Trying to Pick a Mid Length (or rifle)

[magister]

Sounds like you’re set on picking up a mid length. Nothing wrong with that or with you wanting a spare rifle. Odds are most on this site have more than a few. My suggestion would be to hang on to the 6920 you have at present and start saving toward the mid length of your choice. You’re adequately served now, everyone needs a spare, and why not save until you can have what you really want? You’ll not go without a rifle and will end up with two good ones by the time it’s all said and done. Win, win.

[Coal Dragger]

If you’re not shooting M855A1, then you are overrating the durability gains.

[odugrad]

I feel like this is a duplicate thread from another poster.

[SouthwestAviator]

If you don't go crazy with mag dumps and train at relatively mild tempo, that Colt barrel will still be shooting fine well after 10K rounds, likely 15K or more.

It's not the barrel life I'm so much concerned about now as it is the increased reliability with a mid or rifle length.

I'd skip Noveske. Their barrels are nothing special and generally quite overgassed.

I've always been a big fan of BCM but the last two I had were gassers (16" ELW BFH)

See, now that's exactly what I'm concerned about. An oversized gas port would minimize or eliminate any advantage of going mid length. I've stayed with the Colt carbine gas because it's a strictly mil spec gas port, not widened out so commercial buyers can use underpowered ammo in it. But now even Colt has a mid length, and of course they still have the 20" rifle length.

What about 20" rifles? Are they impractical for a home defense weapon? There's people with 18-20" barreled shotguns that consider it maneuverable enough, but I've also heard how much of a PITA it is to move an M16A4 around indoors.

The big draw to the KAC is the E3 bolt. It's better. No two ways about it. The URX4 is bomb-proof, their new gas block and tube arrangement is unequaled. It's basically a complete system that will last the life of the barrel.

The improved system (particularly the bolt) is what has me interested in the KAC. It's also what drives concerns with so much of it being proprietary and depending on one single company to produce the parts that are compatible with it. Chances are the parts would last the life of the rifle, but it's not impossible that something would break if it's run hard enough and long enough.

I also wonder how a 20" rifle compares to the reliability of the KAC design. I assume the KAC edges out there as well? It's got a nearly rifle length gas system anyway.

Sounds like you’re set on picking up a mid length. Nothing wrong with that or with you wanting a spare rifle. Odds are most on this site have more than a few. My suggestion would be to hang on to the 6920 you have at present and start saving toward the mid length of your choice. You’re adequately served now, everyone needs a spare, and why not save until you can have what you really want? You’ll not go without a rifle and will end up with two good ones by the time it’s all said and done. Win, win.

This is probably what I'll end up doing. That or buying a mid length upper and keeping the 6920 upper as a spare.

[17K]

I don't know about KAC vs 20" Colt reliability, but both are going to be insane on semi-auto.

The 6920 is supremely reliable as-is and there are a LOT of them out there in service.

I went with a Daniel Defense 16" mid barrel on my last builds and they're great barrels. Softer shooting than the BCM barrels they replaced with a flash hider vs the BCM comp, eject more consistently to 3:30-4:00 vs 1:00-2:00 and are solid 1MOA shooters. They're pushing VLTOR A5 kits and run like tops.

[Mr. Goodtimes]

Okay, so I've been fighting it, but now but I can't fight it any longer. I want to go to a mid or rifle length gas system. I never thought much about this much until the Crane test put forth hard evidence that mid length does indeed increase reliability and longevity significantly. This is for my "go-to" rifle (home defense, carbine courses, and general use). It will be shot a lot.

I currently have a Colt 6920, but am going to either:

-Sell the 6920 to get a mid length (considering Noveske Light RECCE Basic or DDM4v5)

-Keep the Colt and get the URGI (nearly) clone Upper to slap on the 6920 Lower: https://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...12-216104.aspx

-Find an 18" rifle gas system upper or complete rifle that would fill the home defense/general use role nicely (too long?)

-Something else that I haven't thought of that would fulfill this role the best.

The URGI "clone" hasn't been out for very long so I haven't heard of many experiences with it, but besides the handguard it seems to be just a regular (though high quality) CHF barreled mid-length 14.5" upper.

Most of the 18" rifles seem to be more geared towards 3 gun competition and are a bit too "racey" for my tastes (at least from DD), but maybe it's because I don't care for the Daniel Defense furniture, which could be easily remedied.

The complete URGI upper is around the same price point as a Noveske Basic middy complete rifle. Is there some sort of advantage of the URGI over the Noveske Basic other than the handguard that's seemingly impossible to get otherwise? The MK 16 M-LOK handguard doesn't do much for me and I like my ARs all black, but it does seem nice.

