I'll be the first to say that I don't know much, but every time I watch a SOTAR vid, I'm learning something.
Thank you for the videos and information very helpful and informative.
Great video and great information, would love to see a criterion barrel👍
Im pretty shocked on the gas ports.
Id love to see more hodge parts.
Different sizes for different purposes. I went hunting for Hodges barrels after watching this. My bet is that the different gas ports are for suppressed/never suppressed.
@@chipsterb4946 true
Geeez, dude really called that 4 thou difference. Lol bravo, bravo
The person running the camera is the best!
That's me!! Thanks! 😊
@@onna-day7047 you're awesome , keep up the great work!
@@onna-day7047 you do a fantastic job. Both of you. Thank you
@@onna-day7047 the person with the camera can definitely make or break a show, and you definitely make this show!
@@onna-day7047 you do a great job. Thanks!
Thanks for making this video
had a BA 12.5" bbl that wouldn't headspace and the vendor very much didn't want to believe me....
Hey can you please do a video on parts wear on sbr/pistol ar15s? Everyone says that they wear more than a rifle length but I don’t understand how that would be the case if the rifle is properly gassed.
@@BryceKimball7.3 ahhh I don’t think of this. Thanks for the reply
Honestly, people over-glorify Hodge QC. The BCGs they sent me were pretty shitty.
One would be the suppressor optimized version. Ive had both and they measured the same.
Pin gauged both myself just now. Suppressor optimized .064, mixed .069
I have an AR10 barrel from Heller Enterprises Tactical. Brand new in box. Is it possible 2 get physical on this.
Great vid as usual
What size the gas port on a barrel should be? From To?
Where do you get all of your gauges those are awesome to have!
He makes them from various pin gauges, etc.
Have you done any work with areo precision parts? Just curious how they generally stack up. In my mind theyre one of the better budget options.
He has a statement on his website that he does not discuss brands
Aren't Hodge parts supposed to be the best of the best? Why are gas ports different in same barrel?
Because there is two different batches. There is a suppressor optimized batch and a regular. Here. You see that.
@@granite6196 Weren't the labels on the bag identical between the two bags? How would Hodge know, before sending the bagged barrel to the reseller or end buyer, which bag contained the barrel with the larger gas port? How would the reseller or end user know?
@@seanoneil277 one reads "200512" and the other "190611" on the label so they don't read identically (that and of course different lot and dates numbers on the label, but that doesn't matter). Who knows though, the one lot may have been ordered to a different spec.
@@seanoneil277 Because every retailer that got them marked them as "0.069" on their website. This isn't that hard to comprehend.
@@muddyhotdog4103 Thank you for those details.
I just got one of those myself. I slapped it together and have test fired it. I know it is supposed to be super-under gassed for suppressor use, but it ran Wolf well. I didn’t have the correct pin-gauge to match the port size but was much smaller than .070”.
Yep, once I saw the different sizes gas ports I knew atleast one was for running suppressed
Nice. I thought Hodge parts were a myth like unicorns and leprechauns. Glad you got some.
Chad, are u selling any SOTAR stickers or the cool pvc patchs?
what tools are u using for the concentricity/alignment?
It appears to be home made, but could be something you can buy. Nevertheless it's just a tube with a hole in one end that matches the barrel bore and threads on the other end to match the barrel threads. I'm sure it's held to fairly tight tolerance and concentric itself so that if the threads are concentric to the bore then the pin gauge will slide right into the barrel. It's a neat little simple design to ensure alignment.
Any suppressor gauges you recommend?
Chad, for carbine length 12.5” barrels, what gas port size do you think is ideal?
0.064 is what centurion used for their 12.5 so if stick to that or smaller
So how much of the magic of building the AR is the avoidance of tolerance stacking?
Alot of the "magic" is in the port size and buffer system. An over gassed barrel would have more recoil, more gas, harder on parts. An undergassed barrel could lead to short stroking, weak ejection, FTF/FTE etc. A perfectly gassed AR runs like a sewing machine and is a joy to shoot.
Tolerance stacking is more of a make or break scenario. An out of tolerance AR could cause light primer strikes, bcg slamming vilantly into buffer, flat out not run, or even deadly.
