Barrel length for your one ar 12.5 VS 16

[556BlackRifle]

I've got a Noveske 10.5" CQB on a pistol and that sucker is plenty good. I haven't had it out past 100 yards but I have no trouble hitting a 10" steel plate at that distance.

[1168]

12.5” doesn’t give up much in the way of effectiveness to 16”, but it may be slightly less forgiving of range and wind errors, which does not sound like an issue for your use. The velocities with some loads are so close that if you compare a “fast” barrel in 12.5” and a “slow” 16”, you may not see a significant difference in velocity. 12.5” is the shortest I would go if not looking specifically for a suppressor host. It is also short enough that if you later get a suppressor you won’t hate it. Some of my favorite handguards are not made in a close-to-muzzle length for a 12.5”, so take that into consideration if it matters for you.

16” has the least hassle. No pistol brace or extra $200. It gives up very little in the way of maneuverability to a 12.5”. It has a little extra velocity. Barrel selection is huuuge. Its only 3.5” longer. Thats less than the width of your hand. Nobody will hassle you with Jr ATF crap at the range, although thats not really that common in the southeast anymore. It also has less muzzle blast and flash.

Either one are excellent choices. Consider also a 14.5” or 14.7” pin and weld to split the difference, but that can be its own hassle sometimes.

[Firefly]

Docsherm is correct.

10.3s and all are toys. Docsherm's 12.5 made a lot of sense. Did everything it needed. nothing it didnt. And Eurodriver regularly rings steel at 600ms plus wif dat 12.5

But for ME, I am a much larger person. Like...I probably had a Zentraedi ancestor somewhere.

If I could only have one gun, that I would likely suppress...and being that I reside in the AO you describe. I'd go with a 14.5 SOCOM with an 11 or 12" rail amd either a mini 4 or a SOCOM mini.

Shorty ARs are nicky neat and all but aren't all that comfortable for me to shoot all day as I cant stretch my arms.

JM2C

[Wake27]

I may be doom and glooming, but I would not rely on a 12.5 pistol with a brace as a SHTF/HD rifle in the long term. I do not trust the current admin enough to believe they won't/can't be made illegal by the stroke of a pen, especially since everyone with a room temperature knows that the vast majority of folks are using them as SBR workarounds.

That is just me.

Additionally, if you are on the fence, shoot a 12.5 and then a 16 inch to compare noise at the stock. IMO 12.5's need suppressors unless you are using a muzzle device that directs sound and flash forward. ETA: talking about hearing loss in an HD situation - if you are going to definitely be wearing ear pro, rock on.

My vote for long term would be 12.5 if you are willing to SBR it, otherwise pinned 14.5 (which is an option) or 16'

JMO, good luck.

Yeah I agree. There’s always so much up in the air between “pistols” and even the NFA that I’ve decided I want primary and secondary pinned 14.5s before I get into shorty ARs, as cool as they are.


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[Circle_10]

I like short guns. I'm interested in putting together a 12.5" SBR at some point (probably with a fixed A1 stock because I'm a bit of a weird degenerate, but I digress...).
However "if I could only have one" I'd get a 16" AR.
As someone with a "bunch" of ARs, I will state right now that out of all my ARs - with barrel lengths ranging from 10.3 to 20inches, "if I could only keep one" it would be my 16" Gov't profile fixed stock midlength. It's not my "favorite" AR by any means, but I feel like it offers the best balance of traits.
It doesn't give you the velocity of a 20", but it gives you *enough*, it's not as short as my 10.3 and 11.5" for HD, but it's short *enough*.
I like pinned 14.5"s too, but not for a "one and only" gun.

[Renegade04]

Skeeter, forget the 12.5 and the brace. A 16" barreled AR will give you much more usefulness than a 12.5" pistol and still have the ability to maneuver with ease. I do not recommend anything shorter than a 14.5" barrel for a SHTF/HD AR.

[themonk]

In my mind it all comes down to suppressors. 12.5 with a mini can will have the least signature of any shorty. 11.5 with a mini at night has flash.

When it come to braces, they are great but I would not bet the farm on them. They are an easy target that I dont believe they are long for the world and not as easy to shoot as a solid stock. They are an awesome supplement to an SBR lower especially if you travel between states often. If someone wanted to run a shorty as their primary I would recommend SBRing a lower and running that way.

All that said, If your not going to run a suppressor, I think the ideal length is 14.5 with a solid muzzle device like a AAC blackout of a surefire flash hider. 14.5 midlenth is very handy, maneuverable, and soft shooting. If its a gun your not going to mess with by swapping barrels, gas blocks or muzzle devices than I prefer 14.5 over a 16 any day.

[Skeeter98]

After everything that has been said, it sounds like 16 is a marginally better choice. 200 more fps, Id only sacrifice some maneuverability, some weight over a 12.5 and with the slew of anti gunners and shootings that have recently taken place, there's less risk of ATF waving their magic pen and making me a felon overnight. The 12.5 is so cool though and really seems ideal for what I want it for. I don't want to go through the 14.5 P&W.

I probably wont be getting a can any time soon. If I were to go with a 16, I am very interested in the brt optimum light barrels. Do those barrels have a noticeable recoil impulse reduction? Are they worth the extra money over a BA Hanson?

One idea for a versatile setup was that barrel with an A5 extension and a 1x6 lvpo. If I went 12.5 it would be a red dot with a magnifier. Both would have an A2 FH and some sort of white light.

[MegademiC]

Id say 12.5” with brace. If shtf- you can put a stock on it if you feel its needed. If they are banned, take it off (or just sbr it) - not too difficult to work around.
Especially if you use a silencer. I went 11.5” as Ill likely never shoot at anything alive past 2-300yds.

Or you could split the difference and get a 13.7 or 14.0 and perm a flash hider to it.

[1168]

I like short guns. I'm interested in putting together a 12.5" SBR at some point (probably with a fixed A1 stock because I'm a bit of a weird degenerate, but I digress...).

Thats not that crazy. A1 stocks are perfectly at home on SBRs, although less flexible to body armor use and unusual shooting positions. But for GP use, they’re great. Consider the MP5a2. Even though it has that long A2 length stock, its not really that bad because of the balance with the short barrel. Also, the AK 102, 104, and 105 have 12.5” barrels with A1 length of pull stocks, so someone thinks a 12.5” A1 is a good idea.