Quote Originally Posted by Iron-E View Post
As of now no. But that might change in the future. I live in Canada so Suppressors are illegal. But lately a lot has been going well. Quebec just kicked out the Liberals. And that's saying a lot since the 2 parties in Quebec are Liberals and extreme Liberals lol. And one year from now is the federal election. So who knows? lol.
Just out of curiosity what muzzle device are you planning on using?

And if you really don’t plan on running a can, you probably should look at a barrel with a larger gas port. As Fledge, myself and others have stated smaller gas port barrels often don’t play friendly with lower pressure 223 ammo. Also on the gas block diameter, that’s usually driven by the type of barrel. For example on more lightweight barrels, like pencil barrels, you’ll often see a .625 gas block diameter. On thicker barrels, SOCOM, Daniel Defense Gov’t profile barrels will have the .750 GB diameter you mentioned. That really has no bearing on gas port size. (At least to my knowledge.)

In light of reading that you are likely not going to use a can, if I were you, I would pick up a Daniel Defense CHF 12.5 or a Noveske 12.5. I am pretty familiar with the function of DD barrels and I absolutely regret selling my 11.5. I’ve also got a good friend running a 12.5 Noveske that’s got 20k down the pipe and it is still his go-to shtf rifle. He deployed with that upper in fact.
The DD has a larger gas port, .076 I believe and it will run everything you feed it. I ran my 11.5 with an A5H2/ Sprinco green spring and an LMT Enhanced Carrier with a standard LMT bolt. Later on I replaced the phosphate LMT bolt with a Sionics bolt completion kit.
In that configuration, it ran without a SINGLE failure. Zero FTF’s. Zero failure to eject. Zero failure to lock back on empty mag.
Was it on the gassy side? Yes it was. Initially I ran an adjustable gas block, (SLR Sentry 7) but later I replaced that with a standard gas block and I ran a small bead of high temp RTV along the charging handle horseshoe. That inexpensive ($4.99) but absolutely effective solution eliminated much of the gas in my face - but keep in mind - the gas was only a problem for me when I used a suppressor. Without it, I did not have a problem with gas in the face.
I’m not a super fan of adjustable GB’s but if you are planning on using one, I think using it in conjunction with a barrel with an already small port is a waste of money. The reason guys normally buy adjustable gas blocks is to reduce gas flow. If you’re using a Centurion Arms or Hodge defense, you are already dealing with a smaller than “normal” port.
If your rifle is a HD/SHTF, along with accuracy, reliability has reign as king. All the smooth shooting fans and sub MOA accuracy won’t mean squat if your buddy throws you a mag of ammo hat won’t cycle properly. If you get MOA out of your barrel and your weapon functions very single time you pull the trigger, then you’ve accomplished your mission. Victory. On the barrel side - considering all things you’ve identified as a requirement, I would hands down go with a DD barrel. It’s just a well made barrel. I like Cold Hammer Forged barrels personally so that contributes to my “affection” towards DD barrels. (I’ve also owned a couple.). I don’t have first hand experience with a Noveske short barrel, but I do own a Noveske Afghan 14.5 and it is the most accurate 14.5 I’ve owned and I’ve owned a few. I’m not a clone guy, but the fact the DD MK18, which has no doubt slain a multitude of terrorist scumbags uses the same barrel blanks and made with the same hydraulic hammers and mandrils as the barrel you can buy today.... well that’s not such a bad thing at all.
Pardon any misspellings, I hammered this out on my phone. :-/ I was in your shoes when I built my first AR. And every AR I’ve built since that first one has a defined purpose and in a way they are all part of my shtf preparedness. So I can relate to your desire to have a rifle you can trust to do its part should you ever need it to defend your castle. Good luck to you.




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