There is a lot of misconceptions, lack of knowledge and sometimes just plain old hatred for a 556 that is barreled under that supposed magical 11.5".
Like any weapon, ammo or gear you have to put it in the context in which it will be used. This thread is dedicated to PDWs. Now lets break that down PDW stands for.....thats correct Personal Defense Weapon. A compact semi-or-fully automatic firearm comparable to a submachine gun in size and sometimes considered a hybrid between a submachine gun and compact assault style rifle.
Short barreled AR have been a passion and constant drive for me for years dating back to the early 90s. Fast forward to 2015, I started working on a 4.5", 5" and 7.5" 556 barrel and upper that would not only work properly but would also have some accuracy and hold a reliable group. I added another couple of calibers to the mix and my plate was full for R&D to begin. A little over a year in R&D, a lot of personal money in ammo and a few barrels in the trash a star was born. I designed a micro gas tube which is patented and teamed up with a blank manufacturer and I began to produce a 4.5" and 5" in 556 along with a 5" 300blk and a 5.5" 7.62x39. I also released a 7.5" 556 barrel that cycled reliably, was not over gassed, could run suppressed without an adjustable gas block, constant accuracy and terminal ballistics to back it up.
Now I know many are saying yeah thanks but no thanks on a 4.5" or 5" 556. Again if applied in its context it works and there are several third party individuals that have used and tested them and were made believers. I retired as a LEO and got into the executive protection line of work. These micro builds began as a personal build and I really did not intend to build them and sell them commercially. I wanted a compact weapon system that could fit in a very discreet bag and not one that screams "LOOK AT MY TACTICAL BAG WITH ALL THIS VELCRO AND MOLLE". I wanted a weapon system that was chambered in a rifle caliber in case I needed to the round to penetrate body armor. I have several AR9s and an MP5 but the 9mm would not fit the bill of penetrating body armor. I know some are saying why not just go to a 300blk. I wanted to keep my ammo cost down and plus 556 at the time had more choices for self defense / hunting ammo than 300blk did. If your wanting more information on any of these micro builds you can check out our Instagram, Facebook, YouTube under Veritas Tactical and you can email me at sales@veritastactical as well.
Now let me talk about the 7.5" which is what caught my attention on this forum to start with. Someone on this thread mentioned that a 7" barrel was used in a testing at a Law Enforcement agency in Central Florida and that the rounds that came out of this 7" 556 were yawing and over penetrating cooler cooled bare gel. Well not sure what test he was at or what range he was at or even what agency he was talking about. Maybe it was just coincidence that I attended a similar testing at the Orange County Sheriff's Office range here in central Florida. Present were representative of a few ammunition manufacturers to include Hornady, Federal, Winchester and Speer. Now this test was conducted by a third party vendor. This third party vendor provided the gel, chronograph and equipment to do the testing and each respective company provided the ammunition for testing. The guns tested where the agency issued LMT 16" patrol rifle and agency issued 10.5" Adams Arms which were being run by the SWAT team at the time. The other mysterious locally built gun was my 7.5" AR.
I would be glad to send anyone the results from this testing to see for yourself and check the data. The 7.5" performed with every round they tested with the exception of the 75gr Hornady black SBR and the Gold Dot 75gr. Note when I say exception is that those two rounds penetrated past the 18" maximum standard per the FBI. The Gold Dot penetrated 18.25" and the Hornady penetrated 21.75". All the other rounds penetrated 13.75" to 18" which is ideal according to FBI standards. The rounds also expanded and retained weight within minute differences of the 16" and 10.5" rifles. When it come to ballistics and what ammo does in gel you have to do your homework and see it for yourself sometimes to understand it. Yawing will happen when a round enters the gel. The bullet does not travel in a linear fashion through the gel. As it encounters more and more resistance it begins to travel side ways or yaw.
These 7.5" ARs have been tested for accuracy as well. Not only have I tested them for accuracy but a few Law Enforcement agencies and two consultants which work very closely with me who have experience and qualifications to go with their testing results.
My 7.5" AR is capable of getting 1.25" groups at 100 yards using ammunition such as Gold Dot and Federal Fusion MSR. We have continued to conduct gel testing and accuracy to get more content on our YouTube channel and will post that information as soon as we get it finalized.
I hope this is an informative post and I apologize for the lengthly post. If you have any question please feel free to contact me on the platforms I mentioned above.
Hope everyone stays safe and God Bless.
Veritas Tactical
DATA FROM TESTING BELOW
Attachment 51538
Originally Posted by SouthNarc
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