I won’t go shorter than an 11.5” bbl on a 5.56 rifle for reliability and longevity reasons. For HD anything from 11.5 to 16 will be just fine. Better IMO to focus on quality than bbl length. Avoid the PSA deal of the day rifles/pistols as an example.
I like 14.5 as the shortest I'll go in 556. Ammo has come a long way but 14.5 and shot placement seems to do wonders. Saw shorter guns/impacts and was not impressed.
Also just because you can hit at certain distances, doesn't mean you will be happy with the result. 556 works better on living stuff out of longer barrels, just the way it goes.
Last edited by breakingtime91; 09-11-2019 at 08:57 PM.
Longer has its advantages to be sure. But I wonder what kind of ammo you saw being used in the shorties? Was it FMJ OCONUS? I ask because plenty of domestic tactical teams use a trophy bonded bear claw type of bullet out of 11.5’s with stellar results. I’ve heard the ammo referee to as a “death ray.”
Mostly green tip. I am sure there are good loads that work well in urban environments. All of it is going to be better than pistol. Mission drives gear but I have heard many guys who worked with short guns (10.3-12) that said its a 100 meter and in gun. Which I will fully admit is fine for most civilian or law enforcement roles. I just don't see the advantage when compared to a 14.5 gun that offers better ballistics.
I hate being around SBR 5.56 rifles when they are being fired. Even with doubled up earpro, it is no bueno.
My three uppers are a 16” 5.56 lightweight with an A2 upper and a light mounted on a magpull handguard, a 16” 6.8 SPCII with a carbon fiber float tube and a 2-7 variable - that’s primarily a short, light hunting rig - and last but not least, a 20” flat top 5.56 upper with a 4-14 FFP mil dot. Yes, that last one is a PSA. I just wanted it and it was cheap, and yes, it took a little tweaking and break-in. I wanted it, i don’t need a better reason. The other two are builds on quality parts - the 6.8 can be a PITA, depending on ammo. Very fickle. More fickle than a .22. With ammo it likes, it is reliable, accurate, and hard-hitting.
I enjoy shooting the 20” most. By a lot. It’s convinced me that I need a better 20” upper eventually by reminding me about all the things I like about them, so it was worth the money and time. If I’m carrying one, I’d rather it be either of the 16”. The lightweight 16” 5.56 will break down and fit in a large Alice pack. Not super accessible on the trail, but quite invisible.
Last edited by Duelist; 09-11-2019 at 09:43 PM.
After firing a 7in 5.56 AR pistol next to my 11.5in 5.56 build, I won't ever go shorter than 11.5.
There are lots of good reasons to advocate a 14.5in.
Personally, since this is America, I advocate buying one of each.
I wouldn’t use a 10.5 or 11.5 gun in a hallway without a suppressor, ever. The concussion is horrific.
There are too many legal challenges to using the pistol braces in a shooting (I think the prosecution could argue that it is a de facto buttstock if intended to be shouldered by the end-user, despite how it is regulated when sold by BATFE).
There are too many legal challenges regarding access when using title II weapons (how was it stored, etc.).
The only way any AR makes sense to me is if it is the gun you shoot most often.
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I used to think getting involved in a self defense shooting with a braced AR pistol might look especially bad to an anti-gun prosecutor/jury, but few on the left seemed to get worked up over the fact that the recent Dayton mass murderer used such a weapon. They only cared that it was an “assault weapon,” and using a brace to get around the SBR thing was virtually irrelevant. If he had used a 20-inch AR, it would have been regarded no differently.
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