Larue OBR: 16", 18", or 20"?

AR/M4 Beyond 5.56/.223
1

My number is due to come up soon for a Larue OBR. I live in Connecticut so I have to have a muzzle brake pinned and welded.

With that in mind, am I better off with a 16", 18", or a 20"?

I am interested in increased accuracy over maneuverability, and I don’t want to “blow away” adjacent shooters with noise while I’m at the range.

Would a 20" barrel be that much more accurate than a 16"? …and would the increased length allow for more of the powder to burn off before the bullet exits the barrel, thus making it quieter?

Larue is offering it with a Surefire Brake. Is there anything quieter for a .308 brake?

I also wanted to know: Does a suppressor count as a flash hider? Someone in Connecticut told me that they are illegal here (even with a tax stamp, unless they are on a pre-ban) because they act as the best “flash hider”. I would just keep the Surefire brake if I knew I could legally mount a suppressor.

2

As far as accuracy is concerned one school of thought states that a shorter barrel is more accurate (given the same diameter), due to less flex. Barrel length has more to do with velocity than accuracy. Knowing the distances you plan on shooting will help you determine how much velocity you will need to be effective at a given range for a given purpose (punching paper vs bang-flop on game). Weight is another issue if you plan on going on long hunts and stalking game. An extra couple of pounds of barrel may buy you some effective range, but two quarts of water may be more valuable.

Quiet and Brakes don’t typically go hand in hand. They all create blast waves either perpendicular to or back at the shooter. So anyone to either side will likely notice.

Good luck in your decision. The OBR is a very nice rifle.

3

I have an LWRC REPR on order with an 18" barrel.

I was into FALs and from what I’ve read, you need at least a minimum of 18" to get a full powder burn, and the 16" will have more muzzle blast. I didn’t want a heavy boat-anchor rifle so I didn’t want the 20" barrel (heavy), and ended up choosing the 18" (medium weight) for the better velocity over the 16" (standard) barrel.

For accuracy/barrel length for the REPR was as follows:

20” - targets out to 1000m.
18” - targets out to 800m.
16” - targets out to 600m.

I would have been fine with a 16" rifle, but got the 18" as a compromise between the 16" and 20".

For muzzle brakes, your choices are limited from what I’ve seen. I can’t have a suppressor, but Surefire and AAC (Advanced Armament) make some nice brakes that are also compatible with a quick detach suppressor.

Otherwise PWS (Primary Weapons Systems), makes a FSC30 and a PRC brake that might interest you. The PRC (Precision Rifle Comp) was designed for precision rifles, and the ports were adjusted to minimize blast to the shooter and spotter. I’ve yet to see one on an AR-10 type rifle since it’s still new.

4

18" would be my vote

5

I ordered mine with an 18".

6

I just recently bought a new Surefire brake (not on Surefire’s website yet) that doesn’t overlap the barrel, here’s the short discussion on it:

http://www.ak47.net/forums/topic.html?b=2&f=219&t=187488&page=1

I got the brake yesterday, and my upper and the brake are already on their way to ADCO as we speak to get permanently attached. I went with this brake because of the reputation of the brake itself, and aesthetics. There is also two ports on top of the brake for muzzle climb, and a baffle brake would be the best for recoil reduction and/or staying on target.

After checking for the past couple of months, there is not a lot of 7.62 muzzle devices out there for ban states. A lot of the brakes look like space-gun attachments.

I contacted EGW (Evolution Gun Works) who makes a copy of an A2 flash hider with a closed end for a 5.56 rifle. My friend has one and it looks original and works great. EGW told me they have no plans on producing a 7.62 version.

I contacted AAC (Advanced Armament Company) who makes some baffle brakes that are also suppressor attachments. They are coming out with a non-suppressor mount brake sometime soon. I couldn’t really wait any longer and got the Surefire, which has the top ports that I mentioned, that aren’t on other AAC brakes.

I have a PWS (Primary Weapons System) short brake on a 5.56 rifle and love it, and a 7.62 version on a FAL which is okay. I saw a photo of a 7.62 REPR with a PWS brake on it, and it really didn’t look right to me, so I went with Surefire’s new brake.

Be forewarned, that ADCO charges $100 (instead of $30) to pin the AAC or Surefire brakes because the metal is harder. I paid $100 for pinning, $30 for shipping and probably another $30 to get it back to me ($160 total). But that is a small price to pay to have something decent while living in a ban state.

Also, a friend called Larue to inquire about ordering an OBR with a permanently attached Surefire brake (because he lives in a ban state) and they said they don’t pin brakes. So you could place an order with ADCO to have the brake pinned/welded, have the OBR and brake shipped to ADCO, and when everything’s done have ADCO ship the neutered rifle to your FFL.

Hope that helps…

7

Here’s a photo of the OBR with Surefire’s new brake (which I just bought from Larue):

8

Is the KAC Triple-Tap/Costa Brake available in 7.62 yet? USMC03/Jeff has a review of it on a 5.56 rifle vs Surefire Brake.

http://www.03designgroup.com/reviews/kac-triple-tap-muzzle-brake

What’s another $400?

Anyone know the current wait time if you get in line now for an OBR?

9

The 7.62 version, aka the Super Tap, will only be available in 3/4-24 UNS threading. That means it will only fit SR-25 pattern rifles.

Sorry OBR users!

10

While 16" is all the rage, I prefer 18" myself. At least with7.62

11

Personally I vote 16" for the OBR.
Unless your going past 750m the 16" does a very good job.

Actually when the Super Tap is released in 3/4x24 , we are currently planning on also making them in 5/8x24 for the OBR and others with that threading.

We are redesiging it currently to be a little more effective than the older SR-25 BR Enhanced Comp, like Costa has on his SR-25 EM Carbine.

12

Ewww…OBR with a Super Tap. Well I guess you gotta class up the OBR SOMEHOW! :wink:

13

heh? why the OBR dislike?

14

Long story. An OBR ran over my dog.

15

is that code for your SR-25? :smiley:

16

Actually that would be a Dog ran over the OBR :wink:

17

haha, well played.