First Look: JP Enterprises .224 Valkyrie Supermatch Barrels

The new JP Enterprises .224 Valkyrie Supermatch barrels are one of the first aftermarket offerings in support of the new .224 Valkyrie cartridge launch from Federal Premium. The new barrels are designed for use in AR-style rifles, just like the new round.

"This new round is a serious paradigm shift for the AR-15 platform," JP Enterprises Founder John Paul said. "In testing, consistent 1000-yard (or more) hits are very achievable."

In the design phase, JP Enterprises collaborated with Federal Premium in order to develop the ideal aftermarket barrels tuned specifically for the new round. This enables the hobbyist AR-15 rifle builder to put together a precision rifle with built-right components, and it also ensures that buyers of JP AR-15s chambered in .224 Valkyrie will receive the utmost in accuracy and precision from their new guns.

The JP Enterprises .224 Valkyrie Supermatch barrels are machined from 416R stainless steel and feature button-rifled bores that are lead-lapped and measured with air gauges to ensure as much consistency as possibly. The barrels are then cryogenically treated to reduce the amount of point-of-impact drift experienced as the barrels heat up under firing, in addition to enhancing barrel life and accuracy.

The barrels are available in three different options. The first option is a 20-inch, light-weight-contour barrel that features a 1:7-inch rate of twist. The other two options both feature medium-weight contours and a 1:7-inch twist rate and are available in 20-inch and 22-inch lengths.

Each barrel offering from the company is drilled with a an XL gas port, which provides an improved dwell time and minimizes issues with pressure. In addition to being sold as components, the JP Enterprises Supermatch barrels are also offered in barrel kits, complete with the buyer's choice of a muzzle device, gas system and the company's EnhancedBolt assembly.

Testing results provided by the company indicated that a 90-grain Sierra MatchKing .224 Valkyrie bullet fired out of a 20-inch Supermatch barrel provided a muzzle velocity of 2,650 fps with a G1 ballistics coefficient of .531.

JP Enterprises .224 Valkyrie Supermatch barrels will be available in January 2018 at a starting retail price of $569.