Originally Posted by
MistWolf
No shirt, Shetlock. But There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. The thicker profile barrel is stiffer but it's heavier. The thicker profile barrel handles heat better but it's heavier. Will the shooter see enough difference in stiffness and heat control to make carrying around the extra weight worth it?
A lighter barrel is easier to carry. But it's not as stiff and doesn't control heat as well. Will the difference in weight be enough to make giving up some stiffness and heat control worth it? Only the shooter can decide. Only the shower can decide if the choice made was the right one and the only way to know is to go shoot what you picked.
Weight does matter. If it didn't, we'd all be shooting FN-FALs in 7.62x51 or, if history had been kind to us, the US would have adopted Stoner's AR10 and we'd be shooting its modern version today. Instead, the modern rifle today is something lighter and more compact.
Heat control matters. Otherwise there would be no need for the heavier barrel of the M4A1. Or heavier barrels with a quick change feature on automatic weapons designed for sustained rates of fire. Yes, it's about physics, but physics doesn't give us absolute choice. Physics only defines what compromises we choose and only through experience can we decide if that choice performs to our satisfaction
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