America's Rifle | How the 16" AR-15 Became the Standard and Why It's So Effective
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- čas přidán 26. 06. 2024
- In recent years, the 16" barrel length for AR-15s has lost favor with many over slightly shorter 14.5, 13.7, 12.5, and 11.5 setups. In this episode Josh breaks down how we arrived at the 16" as America's unofficial standard and what you should consider before ditching it for more trendy options.
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00:00 The Original AR-15
02:42 Muzzle Velocity Comparisons
10:46 Benefits of 16"
13:34 Brain Fry
Carried a 14.5 while serving. These days the 16” does everything I need it to. Too easy.
couldn’t agree more
unless we’re talking home defense i don’t see any need to go shorter than 14.5 or 16 in fact i prefer the longer barrel for the ballistics of 5.56
TOO EASY!!!!! BATTLE!!!! HOOAH!!!! much love fam!!!
NFA aside, a 16" barrel with 5.56 offers an excellent compromise between portability and terminal ballistics. Paired with a well-gassed midlength system they can also run smoothly and offer good longevity.
Yes, but 14.5 looks the most proportional. Midlength has always felt awkward to me like the handguard space is disproportionately long compared to carbine.
Then the 20 (the original) is gonna feel like an RPG lol. @@theia1653
@@theia1653think of the weight you'd put in the end of your hand guard anyway as far as attachments. Not only would you have more space for whatever but the leverage would give you flatter shooting.
also a rifle length buffer tube. I've got an a1 stock on my middie and its like butter
I love my 16 inch geissele upper on a psa Sabre lower i was gonna just get a super duty but saved a good amount of cash with the Sabre lower
For me the only real appeal of owning some shorter stuff is simple: home defense, breaking contact, and vehicle stuff. If I had to grab a "do all" rifle to go into an unknown situation, a 14.5-16" is plenty good for that.
Select fire SBR is the top option for home defense, but for everything else its effectiveness really falls off.
Which is exactly why the govt does not want us to have those exact things, because we could actually resist tyranny effectively at that point
Yeah, because every other CZcamsr is really a tier one operator that needs all the high end tactical toys for any of their backyard special operations that may arise! 🤣
@@proceramic7422 So if you're not a tier one operator, you shouldn't have any of this information, and you should not bother training with guns?
House clearing.
@@marct8898Why? You can just put a "flash forward Can" on your 11.5 AR. These things are tiny. I love it.
Just days ago I listened to a news report on how the British Government was demanding the surrendering of swords and batons from their citizens. I was filled with gratitude that I was born American! The fact that we can debate inches in barrel length on our fighting rifles is amazing. We have to fight for this right to the last moment. To the last man.
Love it! Lol😂
It sucks when you think about how much has been surrendered, given up, and compromised over the decades. You used to be able to mail order a full auto uzi or thompson that would get delivered to your front door. No FFL, no SOT, no NFA extortion fee. It's scary to think that things in the gun world might not ever be any better than it is now. I sometimes think about that, and what I will be able to grandfather to my kids if things were to get banned in the coming decades.
But yea, to your point. I regularly am reminded to be thankful I was born this side of the ocean.
From my cold, dead hands and into my cold, dead shoulder.
Where is that happening there and why? That’s ridiculous
You’re missing the context! It’s because the UK currently has a huge crime problem with knives and batons being used to commit crimes. Also swords and batons are illegal to carry by Americans in many states. The UK is also fortunate they don’t deal with nearly any gun violence. @jamesr792
Recently, I've become more convinced that 16" is the best length for a starter ar-15. I've seen lots of tests and my personal experience has shown that 16" is a great performer for the 5.56 round while still being versatile enough.
The only downside being that if you throw on a standard suppressor, you definitely will be sacrificing some cqb maneuverability.
As if a 1.5" shoter barrel makes a gun better for CQB
@@Kinetic.44exactly! Plus with a shorter suppressor or even a standard, there’s plenty of ways to manipulate the rifle to make it feel shorter. It all comes down to training
The negligible diff from 14.5 to 16. Was surprising. More surprising than the jump from 16 to 18.
Nice video.
i served in the Marines infantry- 94-2014 - i saw a few changes in the rifle.. for some reason, to this day, even owning several, i just feel more at eas with the 20inch.. but, that is me.. and i can hit at 500yrds.. but, i am old, and accept the fact i am old. I love this video, and it was very well made. truly enjoyed it. keep it up!
Try a 6.5 Grendel some time. 10.5" Grendel smokes the 20" 5.56, and does it with less chamber pressure.
I really enjoy my 12" Grendel, and own 22", 18", 17.6", 16", 14.5", 12", and 10.5" Grendels.
I generally focus on lightweight builds with minimal recoil, no loss of sight picture.
@@LRRPFco52 From what others have said it's tough finding ammo for that now. Was thinking of putting an upper together myself until I saw even reloaders saying they don't shoot it.Wish I did it years ago when I first thought of it . Blackout was going cheap at wally world when they discontinued the 556 and 300 ammo so jumped on 300 train.
@@johnpoole8321 Steel case is cheaper, but I don’t shoot it. $16.50/box now.
Optics are the cure for old and tired eyes 👀
@@ytty5183 Amen, gave the wife that red dot. I do 3-9x on the 15's and 6-18x on the 10.
