FAXON MATCH SERIES FLAME FLUTED® 20" RIFLE-LENGTH 22 ARC AR15 BARREL

Rifle Barrels › Match Series › 22 ARC › 20″ Flame Fluted, 1:7, Rifle-Length  |  Works with: .750″ gas block • rifle gas tube • 6.5 Grendel/ARC Type 2 BCG (.136) • 1/2x28 muzzle devices • 5.56 suppressors

Why 22 ARC

22 ARC is Hornady’s high-velocity .224 cartridge for the AR-15, part of the Grendel/ARC family. It launches heavy, high-BC .22 bullets like the 88 gr ELD Match at speeds Hornady compares to the 22-250, from a gun the size of a 5.56 carbine.

That makes it a flat-shooting varmint and coyote round, a capable deer and hog round with the right bullet, and a favorite for run-and-gun precision matches where low recoil matters.

Go deeper: 22 ARC Guide • Best Barrel Length for 22 ARC • All 22 ARC barrels

Why a 1:7 Twist

A 1:7 twist is what lets 22 ARC run the long 75 to 88 gr bullets the cartridge was designed around. The 88 gr ELD Match is stable in a 1:7; 90 gr and heavier bullets want a 1:6.5.

Velocity and Barrel Length

Measured velocities from published tests, with Hornady’s 24″ factory figure for reference.

Sources: Hornady, Outdoor Life (20″), and Gun Digest (18″). Estimates, not Faxon testing.

The Flame Fluted Profile and Rifle-Length Gas

Flame Fluted® is Faxon’s patented flame-pattern fluting. The flowing cut removes weight and adds surface area for cooling while keeping a stiff contour, and it is the most distinctive-looking barrel Faxon makes. Rifle-length gas gives the longest dwell time and the softest impulse on long barrels.

What “Match Series” Means

Match Series is Faxon’s 416-R stainless line. 416-R machines cleanly and holds a consistent bore, and Faxon button rifles it with 5R rifling, five lands with sloped sides instead of sharp-cornered ones, which deforms the bullet less and fouls less. Then the barrel is salt-bath QPQ nitrided inside and out. Nitride is a diffusion treatment, not a plating: it hardens the bore surface and adds corrosion resistance while adding virtually nothing to the dimensions, a few ten-thousandths of an inch, roughly a tenth the width of a human hair. It needs little to no break-in.

How it compares to Faxon’s other lines: the Duty Series is 4150 CMV with the same nitride finish, the hard-use option; the MATCH-X Series takes 416-R further with a honed and lapped bore and an uncoated exterior; and the Combat Series offers classic configurations with chrome-lined bores and manganese phosphate.

What’s in the Box

How It’s Made

1. Drill and ream: The 416-R bar is gun-drilled and pull-reamed.
2. Button rifle: 5R button rifled, right-hand 1:7 twist.
3. Air gauge: Bore air gauged.
4. Stress relieve: Stress relieved at the blank stage, then qualified true to the bore.
5. Profile, thread, crown: Flame Fluted profile turned, .750″ journal held concentric to the bore, 1/2x28 threads cut, target crown.
6. Chamber: 22 ARC chamber cut and CMM-checked.
7. MPI and nitride: Wet magnetic particle inspected, then salt-bath QPQ nitrided inside and out.
8. Port and extension: .086″ gas port drilled and reamed; NP3 extension torqued to 150 ft-lb, pinned, and 100% headspaced.
9. Mark and inspect: Laser-marked “22 ARC 1-7T 5R 416R MPI”, then final inspection of the crown, feed ramps, chamber, and threads.

How We Inspect It

Faxon barrels are built to a written control plan, and each run is logged on inspection sheets. Here is what this barrel goes through before it ships.

What Reviewers and Owners Say

This barrel doesn’t have reviews of its own on FaxonFirearms.com yet, so be the first to write one below. Here is what buyers and reviewers say about Faxon’s 22 ARC and Match Series barrels.

