Advantages of Mid-Length Carbines for LEO's

[USMC03]

Some overlooked advantages of the Mid-Lenght gas system carbine over the carbine-length gas system AR15 for Law Enforcement Officers.

An explination of the mid-length and carbine gas systems can be found in this article:

<span style="font-style: italic">03designgroup</span> | <span style="font-weight: bold">Carbine vs. Mid-Length Gas System on a 16" Barrel </span>



-Mid-Length has a longer iron sight radius, which aids in accuracy. If you have ever shot a 20" AR15 rifle with iron sights and a 16" carbine with iron sights side by side at distance you will notice that it's easier to get more accurate hits with the 20" rifle. This may not and advantage for all LEO's, but there are still many departments out there that don"t allow optics for their patrol rifles.

-Mid-Length has a <span style="font-weight: bold">slightly</span> smoother recoil impulse than a carbine length gas system

-The Mid-Length handguard is longer and some taller shooters will find more comfortable. Shooters who use a compention style grip will find more comfortalbe (many competition shooters hold further out on the fore end, and some use techniques like pointing their index finger in the same direction as the muzzle). Many tall shooter or shooters who use a competition type grip find the that Carbine-Length handguards are too short. Here is an example of the grip that I use:

Many guys are starting to figure out what 3 gunners and competition shooters have known for a long time. The further you can get your hand out on the fore end the easier it is to "drive" the gun. The mid-length helps you get your hand further out on the fore end.

-The longer handguard on the Mid-Length aids in resting the barricade on a piece of cover. This is often overlooked by many LEO's.


Many times in a law enforcement setting when a carbine is deployed the Patrol Officer will take up a position of cover on a perimeter or while covering a person or location (ie. barricaded gunman call, drawn out felony stop, alarm call and suspects are still inside the buisness or residence, etc)

While taking up a position of cover we often rest our carbine on a piece of cover (vehicle, fence, concrete wall, tree, post, etc.). The piece of cover often times can serve a dual purpose and can be used as a stable shooting platform.

Think about the shapes of vehicles and other objects you might use as cover as you look at the pic below. If you had a Carbine-Length handguard, would you be able to get your barrel on the piece of cover?

(Photo Credit - Zak Smith [url="http://www.demigodllc.com"]www.demigodllc.com[/url] - Pic used with permission)

This photo illistrates how a Mid-Leght handguard and a 20 round magazine can be an asset in certain situations (the shooter is using a 10.0" rail, but if he wasn't running a Magpul Ranger plate on his 20 round magazine, he could have easily gotten a 9.0 rail onto the barricade in this situation):

Even if it's a brick wall, note how much easier it is to get the Mid-Length handguard on the piece of cover:

As you can see a 2" longer handguard / gas system of the Mid-Length has a lot of advantages over the shorter Carbine-Length gas system.





**********************************************************************


Full review with more pics can be seen here:

<span style="font-style: italic">03designgroup</span> | <span style="font-weight: bold">Advantages of Mid-Length Carbines for Law Enforcement Officers </span>

 

[Little Bill]

Re: Advantages of Mid-Length Carbines for LEO's

Nice. That was a well written summary. The only departure I have from the write up is that that I think that overall barrel length is the most important factor in a rifle's "handy-ness" to a LEO.

I really like ~11.5". You give up some terminal ballistics, but it is very easy to deploy and operate out of cars, into houses, etc.

 

[Kilosierra]

Re: Advantages of Mid-Length Carbines for LEO's

I loaned my department issued 11.5" AR to another officer, and used my personal 16" AR when we arrested two murder suspects once. It wasn't any harder to initially deploy with then the 11.5". On the other hand, it was a pain in the neck to jump back in and back out of the car with it. I ended up driving with one hand while holding the AR across the console with the other. With the 11.5" I can just put the barrel between my legs or between the door and my leg and let go of the AR and have both hands free with the weapon out of the way.

That being said, out of all the times I've had to deploy a AR or shotgun on duty, I've only been in that one situation where multiple deployments were required. Probably 99% of all longarm deployments are exactly like every other one I've had: Plenty of time to put it back into the rack or case before you have to get back into the car.

 

[JL]

Re: Advantages of Mid-Length Carbines for LEO's

Perhaps I missed something -but if going longer why to stop mid-lenght?
Recently updated my 16" carbine with rifle length Troy XTR battle handguard and I just love it.

All mentioned advantages will remain- with even longer rifle-length sight radius and more ergonomic grip/support possibility.

like this: (not my stick)

 

[paulo_santos]

Re: Advantages of Mid-Length Carbines for LEO's

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JL</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Perhaps I missed something -but if going longer why to stop mid-lenght?
Recently updated my 16" carbine with rifle length Troy XTR battle handguard and I just love it.

All mentioned advantages will remain- with even longer rifle-length sight radius and more ergonomic grip/support possibility.

like this: (not my stick)

</div></div>

I agree 1,000,000 %. I love that set-up. Since irons are now pretty much relegated to back-ups, I don't see the need for the fixed front sight. I prefer the front and rear flip-ups like you have.

 

[LongArm]

Re: Advantages of Mid-Length Carbines for LEO's

what about a rifle length gas sys on a 16" barrel???

 

[Tactical30]

Re: Advantages of Mid-Length Carbines for LEO's

I had just built a Mid-gas (9" handgaurd AR and cant wait to get it out to the range. Im still waiting on my Aimpoint M2 and Larue Mount for it. I got one of the Bravo Company USA bbl's for and cant wait to see how it shoots.

 

[rkgsmith]

Re: Advantages of Mid-Length Carbines for LEO's

We currently carry the 11.5 M4 commando, but the biggest problem is the short handguard and piling all the crap on the forend. I went with a Yankee Hill 12" cut down to 10.75 and went right over top of the cut down front sight post/gas block. Now I still have the short barrel and plenty of room for my other crap I lug around on the forend.

 

[hopps]

Re: Advantages of Mid-Length Carbines for LEO's

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LongArm</div><div class="ubbcode-body">what about a rifle length gas sys on a 16" barrel??? </div></div>

not as experienced with ar15 but with ar10 platform you can have issues cycling in all conditions...even rifle length on 18'' can be a touchy platform, it is done but not by many.

 

[LongArm]

Re: Advantages of Mid-Length Carbines for LEO's

hmm never thought of like the amount of time it takes past the gas block

 

[pupdawg]

Re: Advantages of Mid-Length Carbines for LEO's

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hopps</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LongArm</div><div class="ubbcode-body">what about a rifle length gas sys on a 16" barrel??? </div></div>

not as experienced with ar15 but with ar10 platform you can have issues cycling in all conditions...even rifle length on 18'' can be a touchy platform, it is done but not by many. </div></div>

Some run a 16" rifle length gas system on ar15s but have reported issues with the bolt not locking back after the last round fired and/or short stroking on "light" loads. I've never heard of 18" barrels with rifle length gas systems having any issues cycling.

I have an AR10 with rifle length gas system and an 18" barrel and I haven't had any cycling issues so far.

I wouldn't mind trying a rifle length gas system on a 16" barrel AR15 though. Worse comes to worse just open up the gas port a little, but then you defeat the purpose of the rifle gas system and should have just stayed with the mid-gas. haha

 

[aspen69]

Re: Advantages of Mid-Length Carbines for LEO's

Very nice write up ! I have always loved my midlength 14.5"
Noveske setup . It really gives you a decent amount of handguard real estate without a ton of barrel sticking out . Plus it shoots like a dream . Here she is .