How come?

[Pilgrim]

I'd like to buy an AR. No real reason except "just in case", I guess. How come virtually all of the AR 15 makers only make 16" barrels ? How come nearly all of the AR 10 makers think 18" barrels is the right length? I think I saw a 20" barrel on a $3000 AR 10 unit. I am sensitive to muzzle blast and think 20", maybe 22" is about right for the AR 15 and NO LESS than 22" for an AR 10. I've been watching for one of these apparently rare critters but anything over 16" (5.56), and 18" (7.62), seem to be in the $2000+ range. How come? It can't be all that more difficult (bit of sarcasm here) to fit and chamber a longer barrel in these rifles. I'm both disappointed and depressed I seem unable to find one if these critters!!

[Earlwb]

The longer barrel lengths are not popular at present. They do make the barrels for them though. You could get a longer barrel and maybe a longer gas tube too. Then swap out the shorter barrel for the longer one.

[randyrat]

Yeah, your smart..Lots don't realize the muzzle blast of a 16" barrel whenthey first buy anything that short..I wear plugs and muffs when I shoot a 16" of anything. that 5.56 really has a nasty KBOOMBANG when it goes off. The muzzle breaks don't help your ears any either.

[Pilgrim]

Yeah, I could do those things, but shouldn't have to. Buying a rifle knowing I don't want or like the configuration just doesn't set right for me. Replacing the barrel, fitting, chambering, etc will add more than $300 to the cost. Just doesn't seem like the right way to go. JMHO

[Pilgrim]

I bought an BLR in .358 10 or 15 years ago and it had an 18 1/2 " barrel. Lordy was it loud! Good thing I replaced that short chippy thing with a 22" medium wt. Douglas barrel. Balances better, points better, and sounds a lot better. I don't get the short barrel craze. I don't know anybody who hunts in the middle of a blackberry thicket. Barrel length doesn't matter for applications that aren't that restricted. Oh well...I'll keep looking.

[Scharfschuetze]

I'm all about longer barrels too, partly for the reduced report and also for some enhancement to the velocity. They also hang better for offhand shooting. One nice thing about the AR15 platform is that it is amenable to much modification by the owner to get around limitations of the market place. 18" and 20" barrels are common enough and 24" barrels are obtainable too. Get an upper receiver and a float tube or free floating handguard and it is easy enough to swap out barrels and gas tubes.

Here's a link for 24" barrels:

https://www.midwayusa.com/s?userSear...temsPerPage=48

My current set up for both action shooting (18" mid weight) and for the National Match course (20" heavy). I just swap out uppers for the type of shooting to be done. I'm limited to a 20" barrel by the service rifle rules, otherwise I'd certainly go with a longer barrel. Perhaps I'll get around to building up a 24" upper for varmint shooting with a slow twist 24" barrel and put a higher power scope on it.

[williamwaco]

When one of those monsters appears within 4or 5 lanes of me. I get up and go to the break room. Those guys never erase stay long.

[Love Life]

The muzzle blast Isn't so bad when behind the gun,lol. My Colt AR901-16s with 16.1 inch barrel does very well out to 800 yards with 168 gr bthp. Used to shoot a desert tech to 1,000 yards plus with a 16 inch barrel. 308 is quite capable from a short barrel.


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[17nut]

16" = TactiCool

Add a vertical handle and a light + a redpoint and whatnot:
Attachment 198893

Rangecredability.
Cause every hillbilly thinks he needs to do room to room combat, oh sorry CQB (gotta get the lingo right too).

[17nut]

Slab some termite fodder on an original 16 and i find it hugely attractive:

Attachment 198895
Attachment 198896
Attachment 198897

[Smoke4320]

Obviously not a survival rifle theres not toilet paper holder

[Minerat]

Try this, under a grand. With a 24" tube.

http://www.dpmsinc.com/BULL-24_ep_143-1.html

Not much under but still under.

