You can buy 14.5″ barrels, but for most of us, it would require a muzzle device at least 1.5 inches long, and permanently attached, to meet the legal 16″ minimum. Of course, if you put a flash suppressor on a 16″ barrel, you get something a little over 17 inches long.22 Jun 2014
Is 14.5 inch AR barrel legal?
Normally, AR's with 14.5 inch barrels have a pinned and welded muzzle device attached which brings the total length to or just beyond 16 inches, and the ATF recognizes that as a legal length barrel without the need for a form 3. If the muzzle device is just screwed on, then it needs to be registered.
What is the shortest effective 5.56 barrel?
14.5” is really as short as you can go on a 5.56 barrel and still get effective terminal ballistics out to 200M with standard 5.56 loads.
What is the minimum barrel length for an AR-15?
If the AR-15 is a rifle, then the minimum legal length of the barrel is 16 inches. If it is a pistol, then the length of the barrel is less than 16 inches. Most AR-15 pistol barrels are from 7 inches to 10.5 inches. The muzzle blast for the shorter barrels is somewhat abusive.
What twist is best for 5.56 55 grain?
The 1:12 is perfect for lightweight 55-grain bullets, which constitute the majority of practice and plinking . 223 ammunition. However, most modern carbine barrels shorter than 20 inches feature faster twist rates, so shooters wanting a 1:12 should stick to the old-school 20-inch rifle pipe.2 Mar 2017
What grain is best for 5.56 1/8 twist?
1-in-8 Inches Twist Rate For a 16-inch general-use carbine, the 1-in-8 twist is about as versatile as it gets. This twist rate will comfortably stabilize bullets up to 80-grains, and the excellent 75- and 77-grain bullets also work great at a wider spectrum of velocities — which means barrel length isn't critical.
What is the best twist rate for an AR-15?
Most modern AR-15 barrels will come in three twist rates: 1:9, 1:8, and 1:7. The 1:9 barrel is best for stabilizing lighter and mid-weight bullets between 45 and 77 grains. The 1:8 twist barrel is the most versatile of the bunch, the perfect option for16-inch carbine AR-15 (the most common configuration on the market.)2 Mar 2017
Is the 1.7 twist rate good?
Standard rifles used by the United States military, typically have a twist rate of 1:7. This is a pretty aggressive rate, but it works well to stabilize the heavier projectiles used in modern combat zones. Most modern civilian sporting rifles will never see combat.19 Sept 2019