The fact people don’t realize the AR 15 was 20” originally makes me feel old. 16” still seems new 😂
16" is ideal.
Ive taken my 16" DD CHF / ATACR combo to 1000. The secret really is 77gr ammo
the secret is being rich enough to afford 77gr
The AAC 77gr on PSA is damn good for the money
I use 55gn mostly, save the 75/77gn for shtf. There are studies by MAC-V SOG in Nam that tell the tale. Decapitations, loss of limb. Etc. HVSC is a proven concept.
What twist rate?
@righteousfaust620 1:7, 1:8, whatever it takes.
Nerd all day long. I’m loving the learning. Great stuff.
And I still want my A2 clone. Went all the way through bootcamp, Iraq, and beyond with that thing. Still holds a special place in by heart.
In a vacuum, 14.5 is hard to beat, but you lose practically nothing going to 16. It doesn't change how "handy" it is. It just looks longer than it really in comparison.
For a civilian you have to compromise to get a 14.5. You either pay an extra $200 and wait for the papers + not be able to travel with it without permission, while also not being able to leave it with someone to watch it while your gone unless that person is in the trust. Or you make an AR pistol but than you’ll have a short fixed stock, and won’t be allowed to put vertical grips on it or magnified optics. So an sbr doesn’t work for everyone and the 14.5 is great but you sacrifice a lot just to shorten the barrel by 1.5”
True 14.5 is very good, not fond of the $200 extortion fee and paperwork. AR is not my platform of choice so i dont see the need with my situation to change my system. Personally i dont see the advantage of losing 1.5 of barrel length to gain a possible whenever they like ATF inspection of said device.
Garand thumb did a velocity test the biggest difference in velocity was the 10.3 to 11.5 and 14.5 to 16 and 5.56 relies on velocity so id go with 16
@ktmcrush2290 the grain of salt there I'd take is that he used Hornday V-Max. Most tests show a much smaller gap between 14.5 and 16.
That being said, I definitely think the velocity gain and and ability to swap muzzle devices is still well worth it
The answer is SBR one lower, and have a non form 1 lower as well. One is none and two is one.
You mentioned Fallujah, I was one of the few Army guys with a 20 inch M-16A2, everyone else had 14.5" M-4 rifles. I found getting in and out of a truck was difficult with the long barrel. I worried that hitting my barrel would change the zero.
While I was not deployed to Fallujah. I was sent somewhere else. I preferred my 20" M16A2. My team did room clearing with 20" rifles. We adapted.
@@terrareconI think people forget they can get stronger and adapt to the weapons too and not just change the weapon but idk
@@jordendavid8992 they can. The Marine Corps motto is adapt and overcome. The Marine Corps is the unwanted step child of all the branches of the U.S. military. We get less money, have less troops and as a result end up doing more with less. However, we aren't opposed to logical change and enhancements in both gear and methods/tactics.
@@terrareconor just have the correct weapon lol
@@wecx2375 or... you get the weapon(s) assigned to you if you have no choice. Not sure why you even commented??
16" is a great barrel length for general use. My three 5.56 builde are in 10.5, 16 and 20. The 16 is the one i grab when i have no idea what to expect. I LOVE my 20" though, especially running match 75 grain hollow points over 23.7 grains of IMR 8208 XBR powder. I'm seeing close to 2900 fps in velocity on those loads (2860-2875 has been my spread)
I appreciate your realism. Yes most have 55 grain and that’s what you concentrated on in this video is very enlightening amongst the new, an upcoming AR platform configurations.
I gotta be honest, when I was issued my 20" rifle in the Army, the length made doing other things while holding on to it (working on aircraft), difficult. My 16" carbine is what I always wanted my 20" to be. No way would I give it up - for something longer OR shorter
Most maintainers I know put their M16 or M4 in a locked rifle rack because they were annoying to work with. We got issued M9s later, and people still locked them up inside because wearing a holster was inconvenient.
I always carried mine, because I could see the perimeter fence from the flightline.
SOG primarily carried and preferred 11.5" XM177E2 Commandos with the Moderator, which made them about like a 14.5" with normal birdcage muzzle device in overall length.
@@kerbalairforce8802 💯 Yeah, they issued me a pistol, as well, which I carried in a shoulder rig I bought. Would've still rather had an M-4, tho. But, I survived. *smirk😏
Buddy if you’re job was working on aircraft you could’ve gotten away with a pistol
@@user-yj7ph9vk2k I did. But I would've rather been issued an M4. When the enemy comes a call'in and you're stuck in the ground, better to meet them with ball 5.56 than ball 9mm
15:20 - 17:08
lol the end of this video is gold 😂 dude went to outer space and came back and couldn’t handle the history lesson he was receiving 😅 then quotes uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite 🤣🤣🤣
I have a 16in for my 5.56 and if I want something shorter I use my 10.5 300blk. I love having a multi cal lower to just switch uppers on the fly, it’s so convenient.
We must be twins. I had the 8.5" BLK but realized the 10.5 gives you the most velocity and still be suppressible with subsonics.