Average ratings, out of 5 stars: 5.0 on FaxonFirearms.com.

Build It Out: Faxon Parts That Fit This Barrel

Compare Faxon Match Series 22 ARC Barrels

Match Series 20″ 22 ARC FAQs

What bolt and magazines does 22 ARC use?

The same Type 2 Grendel-pattern bolt as 6mm ARC, such as Faxon’s 6.5 Grendel/ARC Type 2 BCG, and magazines made for the ARC family. Test your magazines; some marked 6.5 Grendel will not hold the bolt open on 22 ARC.

What is 22 ARC good for?

Varmints and coyotes at long range, deer and hogs with an appropriate hunting bullet, and precision matches where low recoil helps you spot your own hits.

What gas block and gas tube does it take?

A .750″ gas block on the 1.1″ journal and a rifle-length gas tube. Faxon’s patented adjustable .750″ block is the recommended pick, especially suppressed. The gas port is .086″, reamed to size.

Will it run suppressed and unsuppressed?

Yes. A suppressor adds back-pressure, so Faxon recommends its patented adjustable gas block: tune it for your can and ammunition, then open it back up when you shoot unsuppressed. If you run a lightweight carrier, always pair it with an adjustable gas block.

How is Match Series different from Duty Series and MATCH-X?

Match Series is 416-R stainless with 5R rifling and QPQ nitride inside and out. Duty Series is 4150 CMV with the same nitride finish. MATCH-X is 416-R with a honed and lapped bore and an uncoated exterior. All are made in Greater Cincinnati.

Is the nitride inside the bore?

Yes. Salt-bath QPQ nitride is a diffusion treatment, not a plating, so it hardens the bore and exterior while adding virtually nothing to them: the surface grows by a few ten-thousandths of an inch, roughly a tenth the width of a human hair. It needs little to no break-in.

Does it come with a gas block, gas tube, or muzzle device?

No. It ships with the nickel-Teflon extension installed, torqued to 150 ft-lb, pinned, and headspaced. Gas block, gas tube, and muzzle device are sold separately; the muzzle is threaded 1/2x28.

Is it full-auto capable, and how much heat can it take?

Yes. Like every Faxon nitrided rifle barrel, it is full-auto capable. The barrel is stress relieved, magnetic particle inspected for flaws, and salt-bath nitrided at roughly 1,050°F, so the steel and the nitride are stable far beyond normal firing temperatures. What limits any barrel on automatic fire is heat. A good guideline, drawn from U.S. military guidance for the M4 carbine: about 12 to 15 rounds a minute can be fired indefinitely, and continuous rapid fire should stop at about 150 rounds so the barrel can cool. Push past that and throat wear speeds up, which shortens barrel life. If the barrel smokes or starts to glow, stop: near 1,000°F the steel is approaching the temperature it was nitrided at, where it can begin to soften and the nitride can lose hardness, and military testing has seen M4 barrels fail at about 1,360°F. A hot chamber can cook off a round in as little as 10 seconds, so clear it quickly or keep it pointed in a safe direction. And heat affects accuracy in every barrel: groups open up as it heats. Faxon’s stress relieving and machining keep point of impact from walking, but let it cool before you check zero or shoot for groups.

Where is it made, and what is the warranty?

Made in Greater Cincinnati, Ohio, and covered by the Faxon Lifetime Guarantee.

Full-auto heat guidance is general, based on published U.S. military rate-of-fire guidance and steel and nitride data, not Faxon testing; barrel life under automatic fire depends on rate of fire, ammunition, and cooling. Velocity, stability, and energy figures come from published ammunition-maker and independent test data, not Faxon testing; results vary with ammunition, barrel, and conditions. MuzzLok®, HARMONIX®, CORESYNC®, and Flame Fluted® are trademarks of Faxon Firearms. Know and follow all federal, state, and local laws.