Short or Light?

[Jackal]

So. I have 2 AR barrels. One will be used, the other sold.

Colt .625 pencil 16" carbine length and a mid length VooDoo 14.5 pin/weld (.750 diameter flash hider/gas block.

So, which to use? Either will wear a lightweight free float tube. I cant decide...

The pencil weighs slightly less but the 14.5 is smaller.

 

[rbernie]

To my thinking, the gun should balance on the barrel nut. Whatever barrel lets you do that is the correct barrel to choose.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Whichever is lightest. Take a multi day training class and you will appreciate having the lightest rifle possible.

 

[chicharrones]

What kind of stock will this AR have on it?

 

[Jackal]

What kind of stock will this AR have on it?

MFT Battlelink Minimalist

 

[Inebriated]

In that case, go lightweight... not even a question. Heavy barrel and light stock makes for a terrible balance.

 

[chicharrones]

With collapsible stocks, I always think I'd prefer the shorter barrel.

If you had a lightweight fixed stock, like the butt piece that simply bolts to a rifle receiver extension, I'd lean towards that longer barrel.

What a quandary. I like rbernies' idea for a test.

 

[Jackal]

Its is indeed a quandary. The Colt barrel weighs 3oz less but the VooDoo is 1.5" shorter. I guess the question is: Is 1.5" of shorter length worth 3oz? I know it sounds nit picky, but its still an interesting question.

 

[G.barnes]

Go with the voodoo. Not only will it be shorter the gas system will be smoother. The 3oz of weight won't be as noticable as the recoil impulse.

 

[Inebriated]

G.barnes has a great point. I read it backwards... I read mid-length 16", carbine 14.5". Didn't really occur to me to question a mid-length Colt barrel lol.

That does push everything back in favor of the 14.5" IMO. On a lighter rifle, a smoother recoil impulse is always better, and with the difference only being 3oz, you can save that weight elsewhere. Grip, handguard, sights, optic, etc.

 

[chicharrones]

3 oz.? Assuming the Voodoo and the Colt are equal in shoot ability, etc. I'd pick the short Voodoo. I mean, that 3 extra ounces will be distributed closer to the receiver, yes?

 

[NWcityguy2]

Does the Voodoo have a FSB? How much do you plan on shooting iron sights? If you plan on shooting irons a lot, a FSB is going to be worlds ahead in durability compared to a flip-up. If you don't plan on shooting irons at all, or rarely, it's a lot of weight that you don't need.

 

[Jackal]

Here's a quick mock up of my parts using the 14.5 VooDoo. I'm kind of leaning towards it. This 13" ALG is looking / feeling pretty good on that 14.5" bbl. Loaded with a 30rd mag, its balancing right at the T12 rail/chamber. Weighs 7lb, 3oz loaded.

 

[chicharrones]

That looks great. The longer version is 7 lbs. even?

So, less than a 3% weight gain to get a 1.5" shorter rifle and still maintain the same sight radius?

I gotta go with the shorter barrel just on specs alone.

 

[chicharrones]

Another thought . . .

So the mid-length gas runs well in a 14.5" barrel? I don't know much about that so it's an honest question from me.

 

[Jackal]

Surprisingly, the barrels/flash hiders alone weigh in at 1lb 8.4 oz for the Colt and 1lb 9.8oz for the VooDoo. The 14.5's longer gas tube/ larger gas block make up the rest of the weight difference.

 

[NWcityguy2]

I would go with the Voodoo. Neither are extremely different, but the mid-lenght gas and longer rail (vs. carbine handguards) are nice additions.

 

[Jackal]

Yeah, after voicing it, I'm going to go with the VooDoo. Aside from a *slight velocity loss/fixed flash hider, there's really no significant downside.

Now, to make it DI or Piston....

 

[Inebriated]

DI. Your rifle is meant to be a lightweight workhorse, IIRC from another thread. Keep it light.

 

[ZGunner]

DI all the way for me. I dont mind a little extra carbon build up on the bolt.

 

[chicharrones]

I'd go with DI, too. Plus, how hard is it to pull the piston for cleaning with a nearly full length hand guard like that?

 

[Tirod]

Drop the BUIS. The front sight mounted on the tube negates it being a free float - sling/hand pressure will move the tube and the sight around.

DI means you get to the gas cylinder in the BCG in ten seconds, vs. disassembling the tube every time you want to get to the piston. That makes it nearly impossible to clean in the field.

Pinned/welded means living with the flash hider no matter what, vs changing to a linear comp, brake or silencer adapter later.

Add up your long term choices and what do you decide - instead of the ramblings of people who won't have to live with imposing theirs?