Good stuff. I keep a 16 inch rig as my truck rifle but my main rig is a 13.7 suppressed. Last year i decided to hunt with my 13.7 and killed 2 deer, no issues at all, only 1 ran and only made it 40 yards before collapsing. Also got 3 beavers an 2 coyotes with that rig. Got bored this summer and wanted to see how fast, flat, and semi quiet i could get a gas gun in 5.56, so i ended up building a dedicated 20 inch hunting rig, suppressed. Yes a little bit of a musket but after checkin out a Kentucky rifle i have in 50 cal. I actually noticed that my 20 inch rig suppressed was no longer and no heavier at all in the front then the old smoke pole. I got her dialed and took a buck with it last week and completely flattened him on the spot, he never knew what got him. Very happy with the decision and im sure itll take many more in the years to come. 223/5.56 is very underrated as a hunting cartridge but from my testing works extremely well. I know this was about the 16 inch but i just had to put this out there, but i have takin alot of game with 16 inch rigs and shorter over the past several years.
Recruits could not control suppressive fire with a M 14, and it was heavy to boot. I witnessed many Marines spray 7.62 all over the place, including myself. We trained with 3, 5, and 7 round bursts to manage recoil. That is one of the reasons for the M 16.
I'm going to be honest. I was trying to save money when I rebuilt and rebarrelled my AR upper. I swapped an old 1/9 16'' for a Rosco 1/7 16'' barrel. I didn't want the cost of a pin an weld as I was piecing the new upper together on a limited budget. Thus, my focus was on going for a better rail system as well as improving the overall durability of what had been a budget gun with a new trigger, buffer, spring, and a BCM bolt. This video noted a number of things I found in my own research before I pulled the trigger: 1) velocity loss is minimal compared to a 20in, thus minimizing the impact of budget ammo if it's what you have access too 2) most over the counter rifles will come in that length unless your shop carries higher end guns like BCM, DD, or SOLGW pin and welds, so most people will start with this length. 3) experience and training will minimize the handling differences between a 13.7/14.5'' and a 16'' rifle.
My father and i bought identical Ruger AR556's. Typical 16" carbine length gas system, big old A2 front site/gas block etc..., Sometime later I bought the American flag MPR with 18" barrel and rifle length gas system, free floating Mlok rail, upgraded trigger, overall a very comfortable and fun gun to shoot. My only complaint is the radial muzzle device is obscenely loud and with holes all the way around, it blows dust everywhere shooting from prone.
Funny this came up, I just finished my ideal do-it-all rifle. Happens to be a 16", fixed a1 lancer stock, 1-8x lpvo, offset, irons, light, LAM, suppressor. Total weight is 9.9lbs, not super light but extremely well balanced. Even with the RC2 attached it balances right around the barrel nut. Funny how the NFA forced imo one of the most ideal barrel lengths. I've had 12.5" through 20", But this 16" build just feels so good
I came to the exact same conclusion. Mine is a little heavier at just over 10# with lights sights lasers and can
You realize that Stoner designed it to be 20" for a reason right?
is any barrel above 18" same weight cartridge.. redundant ? was the 18 mid or rifle length?
@@realWARPIG Yeah, I have 3 20" AR's also. It's also what I had in the Army, they are great if they are slick and have no attachments on the handguard, but start putting shit on them and they get very, very front heavy. Forget about putting a suppressor unless you want a musket and you are in a fixed position, it's realistically unwieldy. I know the big argument is the FPS the 20" pushes a 55g FMJ round, but a 16" is only around 200fps slower. But with that said most people don't realize is if you have a suppressor it actually increases the FPS around 50-80fps, so I am damn near 20" FPS but waaaay more wieldy. Also while 55g FMJ is great training round they really are not that accurate, I've had some lake city 5.56 nato that was getting 4-6moa, while the match rounds 69-77 SMK will be sub-1.5 moa and have much better BC and like the Mk 262 it was specifically designed to be anti-personnel. Most People also forget the original 20" was a 1:12 twist which stabilized the 55g better than modern 1:7 & 1:8 twist. None of this is to put bad clout on Stoner's original design, each rifle build has a purpose, there is no perfect rifle, build a rifle according to your criteria.
They really did force us to keep up the velocity , which is more dangerous, so counter productive to there cause , crazy they didn't intend to do it but it would have been cool if they did. Teaches us how to maneuver a little more
The end tho 😂 I am a certified gun geek myself brother 😎 thanks Josh!
16" is right inside the reliable fragmentation threshold. 14 is too short and is the root of complaints about the 556. No one complained about its effectiveness until we ditched the rifle and everyone started carrying carbines. My fav configuration is 18" with full handguard and gas system. Of course Im 'that chick' and run fixed irons.
Fixed irons will always be viable, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
@@apersonontheinternet8006
Haha, my rear sight is a chopped off carry handle and its all in full cowitness with a red dot and A-frame front sight. Everyone has 'backup' irons, but A) the sights are lousy and B) they never train with them. With my setup, I can take off the dot or rear sight either one and Im still good to go.
Awesome video. I used to think SBR was the cool factor but I am loving my 16” rifles again and my SHTF rifle.
I love my BCM 16inch Upper. As my first AR, it’s nice to have the option to change my muzzle device in the future
I was just wondering this the other day with my common 16" and was pleasently suprised to see this video pop up. Thank you very much for the info and for what you guys promote!
The end of the video had me rolling as well.
