does anyone have any experience with a short(er) bbl with long handguard?

[rukwikenuf]

i'm looking to swap a 14.5" pinned bbl onto one of my rifles, and keeping my 15" Troy Battlerail. i'm looking for some constructive criticism on what works and what i should avoid. i haven't swapped the bbl yet, but i've got a line on a Spikes 14.5 FN CHF M249 spec bbl to make a new "go-to" AR-15. currently i've got a 20" bbl mounted, and i'm not using it to it's potential. i think that the shorter, lighter bbl will make this rifle (er... carbine) more handy.

my shooting is typically inside of 200, and seldom out to 400 yards. it'll be wearing a 1-4x24 Vortex Viper PST, or maybe a Razor HD II 1-6x24 from Vortex as well. i'll have a comp on the end, probably another Rainier XTC as i really like the one on my "SBR-in-waiting" AR Pistol.

does anyone see any reason that this theoretical pistol won't work?

 

[bzo]

Depending if you want to run a suppressor you may have problems.

 

[Crosshair]

I like running a 15" rail myself, I like a long reach grip. I'm using a 16" Rainier barrel with the XTC comp and I love it. A 14.5
Would be great too. I like as much of the barrel protected as possible.

 

[Smokerroller]

Go for it. I think that would look pretty sweet. Post some pics once you're done!

 

[SomeOtherGuy]

People do it, it works, main potential issue is a sound suppressor as already mentioned.

If you do this, I would recommend a handstop at the end of your rail (or closer) to make it less likely you'll put your hand in front of the muzzle when you get distracted.

 

[troupe]

You mentioned a pinned barrel 14.5 Was wondering how you are going to put the comp on the barrel, unless Rainier is going to pin it for you. Back to the question, the longer tube is the way to go. I second the hand stop. You wont like what the gasses will do to your fingers from a short barrel and a comp if you get out to far on the tube. It is not a pretty sight and harder to repair in the O.R., usually results in a amputation.

 

[rukwikenuf]

thanks for the heads-up. i'll definately have a handstop, i'm working on a design. also, regarding the comp pinning, i'll do it myself. or, i should say, ill have my roommate do it using my TIG that i've not yet figured out.
i'm not certain i'll even go with the Rainier. i'm also trying to design something similar to the PWS CQB Comp (Technical College student here). i REALLY like the PWS unit, but i don't really like the price tag!

and i WOULD like to mount a suppressor, but MN doesn't allow it
i've got friends that are Class 3/7 manufacturers with SOTs and such, so i can get my suppressor fix, but i can't take it home with me. therefore, i'll not worry. when we play with the suppressed 300blk it's a 8" bbl, 10" handguard, and the can brings the OAL bbl length to somewhere around 15" (made in house at Schreyer Weapon Systems).

does anyone have a pic or two i can use as inspiration?

 

[Mil.Dot]

The nice thing about a PWS CQB comp is that it direct sound/gases forward - helpful if the rail is longer than the barrel like your talking about (14.5 barrel, 15" rail). The downside to the CQB (or the similar KX3 from Noveske) is additional weight/length. Keep in mind these wont fit inside most rails.

If I was thinking about a setup like you're talking about, I would consider a linear comp or linear flash hider, like the Troy Claymore, Levang Linear Comp, Surplus Ammo Dragon's head, Kies Linear Comp, etc . . . Joe Bob's is also offering a new linear comp that could be good from Kaw Valley Precision.

I would personally go with the new, (local to MN) Simple Threaded Device (STD). The STD is available at Atomic Tactical in the Twin Cities area and seems worth a look. Excellent reported flash supression.

I personally would avoid comps/hiders that direct gasses directly into the handguard (which may/may not happen depending on exact lengths of barrel/rail), but that's just me. If you search on google, I think I recall seeing a few picture of a 15" rail and 14.5" barrel.

 

[rukwikenuf]

I would personally go with the new, (local to MN) Simple Threaded Device (STD). The STD is available at Atomic Tactical in the Twin Cities area and seems worth a look. Excellent reported flash supression.

yeah... i'm the owner of the FIRST STD. my friend Jim makes them, and if you've seen photos of them in action on AR pistols, that's me pulling the trigger. i reported to my wife when Jim first gave me an STD, she was concerned. it works great, and i'm not gonna get rid of it, but i want a comp on this rifle. i've got the STD on my 20" bbl that i'm planning on switching to 14.5. Jim (STD) is the guy that helped me cut the bbl down for my SBR-in-waiting, it was a 16" DPMS bbl with a horrible contour. i used his lathe to cut, rethread, crown and recontour the bbl down! funny you mention that.

 

[earthtrekker1775]

I put a Levang Linear Comp on my 10.5" barrel inside an 11" rail. The reduction in noise level and blast is very noticeable and I can use all the rail space I have without worrying about blowing my fingers apart. Worth a look in my opinion.

 

[Mil.Dot]

Ha, that is funny. Guess you know all about that then. I plan to pick up one when I move out of CT.

If you're willing to go a little shorter on the rail, I really like a 13.5 Noveske NSR on a 14.5 barrel. I have used this setup with both Battle Comps and BCM Comps, both work well without being as obnoxious as some of the other brakes.

Here is a thread with a 15" Troy rail and 14.5 barrel with a Kies linear comp . . . New Shortay Build... 14 1/2" with 15" rail.. - AR Discussion - New Jersey Gun Forums

If you want to reuse the 15" rail, you could also just buy a 16" barrel and do a cut/rethread to get it to the perfect length for whatever comp you want to use (since it sounds like you have the capability to do that). I wish I had easy access to a lathe for that sort of barrel work. I do a fair amount of work to get things just the way I want, but I can't do that currently.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[rukwikenuf]

ok, i'll get that bbl, mount the comp, and afterwards i'll post up some pics

 

[rukwikenuf]

well, the bbl's been ordered. that's about all i could hope for right now. Atomic Tactical offered me an "oops" they had, the 14.5" bbl had a problem with the pinning, screwed up the threads, so it was turned down to 14" and threaded. however, that 1/2" less put the OAL of the bbl to a whopping 15.9". sure, if i hadn't been so picky about the fact that i didn't want a spacer on the threads, i could have walked out that day. however, i want this one to be RIGHT. my SBR upper has a bbl length of 10.2", when it was supposed to be 10.5, because i wasn't extra careful when cleaning up the threads. had to face it off, turn it again, and rethread. not fun. i want this one to be PERFECCT