16 verses 18 or 20 in barrel

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Ernest II

New member
What are your opinions on barrel lengths? Will the 16 shoot just as accurately as a 18 or 20? I read some posts where guys say they have no use for a 16 on an ar. Does the 16 look goofy on an ar opposed to the longer barrels. Im tying to decide what I would like to get on my next AR.
Thanks Daryl P.
 
The longer the barrel the more accurate. Different barrel lengths matched with different barrel twist and grain of bullets make your gun more accurate if you know what your doing.

18 inch is a real common barrel length for all purpose applications.

In the state I live in you can not even have a rifle with a barrel less than 18". We can not have short barrel rifles in this state I live in.
 
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Unless you are considering lower velocities that result in more drop and wind drift, the shorter BBL is NOT less accurate. In fact it is the opposite. A 16 Inch BBl is a compromise. If someone needs a short light rifle (say for CQC, room clearing, vehicle entries etc) a 16 inch BBl is worth loosing some performance, some even go less than 16" for these applications.
If you want to shoot long range etc then more BBL is worth the extra weight and length. Not because it is inherently more accurate, but because you get better velocity, and energy with its greater ability to, shoot flat, buck wind and kill cleanly at greater ranges.

For a predator application, somewhere in the middle (18-22 inch) is a common compromise.
 
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Originally Posted By: TopEliteThe longer the barrel the more accurate.

Well daggum, can ya tell us why? A good detailed explanation? Maybe a few facts to support your claim?

Thanks.
 
What are you planning on doing with your AR? I have a 16inch light contour and one with a heavy 24inch barrel. They both can shoot 3 shot groups with the holes touching at 100 yds. At ranges longer than 200, the 24 is more accurate. I use the 16 for coyotes and the 24 for prairie dogs. I have used the 16 for praire dogs but it heats up too fast.
 
Barrel length has nothing to do with accuracy. It effects velocity. Twist rate determines what weight of bullet u want to shoot.
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Heres my DPMS 16" 1/9 twist SS bull
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Heres how it shoots with 40 to 60 gr bullets
It Doesnt produce the velocity as a 18 or a 20". But if i was wanting to reach out to 800yds with a .223 i would build a 1/7 twist with some 77gr bullets and a 20" barrel to get the volocity. What are you planning on building.
 
No offense but if your in CQC or room clearing I don't think people care about barrel length and the accuracy and grain of bullet using while doing it. If your close enough to throw a bullet at someone you can use a 5" or a 2" barrel for that matter.

I do agree I guess with Ricky as it does matter what your application is going to be for the gun.



"the shorter BBL is NOT less accurate. In fact it is the opposite"
 
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Originally Posted By: TopElite
In the state I live in you can not even have a rifle with a barrel less than 18". We can not have short barrel rifles in this state I live in.

Says you live in Illinois. I'm not so sure you're correct on this either. But maybe.
 
Maybe 16" for rifle and 18 for shotguns. Overall length must be at least 26 inches long. OAL (overall length) is measured with a collapsible stock in the EXTENDED position. Yes Illinois has some messed up laws. You can saw a shotgun down and had a muzzle brake as long as its wielded on and that makes it legal. It's kind of like what people in California are having to do to jump through hopes to make their ak47 and ar15 legal.
 
A .50 with a 14" barrel wont make it to 1,000yds and keep a bullet trasonic. And a you said so yourself a longer barrel is more accurate right. But thats not why a .50 barrel is so long.
 
Ya got it right now.


Originally Posted By: TopElite If barrel length has nothing to do with accuracy why is a barrett 50cal barrel so long why can't they just make it 14" long.


They could make a Barrett 50cal with a 14" barrel. I just don't know who they would find that wants to shoot it.


 
A AR 15 with a 12" barrel and a collapsible stock all the way in is 27". So maybe your way off. Im guessing it also requires a stamp too like indiana.
 
Originally Posted By: Ernest IIWhat are your opinions on barrel lengths? Will the 16 shoot just as accurately as a 18 or 20? I read some posts where guys say they have no use for a 16 on an ar. Does the 16 look goofy on an ar opposed to the longer barrels. Im tying to decide what I would like to get on my next AR.
Thanks Daryl P.

