Just like your underwear, it all up to you.
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15" allows me to still have lots of hand room behind both a folding front sight and 12 o'clock 'light
...plus it looks better with a can (meaning almost no barrel is exposed between rail and can)
...and when shooting off a bag or improvised rest, there is even less likelihood of mistakenly resting the barrel on the rest
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...psijuyofm4.jpg
I'm surprised it took so long until someone said this. I do prefer the look of a longer rail, but this is the biggest reason. The less barrel I have exposed, the less likely I am to put the barrel on the barricade and throw off POI. I learned that the hard way.
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Less likely I am to burn myself too.
13 inch. Save weight and when you attach a light it takes less punishment from concussion and muzzle blast. You don't need a full length unless you want pure aesthetics. Unless you're 6'6 your arms aren't long enough to need that much rail to extend out.
I bought a BCM with the new ELW barrel. I went with the 15" keymod forend more for aesthetics than anything else. I think a skinny little barrel poking out from under the hand guard looks kinda goofy. Ohh...and I'm 6'05", so I can reach the end.
I am absolutely smitten with my ELW-F with KMR-a
http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pshqa0wiyu.jpg
I can't believe i waited this long
I put a KMR-A on my 16" upper Monday so I just went through this decision making process. Personally I like the look of the 13" better. Also, I already have a 13" on a 14.5" upper so it's nice to have them both the same.
I have long arms and the MRP rifle-length rail is a hair over 13". Can't imagine using a longer rail, especially with the stock extended.
Plus, I find 15" just makes the gun look a bit too unbalanced on a 16" (but we all know how important how aesthetics is, right? :) )
A couple of inches of exposed barrel is nice to be able to put the barrel through holes in baracades. Something I learned in Vtac classes.
For a precision guns that won't be used in that manner I would consider the 15" to fully protect the barrel.