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? on P&W barrels

prairiefire

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 22, 2010
963
17
74
Nebraska
Probably an idiot question - but what is the advantage of a shortened barrel that is then P&W'd to make it legal length??
 
Gets suppressor as far back as possible. The barrel is like a lever and the shorter the barrel, the less that 1lb chunk of metal is going to drag on you. Not a huge deal but noticeable if shooting unsupported.
 
For my purposes, an effective 3" brake on a 16" barrel makes a longish gun. A 13.5" with the same brake will perform similarly but be more handy.
 
For my purposes, an effective 3" brake on a 16" barrel makes a longish gun. A 13.5" with the same brake will perform similarly but be more handy.
^^^^ exactly this.

although my P&W uppers are usually 14.5" barrels with 2.5" muzzle devices, to achieve shortest possible legal ATF-rifle barrel, not talking pistols or SBRs. The other extreme would be the Colt Commando GAU-5, XM-177E1 11.5" barrel with the fake 5.5" "Moderator" (flash hider), that one's just for grins.
 
As stated above, it's to get the shortest legal configuration without having file for an SBR stamp. I've settled on the following for my primary 5.56 ARs:

18" SPR for hunting & target shooting
14.7" Recce p&w for my "do-it-all" gun
11.5" Pistol for CQB/HD

I've found 16" and 18" to closely overlap in terms of performance & handling, so I prefer the extra velocity of the 18" for hunting purposes. The 11.5" is ideal for short-range use and still feels light & handy with a mounted light. The 14.7" splits the difference between the two with a combination of compactness & reach (with the right ammo) that is very hard to beat. It may only be a few inches shorter than a 16" with muzzle device, but it's my ideal compromise.
 
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