Yeah, they have an "Odd Couple" feel to them.
In 5.56 , I like 16" just fine. However, those muzzle velocities out of that 18" are very impressive!
My general purpose rifle is my pinned 14.5 and my 16 is my more precision gun. I know it's not a huge difference, but I've found this range to be the best range for most things. As an example, I just took 2nd at a regional run and gun with my 16 inch gun and was making hits to 600m really easily.
That was also my plan but I changed it quickly. Now I run a 16" and 12" AR.
The 16" with scope or LPVO and my 12" with EOTECH - Magnifier combo.
I love 12". Seems to be uncommon but I like it very much.
Nice 👍 what optics were you using?
Most guys choose short barrels for their go-to because they don’t train. They just play with them in their living rooms where it’s easy to hyper focus on overall length and think anything over 14.5 is unmanageable. Sure you can hit out to 500 with an 11.5. I’m betting if you actually had to put hits on flesh at distance, you’d want a longer barrel.
100%
I have a Sport 2 and bought in in 2015. What a great rifle for not much money. That rifle in 16" handles really, really well. It feels like it weighs nothing (DI does anyway). Due to our tyrannical ATF's overreach to eliminate "pistols", I bought a Keltec RDB17 (Great gun btw) which has the barrel length of 17.7". At 300 yards on steel (my club's long range steel) you really have to listen at distance to hear hits with a 16" barrel. With noise cancelling hearing protection, you sometimes see it and don't hear it. Not an issue with the RDB17. It whacks the steel noticeably harder at that distance. You can hear the difference on steel and it is noticeable. Also the RDB is the almost the same length as the Mk18 with much better ballistics. So far the reliability is outstanding. It is a piston action gun with an adjustable gas system. Not to toot Keltec's horn because due to internet noise there was a lot of hate for Keltec. None of the rumors I heard about the gun were true except one. The gun gets hot quickly and Keltec should have melonited or chromed the bore. Not an issue with steel or brass ammo. Mine loves steel. But if you have lacquered ammo, not great with this gun. When it gets hot it can melt and stick to the bore. I don't have any but there was one tube that documented the phenomenon. Keltec needs to address this for $1,100 dollars cost, they can afford to. My owner's experience has been excellent however. The rumors of the gun coming apart are not my end user experience... at all. I digressed, but I had to say it. I love my old Sport though. It has been crazy reliable. Another thing worth mentioning is that a carbine length gas system on a 16" barrel will be because it is slightly over-gassed, a good thing on a DI gun. My Sport 2 is the old school gun without a dust cover and it has never jammed. I never bothered replacing it for the new one because it isn't broken to me if it works and it does.
It is also worth mentioning that the barrel on the original AR-15 had a 1 in 14" twist which barely stabilized the bullet. It produced truly devastating wounds with M193 55 gr bullets, but the Air Force put the kaibash on it because it had accuracy issues on cold weather so it became 1 in 12" because the AF tested it in the cold weather bases.
The have really dialed in the reliability of the of the M4 clones. The only issue they have is heat under sustained fire. That becomes where a piston shines.
The 1-14 twist was perfect for 40gr-50gr projectiles. The DOD wanted 55gr and that's why they changed it to 1-12 twist. Things get really interesting when you start testing 40gr-50gr ammo out of 1-12" and 1-7" twist barrel's. 45gr Ballistic Tips are just amazing and pushing 3,400fps-3,600fps combined with explosive expansion! Less drop and High kinetic energy transfer and reduced over penetration.
When it first came out they were replacing battle rifles for open warfare. Nam changed they idea that future warfare would need a more compact package for guerilla warfare. They found that the 10 inches they were using had issues and that the 14.5 ran more reliable.
"We have Garand Thumb ballistic dummy testing at home."
Loved the napoleon dynamite references at the end 😆
Excellent video, this is very well thought out, and I fully agree
This channel just gets better and better!
If you're going to be out in the bush or forest, I'm still of the opinion that 20 inch is perfectly fine. Maybe even preferred.
Hell if I'm going out in the bush I'm taking my 30-30 so I can punch through the brush and saplings and still kill my target...I've taken my 5.56 with 55 grain into the woods before and if those bullets hit any obstructions along the way to the desired target it'll either miss entirely or not bring the target down. I would take my 300BLK with my 20" barrel but I wouldn't want to be taking long range shots with it. I've used my 30-30 for years I can confidently rainbow a 170 grain brick into a 200 yard target. For cqb my 16" 5.56 would be my goto for sure. I just got a complete upper and complete lower for my first rifle. I love that damn thing, it's a KP-15 Monolithic Polymer Lower, with a BCA 16" Upper, my 20" 300BLK upper is also from BCA. That KP-15 Lower though ridiculously lightweight it can take some serious abuse too. If you haven't seen one before check out the KP-15 torture test on YT, dude doing the tests literally tried to break it. It's the only polymer anything I own lol
@@DonB-mp5hp. That's what the AR10 is for.
@@JohnDoe-in9lcno one needs an ar15, an ar10 is a real rifle lol.
@@carguy302815 is like 5 more than 10! Who needs that many!
For obvious reasons, this is a joke.
