FAXON PRO 16" 5.56 NATO AR15 RIFLE
FaxonDescription
AR15 Firearms › PRO › PRO 16″ 5.56 Rifle
Firearm: ships to a licensed dealer (FFL). Enter your FFL at checkout. Federal, state, and local laws on firearms, barrel length, magazines, and muzzle devices apply; know and follow the laws where you live.
What’s on This Rifle
The parts that decide how an AR-15 shoots are Faxon parts, and each one is sold on its own: every card links to its product page, specs, and reviews.
BARREL
Duty Series 16″ Gunner 5.56 barrel ›
4150 CMV, QPQ Nitride, 1:8 twist, mid-length gas, 1/2x28 muzzle. Every barrel is borescoped, bore and groove air gauged, headspace gauged with GO/NO-GO gauges, and 100% wet magnetic particle inspected before it ships.
UPPER RECEIVER
Faxon Enhanced Forged AR-15 upper ›
7075-T6 forging, Type III hard coat. Trued by Faxon, bore honed, tighter lug tolerance, engraved T-marks, skeletonized shell deflector.
LOWER RECEIVER
7075-T6 forging with an upper-to-lower tensioning screw to take out receiver play, and engraved T-marks.
HANDGUARD
Streamline aluminum M-LOK 15″ handguard ›
6061 aluminum, hard coat anodized, M-LOK on all 8 surfaces, free-floated.
GAS BLOCK
Faxon fixed .625" low-profile gas block ›
4140 chromoly, 3 set screws, nitrided. Toleranced to run slightly large, never small, so it seats and seals.
GAS TUBE
Mid-length stainless gas tube ›
Faxon’s gas tubes are made from 304 seamless stainless steel tubing.
BOLT CARRIER GROUP
M16 pattern, superfinished and nitrided, MPI inspected, optimized firing pin.
CHARGING HANDLE
Faxon Edition BREEK® Sledgehammer ›
Ambidextrous and gas-blocking, built for rifles that run suppressed.
Controls, Furniture, and What’s in the Box
| Trigger | Faxon Enhanced Match Trigger by Schmid® |
| Safety | Ambidextrous 45/90 safety selector |
| Charging handle | Faxon Edition BREEK® Sledgehammer, ambidextrous, gas-blocking |
| Stock | B5 Systems® Bravo stock |
| Grip / trigger guard | B5 Systems® P-Grip, B5 Systems® trigger guard |
| Buffer | 3.8 oz carbine buffer and carbine action spring |
| In the box | Magpul® PMAG® 30 Gen M2 MOE (5.56/.223) magazine, 5.56 magazine marker bands, cable lock, chamber flag, owner’s manual |
What PRO Means
The PRO line builds on the SPORT foundation with configurations inspired by law enforcement and experienced shooters. Each one is set up around its cartridge, then upgraded with the parts experienced owners end up buying anyway: the Faxon Enhanced Match Trigger by Schmid®, an ambidextrous safety, the Faxon Edition BREEK® Sledgehammer gas-blocking charging handle, B5 Systems® furniture or an SB Tactical® brace, and an optimized Faxon muzzle device. See every PRO firearm or compare all four lines.
Why 5.56 in a 16″ AR-15 rifle
5.56 NATO is the AR-15’s native cartridge: it fires 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington, magazines and ammunition are everywhere, and the 1:8 twist stabilizes everything from 55 gr FMJ to 77 gr match bullets. A mid-length gas system on a 16″ barrel keeps the impulse soft and the parts wear low.
Running a Suppressor
The muzzle is threaded 1/2x28, so a direct-thread HUB adapter or any 5.56 muzzle-device mount works. For a can that comes on and off, add Faxon’s patented adjustable gas block to tune for the extra back-pressure.
How It’s Built and Inspected
| Barrel | 4150 CMV, button rifled; stress relieved, then profiled true to the bore; salt-bath QPQ nitride inside and out; M4 extension torqued to 150 ft-lb |
| Barrel inspection | Borescoped after reaming, rifling, and chambering; bore and groove air gauged; chamber checked on a CMM program first and last of every run; muzzle threads gauged; headspace gauged; 100% wet MPI |
| Receivers | 7075-T6 forgings, Type III hard coat; barrel threads gauged on every upper, CMM checked every shift |
| Assembly | Assembled, inspected, and packed by Faxon in Greater Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Process control | Full CMM first-article inspection after any machine maintenance, tool change, or part change, and at least every 30 days; material certs checked at receiving; stress relief and nitride certified by lot |
What Makes a Good AR-15, and How This One Stacks Up
Reviewers who rank AR-15s weigh the same things: reliability, accuracy, build quality, and value, which come down to the barrel, the gas system, the bolt carrier group, the trigger, and the receivers. Here’s this one, part by part.
