SOLGW 13.7 vs 14.5

[a1madrid]

So I’ve decided my next AR is going to be a Sons of Liberty Gunworks 13.7 or 14.5. I wanted a general purpose rifle with either a T2 and a magnifier or an Eotech and a magnifier. I understand that both of these guns from SOLGW are running mid length gas systems and each have a pin and welded Knox muzzle device made by them to take you to the legal length without NFA paperwork. Obviously the 13.7 mid length has less dwell time than the 14.5 mid length, but my understanding is that because of this, the gas port on their 13.7 guns is actually bigger than the gas port on their 14.5 guns and this is obviously due to the shorter dwell time. Mike has a video on YouTube somewhere and explains all of this. I understand that SOLGW rifles are designed to be hard use guns, but if I had to go with one over the other, can I get some feedback on which barrel length would be the recommendation for a hard use, do all, end of the world for lack of better terms rifle? With the bigger gas port will the 13.7 run just as long as the 14.5 before failure? I like how compact the 13.7 is, but it’s only .8 inches shorter. And that .8 inches is probably noticed more in dwell time than the overall length of the gun. What do you guys say? SOLGW 13.7 or 14.5 for a hard use gun? Pros and cons?


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[abara6]

Tell us more abput what "hard use" means for you.

In all likelihood, I don't think you'll see much difference in reliability. The 13.7 will be slightly more maneuverable, while the 14.5 will have slightly longer frag/expansion range.

[MegademiC]

If built correctly, the only functional difference will be the appearence, so get whichever you think looks better.

[SteveL]

I agree with Megademic. Personally, I'm about halfway through the wait for a Dead Air Sierra 5 and I bought that with the specific intention of getting the SOLGW 13.7" to run it on.

[a1madrid]

Tell us more abput what "hard use" means for you.

In all likelihood, I don't think you'll see much difference in reliability. The 13.7 will be slightly more maneuverable, while the 14.5 will have slightly longer frag/expansion range.

I guess I’m just looking for the gun that’s going to run longer before failure, assuming all variables are the same. I’m pretty good about weapons maintenance and making sure I’m running my rifles clean when I can, but always wet. I know SOLGW knows what they are doing, but I guess if you were to put the two rifles in a controlled experiment, I’m interested if there is a better choice when it comes to which gun will run longer before failure.


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[abara6]

Accidentally posted, see below

[abara6]

I guess I’m just looking for the gun that’s going to run longer before failure, assuming all variables are the same. I’m pretty good about weapons maintenance and making sure I’m running my rifles clean when I can, but always wet. I know SOLGW knows what they are doing, but I guess if you were to put the two rifles in a controlled experiment, I’m interested if there is a better choice when it comes to which gun will run longer before failure.


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I know alot of people disagree with me on this, but I also like knowing my guns can handle hard use and I also want them to last well-beyond the point where our access to them has become more restricted, so this is a little off topic, but I always go with cold hammer forged, chrome lined barrels on guns from Geissele, DD, or BCM. They are still plenty accurate for my use but will last for a loooong time.

14.5 is my favorite because of the maneuverability, range balance. I'd go 13.7 for a little extra maneuverability but I run a Surefire can and the Surefire muzzle devices wont get a 13.7 to 16 inches.

If you're not hunting beyond 200 yards and you're getting a can, and stuck on SOLGW, I'd go 13.7 for suppressed maneuverability. But I get the feeling you like knowing your gun will run forever so you may want to consider one of the avove brands for a longer lasting barrel.

[a1madrid]

I know alot of people disagree with me on this, but I also like knowing my guns can handle hard use and I also want them to last well-beyond the point where our access to them has become more restricted, so this is a little off topic, but I always go with cold hammer forged, chrome lined barrels on guns from Geissele, DD, or BCM. They are still plenty accurate for my use but will last for a loooong time.

14.5 is my favorite because of the maneuverability, range balance. I'd go 13.7 for a little extra maneuverability but I run a Surefire can and the Surefire muzzle devices wont get a 13.7 to 16 inches.

If you're not hunting beyond 200 yards and you're getting a can, and stuck on SOLGW, I'd go 13.7 for suppressed maneuverability. But I get the feeling you like knowing your gun will run forever so you may want to consider one of the avove brands for a longer lasting barrel.

The end goal was to run the gun both unsuppressed and suppressed. I agree that 14.5 without a can is one of the most well balanced setups both in terms of weight and performance. I like the idea of the 13.7 because of the more compact nature of the gun, but I am trying not to make the decision about just how compact the gun will be. My main concern is dwell time and if there would be a noticeable difference between how long that gun can go before failure. As I stated I know SOLGW uses a larger gas port on their 13.7 and I’m assuming this is due to the issue of dwell time. But they know their shit. I’ve personally visited their facility in San Antonio and these guys really know what they are doing. The 13.7 really seems to be the thing right now, but I just know I’m getting more dwell time on that 14.5 and there is a lot of good data out there on how 5.56 performs from a 14.5. I just want to know if there is a difference between the two guns if one will run longer before malfunctioning, taking into consideration that the 13.7 has a larger gas port due to the issue of lack of dwell time.


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[abara6]

The end goal was to run the gun both unsuppressed and suppressed. I agree that 14.5 without a can is one of the most well balanced setups both in terms of weight and performance. I like the idea of the 13.7 because of the more compact nature of the gun, but I am trying not to make the decision about just how compact the gun will be. My main concern is dwell time and if there would be a noticeable difference between how long that gun can go before failure. As I stated I know SOLGW uses a larger gas port on their 13.7 and I’m assuming this is due to the issue of dwell time. But they know their shit. I’ve personally visited their facility in San Antonio and these guys really know what they are doing. The 13.7 really seems to be the thing right now, but I just know I’m getting more dwell time on that 14.5 and there is a lot of good data out there on how 5.56 performs from a 14.5. I just want to know if there is a difference between the two guns if one will run longer before malfunctioning, taking into consideration that the 13.7 has a larger gas port due to the issue of lack of dwell time.


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I dont think you'll have any dwell time-related issues with the 13.7. They are fairly well tested at this point, and that shorter length will be appreciated when you add a can.

[Sidneyious]

Either one will do you a lot of work.

Flip a coin and go with it, sol won't screw you over.