@@DonB-mp5hpbro why do you have a 20 inch 300 blk barrel. You know that round stops gaining velocity after 10 or so inches right? Anything after 10 or so inches, velocity gains is extremely minimal like less than 100 fps at most from 10 to 20 inches. You have a rifle that is extremely long and heavy for no real reason for a round that’s gaining nothing from it.
I really like my 18" with rifle length gas system and Geissele trigger. Such a smooth and flat shooter.
Ddm4v7 pro?
Great video very informative and thanks for sharing!
I just built my first 5.56, went with the 16" bc I wanted a "do all" system (I plan on getting into some hunting) and I'm no expert but from everything I've learned it seems to be the ideal all around setup. Knowing me, I'll probably end up getting something longer and shorter in the future anyway 😅
Is there any issue with just running a full 20” unsurpassed with a good flash hider? Save money and spend it on more training?
Whoa! Great video! Short barrel AR owners must hate this!
I was one of the 20" M-16 Marines in Iraq. Worked fine, didn't even think about it until we started seeing the M4's more often and the ONLY reason I desired one was for the quality of life improvement for moving in/out vehicles and just carrying it around the other 99.9% of the time that you're not shooting.
The ending of this video was pure gold 😂
Still like my 20"s... that's what i started with. But my work gun is a 14.5
I've had 10.5, 11.5, 13.7, 14.5, 16, 18, and 20 inch AR's my favorite is the 13.7 works well at distance and for room clearing and easy to maneuver in a vehicle.
I built my first AR. 14.5 Bcm. Still my only AR. I don’t have a suppressor and can’t get one in my state. Will building a 13.7 be any different than a 14.5 without a suppressor?
@@rm4googol930 Nah just stick with the 14.5 if you had a 16 I'd recommend building the 13.7. The only big difference between the 13.7 and 14.5 is the 14.5 is a little harder to work with in a car. It wouldn't be a bad idea to build a 13.7 as a backup but I'd do that after putting together some kit if you haven't already.
@@slimactual1256what 13.7 do you have? I wanted a cobalt kinetics 13.7 but 2000 dollar minimum without even a chrome lined barrel is ridiculous to me so I'm looking for other options now.
@@collinb.8542 I bought parts and got it assembled
Is your 13.7 an SBR? If so, then I agree this is probably an ideal carbine length. If not, then wouldn't it be no different in length from a 14.5 if they are both pinned to 16?
It’s all come back around. When I first got I got the world of the prepared citizen, most of my fellows were into battle rifles and hated the AR pattern rifles. They especially besmirched everyone that had a 16” rifle as to them it neutered the round as it was made for a 20” barrel.
Then ofcourse, everyone went way over to the other side and started acting like you weren’t really in the AR until you had a dozen SBRs because it is very unlikely you’re ever gonna shoot more than 100yds in self defense. Recently, I’ve seen dozens of videos talking about the c value of a 16” carbine.
I'm with the Mrgunsngear/classic firearms take on 16"
"The only reason people choose it[16"], is because of NFA and ATF, if that didn't exist, literally nobody would choose that as their go to."
to paraphrase. Classic Firearms interviewed him on a podcast, it was good to watch.
16" is great for a general purpose rifle although with a long suppressor it can get cumbersome. IMHO it's important to NOT run a carbine length gas system on a 16", a midlength gas system is just so much smoother.
Midlength is better, yes. But I'd guess most of the 16 inchers out there are carbine gas, and for most people the increase in performance is probably not worth the cost of rebarreling. If you're starting from scratch, sure get the middy.
@@philparnell757 I went down the tuning rabbit hole awhile ago. My current 16" build is a middy and has an adjustable gas block, titanium BCG, light ass buffer (less than 2oz iirc), and springco reduced weight spring. It's basically cheating, I pretty sure my gas blow back airsoft AR has more recoil lol
Being over 6’ I have no issues with a 16” in cqb especially when you factor in collapsible stocks. There are ways to manipulate that length through tight hallways and entry points. Of course in a perfect world I’d have more than I already do, but if your new to the platform and want 1 one gun for longer engagements and urban / cqb I think 16” is the way to go
This
im 6ft2 and i have zero issue with an 18..no supressor
Thanks again. Great stuff. Keep up the good work. Patreon well worth it. God bless.
Currently building a 16”. Super stoked to get it finished.
16” is the standard because of the NFA BS
The original test was for 300 yards and was switched to 450 yards and then 500 yards..The original rifle was designed around the 222 Remington and was down sized from the AR10 by Jim Sullivan and Robert Fremont, not Stoner..When they increased the distance to 500 yards, Stoner went to Remington and they created the 222 special which would become the 223 Remington. The original barrel twist was 1 in 14, not 1 in 12..
You're buddy trying not to crack up at the end was hilarious 😂
I spent MONTHS researching for my first AR15 general purpose build. I was pretty much set on a 13.9 or 14.5 setup and this is making me second guess that decision.
So it seems worthwhile to go with an 18" barrel if it's giving you an extra 250-300 fps over the 16" bbl.
I appreciate all your testing as it saves me a lot of time and $$$.
More like 100fps with 5.56
18" in addition to the 16". Not instead of the 16".
I’ll always choose 16”-18” for 5.56 or .308. If I want shorter I’d go with .300aac. .300aac has nearly no difference between short or long barrels unless you go under 7 inches. 5.56 and .308 on the other hand have a huge drop off with nearly every inch shorter.
