From the M&Ps which look great, to all the other brands out there, which barrel length would you prefer? I know 16" is standard, but would you prefer 18 or 20? With all the options that were presented to me in a recent post, now accurracy comes into play. Thanks in advance.

I've got a 20 inch fluted barrel on my Bushmaster.
I bought this with the intention of shooting some
longer ranges and with heavier bullet weights up to
Black Hills 77 gr. OTM loading. I am glad i went with
the longer barrel.
It all depends on what you want to use your AR for.
For snap shooting at closer ranges a 16" tube would be
better of course.
My Bushmaster was purchased with a specific task in
mind. I have several other in the M4 configuration for
"other" tasks. Hope this helps.

Chuck

__________________
They hold no Quarter

20" is the standard rifle length (M16A2). !4.5 is the standard carbine length, 16" for civilian possession (M4). The longer barrel will give you greater power, velocity and range. The shorter barrel is handier for carry inside vehicles, work inside buildings, or in thick jungle/forest cover, at the expense of power, velocity and range. The longer rifle length gas tube tends to make the weapon marginally more reliable and run slightly cooler for the action, also due to slightly lower operating pressure it is a little easier on the bolt and carrier. Take your choice and get what ever you want. It's your $$$.

If it is for defense, 16 is preferred. It does a little better than the military M4's 14.5 inch barrel. The purpose of that rifle/carbine is to be light and handy. With all the add-ons, I have seen some M4s that weigh as much as a Garand.

Personally, I prefer a short carbine. My S&W M&P 15TS with the 14½-inch barrel and the pinned Vortex flash-hider is just perfect for my home defense use.

I mounted an Aimpoint H-1 red dot in LaRue mounts on my carbine and it really makes a compact, fast carbine.

The little cuss really shoots well, too.

Yeah, I know what you mean about loading the carbine up with enough junk to make it weigh as much as a Garand.

I DID add the Troy Squid Grip thingies to the Troy forend ... now the forend feels good and grippy ... rather than like a cheese shredder. That made a GREAT improvement. By the way, it takes two packages of Troy Squids to fit the holes in the forend Troy Squid Grip ? 7 Pack | New

Oh, I have a long and heavy AR, a Noveske, that I never shoot. It's just too heavy and it's no fun. I do, however, shoot my Noveske Thunder Ranch Edition; it's short and light and I love it.

Count me as a light carbine lover.

God Bless,

Steve Timm

I particularly want the 20-inch length for my purposes. The rifle's plenty compact enough with the (what I consider short) 20-inch barrel. I wouldn't be interested in the report of the short barrels or the performance decrease. I'd love to chronograph some shorter barrels against the 20-inch with selected loads, to see what sort of performance is given up.

16 inch Gov contour barrel with mid length gas system, balances well but a bit heavier than the M-4. Rifle takes less of a beating with mid length system and the hand guard provides extra length for grip, accessories, etc.

Like mentioned before, shorter for SD and longer for hunting. I like a 18.