I too like the 11.5" barrel, but for my Bushmaster Carbon 12, model 21 pistol. It has a 7.5" barrel and is literally tack-driving accurate at 50 yards off the bench. I do mean, literally tack-driving accurate. If I had not seen with my own eyes the groups that it can produce with a scope, I would not believe it. Reliability is a mute point. I have never had any FTF, nor FTE, no fails to anything. To date, I have fired about 400 rounds through it, using FMJs, HPs, spire points, etc, ranging from 45 to 62 grains. All function and all are accurate. My rationale for the 11.5" barrel is to compete in unlimited class for pistol steel silhouette competitions. The added barrel length would net me an additional about 100FPS, and with a heavier load, say 75-grain bullet, I would net a little more impact on the steel.
For my part, rather than buy an 11.5" barrel, and requiring all the extra hassle of carrying the paper for an AR short-barreled rifle, I bought the pistol...problem solved and nothing to forget. The whole package quite simply cannot be made more compact either. By the way, the ammunition that is literally tack-driving accurate with this pistol is Remington's UMC (yellow box) 45 grain hollow point...a factory load. Believe it or not! It prints 5 rounds into a cluster that measures .28" (outside-to-outside)! To prove the accuracy to my friends, I had to then shoot 5 separate targets, each 1 shot into the center dot. Then they believed me Re: the extreme accuracy. For the competitions, I will be firing (I believe) at 25, 50, 75 and 100 yards. I will not be permitted to use this HP ammunition, because it would damage the steel silhouettes. I have been told that I will have to use downloaded spire points. I just began looking into these competitions and hope to begin this coming spring.
Edit to add:
I am a firm believer in the fact that how one breaks-in the barrel, significantly effects how it shoots. I break-in all of my target/hunting barrels using the following sequence:
Fire 1 round then clean (Repeat 10 times) 10 shots
Fire 2 rounds then clean (Repeat 5 times) 10 shots
Fire 3 rounds then clean (Repeat 5 times) 15 shots
Fire 4 rounds then clean (Repeat 5 times) 20 shots
Fire 5 rounds then clean (Repeat 5 times) 25 shots
There after clean every 20 to 30 rounds depending on how much fouling the given powder produces. Also, I never use a wire brush.
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