What is the intended use for a 16" HBAR (Bushmaster)

[ZombiesAhead]

Bushmaster's "Law Enforcement" products section offers both a 16" M4 style rifle and a 16" HBAR M4 style rifle. A number of these were sold to a local police department and I bought an extra at the store. What is the point of a heavy 16" barrel?

 

[FlyinBryan]

they are pretty good shooters.


http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=392277

 

[strat81]

Cheaper to produce than M4-contour barrels.

 

[Sunray]

Every one that sells improves the bottom line on Bushmaster's balance sheet. So does anything labeled 'Law Enforcement' or 'Tactical' made by any company. Improving the bottom line isn't a bad thing though.

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

HBAR's are not very useful unless you have a sniper rifle or a machine gun. The AR15 was originally designed as a light rifle (6lbs overall with a 20" barrel). I think that it should stay that way (in general).

I hate HBAR's. The trade off of added accuracy is just not worth the extra weight. If you owned an HBAR and a superlight rifle, you would understand.

http://www.ar15pro.net/2008/09/superlight-ar15.html

My brother hunts coyotes with a 14.5" (with a permanent flash hider) superlight barrel AR15 regularly.

 

[HB]

It would probably make a better range gun, but I agree, the only heavy AR's should be for service rifle, and M-4's should stay trim (and not a ton of crap hanging off of them )

 

[ZombiesAhead]

...it's still way lighter than my AK (other main shooting gun) and it doesn't feel any heavier than my buddy's 16" RRA with Eotech. Anyone know the weight difference between M4 profile and Bushmaster HBAR in 16"?

Nice groups up there. Think the HBAR makes any difference using irons?

 

[rob_s]

The HBAR was conceived as a way to save money on machining barrels, and marketed as hyped up "improved accuracy" to move them.

Generally speaking a government profile barrel will out-shoot 95% of those that are pulling the trigger and/or they aren't shooting ammo in the thing that would be capable of whatever miniscule accuracy potential would be achieved with an HBAR or they have a chrome-lined barrel which would also negate the alleged benefits of the HBAR.

 

[ZombiesAhead]

found it -

6.7 lbs for A3 16" M4 profile Bushmaster
7.3 lbs for A3 16" HBAR Bushmaster

8-9 ounces?

 

[HankB]

I've read that the HBAR rifles were a) originally intended to provide better accuracy in formal matches; and b) stand up better to sustained high volume fire, including large amounts of full auto fire.