Long Gun Frequently Asked Questions


We have compiled together some of the more frequently asked questions for your reference.


AR Platform FAQ

  • Break In

    To break in your new AR use a lot of light oil and hand cycle or fire the weapon several hundred times. For best reliability it is important that your bolt and carrier rails be run "wet."

    New USGI, Lancer or Magpul magazines are recommended for best function.

    Barrel Break In

    Your barrel has been polished internally before it left our shop. We recommend that you initially clean the barrel with a patch and light solvent before you shoot for the first time to remove any debris it may have collected during storage. Surgically cleaning your rifle barrel is not advised. For best accuracy remove heavy carbon fouling every few hundred rounds and remove copper fouling only when accuracy starts to degrade.

    To remove Carbon buildup use our Carbon remover, part number 603-4

    For Copper removal use our Bore Cleaner/Copper remover, part number 602-4.

    Finish your bore cleaning job with Bore Polish, part number 604-4

    After a complete cleaning, you will need to fire a few rounds to foul your bore before you see accuracy back at peak levels.

  • Billet AR Receivers

    Designed by Bill Wilson and the Wilson Combat design team as the base for the ultimate precision tactical AR-15 rifle, the BILLet-AR matched upper and lower receiver is 100% machined in our Berryville, Arkansas, facility.

    The Wilson Combat BILLet-AR receiver was engineered from the ground up to address structural design weaknesses in standard USGI receivers and enhance overall tolerances. The BILLet-AR upper receiver has a precise bolt raceway for smoother chambering, more rigid receiver walls to reduce firing flex, an oversized magazine well for quick reloads, an integrated trigger guard for gloved use, and added lower receiver strength. Our extensive experience as a premier custom builder of AR-15 rifles will ensure your satisfaction with this next-generation precision tactical shooting platform.

    • CNC machined from 7075-T6 aerospace aluminum billet stock
    • Picatinny top rail
    • Shell deflector
    • M4-style extended feed ramps for excellent reliability with a wide variety of calibers
    • Undersize bolt raceway for smoother chambering, improved feeding, and enhanced recoil dynamics
    • Smooth side profile without forward assist for maximum accuracy potential
    • Oversize, EDM-cut magazine well
    • Precision threaded receiver and reamed pin holes
    • Hand-prepped for a flawless surface finish
    • Mil-Spec hard anodized before final finishing
  • Lubrication

    We recommend a quality lubricant for the bolt and carrier rails of your rifle, such as our Ultima-Lube II Universal (part numbers 578-2, 578-4) or our Ultima-Lube Action Oil (part numbers 968-2, 968-4).

  • Ammunition

    Best results will be had from domestic, brass-cased ammunition.

  • Magazines

    We suggest new USGI, Lancer, or Magpul magazines.

  • The Manual

    Read our manual on operations and maintenance for some helpful tips.


Wilson Combat Rifle / Rifle Barrel Accuracy

  • Barrel Service Policy

    Because of the nature of the AR parts business and varying pressures of commercially available ammunition, Wilson Combat cannot guarantee function in customer-built AR rifles. We recommend all components be installed by a competent rifle-smith.

    If you assemble a firearm with Wilson Combat components and it fails to function, you first need to check the fit of the barrel to the gas block and the overall condition of your rifle’s gas system/bolt carrier group to ensure your system isn’t leaking gas. As buffers and springs play a role in overall reliability, the use of an aftermarket-style buffer system is not recommended. When using an adjustable gas block, reliability is best achieved at the fully open setting without any gas port restriction.

    Wilson Combat will not troubleshoot customer-built firearms/uppers.

    If you feel a Wilson Combat component is defective, please return the component only to us using our Return Form. Shipping to Wilson Combat is the responsibility of the consumer.

  • About

    Wilson Combat® custom AR rifle accuracy is well known throughout the firearms community. We take great pride in our precision button-rifled barrels and the care we put into the testing, manufacturing and gunsmith assembly of our world class firearms.

    We certify our custom AR rifles in supersonic, 5.56/.223/6.8 SPC/.308 calibers to shoot 3-shot, sub 1.5" groups at 100 yards as verified by our test shooters using match-grade ammunition. We provide a test target with every complete rifle we build to verify the capability of our guns, and we will not ship a rifle in the above calibers that will not consistently shoot a 3-shot, sub 1.5" group at that distance. This is no easy feat for a semi-auto rifle and is a testament to our stringent assembly and parts quality. When you consider that most rack-grade USGI, chrome-lined AR pattern rifle barrels shoot groups 3-4 times that size in testing, a consistent sub 1.5" AR carbine is a very accurate rifle indeed.

    We also expect our Wilson Combat® Match-Grade barrels as sold separately in the above calibers to shoot 3-shot, 1.5" or less groups at 100 yards when properly assembled by a gunsmith and targeted by experienced shooters with match-grade ammunition.

    We recommend the following ammunition for accuracy verification:

    • High-quality match-grade ammunition (marked as Match on the product box) from a U.S.-based ammunition manufacturer.

AR Barrel Installation

  • Check Compatibility

    Before installing your barrel check compatibility with your rail, gas system, and muzzle device.

  • Headspace/Bolt Compatibility

    Our AR barrels are individually headspaced to a master USGI bolt to .002-003" tolerance. They will work with any quality USGI "Mil-Spec" parkerized bolt without head spacing. Plating or other finishes may add tolerances that decrease headspace. To check headspace properly you must follow the manufacturers' recommendations on gauge use. With a clean chamber remove the ejector and extractor from your bolt. Do not slam headspace gauges in your chamber using spring tension or excessive force. Use only gravity or hand pressure to gauge check your chambers.

  • Regulating Gas/Gas Blocks/Buffers

    All of our rifles are set up to use a standard carbine spring or buffer except for heavy calibers like .458 SOCOM. You can use heavier buffers than standard to reduce the cyclic rate in short-barreled and suppressed rifles. Adjustable gas blocks are not recommended in subsonic calibers like 300 Blackout.


Twist Rate Information

  • .223 Remington/5.56mm NATO

    1-7: Match or hunting bullets in the 68gr – 80gr range

    1-8: Match or hunting bullets in the 50gr – 77gr range (best all around choice)

    1-9: Match or hunting bullets in the 45gr – 69gr range

  • .308 Winchester/7.62mm NATO

    1-10: Match bullets in the 168gr – 190gr range (best choice for long-range match use)

    1-11.25: Match or hunting bullets in the 110gr – 168gr range (best all-around choice)

    1-12: Hunting bullets in the 150gr – 168gr range (optimal accuracy with common hunting ammo/bullets)

  • .458 SOCOM

    1-14: Bullets in the 300gr – 500gr range (best choice for heavy bullet sub-sonic use)

    1-22: Bullets in the 250gr – 350gr range (optimal accuracy for bullets in the recommended range)

What's this? Check "Remember Me" to access your shopping cart on this computer even if you are not signed in.