AA 20" AWS - barrel opinions desired & more

[jebs]

Hello everyone

This is my first real post here, and I hope I am not asking questions that are
too obviously answered or have already been answered elsewhere here. I have
spent the last few days trying to play catch-up on the issues of the last few
years & the offerings. Wow.... trudging thru the chambering threads was not
fun at all.

I am in the market for a damned fine 20" barrel. I will be putting everything
together myself, except for pinning the gas block to the barrel. Muzzle threads
& a muzzle device will also need to be done by the manufacturer. I would love
to get 1" MOA to 0.5" MOA out of the barrel at 100 yards.

Does anyone here have personal experience with the recent AA standard 20" offering?
I would like very much to have the bore & chamber nitrided, even if I need to
send it out to another company for that to be done. I am building a rifle which
I hope my son can enjoy for many years after I pass it down to him. In my search
for 0.5" MOA, would it be better for me to upgrade it to the Shilen barrel that AA
offers?

This will be my first AR-15 pattern that I will be assembling myself. I have most of
the parts for a 5.56 20" GMB, but I need to send the barrel off to have the FSB pinned.
I am a mold / tool & die maker with over 30 years of experience, so I don't
think any of this will be difficult for me - my only problem is time. Married with kids
eats up a lot of time !

Thanks in advance for any opinions!

[jim_bob]

AA makes fine products, check out Lilja and Precision Firearms too. Make sure you get your barrel nut on the barrel before you get the gas block pinned! I have been using clamp on gas blocks bedded with loctite on my recent builds, this seems to be a good method for precision rifles.

You are right about trying to find time married with children.