Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles 16 vs 18

You're

Well I'm the guy with lots of suppressors and lots of barrel lenghts.

You're the guy posting guesses or maybe you're just not clear in you're posts.

Do you have a suppressor?

Do you have a 6933 with a suppressor?

Do you have anything that is +/- 16 inches and is suppressed?

Are you just guessing?

Humm...having shot the throats out of many AR barrels in many different lengths and flavors....For me it's 18" ... I no longer have a 16" of any type. Closest I have is pinned/welded 14.5 with midgas that a suppressor lives on.

I also still have a bunch of SBRs with suppressors in 9", 10.5, 11.5, 12.5, though most are not in 556.

I'm partial to all of them, they have their uses...

But an 18" light contour is still what I'd grab if I could only take one.

Now...a lightweight 14.5 or 12.5 middy with a welded on can...hummm....might be onto something there.

As for Wylde chambers vs any other...I have found a pretty big variation in how chambers are actually cut from maker to maker, barrel to barrel, regardless of what they are called. Not sure I've had any better or worse luck with any of them. More about how well the chamber is cut.

But given how people treat their AR's in terms of barrel heat, wherever your throat is at right now is not where it will be at the end of a long shooting day.

TAG

Good catch

I’ve had 14.5’s, 16’s, a 17, 18’s and a 20. I’ve shot 22’s, 24’s and yes an 11.5. Shot many others that I haven’t owned.
Yes I have a suppressor for a 22 but not for a centerfire. Doesn’t mean I haven’t shot them.
16’s are all I have right now, the truck gun was an idea awhile back when my buddy bought the 6933 upper and made a pistol. The ATF backtracking caused me to hold off until they get it sorted out. I wanted a pistol cause I could keep it loaded in the truck. But as well as I liked shooting it, I could see an SBR anyway.
A suppressor would be in the mix as well but I want the short barrel option for short barrel situations. Welding a can on to reach 16” is a great idea for some but I have 16” guns.

You see my uses and experiences are mine and you missed my whole reason for wanting an 11.5” with a can, options to use it or not.

11.5 with a can is the best of the 556 short barreled options. They are gentler than the 10.5s and have way more wiggle room running suppressed vs unsuppressed. The 10.5's are just more finicky and as the gas port erodes they often get way overgassed. The 12.5's are nice but even though the extra inch in length shouldn't matter for handling, for me it does, and I rarely grab my 12.5.

When picking between a non SBR 16 or 18 inch the pinned and welded 12.5 middy with 4 inch mono core suppressor for OAL of 16 inches has a lot of good qualities.

While carbine gas has been getting it done for decades most agree moving the port down the barrel is a good thing.

Much less noisy than either 16 or 18 with the handling of a standard 16 inch. Loses around 150 fps or so to the 16 inch.

I don't shoot unsuppressed much anymore so pin and weld is a better choice for me vs dealing with an SBR and extra stamp.

I agree...

I’ve used both lengths in 223/556 pretty extensively as knock around varmint/pig/occasional deer rifles. I can find no difference in effectiveness on game based on whatever velocity difference there is using the same loads in both lengths. They’re both killing machines if you can shoot.

Operationally both were and continue to be incredibly reliable considering I might remember to clean them up a little once a year or so. The main difference I really notice is the carbine gassed 16” seemed way more violent as far as noise and “stuff” going on in front of and under your face. The rifle gassed 18” is much quieter operating.

This is only my experience over a couple thousand rounds and a few hundred animals from 20 to 300 pounds.

Friend of mine with a 5.56 Rock River NM rifle 1000 yds - Quantico.

IIRC he was shooting 77s handloads (old Lee book)... looks like a 20" to me...

That is an exceptionally tight 1k.

He is far better than me.

Proof?

WOW...

We can go down this rabbit hole if you like.

The shooter is the RSO at Quatico... it was a witnessed match...

If you need more than that... get a hold of me personally and we can chase this as far as need be.

That poor SOB!
If he just had his wind call a little better!

Looks like my luck - shoot a screamer in the 5 ring!

Great group, though. I'd be bragging too. While I shed a little tear.

LOL...

I told him that group would a haunt him forever...

Usually 6-7" for him... which is still crazy good at 1k with a 5.56.

Way better than me...

I can't hit the side of a barn (from inside the barn).

Take. My. Money.

We've had this same conversation in our office. A 12.5 and SF Mini are the same length as a P&W 14.5. And that's a good place to be for an all-arounder.

What if I told you the suppressor was 1.1 inches in diameter and fit under most slim handguards?

Yea, I've shot some amazing groups too - you know it's true cause I've posted a picture.

That's a big deal for me. Before I left work this week I moved everything over to my 11.5. With a 10.5 rail things are really cramped. Several of us are using 12.5s with 11.5 rails, which is better. A 13" rail is plenty of room.

A 12.5" barrel with a P&W suppressor that fits under a rail would let you use a 13" rail. Which is really good when you start adding a PEQ and lights and switches.

Our protos are under SLR 13.7 rails.

Obviously one will need to watch clearence for anything on the MLOK but the PEQ at 12 O'clock is nice.

Does your department want to T&E?

I'll shoot you a PM.