Or are they just popular among us internet enthusiasts? I don’t see myself ever buying another carbine length gas system as I find the mid length system to be superior.
The one thing is though is that I never see mid length rifles in the gun shops that I frequent. I asked one guy why he does not stock them and he said no one has ever heard of them and the military does not use them so the public wont buy them.
I bet that would change over night if Colt came out with a mid length.
Most gun shop owners & personnel don’t know much technically about ARs.
Mid-lengths are used by those who take the time to educate themselves with what works best for 14.5"-16" ARs and want a better gun. IMHO CAR gas should only ever be used on 10.3"-12.5" ARs.
No they arent, question is should they be?
Until the military adopts them they will be the best kept secret.
I find your avitar disturbing what did the dog do :laugh:
Ideally but not anytime soon, I think.
LOL I have been wondering about that too.
+1
Midlength AR’s are “the new black”.
In 6 years (if not sooner), most AR’s sold will be midlength gas models…just my humble prediction.
Yeah same here, it looks just like my Aussie…
I wish I new all this before buying a Colt SOCOM 14.5" upper. I guess I’ll just have to buy a new middy upper for the next one.
For me personally yes they’re all I go with now. I’ve got two BCM middies and one 16" BM dissipator with A2 carry handle. I have no plans to change much now except if BCM does come out with a dissipator version then I will swap uppers on the BM and go with the BCM middy gas rather than the carbine gas on the BM dissy.
The world would be a better place if they were.
I don’t know about “new standard” but they are preferred over the carbine length, at least here, for a variety of positive reasons (softer recoil impulse, slower bolt/bcg velocity, less pressure and less overall wear & tear, etc…). I have no problems with either since I own two of each, but I prefer to shoot my middies first. Add a BattleComp 1.0, and the middies becomes a dream to shoot.
I feel old. Doesn’t anyone remember National Lampoon magazine?
All four of my AR’s are middies. I just do not see a real reason to NOT own a middy. Originally, there were less accessory options for mid-lengths, however that is certainly not the case anymore.
Hell yes it would! Think how awesome it would be if there was a random press release one day from the Army and Marine Corps, announcing they’re switching all of their M4 carbine uppers over to BCM 14.5" AND 16" mid-length uppers (depending on MOS and mission, the 16" may be better for some I’m assuming): more reliable, softer shooting, longer lifespan between repairs and new parts, longer rail-estate… Colt who??
I dont think that the midlength will become the new standard unless the military adopts a 16 inch gun, the carbine length gas system was designed for the 14.5 inch barrel and work great in that length and under, Midlengths are far superior than a carbine in a 16 inch but I dont see it happening our troops go with the 16 inch
Just my opinion
Mid-lengths (9") have some advantages. Not so many that they’ll be rendering 7" guns obsolete anytime soon, nor will they even be displacing them in any great number for some time. The value of what they offer can be real, but it’s very subjective.
Yes, I do…
i remember it vivdly, but i am also old. so…
I’m happy to report the Dog died of natural causes.
PS, I got the complete National Lampoon on CD for like $15.50 on a Amazon Gold Box special Saturday.
P.J. O’Rorke kills me!
I think that the middies are well on thier way to becoming the new standard – at least for civilian owners who have a clue about the advantages of the 9 inch system over the old 7 inch setup.
I have never owned a 7 inch. The early versions had a bad rep for poor reliabilty and the first Colt shortie that I ever fired launched the muzzle device downrange half way through the first magazine.