I want to have an upper with a 14.5 barrel and a mid-length gas system.  It seems that trying to find a complete upper in this config is like looking for a unicorn,   So, I guess I have to build it.  

What barrel manufacturers offer 14.5 middy's at a reasonable price?  I want 5.56, 1/7, chrome lined, light profile if it can be had.  I don't find any 14.5 middy's listed on websites.  I've looked at BCM, YHM, LMT.  I know that Noveske makes the 14.5" middy Afgan upper, but it's $1,250.  Sabre Defence has a 14.5 but it's a $500 barrel.

Maybe a 14.5 middy upper for less than $800 is a unicorn after all.

Will some manufactures make a complete 14.5 middy upper as special order?

Thanks.

Just do what I'm doing.  Buy a 16" mid length barrel and send it to ADCO for the cut and pin.  Its not that expensive to do. . .

CMMG has them....

That said, I'm looking to permanently attach a Surefire flash hider for my can....so I'm adding another complication by wanting the muzzle device NOT permanently pinned.

Ah, that's an option.  That opens up all sorts of options.  
Would it have to be a bare barrel for them to cut it?

Thank you.  I guess it would be this one of theirs.

CMMG 14.5 inch Government Profile Mid-Length w/Permanent Phantom flash hider. Phantom flash hider is pinned and welded to the barrel to make this a legal 16" barrel.
SKU Number:U-GP55-1455H

CMMG Government Profile Uppers have the following standard features.

   * Mil-spec certified 4150 chrome-moly vanadium steel M4 contour barrel
   * 5.56x45 NATO chamber
   * 1/7 twist
   * Hard chrome lined chamber and bore
   * M4 feed ramps
   * 11 degree recessed target crown
   * F marked forged front sight base
   * Parkerized Barrel including under the front sight base
   * A2 Flash hider installed with Peel washer
   * Forged A3 upper receivers are T marked and have extended feed ramp cuts (M4 ramps).
   * Semi Auto bolt carrier

I've got a Sabre Defense 14.5 middy with an extended A2.

I haven't seen any more in a loooooooong time. Get a BCM and send it to ADCO.

Noveske Afghan
Sabre 14.5" middy
CMMG 14.5" middy
???

Recommendation:  Get a BCM 16" Middy and have ADCO chop it down to 14.5", reprofile the entire thing from gov profile to full lightweight from chamber to muzzle, perm attach a Vortex and be done with it.  Make sure you've decided on a rail beforhand, otherwise after the perm-attached muzzle device, your only/best option is the 9.0 Omega.

Or, grab any other 16" middy (RRA, Del-Ton, etc) and do the same as the above, but it won't be as kick-ass* as the BCM.





*I know it's not a technical term, but...  

Rainier arms has 14.5" WOA barrels in stock for $295 and they can pin/weld a FH on it for you ($39.95).  Rainier also has their own brand of barrels, made from shilen blanks for $395 (if I understand them correctly, the whole barrel is made by shilen, to Rainier's desired specs).  Although their 14.5" barrels are out of stock at the moment and they have more on order.  They said they were not sure when they will come in, but maybe a month out.

What the poster a few replies up said is correct.   Make sure you decide on the rail/forearm before you have any work done (as well as the gas block you're going to use).  Because depending on what you use, it will have to be sliped onto the barrel before they pin the FH.  Also, some rail systems use their own proprietary barrel nuts (using a regular barrel nut will limit your choices if you don't want to pick the handguard first).

Will the DD lite 9.0 work?  I was planning on that with a micro gas block.

Most 9" rails are designed to work with most mid-length gas systems with the standard FSB in place.

The DD Lite 9.0 will work but the gas block will be exposed.  If you're cool with that, great.  If not, you might want a longer (11" ?) rail to cover the gas block.

This is a great image from Larue illustrating different barrel lengths, different gas block locations (rifle, middy, carbine), and different rail lengths:

http://www.laruetactical.com/pics/Charts/StealthProfileSheet_Rev-3-16-09.jpg

Take a look at what your setup/combo might look like.

ETA:  In the above image the 18" - 16" barrels are sporting mid-length gas systems.  If you ran a 9.0 rail with a low-pro gas block on a middy gas-system barrel, the exposed block would look something like the very last/bottom example of the carbine rail, with exposed low-profile carbine gas block.

Recommendation:  if you go with a standard FSB, a 9.0 DD Lite / DD M4 / DD Omega 9.0 / LaRue 9.0 would be great.  If you go with a low-pro block, I'd recommend it be pinned and completely covered by your 11" rail.  YMMV, however.