I agree 18" is not practical, I don't own nor do I plan to own an 18" barrel on any gun... I was just sorta playing devil's advocate regarding the rifle length gas system (and theoretical advantage of some higher FPS on an SPR type set up).
The difference in an 18" SPR type set up is a lot more than just two additional inches of chrome lined carbine barrel that don't compare to an 18" SS, Wylde chambered SPR type set up , which by the way is quite practical for the uses I need it for. Someone should let NSWC CRANE know an 18" barrel is not practical.
"for me" certainly changes the context of your statement.
I am down to four AR's. I know have a 10.4" pistol (Hk upper/SanTan Tactical lower). I have a 16" Hk MR556 re-profiled to a SOCOM profile with extra 416 14.5" barrel. A CMMG Quebec-A 16".22lr. Finally my RRA 24" Varmint with Vortex scope. If I had to part with one it would be the .22lr, if I had to part with two, the Pistol would make the chopping block next.
I would just like to step in here in defense of the 18". They shoot very softly with rifle length gas and are not really that hard to handle provided you don't have too heavy a barrel contour. If you think the 18" is unweildy then just watch a video of almost any top 3 gun competitor.
I would say the arguments about being particular on ammo are a bit exaggerated. I also think the velocity argument is a little misguided. It seems like the argument is that velocity of the 18" should be on average, in between the 16" and 20". That is fine and true, but arguing that the velocity gain or loss from either of those is worth it seems kind of arbitrary, especially since you can probably see the same 100 fps variation in barrels of the same length based on rifling and such.
To answer the original question, I would say:
10.5"/11.5" and an 18" for two
10.5"/11.5", 16"/18", and a 20"/24" bull/7.5" diplo-style barrel for three
If non-nfa then:
18" and 20"/24" bull
18", 16", and 20"/24" bull
Go to is a 14.5" mid-length with microdot and my precision is a 20" rifle length with 1-8x optic.
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2834/...1cd5e570_b.jpg
18" - 16 - 10.5"
"Not as handy" is a far cry from "unwieldy". I find a 20 inch isn't as handy as a 16 inch barrel but that doesn't mean I find the 20 inch unwieldy
That's why I said I take velocity figures as a guideline. The general trend is that the 20 inch gives more of a velocity advantage over the 16 than the 18 inch and the 16 inch is handier. In field use (civilian- I'm not LE or Military) I find the 18 and 16 shoot about the same but the 20 shoots noticeably flatter.Quote:
I would say the arguments about being particular on ammo are a bit exaggerated. I also think the velocity argument is a little misguided. It seems like the argument is that velocity of the 18" should be on average, in between the 16" and 20". That is fine and true, but arguing that the velocity gain or loss from either of those is worth it seems kind of arbitrary, especially since you can probably see the same 100 fps variation in barrels of the same length based on rifling and such
I know the 3 gun guys prefer the 18 inch barrel but I doubt it's from the velocity advantage over the 16 or it's handiness over the 20. I'm willing to bet it gives the shooter a smoother swing than the 16 without needing as much muscle to move as the 20
The two I currently own:
11.5"
http://imageshack.com/a/img855/7520/oop1.jpg
16"
http://imageshack.com/a/img818/1175/3irs.jpg
A third option would be an 18" SPR upper with an optic in the 2.5-10x range.