Originally Posted by
BrigandTwoFour
I'll take a slightly different tack.
All the points above regarding being more cumbersome and such when operating out of vehicles or confined spaces are valid. But if that's not what you're going to do, then what does it matter? The rifle length gas does feel smoother (to me) than a middy. And if you aren't going to be using it in a way that the extra two inches of length matters from a handling standpoint, then why not get the extra velocity as well? There isn't anything a 18" barrel can do that a 16" can't do, but the 18" does feel smoother and the extra weight in front does help you settle into some positions better (if that's how you're going to be sooting).
I've been practicing a lot of positional shooting (offhand, squatting, kneeling, sitting, prone, all with traditional shooting sling) while swapping back and forth between a BCM 16 LW upper, a Centurion CHF LW, and a BCM 20" government. Of the three, the 16" guns do feel quite a bit more handy, but the 20" feels a lot more smooth and stable. I would imagine an 18" SS410 would do about the same.