Good to see you posting, man.
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Depends how much that 1.5'' means to you.
For me it's worth it, because I rarely change muzzle devices and the length difference to 16'' is appreciable to me. Not to mention, the pin does not ruin the barrel... it just ruins the muzzle device if you decide to change and it's necessary for this barrel length in certain states, namely Washington, were I live. But yes, the need to have to pin in the first place is totally retarded.
One of the more annoying facets of WA state law...
For the record, I don't think getting a permed muzzle device on a 14.5/14.7 barrel is something I'd do again. It made sense at the time when I was trying to do a quasi-retro build though, and I have a second AR without a permanently attached device anyway. I'm giving serious consideration to going through the SBR process.
12.5-12.7" is my favorite length for an SBR.