General Purpose Carbine Barrel

AR/M4 AR General Discussion
1

So is there any consensus on what barrel is most appropriate for a GPC?

 I'm thinking 16" flat top topped with standard FSB, Larue or LMT iron sights and a Magpul CTR stock.   Probably just start with standard handguards (going mid-length for the gas system).   I've also seen a removable A1 type sight handle that looks tempting as a rear sight.

 I'm trying to decide between lightweight and government profile for the barrel.

(Am I understanding that the lightweight is basically the barrel I’m familiar with from the M16A1, cut down to 16 inches of course)?

 The primary role for this weapon will be home defense, eventually replacing the pump shotgun that I have now.   I will occasionally go plinking with it.   I doubt I'll ever get into any 3-gun matches, but you never know.   And last but not least, I hope we never see anything like the civil unrest of post-Katrina around here, but if we did, this weapon would be what I had (it would be used to get my family and me out of dodge).

Thanks, 

David
2

My wife’s preference is the lightweight profile and mine is the govt profiled middy.

3

Do you each just prefer the way your choice handles, or did you feel like you gained some other advantage with the government profile?

4

I really like a 16" chrome lined barrel with a middy gas system in a Govt profile. It is not too heavy and not too light. The middy gas system is more reliable and softer shooting.

C4

5

Definitely going middy. Longer sight radius (I’m nearing 50 so starting to deal with presbyopia) and reliabilty is the first requisite of this rifle. It’s hard to imagine even a carbine length system being that abrupt, but then I’ve never shot one.

I do remember being a skoche too close to the charging handle when I fired my first round on an A1.   Even that was a pretty gentle (although abrupt) tap on the nose saying "back up!!!".   

I've read that one of the things that contributed to the redesign of the barrel on the A2 was to help the barrel deal damage in the field.   What sorts of stuff was happening?   Anybody know?

Dave

6

Nother newguy question. What problems go with too light a weapon? I understand prolonged (or much auto) firing will heat up the barrel, which would then be less accurate, but I won’t be firing ANY auto out of this thing, and if I ever truly need this carbine, the range probably won’t be that extreme (I’m a civilian), so the accuracy should still be good enough.

Also there is the possibility of damage to the barrel just in ordinary handling. How careful do I need to be with a pencil barrel? I’m one that believes dropping your weapon is a bad thing, but sometimes real life intrudes and stuff happens. Are the government profile barrels really that much sturdier? I always worried more about the stock and recoil mechanism on the A1 than I did the front end.

 Or do the advantages mostly boil down to handling and balance?

Thanks,

David
7

You can really go with anything you like for semi-auto use. I personally like Govt. Profile barrels though. Barrels do in fact move (warp may be a better word) when they get very hot. The thicker the barrel the less this will happen.

Get whatever you think will work best for you, but just try and use quality parts.

C4

8

Grant has access to the new Noveske carbine barrel which stands out from most other barrels. I don’t know the exact price, but I thought Grant had quoted a pretty reasonable price previously to someone.

If I were looking for a general purpose carbine barrel that was accurate, not too heavy, and that would take abuse, that barrel would be my choice.

9

Thanks. The Noveske chrome lined barrels are really the only ones like their kind. While I cannot sell the barrels alone (must leave my shop as a complete upper) the price of the barrel is around $370.

C4

10

Well that’s the deal, to figure out what works best (for me), I have to understand what the upsides and downsides of the various options are.

One thing about the heavier barrel is it ought to tolerate being used to tap somebody better than a thinner barrel (that would be a truly suckie day).

Thanks for the insight.

David

11

I really prefer the Colt LE6920 barrel profile. Govt spec 1/7 if you like shooting 77gr OTM as well as mil-spec chrome plated. Also the proof testing and magnetic particle inspection are major pluses. I have had great luck with accuracy of various types of ammo and always 100% reliable.