@schooloftheamericanrifle you mentioned checking a muzzle device or a suppressor with an alignment rod at 10:08 in. The only option I can think of is a barrel straightness gauge. Is this what you're referring to? If not, what's the proper tool?
For clarity, the reason I see the straightness gauge as viable the only viable option is because with a can on, a range rod, or concentricity gauge rod is too short. Would love to hear of a better solution. Thanks
@@devinmorton1846 On the NFA subreddit, I see folks using 3' precision ground drill rod to check for concentricity issues. I'd assume Mr. SOTAR is using the actual "alignment rod" that I've seen for sale on Midway, but I don't want to put words in his mouth.
Gisselle sells the suppressor alignment tool.
@@stongemark Ya, for $200! Other manufacturers also sell them for much le$$.
Griffin Armament makes alignment rods. I started with a McMaster-Carr generic but it had a burr and I figured for my purpose, it was worth spending a few more dollars from Griffin. Way less than Geissele, as I recall.
Chad, thanks for this video. Could the slightly snugger throat gauge test result from test-fire fouling?
So this is an FN manufactured barrel with specs from Hodge?
Yes
"FN makes these barrels to Hodge's specs" So what does that mean exactly AFA what FN does vs. what Hodge does for a given barrel? I'm assuming that this is CHF by FN, so is FN just providing a CHF blank in the white so Hodge cuts the chamber and then chromes the bore/chamber (would Hodge also phosphate the outside or is that FN?) Or does FN cut the chamber to Hodge's specs and then FN chrome lines it as well?
I ordered a mid-length FN barrel that came in the same bag with white label. They probably just outsource then guage the parts for QC?
Barrel profile is one thing.
Barrel material is another highly speculated thing
QC to some degree
Mostly its hodge sitting down with FN and saying what he wants out of his barrels.
Is a hodge barrel an FN barrel? Most definitely.
Is an FN barrel a hodge barrel? Not really.
Same goes for centurion and noveske chf. Its a rabbit hole you can spend a year researching.
Hodge uses a proprietary steel, does some changes with the chamber, and also the gas journal and BE. Hodge spec is .0625~ on the 12.5.
There are also some agency runs around that are .069~
But Jims guns are .0625~
Hodge draws up the specs and FN makes it to that spec for Hodge.
@@MrKadidle51 it's FN'S "proprietary" chf steel that they call "machine gun steel", same stuff used in all their chf barrels for Noveske and Centurion ect.. Fn is the one who calls it "proprietary machine gun steel" and other companies run with it; but in all reality it's just their specifically sourced 4150 cmv that's cold hammer forged and extra thick chrome lined. Is it better steel than other cmv that other companies use? Maybe, who knows. But theyre good barrels for sure.
Thank you brother. I learn a lot from you and your videos. Keep'em coming!
how can i send you parts to inspect? or maybe a whole upper? please provide info.
more importantly what's that dispenser device holding the acetone? Saw you give it a few pumps...need to get that!
Menda dispensing bottle. Looks like a 4oz.
Glad I didn’t drop $450 on a rebranded FN barrel, that dosent even have the consistency of gas porting or thread pitch. Sad really
Not rebranded. FNH makes most companies' CHF barrels including PSA, Hodge, Noveske, Centurion, Spikes, etc. The difference between them is the companies provide their own specifications. Are you going to argue that Noveske and Centurion CHFs, two of the objectively best and most accurate CHF barrels on the market, and PSA CHF barrels are the same because they both are made by FNH? I agree the QC was somewhat lacking but this is a sample size of 2. To say that the barrels are just rebrands is just ignorant. Even at the end of the video, Chad says "They are his own recipe, he has his own chamber specs for these" acknowledging the fact they are unique to Hodge and not just an "FNH Rebrand"
Kind of a random question. Can you move bolts between barrels? Like a 5.56 to another 5.56 upper or 300blk?
If everything is within spec, should be no issues with that.
Potentially yes. They should in theory work BUT, tolerance stacking is a real thing. You need to inspect and gauge to know. You should test fire and look for further signs of issues. Just because a gun fires does NOT mean it’s right. It could be more prone to failures but still fire.
