Charlie98
Member
I have a 16" barreled M1a, it's a LOT of fun to shoot... but it's loud (particularly with the SAI muzzle brake, which is quite effective.) I think the sweet spot for a short-barreled .308 is 18"-20" depending on your goals. I also have a 24" Savage model 10, but that has a purpose... it certainly isn't handy-dandy like my 16", that's for sure.
I have dinked around with powders... faster is better at reducing muzzle blast. Stay away from ball powders like H335 and BL-C(2) and stick with extruded powders. My go-to for the Socom is IMR3031, which I've found to be the best balance of velocity and efficiency with mid-weight bullets in short barrels.
I recently built an AR-10 for a friend, with a 18" barrel, and using the KAW brake that is very similar (almost exact copy) of my SAI brake on my M1a. Just that extra 2" helps with the blast (using surplus M80 ammos...)
I have dinked around with powders... faster is better at reducing muzzle blast. Stay away from ball powders like H335 and BL-C(2) and stick with extruded powders. My go-to for the Socom is IMR3031, which I've found to be the best balance of velocity and efficiency with mid-weight bullets in short barrels.
I recently built an AR-10 for a friend, with a 18" barrel, and using the KAW brake that is very similar (almost exact copy) of my SAI brake on my M1a. Just that extra 2" helps with the blast (using surplus M80 ammos...)