| Barrel | 4150 CMV, button rifled, QPQ nitrided, and 100% inspected. Faxon makes it in-house; most rifle brands buy theirs. |
| Gas system | Mid-length on a 16″ barrel, with a fixed block sized to the barrel |
| Bolt carrier group | Superfinished 5.56 M16 BCG: M16 pattern, superfinished and nitrided, MPI inspected, optimized firing pin |
| Trigger | Faxon Enhanced Match Trigger by Schmid® |
| Handguard | 15″ free-float aluminum M-LOK, all 8 surfaces |
| Receivers | Forged 7075-T6, trued, with a tensioning screw |
| Warranty | Faxon Lifetime Guarantee |
Specifications
| Caliber / chamber | 5.56 NATO (fires 5.56 NATO and .223 Rem) |
| Barrel | Duty Series 16″ Gunner, 4150 CMV, QPQ Nitride |
| Twist | 1:8, button rifled |
| Gas system | Mid-length; mid-length 304 stainless tube |
| Gas block | Fixed .625" low-profile gas block, 3 set screws |
| Muzzle | MuzzLok® ported 5.56 flash hider, 1/2x28, steel, nitride |
| Handguard | 15″ Streamline aluminum, M-LOK on all 8 surfaces, free-float |
| Receivers | Faxon Enhanced Forged AR-15 upper; Faxon forged lower with tensioning screw |
| Finish | Type III hard coat anodized |
| Bolt carrier group | Superfinished 5.56 M16 BCG |
| Made in | Greater Cincinnati, Ohio, USA |
| Warranty | Faxon Lifetime Guarantee |
| MSRP | $1,345 |
Fitment
| Magazines | Standard AR-15 / STANAG 5.56 magazines |
| Bolt | standard 5.56 / M16-pattern bolt (installed) |
| Suppressor | Direct-thread or muzzle-device mount on the 1/2x28 thread |
| Optics | Flat-top Picatinny upper; M-LOK handguard for lights and lasers |
| Transfer | Ships to a licensed dealer (FFL) |
What Reviewers and Owners Say
This configuration is new, so it has few reviews of its own yet. Every major part on it is sold on its own, so here’s what independent reviewers and Faxon customers have said about the barrel, receivers, carrier, handguard, and gas block.
PEW PEW TACTICAL
Faxon 16″ Gunner Barrel Review ›
Long-term review of Faxon’s Gunner-profile 5.56 barrel and its gas block.
“each install has been great with thousands of rounds combined.”
PEW PEW TACTICAL
Review of Faxon’s earlier Ascent rifles, built on Faxon barrels.
“Both guns ran great! They fed, fired, and ejected as intended with no issues.”
OPTICSPLANET
Faxon Forged Upper Receiver Reviews ›
Verified buyer on Faxon’s forged 7075-T6 upper.
“The quality and craftsmanship is exceptional.”
“The 16" Gunner is impossible to beat for the price IMO. Fit and finish is superb.”
Jawmarq, 16″ Gunner 5.56 barrel, FaxonFirearms.com
“I used this to build a light weight coyote rifle and it is fantastic. Very accurate and very light weight.”
Randy, 16″ Gunner 5.56 barrel, FaxonFirearms.com
“Very well machined and the qpq coating makes it a breeze to clean.”
RP, BCG, FaxonFirearms.com
“Ultra lightweight, without giving up rigidity. Plenty of M-Lok.”
Daniel S., 15″ aluminum handguard, FaxonFirearms.com
“High quality part, very light weight.”
Paul J, gas block, FaxonFirearms.com
“considering it is factory trued, makes a good investment.”
Tom, upper receiver, FaxonFirearms.com
Average ratings on FaxonFirearms.com, out of 5 stars: 16″ Gunner 5.56 barrel: 4.9; BCG: 4.9; handguard: 4.8; gas block: 4.9; upper receiver: 4.9.
