16" HBAR vs 16" M4 CMMG Barrels

[NG VI]

I am curious about them, not about the barrels themselves so much as I am the handguards/front sights. Are they both comparable length, or is the HBAR more like an M16 setup where the gas port and front sight are closer to the muzzle? Because the M4 style is what I ordered, but I don't really like having such a large length of barrel not being used to increase sight radius. and it looks kind of weird.

I've already ordered my 16" M4 style, so it's probably too late to change it now, but if they are different maybe I'll buy a 16" HBAR next fall to go with it. then I'd have two lowers to customize! YAY!!!

 

[Number 6]

I think you have your terms confused. HBARs are heavy barrels, meaning that the barrel profile is thicker than an M4 or gov't profile barrel. You can get a 16" AR with either a HBAR or M4 profile barrel with the only difference will be the barrel profile and weight. The gas port will be located in the same spot regardless of the barrel profile.

CMMG makes a midlength gas system which places the gas port and sights a little farther forward than an M4 style setup and will require a different handguard. Midlengths offer several advantages over a carbine length system.

 

[NG VI]

OK, great! that answered my question, and relieved me because your explanation is exactly how I understood it when I was placing the order. yes the Medcon uppers they have look great, is it just me or does an EBR look silly with six-seven inches of bare barrel? I also really like the uppers with front sights pushed right to the end of the barrel, like the Bushmaster Dissipator, and CMMG has a style like that as well.

What are the advantages of the Medium Length gas system, and also what are the pros and cons of M4 VS HBAR?

 

[Number 6]

Recoil on a midlength system will be a bit softer than with a carbine length system. The midlength system is also a little easier on the bolt. For most users these are not really that big of a deal, since most people are only shooting their AR on semi-auto. The way I see it, if you are going for a 16" setup why not get the most out of the platform and go with a midlength? The other advantage to the midlength is that if you are using iron sights you have a longer sight radius. A carbine setup is nice if you are running a 14.5" or 14.7 inch barrel with a perm flash suppressor, but even then at those barrel lengths a midlength system would still have some advantages.

A HBAR profile barrel will not heat up as fast as a thinner profile barrel, but the gun will be heavier and will balance differently. The HBAR will also take longer to cool down, however. A M4 profile barrel will heat up faster, but will be lighter and will cool down faster. Some argue that the HBAR will give you better accuracy since it is stiffer, but I am not totally convinced of that. A HBAR will probably give you better accuracy after the barrel heats up a bit.

If you are going to use the gun for a bench gun, then a HBAR will probably be better. If you are going to use it for 3-gun or any other application where you have to carry it around, then a M4 profile might be better. The medium profile barrels will be lighter than the HBAR, but heavier than the M4, they are designed by fill the gap between the M4 and the BHAR profiles.

 

[MHBushmaster]

From my experience of owning several AR15's: Only use an HBAR if you are going to be sitting at a bench or on prone with a bipod for regular usage. The HBAR gets really heavy really fast for firing long strings of fire off hand un-supported. Also, the HBAR is just over-heavy for a "fighting carbine".
The military profile barrels, (slim under the handguards) is the pen-ultimate for weight and barrel stability. The optimum for a carbine to carry around and use to anywhere else besides a bench is a pencil profile barrel. They are easy to swing onto target, are light for extending standing shooting, and cool down extremely fast. Just my $.02