[Kestrel]

Is there anything I cannot do with an 18" M1A vs. the 22" model? How much velocity do you lose in the 18"?

It seems that the 18" is the handiest size.

Thanks,
Steve

[Art Eatman]

"Handy" would depend on what you're planning on using the rifle for, wouldn't it?

I admit to being a long-barrel freak. I want all the velocity I can get. :)

In the AR, most likely the only practical difference might be the noise level. Well, maybe the balance, noticeable mostly when shooting aimed shots from the offhand position. There, a bit of extra weight out toward the muzzle can be helpful...

Art

[Coltdriver]

For carrying the rifle long distances in the woods the balance of the shorty is hard to beat.

I carried mine many miles before I screwed it up and put a compensator on it. It changed the balance noticably for carrying it.

If you primarily shoot at the range, you may never notice the weight of the longer barrel.

[Sunray]

You lose 100 FPS per inch of barrel loss and gain a whole bunch of bang. I've never understood the fascination for short barreled .308's. The M-14 was designed to shoot the .308/7.62 optimally. All these "scout" rifles are nothing more than marketing successes.

[geekWithA.45]

And naturally I've lost the link. :cuss:

What the article said was that they started with a 24 inch barrel, and a smith removed 1 inch of the barrel at a time, taking numerous chrono readings as they went.

The results where that there was NO loss off muzzle velocity with a 20 inch barrel, and that you lost 32 fps with an 18 inch barrel, which is negligible.

[Kor]

Geek, I think I remember that article - it was originally written by some outfit in California that builds high-end precision LE rifles, and I think I first read it in SWAT magazine.

However, it's not quite a true apples-to-apples comparison - the testing was done with bolt-action rifles, not a semi-auto like the M14/M1A. With the gas guns, you've gotta set up the rest of the gun correctly, particularly the gas port in the barrel, or else it won't cycle reliably. Also, with a shorter barrel AND larger gas port, you will probably notice a more dramatic velocity loss than 32fps.

Steve, another factor to consider is that with the shorter sight radius, you lose a bit of the rifle's practical accuracy at longer ranges - it's somewhat harder to align the sights precisely with a target way out around 500+yards. The front sight blade should also be made thinner, or else it will be too coarse for precise aiming even at 200-300yds. Furthermore, with the velocity loss, the bullet's trajectory will probably change enough that the range graduations on the elevation drum won't be spot-on at longer ranges.

That said, the 18" barrel DEFINITELY balances better and handles more quickly for me in fast-moving situations like 3-gun competition, and will be handier in tight quarters and lighter to tote around on foot. While my 21" ARS-built Imbel FAL is a shooting machine, my 18" DSA FAL shoots just as well at short ranges and feels MUCH livelier.

I think Chuck Karwan gave the M1A Scout/Bush rifles high marks in a Soldier of Fortune magazine article a few years back...

[gearbox]

I'm 5'5" and would prefer a more scale-sensitive boomstick.