Compare the PRO Line
| Model | Caliber | Barrel | Handguard | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRO 16″ 5.56 NATO AR15 Rifle (this one) | 5.56 NATO | 16″ Gunner, 1:8 | 15″ aluminum | $1,345 |
| PRO 16″ 22 ARC AR15 Rifle | 22 ARC | 16″ Gunner, 1:7 | 15″ aluminum | $1,485 |
| PRO 16″ 6.5 Grendel AR15 Rifle | 6.5 Grendel | 16″ Gunner, 1:8 | 15″ aluminum | $1,485 |
| PRO 16″ 6mm ARC AR15 Rifle | 6mm ARC | 16″ Gunner, 1:7.5 | 15″ aluminum | $1,485 |
| PRO 8.5″ 9mm PCC Pistol | 9mm | 8.5″ Light Taper, 1:10 | 7″ aluminum | $1,540 |
| PRO 12.5″ 5.56 NATO AR15 Pistol | 5.56 NATO | 12.5″ Gunner, 1:8 | 10.75″ aluminum | $1,550 |
| PRO 12.5″ 6mm ARC AR15 Pistol | 6mm ARC | 12.5″ Gunner, 1:7.5 | 10.75″ aluminum | $1,556 |
| PRO 12.5″ 338 ARC AR15 Pistol | 338 ARC | 12.5″ Gunner, 1:8 | 10.75″ aluminum | $1,590 |
| PRO 12.5″ 5.56 NATO AR15 SBR | 5.56 NATO | 12.5″ Gunner, 1:8 | 10.75″ aluminum | $1,590 |
| PRO 14.5″ M4 5.56 AR15 SBR | 5.56 NATO | 14.5″ M4, 1:7 | 7″ aluminum | $1,600 |
| PRO 16″ 9mm PCC Rifle | 9mm | 16″ Light Taper, 1:10 | 15″ aluminum | $1,630 |
PRO 16″ 5.56 FAQs
Is the Faxon PRO 16″ 5.56 NATO AR15 Rifle a good AR-15?
It’s built around the parts that matter most: a Faxon Duty Series 4150 CMV barrel that’s borescoped, air gauged, headspace gauged, and 100% MPI inspected; Faxon forged receivers; the Superfinished 5.56 M16 BCG; a Schmid® match trigger; and a free-float M-LOK handguard. It’s assembled in Ohio by the company that makes the barrel, and it’s covered by the Faxon Lifetime Guarantee.
What comes in the box?
The complete rifle, Magpul® PMAG® 30 Gen M2 MOE (5.56/.223) magazine, 5.56 magazine marker bands, cable lock, chamber flag, owner’s manual. Optics, sling, and suppressor are not included.
What ammunition and magazines does it use?
5.56 NATO and .223 Remington. Magazines: Standard AR-15 / STANAG 5.56 magazines. Bolt: standard 5.56 / M16-pattern bolt (installed).
Can I put a suppressor on it?
Yes. The muzzle is threaded 1/2x28, so a direct-thread mount or a muzzle-device mount works. For a can that comes on and off, an adjustable gas block makes it run softer suppressed.
What does PRO add over SPORT?
Each one is set up around its cartridge, then upgraded with the parts experienced owners end up buying anyway: the Faxon Enhanced Match Trigger by Schmid®, an ambidextrous safety, the Faxon Edition BREEK® Sledgehammer gas-blocking charging handle, B5 Systems® furniture or an SB Tactical® brace, and an optimized Faxon muzzle device.
Nitride or chrome lining: which is better?
Chrome lining still has its place, mainly sustained automatic fire. For the vast majority of shooters, Faxon’s salt-bath QPQ nitride does what they need and more: it hardens the bore and exterior, resists corrosion, adds virtually nothing to the dimensions (a few ten-thousandths of an inch, about a tenth the width of a human hair), and needs little to no break-in.
How does it ship?
To a licensed dealer (FFL). Enter your dealer’s information at checkout. Federal, state, and local laws apply.
Where is it made, and what is the warranty?
Faxon makes the barrel, receivers, gas block, and muzzle device in Greater Cincinnati, Ohio, and assembles the rifle there. It’s covered by the Faxon Lifetime Guarantee.
MuzzLok®, HARMONIX®, CORESYNC®, and Integral® are trademarks of Faxon Firearms. BREEK®, Schmid®, B5 Systems®, SB Tactical®, Magpul®, PMAG®, Lancer®, Mission First Tactical®, Cerakote®, and Glock® are trademarks of their owners; Faxon is not affiliated with them. “Plan B” is a trademark of Q, LLC; Faxon Firearms is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Q, LLC. Firearm, pistol brace, suppressor, and barrel-length laws vary by state and locality; know and follow the laws where you live.