Was all set on a 14.5, then a new Sheriff comes to town

AR/M4 AR General Discussion
1

I use to carry an issued AR on duty then changed depts and can’t even carry one if I supply it (another story all it’s own).

Missing the AR, I finally decided to purchase a 14.5 mid lw setup for two reasons, my Sheriff till two weeks ago would not sign F1/4’s (no trust state) and it was a good compromise for hd, plinking, and duty use if ever able. Now the new Sheriff in town suppossedly will (I have yet to speak with him about it) sign the dotted line, so now my problem, well maybe my solution, is what do I buy?

I want some length to do some 400 yard shooting, but who doesn’t want a 11.5??? Of course I can’t wait so I guess the best option would be to purchase a 16" mid set up now, then hope the 11.5 works out for hd (and if I can ever carry on work again) and if not, worse case is I have a 16" that I can sell and get a 14.5 if I don’t have the $$$ for both.

I guess this has turned into if you could only have one barrel length what would it be vs if you could have two?

2

Wait for the SBR and go 11.5 or 12.5. If I lived in an SBR friendly state, I would have one in a second without question.

3

I am not sure if I am tracking. If you are looking for a mid-length gas system for your SBR then a 12.5" is like a 10.5" on a CAR length gas system. I do not think that you can go down to a 11.5" barrel in a mid-length DI system. I like a 12.5" on a CAR length DI. It is a length makes it east to move around with, maintaines good preformance (for a 5.56 round), (somewhat) less blast than shorter uppers, and if you are ever interested in a reflex type of silencer it will accept that too. YMMV

4

If you can’t carry an AR on duty at the moment I would look at some of the 16" mid-lengths that are available. I’m a big fan of BCM and DD because of their high quality, great prices, and excellent customer service. They are a good size balance and are very popular these days, so you wouldn’t have much trouble selling it later if you had to. (Or even trading it for a different size.) I hope your Sheriff will sign off on your 14.5" AR. I feel that is pretty bad to treat LEO’s like an ordinary citizen when they are responsible for protecting the public both on duty and off. I don’t see what adding 1.5" of length to a barrel does to make the public safer from a rifle owned by a LEO. I live in a state with trusts and AR pistols are legal, so almost anyone can have what is effectively an SBR. We don’t seem to have any problems with the great unwashed masses owning weapons much shorter than 14.5", so I think LEO’s should have that ability without exception and without having to jump through hoops. Thanks for your service to your community and I hope things work out for you. Stay safe.

5

If you were looking at a 14.5 before…why not a 14.5" middie now?

No NFA requirements if you P/A something on there…like a BattleComp 1.5, perhaps?

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/AR-15-14-5-Mid-Length-Group-s/135.htm

6

If I were a LEO and could only afford one carbine for patrol, training and general plinkin’ & sod busting, if the sheriff would sign off on it, my choice would be a pinned 14.5 inch middy.

SBRs are nice, but from what I understand, there’s extra paper work involved any time you travel with it across state lines that I’d rather not deal with.

My second choice would be a 16 inch middy, based on one practical consideration- The muzzle device does not have to be pinned making any necessary changes or maintenance easier. In this case, if I had the money, I’d take a long, hard look at the KAC SR15 16 inch with the intermediate length gas system.

Perhaps the most sensible choice would be to buy a 16 inch carbine and use it until you figure out exactly what changes you need & want for your purposes, make them, then cut the barrel & pin it

7

Typo?

8

I think the 14.5 with a battlecomp is a great all around gun, and would suit me well. My thinking is if I could get a 11.5 or 12.5 sbr, then the 14.5 really wouldn’t be needed and I should go on up to a 16"… I hope that makes sense. I guess I just see the 14.5 with comp as as a compromise to a sbr as giving up a bit of distance. The 11.5 and a 16 just seem to cover all the bases compared to a 11.5 and a 14.5. The monkey wrench is if I can’t get the sbr and if I could only have one AR, I’d want a 14.5.

Along those lines, I guess I should just get a 16" now with a non pinned comp, hope I can get a sbr signed off on but if not, just cut the 16 down to a 14.5…

9

No, misunderstanding on my part.

The way I understood Yosef was that he needed the sheriff to sign the paperwork required for him to have a patrol carbine

10

^ Ah - a misunderstanding on MY part :smiley:

11

Get the sbr and then save up and get a 16 inch upper, switch them when you want to shoot at longer ranges.

Keep the sbr set up everything else.:wink:

12

I know if I had a choice I’d go with the 14.5" as there is a noticeable difference in handiness with the shorter barrel. Not a huge difference, but I do like the feel of my 14.5" compared to my 16". It’s advantage is especially felt when getting in and out of the car, in hallways, etc every little bit helps.