View Full Version : Bcm 14.5 enhanced medium barrel
Hey guys,
I asked bcm what the gas port diameter was on their 14.5 enhanced medium weight barrel but they would not share the info with me. So I wanted to know if anyone either knows generally the diameter they use for that barrel? I am interested in purchasing that barrel but want to try and get a barrel with a smaller gas port diameter.
Thanks
There is a reason BCM does what they do. Because it works. If you want to play with gas you need an adjustable GB but I wouldn't do it on a 14.5" barrel. You might want to think about a 16.
I have the slr adjustable that I am testing on a 12.5. I just wanted to know what that particular bcm barrels diameter is since bcm won't say for their own reasons.
At one time the 14.5 middies came with a .077" port. Pretty lean, and thus very smooth shooting. I've got a beater 14.5 middy with an .080+/- port and it shoots a little rougher, but is more tolerant of mild ammo.
There is a reason BCM does what they do. Because it works. If you want to play with gas you need an adjustable GB but I wouldn't do it on a 14.5" barrel. You might want to think about a 16.
Many times the top companies don't use the "optimal" port size due to market demands. They often times go larger when people want to shoot week ammo or smaller for the recoil crowd. Knights went larger on the SR15 for the consumer crowd because people complained about it being for 5.56 pressure ammo.
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Many times the top companies don't use the "optimal" port size due to market demands. They often times go larger when people want to shoot week ammo or smaller for the recoil crowd. Knights went larger on the SR15 for the consumer crowd because people complained about it being for 5.56 pressure ammo.
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I agree with this, basically it enables these companies to allow people to say "it will run anything or it eats anything I feed it". Which is great for the large majority of people. I personally would like to narrow it down to 5.56 NATO spec Ammo with/without a suppressor. I have an adjustable gas block on a different upper but I want to see what I can achieve without using one. Hence I want to find a middy 14.5 barrel kinda like the sionics 11.5 or the Faxon 11.5. Both of which, if I am correct, were specifically made to run suppressed.
Thing is also I haven't been able to find what an optimal size diameter is for a given barrel for nato spec Ammo.
There is a reason BCM does what they do. Because it works. If you want to play with gas you need an adjustable GB but I wouldn't do it on a 14.5" barrel. You might want to think about a 16.
Why would an adjustable gas block be any more or less suitable on a 14.5 vs 16 or any other length?
One can always open or close the gas as needed, especially if he's going to suppress it.
FaxonNathan
02-03-16, 08:59
I agree with this, basically it enables these companies to allow people to say "it will run anything or it eats anything I feed it". Which is great for the large majority of people. I personally would like to narrow it down to 5.56 NATO spec Ammo with/without a suppressor. I have an adjustable gas block on a different upper but I want to see what I can achieve without using one. Hence I want to find a middy 14.5 barrel kinda like the sionics 11.5 or the Faxon 11.5. Both of which, if I am correct, were specifically made to run suppressed.
Thing is also I haven't been able to find what an optimal size diameter is for a given barrel for nato spec Ammo.
Given this requirement for suppressors, an adjustable gas block is the single best way versus trying to find barrels meant for suppressor. Simply put, there is not market demand for one or we would be making it now!
It really irks me when companies don't disclose gas port sizes.
It should just be part of the barrel specs, i.e. legth, gas sytem, profile, cl or not, chamber type, twist rate, GAS PORT, etc.
Shame on you, BCM. Shame. And MASSIVE SHAME on every other company unwilling to step up and disclose gas port size.
This isnt 1997 anymore, its 2016 and customers are more informed than ever before and we like to know what we are buying.
And for the regular Joe dude that could care less about gas port diameter, well they will just ignore the spec when shopping anyway.
I have great respect for companies like Del-Ton and Faxon who list gas port sizes right in plain view.
Someone here should start a stickied thread for the purposes of searchable reference of every gas port size they happen to measure.
As in- you happened to have a gas block off- throw a pin guauge on it and post it for future reference.
I bought the rainier chf FN barrel instead of noveske because it was for a part time suppressed gun and I wanted a smaller port, rainier was very helpful and noveske was not
Why would a company not publicize the port size when anyone with a set of pin gauges can measure it? It's not like this is some kind of trade secret.
TexasAggie2005
02-04-16, 07:29
There is a reason BCM does what they do. Because it works. If you want to play with gas you need an adjustable GB but I wouldn't do it on a 14.5" barrel. You might want to think about a 16.
I wish BCM made a 16" version of their 14.5 medium weight middy. But their only 16" middy options are front heavy M4 gov profile or enhanced lightweight. They have no in between.
Ive been waiting for a tech forum sticky thread with an alphabetical list of companies, barrels, and port sizes
+ 1 to a sticky thread.
It does seems like the only way to really be able to optimally run both suppressed and non is to have a adjustable block. I have an slr and a noveske switch block on separate rifles and will see how they hold up.
The longer everyone makes mid-lengths, the better a Colt carbine looks!
Sometimes very simple questions lead to very complicated answers. Part of the problem is with the base system we are dealing with here. It was on the edge of operation on it's inception for specific reasons that it needed to come onto the market to begin with. Now, we do not use it in the same way, but use it as a baseline. Better methods could have been had if that was a primary goal originally, but it wasn't. People have been looking at a better "mouse trap" since then in many ways.
How satisfied would you or anyone be in a receiver set as long as a 7.62 NATO counterpart now for a better functioning system over what we have now?
That discussion has been going on over a generation now. Without market value or interest, that hasn't happened yet.
BufordTJustice
02-04-16, 21:53
Sometimes very simple questions lead to very complicated answers. Part of the problem is with the base system we are dealing with here. It was on the edge of operation on it's inception for specific reasons that it needed to come onto the market to begin with. Now, we do not use it in the same way, but use it as a baseline. Better methods could have been had if that was a primary goal originally, but it wasn't. People have been looking at a better "mouse trap" since then in many ways.
How satisfied would you or anyone be in a receiver set as long as a 7.62 NATO counterpart now for a better functioning system over what we have now?
That discussion has been going on over a generation now. Without market value or interest, that hasn't happened yet.
Or finding an alternate means of locating the gas key forward of its current position. Nearly an inch of travel could be gained if it were relocated to the original AR10 side position.
Beat Trash
02-05-16, 13:42
I'd just be happy if they made this barrel in a 16" length...Keep the port some a secret, so long as it's correct.
It really irks me when companies don't disclose gas port sizes.
It should just be part of the barrel specs, i.e. legth, gas sytem, profile, cl or not, chamber type, twist rate, GAS PORT, etc.
Shame on you, BCM. Shame. And MASSIVE SHAME on every other company unwilling to step up and disclose gas port size.
This isnt 1997 anymore, its 2016 and customers are more informed than ever before and we like to know what we are buying.
And for the regular Joe dude that could care less about gas port diameter, well they will just ignore the spec when shopping anyway.
I have great respect for companies like Del-Ton and Faxon who list gas port sizes right in plain view.
Someone here should start a stickied thread for the purposes of searchable reference of every gas port size they happen to measure.
As in- you happened to have a gas block off- throw a pin guauge on it and post it for future reference.
If you have such great respect for a company like Del-Ton, then stick to their products. Since you are so upset with BCM, and everybody else who doesn't list their port sizes, don't buy their rifles. Stick to Del-Ton and the great quality rifles they build.
Measure the gas port yourself, it's not all that difficult.
Jwknutson17
02-05-16, 14:30
5 year old middy BCM barrel I measured was .076. When they had pinned low pro gas blocks.. BCM middy I measured bought last year was .0785. DD mid bought this year measured .076. Don't know if that helps anyone out..
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