[mold maker]

The first AR I built wears a straight stock and a 24" heavy barrel for the same reason.

[Texas by God]

16" barrels are popular because they are SO damn handy. Leave the mmuzzle appendage off and get a thread protector if the blast is bothersome. A 24" bull barrel is great varminting or target shooting but on carrying/hunting rifles the shorty is your friend. Blast is momentary- gravity is constant. If I'm carrying a 12-15# pound rifle it better be an elephant gun. IMHO.
Best, Thomas.

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[GhostHawk]

Your talking about the difference between what is "in style" and popular and what is effective.

Effective does not sell many guns, and it costs more. Which cuts down sales more yet.

Build it from scratch, or get out of the herd.

Your choice really. Just because a lot of people are gaga over black AR's does not mean it fits you.

I have zero intention of ever owning one. They simply are not what I like.

For the young person who has no other commitments. Who is interested in spending 500 to 1k for a rifle, and up to another 2k in parts so he can play gun gadget extreme to his hearts content. Ok, if that is what you want.

Me I'd rather have 6 single shots each capable of true MOA at 100 y and beyond.
Or a couple of Hipoint Carbines for short range fun. Or both, for the same investment.

Find what suits you. Run with it. But if you don't like running with the herd, don't want what the herd wants only different. Recipe for disaster.

[Love Life]

Several of my AR's are capable of sub-MOA 10 shot groups near, far, and in between.

Long barrels have benefits. There is no doubt about it; it is irrefutable. However; short barrels are not as bad as the interweb would have you believe. You don't want to be standing down range of somebody with moderate skill shooting an M4 with irons or an ACOG.

You can get into AR's cheaply, or pay through the nose for best in class. It's really up to the purchaser.

DPMS may have what you are looking for. Windham might as well.

[jakharath]

Check out White Oak - https://www.whiteoakarmament.com/sho...t-barrels.html

[modified5]

16" = TactiCool

Add a vertical handle and a light + a redpoint and whatnot:
Attachment 198893

Rangecredability.
Cause every hillbilly thinks he needs to do room to room combat, oh sorry CQB (gotta get the lingo right too).

Where's the ice cream maker?!?
Some people leave off the best accessories!! Oh well.
One of my old bosses had one that reminds me of this one.
It was so heavy that when he hung it on a single point sling it would hit the ground!
He looked even more silly when he was in his body armor.
At 450 lbs+ he wasn't clearing any room in a big hurry.
He was like a mall cop with a serious case of tacticool disease!!

[tazman]

16" = TactiCool

Add a vertical handle and a light + a redpoint and whatnot:
Attachment 198893

Rangecredability.
Cause every hillbilly thinks he needs to do room to room combat, oh sorry CQB (gotta get the lingo right too).

I love the hood ornament on that thing. I haven't seen one of those in a lot of years.

[halodub]

If you are trying to get something like that for a good price, you might want to consider building it yourself. Palmetto State has 20" barreled uppers on their site, and they go on sale pretty often for 200 or so dollars. Get yourself a nice cheap milspec BCG and charging handle, then slap it on a cheap Anderson lower for 50 bucks, with a parts kit of your choice, maybe even a "match" trigger if that kind of thing suits you, and you've got yourself a nice $500-600 rifle that does what you want and is spec'd out the way you want.

A lot of people like to bash PSAs stuff, but I got one of their 16" uppers for my first build with one of their BCGs and charging handles, and an eBay LPK and it's run flawlessly for the 3000 rounds I've put through it so far, most of it being cheapo steel cased Tulammo. Outshoots me when I use higher quality stuff (granted I'm not that good of a shot to begin with) so the 20" would probably work just as well.

One benefit to building vs buying is you get a bit more intimate with the rifle and can get a good feel for how things should work/look, and should something happen to your rifle, you may be able to diagnose it a bit better. Plus, you get exactly what you want, or as close to it as possible.