I'm considering all this primarily because I want the most reliable and long-service-life AR I can get. I know there's nothing wrong with the Colt 6920, but I'm coming to accept that I can't be satisfied when there's something "better". I bought the 6920 a couple of years ago because I was convinced there wasn't anything out there more reliable with more longevity.

Thoughts and recommendations? Thanks.

I've thought about that, but:
-I'm not sure if I would want a lightweight barrel (would it last as long as a gov't profile?)
-Is there some advantage in quality, reliability, or longevity with a Daniel Defense/Noveske/URGI clone over the Colt?

You’re being severely autistic. I’ll try and address what I can. Stop reading so much www.m4cpap.com and go shoot some more.

Here’s my thots....

- Shoot your 6920 until the barrel is toast, then re barrel it along with a new bolt.

- in the amount of time it takes you to shoot out a factory 6920 barrel you will have become a significantly better shooter and you’ll be much more familiar with what you actually need.

- a government barrel is a LW profile behind the gas block. Barrel life depends far more on firing schedule than profile. On a semi auto rifle it’s almost a totally moot point.

- after you shoot out your 6920 barrel and re barrel it, keep it. If you want more rifle then buy an SR-15. Now you’ll have two rifles. One for you and one off a backup or a little ethnic child soldier. Your pick.

- I have a lot of trigger time behind an SR-15. I’m a big believer in the product. I think along side the HK 416 series rifles it’s the best built, most well product developed and improved AR pattern rifle in existence. You’re not going to build a better rifle. It brings to the table some stuff no other manufacturer offers, and all you need is to add a WML and an optic. The proprietary parts argument is not one of any validity. The only proprietary parts are the gas block, gas tube and bolt. I don’t know of anyone who’s ever broken an SR-15 bolt, but If you do, you can use a standard AR bolt instead. I’ve never seen a gas tube or gas block break either. Also, KAC sells spare bolts... so if you’re really that concerned about your bolt breaking mid Post Amerika endarkening... buy a spare one and shove it in the grip; but with a 20k round life expectancy, you’ll probably be pile of bones and hair before your bolt dies.

- All that being said.... If you don’t have the disposable income to buy an SR-15 and feed it, then just feed your 6920. The SR-15 may be the best high end AR-15 money can buy, but the Colt 6920 is the best basic AR-15 money can buy. The 6920 is an exceedingly reliable weapon. Don’t forget, the rifle you currently own has turned a lot of people into fertilizer, and is doing it right now.

- go squat heavy and then shoot your rifle.


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[Achilles11B]

I’ve cleared many rooms with a 20” M16, and I’m willing to bet there’s more than a few others here that can say the same. I think your 6920 is a better tool for that job, with either a carbine- or mid-length upper.

[MegademiC]

Shoot the 6920 as is until you wear the barrel out. When you replace the barrel, use a mid length one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This. The only reason to get longevity is for cost. Are you really going to make up the price difference?
Did the crane testing specify gas pirt size? What size are the two barrels you are comparing?

Edit: agree with the overall tone of Mr. Goodtimes post- dont have time on KAC myself.
Big picture=shoot / train with what you have, and save up for what you want later. Standard colt rifles are - in general- very reliable IME. Keeping what you have is likely the most reliable and cost effective solution.

[sinister]

Buy a hammer-forged (from your other thread) mid-length barrel and either plastic handguards or a rail. Swap parts on your upper. Sell your carbine barrel and parts. Stop waffling. Be happy.

[noonesshowmonkey]

You’re being severely autistic. I’ll try and address what I can. Stop reading so much www.m4cpap.com and go shoot some more.

Here’s my thots....

...

- go squat heavy and then shoot your rifle.

This. A 6920 requires essentially zero improvements beyond an optic, and a WML & sling mounted to a magpul fore end. Don't over think this crap. Mid-length is a better operating system, but that's a consideration that one makes when starting fresh. You made your bed, and it's a good bed.

OR

Buy a hammer-forged (from your other thread) mid-length barrel and either plastic handguards or a rail. Swap parts on your upper. Sell your carbine barrel and parts. Stop waffling. Be happy.

This is America. (Look what you whippin' now.)

Either shit or get off the pot. If you want a midlength system (and they are superior, if only incrementally), I'd go the route of a complete mid length upper versus sinister's more labor intensive route. Sell that Colt 6920 upper for a few hundie, and then spend that on a 6960 or other mid length upper and be done with it.

Then, go back to squatting heavy and shooting your rifle.