I have a 16" AR in 308 and honestly I don't understand why anyone would manufacture one shorter than that. At that point it just becomes a really expensive AR-15 with more recoil.
Great video man. The AR platform is extremely versatile. I love my AR's. Editing was killer in this video!
I’m glad DC pointed out that the “shorter for cqb” meme falls apart when you have to put on a 6 inch can to deal with the concussion
Wait, a case of water was the best thing you could come up with? 😂
Love the content, keep it coming!
The first AR I purchased was an aero precision 16inch. I picked it because it seemed to make the most sense. Since it was my only rifle at the time I needed it to fill all the rolls a rifle could. The 16 has to be one of my favorites for its versatility. This video makes some really good points. Might not be the sexiest length however it won’t let you down. Very accurate, very reliable and still short enough to use in cqb.
I got my first AR a year ago this Black Friday and paired an Aero Precision upper and BCM Lower. That with anAero BCG, a few mags and magpul ironsight for around $1150
Aero is good stuff.
@@ecobasetech4558 Can't go wrong with that. If I could time travel back to when I first started buying guns, I would tell myself not to skip dry fire. I didn't do it for the longest time. I shoot pistol/rifle/2 gun local competitions and was super mediocre, middle of the pack. I started dry firing for like 10-15 minutes a day minimum and I almost instantly jumped up to breaking top 10 every time now.
Look into getting Laser Academy or some comparable laser cartridge and reactive target or targets that work with a phone app. It makes dry fire a lot more interesting when you can actually look at speed and accuracy with hard numbers. Laser Academy app has a bunch of drills, it makes dry fire a lot more fun. I do it now in-between rounds when I'm playing PC games with my brothers after the kids are in bed. I don't get paid for saying this, not shilling I have no skin in the game. It's just something that has helped me a lot.
@@tootiredtostop1606except their bcg, it’s terrible and considered one of the lower tier bcgs. Psa bcg is higher regarded
New subscriber! Excellent vid!! Thank you, Josh!
Would love to see you do a video comparing M855 through all those barrel lengths next!
This video actually showed me why my 14.5 is the superior do-it-all length. Also the velocity increase at 18 is VERY impressive. Interesting that there is nearly no increase in velocity from 14.5 to 16, but over 200 from 16 to 18.
Well said brother, I started w/ a 16" & now I've added an 11.5" for home defense, cars, shorter distance engagements, etc.
I’m no professional but practicality is something I’m trying to incorporate into my builds/buys.
Living in an environment of dense buildings adjacent to dense foliage (Florida) any situation I’d likely be engaging would have probably been within 100 meters. 11.5” with red dot seemed a reasonable set up so that’s what I built.
Having moved to Tennessee I’m adjusting, putting together a new platform to suit the considerably different environment. Short , mid to longer shots occur to be more a consideration here. A 16” will be the base of my next build or buy for sure.
The LMT in the video actually has a 12in barrel
I'm a bit surprised how small the difference in velocity there was between the 14.5" and the 16"! Almost nothing! 5 FPS change is almost certainly within the variability of the ammo so might as well go with a 14.5".
Yeah, once you get to a 14.5" barrel length any added length gets very small incremental gains. You pay a lot in weight and maneuverability to obtain the absolute best ballistic results, which usually aren't worth the tradeoff.
I just did my first solo build. A 16” 300 blackout with all Aero parts. I can say I’m so pleased and impressed with the full length. My SBR is dope but I honestly love the 16 more. It is quiet as hell with the suppressor and it isn’t heavy as I thought it would be
16” 300blk delivers a serious punch. I love mine n
I would think a 300 black would be the perfect setup for a sbr, with a can. How much velocity do you get out of subs or supers from the extra 4-5 inches
@@henryc7548 I dont want to lie to you and say I actually measured or calculated the velocity. I only shoot subs though and they are very quiet. They also hit the steel plates hard! I will be building a SBR version soon too though so I can have the best of both worlds
The dial-up was good. I appreciate the shoutout to Ian from Forgotten Weapons.
I personally have both a 14.5 and 16, and have an issued 10.5. I really dislike training with the 10.5 and cannot tell the difference in room clearing between my 14.5 and 16.
What makes you dislike training with the 10.5?
@@kennykrabssProbably it's super loud and blasty.
@@kennykrabss the foreign lengths is too short to drive easily once it's mounted with a light and sling. There's just not enough real estate for my hand
@@loctitecody7830 that makes sense. Thanks for the reply
Some barrels lose hardly any velocity going 14.5 over 16 inch. Some lose quite a bit. A lot of it depends on your specific barrel.
Treatment of the barrel effects that as well , a nitride barrel will be slightly more accurate than a chrome lined, stainless would be most accurate I think
I enjoy my 20” but 16 is great too. My 16” is a bullpup so I wasn’t too worried about the AR being small.
Testing seems got show that 18” is pretty boss. So if you want two rifles, then a 14.5” GPR and a 18” SPR are a good pairing.
Louder for everyone in the back please. 14.5 and 18 are the two truly useful barrel lengths for the AR platform. 16 is perfectly usable, but without NFA it wouldn't exist. Some consider it a perfect balance, but I see it as the worst of both worlds. Not as much velocity as 18, not as light and quick as a 14.5.
