I’ve been checking the usual sources for a chrome lined lightweight profile 14.5" with an “F” FSB and M4 cuts. 1/9 is actually OK for me given what I shoot; .625" under the FSB is a plus.
All I’ve been finding is J&T. Any other suggestions? Are Colts available anywhere?
I’m trying to avoid the expense of turning down an HBAR.
Bravo Company has some.
Not that I can find - link?
My mistake. Bravo has M4 14.5 inch barrels. There is a thread here regarding Bravo making some LW barrels sometime in 2010.
Try CMMG also.
+1
This is where I got mine last year.
CMMG quit doing lightweights earlier this year.
Waiting for BCM is tempting, but… how are J&T barrels? I know they’re not usually considered first tier by the cognoscenti, but this isn’t a first tier carbine (that one is in the planning stages now).
Can anyone comment on the J&T or offer other suggestions?
Little harder to get and more expensive, but you cannot go wrong with any of the…
Noveske N4 Light guns or uppers.
http://noveskerifleworks.com/cgi-bin/imcart/display.cgi?cat=48
They actually have a good sellection in stock right now.
The barrels on the “light” series are still basically M4 profile barrels; not a “lightweight” profile.
I’m not aware of a factory offering, other than the J&T barrel that you mentioned, which I have no experience with. You’re probably better off just buying a Bushmaster or Colt LW barrel and sending it to ADCO to chop down and/or change the profile.
I may have found a CMMG 14.5" lightweight barrel - it’s 4150, CL, has M4 feed cuts, etc. Researching CMMG here finds a lot of negative comments from some and a lot of positive comments from actual owners.
What’s the scoop on their barrel quality? I don’t care about their BCGs, uppers, personal hygiene or anything else - just the raw quality of their barrels.
Crap. I found some info while looking up something else, and now this rebarreling project may be going in a slightly different direction.
I was wondering why this and one other recently completed lightweight carbine didn’t handle as light as my A1 carbine with a Bushmaster 16" Superlight - I assumed they were all .625 and the difference was due to the .750 under the FSB on the two non-BMs and the furniture differences. Wrong. I never realized the BM was considerably reduced from .625 both fore and aft of the FSB. I really, really prefer the handling of the Superlight.
I might just go with a Superlight and abandon the idea of a 14.5" on this one.
Agreed- I have a Noveske Light upper with perm pinned Vortex and it’s the cat’s meow. It’s not cheap, but for a 14.5" chrome lined barrel there are few that can rival the Noveske.
Not in the market for a new gun or even an upper - just a barrel. Thanks for the idea, though!
If 14.5" is important to you, you could get a superlight barrel and have ADCO cut it and recrown it to 14.5". That’s still a lot cheaper than reprofiling a heavier blank. But, if the 16" superlight answers the mail, just leave it as is.
Given that it’s a BM, it’s not going to have a F-marked FSB so you may have to go with their taller front sight post.
the nice thing about gettin the barrel hacked off is you can chose your length… 14.7", for isntance, is a great length- can use an A2 flash hider, if you so chose.
i’d do it. i just had ADCO chop an LMT 14.5 down to 10.5… got it yesterday, looks great. there and back in less than a week.
I’m waffling on the 14.5" vs 16" issue - I’d like to go shorter since it’s a carbine gas system, but it’s hard to argue with the ease of going 16".
I suppose I could simply try the BM as-is on this carbine and have ADCO cut it later if I decide I really needed it shorter. As mentioned a .040 taller front sight post would take care of the FSB height issue, but I did email Steve to see if it’s practical to change out the existing for an F. (I doubt it is since the barrel has already been drilled for the BM FSB’s taper pins.)
One issue with shortening a BM Superlight is the loss of the FH timing shoulder - I had ADCO make me one for my 18" FAL, so it’s not insurmountable.
I wish there were more ultra lightweight profile barrels out there - IMO they’re perfect for carbines that get a lot of carry and moderate amounts of shooting. My existing A1 Superlight handles like a dream:
