Right, this is my understanding...
So, for my purposes, SS is "nice to have," and a lot of match/precision barrels are coincidentally SS, but SS is not a "must have."
Really, I ran the numbers, and the extra 50fps of an 18" vs. 16" means <3" less drop at 500yds, so ≈57.6" vs ≈60.2" drop. Negligible.
I would only go for 18" if I found a great deal on one... As a benefit, having the muzzle 2" further away and burning more powder might mean less flash/blast, which would be nice, because I usually shoot from inside a covered range house.
Well, "afford" is always an abstract term. If I really needed to do it, then I could come up with the $1,000+ for a CLE/Bartlein upper.
Really, I'm looking for a cost/benefit compromise (hence the title of the thread), and I don't think I have the skills to take advantage of a top-tier match upper, anyway...
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