@@its_cleanI'll just keep my 20" rifle, i can do all the things short of vehicle borne.
@@BeltFedSelfDefense 20 is valid too
With only a 5 fps difference might as well go 14.5". I'm actually surprised that the 16" didn't have more over the 14.5".
Exactly, I don’t know why that didn’t get more attention in the video.
16" in .223/5.56 make no sense. Go to 14.5 or 18-20. OFC 16" is common bc legally required - it is the secret.
@@jazon9Yup, the 16" AR would not exist if not for NFA. 14.5 or 18 are the right answers.
@@its_clean nfa is unconstitutional
With a 14.5 you are stuck with it. You cannot change your barrel nut, or gas block, or muzzle device, so no possible future repairs.
I currently have a 16 inch, and its great, I'll probably eventually get a 14.5 as a shorter range rifle with a red dot, but 16 inch would always be the versatile rifle with the LPVO.
There will be no significant difference in a 1.5" barrel unless you're hand loading. May as well go to 12.5 or 11.5
I’m a LE firearms instructor and when guys & gals go to buy a personal patrol rifles, I’m always telling them not to buy AR pistols and get 16” rifles. Had about 4 of them get together one day and buy 7.5” Wise Arms AR pistols. Terrible weapons btw. The takedown pins were permanently set in place so you couldn’t open the receiver. We even tried to tap them out with a brass punch and they still wouldn’t come out. We ended up telling them we would not qualify them with them and they could not carry them on patrol. They all took them back and traded them in on 16’s
I love my 16-inch rifles, I do plan on building a 20-inch though that'll be for fun but I'm not too interested in going any shorter than 16 that's good for me
Friendly advice from someone who has 3 20-inch rifles. Keep it simple, if you want to attach anything to the handguard go with a LAM for NV or a flashlight not both, it just becomes way too front heavy. Suppressors are cool but on a 20" you basically have a musket lol. My favorite 20" is my M16A4 clone with a acog/rmr combo, a light OR laser, and my Magpul bipod with the Larue QD pic mount.
20” M16A clones are BEASTS!
Add the force multipliers of a light, laser, optic, flashlight and bipod and you have a MACHINE….
Even stick with irons they are LEGENDARY MONSTERS 🏆👍
@@BlakeJoy appreciate your input from your experience ty. Which handguards did you go with aside from the clone, assume that's just full quad rail lol? I'd like to find the lightest weight Mlok I can, debating between 13" or 15" and likely will just put the lightest bi-pod I can with a fixed medium power optic and either a RDS or micro prism 1x. If I can find a reasonably priced acog I'd like that but there are so many awesome 4 or 5x prisms out there it'll be fun deciding which to go with. I'm kinda leaning away from solely battery powered optics, I like the idea of etched or fiber-optic tritium illuminated options.
@@BlakeJoy I really enjoy my 1st LPVO a budget Burris Rt6 with their RDS combo on a $250 off sale couldn't say no after so many positive reviews and honestly feel like it's a solid product, but I would prefer a brighter illumination but for the price it's solid better than expected lol. However LPVO's seems almost too heavy for the attempt at a light weight 20" so the hunt continues lol. Appreciate hearing experiences from folks like you.
I knew 16 didn’t have any major advantage but an average of 5 fps difference is basically a rounding error.
Could easily be an error with the chrono or just shit bulk ammo with a weak powder charge.
@@armorers_wrench their climate and altitude is almost identical to mine. Mind you I am also only counting average. The mean spread looked to be more constant with the 16 and you don’t get as random of a spread in velocity
Outstanding video!
I have three (soon to be four) 16" civilian M4 carbines with GI furniture and carry handles. I have one AR15A4 Clone, also with carry handle. Quite contented.😊
I'm on the smaller side (5ft 7, 130lbs), so I really like my shorter 11.5, especially since it's suppressed. The shorter length and lower weight really helps me when moving for extended periods, it's easier to take a knee, go through doorways, etc.
I'm only a little bit taller and heavier than you and I couldn't agree more. I run 14.5s but the philosophy is the same. People seem to forget not all of us are 6'2" 225 lb apes who want to haul around a 9 lb rifle with a SOCOM barrel and quad rail. I get so much more utility and fun out of my 6 lb 14.5, and I'd go even shorter if I was willing to put up with NFA or a brace.
@its_clean Yeah, I was just training with my militia group a few weeks ago and I was so glad I had an 11.5. We weren't doing any cqb drills in structures; we were just out in the woods doing squad movements. And boy, when you're on tough terrain and in full kit, running from one piece of concealment to another repeatedly over an extended period of time, taking a knee, bracing off of a tree or other object, that shorter length REALLY helps.
Welcome, its nice to see women entering the AR world
@@whatsup24_7 don't be a dick
@whatsup24_7 Haha I'm a dude but yeah I'm fairly small. At least I'm a smaller target! 🤣
Idk why it’s way easier to listen to you speak compared to Lucas
😂
grounded speaking pattern and cadence. limited up-speak and not talking down to the viewer.
hard to listen to someone hiding deep in the closet
What people don't realize is the the M1 walked so the M4 could run. Both are tied closer together than people realize, the M4 bridges the Garand & Carbine.
