Force USA Gunner Barbell
A 28 mm bar with five needle bearings per sleeve, 235,000 PSI steel and ±0.25 mm straightness — spec-for-spec the most bar here for the category.
Specs
| Best use | Multipurpose / all-rounder |
|---|---|
| Overall length | 86.6 in (2,200 mm) |
| Overall weight | 45 lb / 20 kg |
| Grip diameter | 28 mm |
| Loadable sleeve length | 16 in (410 mm) |
| Whip | Great |
| Knurling style | Standard |
| Knurling spec | Dual IPF / IWF |
| Shaft coating | Black zinc |
| Sleeve coating | Black zinc |
| Bushings | Stainless steel |
| Bearings | 5 needle bearings per sleeve |
| Static weight rating | 1,500 lb (680 kg) |
| Tensile strength | 235,000 PSI |
| Weight tolerance | ±1% |
| Straightness accuracy | ±0.25 mm |
These figures are copied from Force USA’s own published specs and were last checked on 2026-08-31. Manufacturers revise products without notice, and variants differ. Confirm anything your decision depends on with Force USA before you buy.
Choose this one if
- You want bearings for the Olympic lifts without giving up dual knurl marks
- You want a published straightness tolerance, which almost nobody gives you
- You want 235,000 PSI steel at a 28 mm shaft
The detail
Five needle bearings per sleeve is the headline and it is a genuinely high count — most bearing bars run two or three. More bearings spread the load across the sleeve, which keeps the spin smooth under heavy plates rather than only when the bar is light. Combined with "great" whip and a 28 mm shaft, this is set up for cleans and snatches.
What makes it unusual is that it keeps dual IPF and IWF marks anyway. Most bearing bars commit to weightlifting marks only, as PRX's Mako does. Keeping both means the same bar handles your bench and squat spacing without guessing.
Two tolerances are published here that almost no manufacturer gives you: ±1% on weight and ±0.25 mm on straightness. Straightness is the spec that actually determines whether a bar rolls true on the floor and sits flat in the J-cups, and it is the first thing to go on a cheap bar. Publishing a number is a commitment; most brands say nothing.
At 235,000 PSI the steel is second only to the 240,000 PSI chrome version of the Bells of Steel Olympic bar among the bars here, and ahead of the PRX Reef's 220,000. The 1,500 lb static rating is standard and more than sufficient.
The trade against the Pro Series is shaft diameter and spin: 28 mm and bearings here, 28.5 mm and bronze bushings there. If you never clean or snatch, the bushing bar is the more durable long-term choice; bearings reward Olympic lifting and punish neglect.
Black zinc on shaft and sleeves is the weak point. Zinc is the least durable of the common finishes and will patina and eventually wear at contact points. It is also the cheapest, which is presumably where the budget for five bearings came from.