Generally if its a good bolt from a reputable manufacturer you shouldnt have any issue swapping bolts....just always have the headspace checked to make sure its safe, but bolts aren’t like “hand fitted” to a specific rifle... when a rifle is made most manufacturers just grab a bolt/bcg from the bin, make sure it fits headspace (good companies then test fire) and then thats the bolt for that gun.... you should always do your own testing...like firing a few hundred rounds through the gun/bolt before you bet your life on it...and It doesnt hurt to inspect and if possible due all the guaging etc but generally if its good parts it should be within spec enough to run and not be an issue
@@ryanpeck3377 any company is capable of having some problems and with the current frenzy to buy guns it’s more likely from ANY company. Right now it’s more important than ever to not take things for granted.
@@mikeg8447 you really should test headspace with each bolt/barrel combination unless they are sold together as matched and headspaced. Just the other day I came across a “deal” on a barrel/BCG combo. Contacted the manufacturer and got “well, they should be OK but no - we don’t check them.” Tech agreed that I needed to check headspace myself.
I really appreciate your videos and I learn a lot from each one. You really can teach an old dog new tricks.
Thanks for the info 👍
Where does he get all his gauges?
Machine shop supply houses for the pins, maybe McMaster, Brownell's, Midway, etc. for the chamber pieces.
Did I see metal shavings or something in the first borescope at about the 13:38 mark?
Are these chf from fn?
It has the same cage code as FN
Yes they are, they actually have fn markings, not hodge.
What cleaning rod/tip is that? I just broke mine, and I need a new one.
Its called a jag.
The finish of those remind me of an Arsenal Ak
So that means it will chip off lol
Thanks Chad!
Morale of the story Hodge is a hype beast company that should be avoided for that price point
Anyone else notice that the one with large gas port also had very little preservative🤔
One was already opened by the owner so the oil was proly dried.. It happens, it's not like they specifically measure a certain amount each time. It's just doused and packed up quickly.
Hey Chad, love your content. Was wondering if there's any way to gauge the index key hole on the stripped upper, without having the barrel. I bought a VLTOR MUR upper and it may just be my eyes, but the index key hole looks a tad off center relative to the gas tube hole. Any advice? Thanks
I believe he has a tool that does it, check out the SOTAR upper inspections and i know hes done it in a couple
One is bigger because of the mistake that FN made at the time . Leading to one barrel being a .069 instead of the smaller .
This mix up by FN led to the whole batch being .069
Let’s go Brandon!
The lack of consistency on these barrels is pretty alarming for what people are paying
One is suppressor optimized hence the smaller gas port
That was awesome. Thanks Chad!
wow surprising..
FN made to his specs for $425 each.
Jim specs a different, more expensive alloy than the “machine gun alloy “ that FN uses on their own barrels.
Hodge barrels aren't made from the FN machine gun steel? Wow. Do you know what it is?
@@aamc7676 no clue actually. I’ve seen some say it was steel chosen by Jim and others say it’s a proprietary alloy developed by FN. Supposedly the actual specs of the barrel are protected by NDA. This is all just third person info though, so take with a grain of salt.
@@aamp84 Gotcha. Some googling said in 2015, Hodge required 9310H steel for his barrels. I imagine that's different now. I can understand the NDA. Glad to see some of Hodge's stuff in the wild.
@@aamc7676 they're also a taper bore and Jim's profile so that will drive up costs since they aren't a standard profile or cut.
Interesting, as always.
Glad to see the myth is busted. Inconsistency is nothing to be proud of. Hodge is the wizard of oz!
One of those barrels could be from the booboo run by FN last year that was accidentally oversized. .0625 is the standard for the 12.5.
lmao dude if you actually knew what you were talking about, you'd know that the 0.069 barrels were a mistake by FN and not Hodge.
@@samhyde6545 did Hodge sell these as blems? Or are the messed up barrels full price?
@@TheSugarWeasel93 full price because 0.068/0.069 is a standard size for 12.5 barrels.
@@samhyde6545 it's up to hodge to do the qc in the long run before putting their name on it tho. That being said it could've been a special run/lot of barrels made for suppressor use that got mixed up.
Always interesting
👍