Barrel length depending on rifling or twist rate could be the difference in accuracy. For 1:8 and 1:9 works really good at 16" but 1:7 works best with heavier grains at 16" while 14.5" and no less than 11" barrels seems to have better results with 1:7 and even some 1:8 barrels.
20 inch all the way. Better accuracy. Better handling. I'm 5 '6" and it just feels good. Never liked the M4 other than for getting out of M1151s.
At 5'6 the rifle is almost the same size that you are 😂
Sorry to break the news but longer barrel does not equate to better accuracy, as long as the bullet is stabilized the only thing the longer barrel length is going to do is increase energy and decrease drop at the same distance compared to a smaller barrel. Also I had a M16A4 in the Army and I'm 5'8", I have no clue how you think its better handling than a shorter rifle lol. Take a 40" 2x4 and a 30" 2x4 and start swinging them around, no one in there right mind would say the 40" 2x4 is better handling.
@@BlakeJoy yes it does and for 2 reasons M855A1 comes out just a little faster and just a little flatter trajectory with a longer sight radius if using Iron sights. Also remember it was designed for a 20" inch barrel. Lastly i can show you across a brigade where the marksmanship score went down after issuing M4s. Now on the battlefield does indidividual rifle marksmanship mean alot. No but getting out of an M1151 or. M2 in a hurry does. So while you are wrong, your still right. Oh and less muzzle flash. 4 extra inches is still to me a better more handy rifle that the shitty M4 collapsing stock.
My go to is my bcm 12.5 all of the tests I have seen In velocity between 14.5 and 12.5 aren’t enough to hinder any performance for purpose I have built it for. Very maneuverable and can still reach out to 300 no problem with plenty of velocity to get the job done but 14.5 is still a great length
Same can be said for a 11.5"
@@Kinetic.44There’s a big velocity gain from 11.5 to 12.5,
Largest difference in velocity is between the 10.5 and 11.5 so I definitely agree with you also have an 11.5 and it was my main squeeze till I got the 12.5 😎
That brain fry segment with the modem chirping in the background was hilarious! Had me laughing out loud. Thanks for the early morning laughs
Loved the candor and nerding out.
Do dirty civilians back the blue when the blue doesn't back you? Thin blue line stickers?
what is bro yapping about
Legitimate question
Where's the sticker? The one on his pouch doesn't have blue
thin blue swine are the enemy. they serve and protect the ruling class elites. its that simple. @@scrunchgumpkins623
There's a difference between "Back the Blue" and "Back the Blue no matter what they do".
Why is this a zero-sum game? Why is it all or nothing?
I live in Washington State, and I can tell you how surprising it is when your local LE refuses to enforce unconstitutional gun laws. Meanwhile on the west side of the state you have a mix of Loyalists and traitors, with the latter slowly trying to purge the former.
I certainly Back the Blue, but I don't Back the Blue no matter what they do.
I have standards. And some of these chumps give the profession a bad rep.
Don't expect me to be a black/white hardliners. Reality is hues of Grey.
Know your rights and don't be a d*ck.
The "falling out" won't announce itself...
16" hell I am stocking up on 20" uppers. 10 years as a Marine Corps weapons instructor. This is not me telling others what to buy. This is me saying yeah, I have shorter rifles. But... The 5.56 out of a 20" barrel is like a round that ate its spinach.
I love how my man’s gloves are worn. These guys put in work
It’s weird Josh said “10.3 is dead” because I was always SOOO defensive over my mk18 upper. I mean, I actually used the platform in real combat and it did pretty good. I never really had a complaint except bullet drop so ofcourse as a civilian again I wanted one myself. As time started going on, I decided to join modern times and stop living in 2014 again lol so as I’m typing this I’m waiting for parts in transit to make my 11.5 upper and gonna put away my 10.3 until it’s needed for something. On the topic of longer barrels thou, I think it’s good to have both. I have a 14.5 because I know my holds from being issued one before and I don’t think going from 14.5 to 16 is really much to notice, but I sorta do so I stick with the 14.5. I just think it’s so important to have atleast two uppers. One in the 11.5-13.7 size, and one in the 14.5-16 inch (maybe even 18 inch) realm. I know the argument can be made “AHHH BUT MARINES CLEARED FALLUJAH WITH 20 inch m16s!!” Yes, I know. But we’re not the marines. We have so many options at our disposal as civilians, and if you can have a more efficient option? Get it. Just because marines did it, it doesn’t mean it was easy lmao. Don’t make life too hard lol
I was shocked the 14.5 had the exact same velocity as the 16
The 5.56 works best out of a 22" barrel and 10.3" sucks horribly. 16" is a great compromise for home defense, CQB, and all around use.
The whole entire ending part of the video had me crying laughing. Lmaooo, thank you for all the knowledge yall.
16" only exists because of the NFA. Nobody would be running 16" barrels in their ARs if the NFA wasn't a thing. 14.5" would be the standard length for a general, all purpose rifle.
I have both a 16" and 18" barreled AR15's. The 16" lightish barrel sports a Red Dot and BUIS. The 18" Flutted Heavy Barrel sports a 2-10x36MM MVPO and a 12 o'clock mounted Red Dot. As they say I'm ready for near or far.......
No idea why I didn't find this channel earlier. Good content & Subcribed!