I would look at caliber and and the distances that you'll be shooting.
A 16" barrel in 5.56/.223 or 6.8 would be fine for most predator hunting applications. It makes the rifle slightly lighter and easier to handle IMO.

In theory, a shorter barrel has less "whip" because it is stiffer. Of course we're talking about the same contour/diameter barrels compared.

As stated by others, the the trade off is velocity. For longer ranges you may want a longer barrel for flatter shooting and better terminal performance.



herpderpgz.jpg
 
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Originally Posted By: CrazyHorse66Originally Posted By: Ernest IIWhat are your opinions on barrel lengths? Will the 16 shoot just as accurately as a 18 or 20? I read some posts where guys say they have no use for a 16 on an ar. Does the 16 look goofy on an ar opposed to the longer barrels. Im tying to decide what I would like to get on my next AR.
Thanks Daryl P.



In theory, a shorter barrel has less "whip" because it is stiffer.




Ding, Ding, Ding.

Bingo!
 
Originally Posted By: TopEliteThe longer the barrel the more accurate. Different barrel lengths matched with different barrel twist and grain of bullets make your gun more accurate if you know what your doing.

18 inch is a real common barrel length for all purpose applications.

In the state I live in you can not even have a rifle with a barrel less than 18". We can not have short barrel rifles in this state I live in.

Not really correct. The shorter the barrel of the same contour as a longer one would be theoretically more accurate due to less whip.

To only thing you lose with a shorter barrel is velocity.

You most definitely CAN HAVE a 16 inch barrel rifle in Illinois. You can have a 10.5 inch barrel if you weld a 5.5 inch barrel device to it. AR pistols are legal. Shotguns are 18 inch.

I seen a fella a couple of weeks ago ringing the snot out of a 12x12 gong at 600 meters with a 10.5 inch Rainier barrel.
 
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Originally Posted By: doggin coyotesOriginally Posted By: Hail CaesarShotguns are 16 inch.


Ummm, try 18".

Back to barrel length. I really like a light weight profile 20".

Dang it!!! I typed 16 so much I had it on the brain when I meant 18. Thank you.

I also like lighter weight 20's and 18's.

Al
 
I would like to interject my opinion.

Barrel length = velocity
Velocity does not equal accuracy
accuracy = good barrel, good ammo and good trigger puller.

Now that i sound like a math teacher, the optimal barrel length is a matter of opinion.

If i lived in Wyoming or any other place where i commonly take 500+ yard shots, i would go with a longer barrel.

It would also depend on caliber i choose as well.

 
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Originally Posted By: TopEliteThe longer the barrel the more accurate. Different barrel lengths matched with different barrel twist and grain of bullets make your gun more accurate if you know what your doing.

18 inch is a real common barrel length for all purpose applications.

In the state I live in you can not even have a rifle with a barrel less than 18". We can not have short barrel rifles in this state I live in.

WHAT!
 
Originally Posted By: Hail CaesarOriginally Posted By: TopEliteThe longer the barrel the more accurate. Different barrel lengths matched with different barrel twist and grain of bullets make your gun more accurate if you know what your doing.

18 inch is a real common barrel length for all purpose applications.

In the state I live in you can not even have a rifle with a barrel less than 18". We can not have short barrel rifles in this state I live in.

Not really correct. The shorter the barrel of the same contour as a longer one would be theoretically more accurate due to less whip.

To only thing you lose with a shorter barrel is velocity.

You most definitely CAN HAVE a 16 inch barrel rifle in Illinois. You can have a 10.5 inch barrel if you weld a 5.5 inch barrel device to it. AR pistols are legal. Shotguns are 18 inch.

I seen a fella a couple of weeks ago ringing the snot out of a 12x12 gong at 600 meters with a 10.5 inch Rainier barrel. AAHHHHH....Someone got it right...Must be 26 inchs overall...Ill. petty much with the Feds. rules about guns, but for Chitago that lives in their own little world.
 
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