Precision
member
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Stoner designed the 5.56x45 cartridge to be fired from a 20" barrel. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Stoner designed the direct gas impingement of the AR-15 to be utilized with a 20" barrel.
So why is it that all the AR-15s I see have 14.5" or shorter barrels? From what I've heard, it reduces the fragmentation/lethality characteristics of the 5.56, while also weakening the reliability of the gas system. I've also heard that Marines who are still issued an M16 variant (20") have less lethality and reliability issues when compared to soldiers issued the M4 Carbine (14.5"). The AR-15 simply wasn't conceived to be a carbine, much less an SBR.
Utilizing a short-stroke gas piston system (op-rod) can potentially solve the potential reliability risks, but not the fragmentation problems. So why does practically every civilian I've chatted with on here on insist on utilizing a DI AR-15 with a 14.5" barrel, all the way down to 10.5"?
DOESN'T IT CRIPPLE PERFORMANCE?
So why is it that all the AR-15s I see have 14.5" or shorter barrels? From what I've heard, it reduces the fragmentation/lethality characteristics of the 5.56, while also weakening the reliability of the gas system. I've also heard that Marines who are still issued an M16 variant (20") have less lethality and reliability issues when compared to soldiers issued the M4 Carbine (14.5"). The AR-15 simply wasn't conceived to be a carbine, much less an SBR.
Utilizing a short-stroke gas piston system (op-rod) can potentially solve the potential reliability risks, but not the fragmentation problems. So why does practically every civilian I've chatted with on here on insist on utilizing a DI AR-15 with a 14.5" barrel, all the way down to 10.5"?
DOESN'T IT CRIPPLE PERFORMANCE?