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Posted: 7/19/2010 6:00:40 PM EDT
[#1]
I couldn't decide either, so I got both!
Honestly, can't go wrong with either. For HD, the 16" can "move around the house" better. For target shooting, hunting, the 20" will enable slightly easier accuracy. Out to your target distances, I think either will maintain a 55 grain round to fragmentation velocity. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 6:38:44 PM EDT
[#2]
16" is more than enough for 180 lb targets with decent accuracy out to 300 yards.
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Posted: 7/19/2010 6:50:40 PM EDT
[#3]
16 first then 20, you must have both
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Posted: 7/19/2010 7:16:25 PM EDT
[#4]
For a first rifle, I might choose a 16" barrel with a midlength gas system if I had to do it over again. In addition to being more optimal for the 16" barrel, the midlength gas system also affords more rail space if you choose to use a railed handguard.
A 20" upper will get you a longer sight radius and slightly higher velocities. If you plan on running an optic on your rifle, the sight radius argument is moot, though you'll certainly notice the added weight of a longer barrel. Generally speaking, the 16" will make for a better "do-all," first AR in my opinion. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 7:20:55 PM EDT
[#5]
It's mostly a personal preference, but I would get a 16" first. I bought the 20" first, and I don't shoot it much...
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Posted: 7/19/2010 7:25:13 PM EDT
[#6]
+1 16" first ...
then after that build a 20" upper followed closely by another lower, and so on, that's black rifle disease (BRD). When BRD got me good a while back, I had a 20" A2 clone, a 16" midlength gas, and a 16" M4 build projects going on at the same time. I completed my 20" A2 rifle first just because I found its parts first but it was followed by my 16" M4 carbine within several weeks. If you are going to do a 16" take a look at the midlength gas system barrels, they're smoother than carbine gas system. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 7:27:48 PM EDT
[#7]
16" middy. 14.5" carbine
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Posted: 7/19/2010 7:47:34 PM EDT
[#8]
Why not just get a 18" barrel and split the differance =)
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Posted: 7/19/2010 9:10:59 PM EDT
[#9]
16" and make sure it is a quality barrel.
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Posted: 7/19/2010 9:58:08 PM EDT
[#10]
If 300 yards is all you'll be doing, all you'll ever need is a good 16". It will keep the rifle light so that packing it around won't be a chore and it will be easier to shoot off hand. I built my "precision" rig around a Bravo Company SS 410 16" barrel. From what I've seen, it is a tack driver with good ammunition. It's also a pretty light rifle. I don't know what all of the references to the longer barrel getting you more accuracy was about. Going with a longer barrel isn't going to get you more accuracy. It will get you a bit more velocity, but the shorter barrel will arguably be more accurate. If you need to shoot longer distances, the longer barrel will allow the bullet to fly straight longer, but I don't think it will be an issue at the distances that you're talking about.
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Posted: 7/20/2010 1:39:32 AM EDT
[#11]
All you need is the 16" for those distances. It'll work more than fine for your desired purpose.
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Posted: 7/20/2010 2:59:55 AM EDT
[#12]
Quoted:
Why not just get a 18" barrel and split the differance =) +1 |
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Posted: 7/20/2010 3:24:52 AM EDT
[#13]
Quoted:
16 first then 20, you must have both That's what I did. I'd get a 16" for your first one - it will do everything you're looking for. |
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Posted: 7/20/2010 4:23:06 AM EDT
[#14]
Compromise. instead of a 16" carbine or a 20" rifle, get a 18" midlength.
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Posted: 7/20/2010 5:50:44 AM EDT
[#15]
Quoted:
In addition to being more optimal for the 16" barrel, the midlength gas system also affords more rail space if you choose to use a railed handguard. There are low profile gas blocks that fit under longer rails. Also, there are rails that go around and forward of the standard FSB. I do agree though, for 16" barrel the mid length gas system is ideal. |
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Posted: 7/20/2010 5:57:47 AM EDT
[#16]
Quoted:
16" and make sure it is a quality barrel. RRA a quality barrel? I would be getting just a standard barrel, nothing fancy.... |
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Posted: 7/20/2010 6:14:29 AM EDT
[#17]
You said you wanted accuracy. How accurate did you want to get?
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Posted: 7/21/2010 10:08:00 PM EDT
[#18]
Quoted: You said you wanted accuracy. How accurate did you want to get? He said he wanted to be able to hit a coyote at 300 yards. Higher-end standard barrels will do fine if it is FF'd and the rest is up to the ammo, optics, and the guy pulling the trigger after that. OP, I'd look at the Daniel Defense CHF uppers, some of the more basic noveske, and Colt has always made a damn accurate barrel. 16" will do the job, but 20" will carry a bit more velocity, but using good varmint ammo should yield the desire effects regardless if you pick 16" or 20". If you need to go with something a little less expensive, Stag has some very accurate barrels. Their 20" is not chrome lined, which is a plus for accuracy. Outside of that and maybe a few suggestions that I may have missed, you will be spending lots more $ for only marginal accuracy gains. |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 4:50:01 PM EDT
[#19]
Quoted:
Compromise. instead of a 16" carbine or a 20" rifle, get a 18" midlength. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/rjszurgot/DSC00045-1.jpg Or get an 18" rifle-length. 
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Posted: 7/22/2010 5:08:23 PM EDT
[#20]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Compromise. instead of a 16" carbine or a 20" rifle, get a 18" midlength. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/rjszurgot/DSC00045-1.jpg Or get an 18" rifle-length. http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww262/HS2/IMG_1075b.jpg +1 |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 5:29:36 PM EDT
[#21]
As far as what you need goes, 16" will do everything that an 18 or 20" will, but will be more compact and a bit lighter.
If hitting a coyote is all your worried about, I'd go with either a BCM or DD CHF barrel. My cousin has a DD and it will shoot MOA (or pretty darned close to it) all day long with the right ammo. I'll admit that it really surprised me. If it had shot a little better with my pet load, I'd be PO'd knowing that I could have gone with the tougher CHF chrome lined barrel rather than the stainless one that I went with. I don't know that the barrel would act like mine once it got really hot, but it did well for the limited shooting that we did with it that day. |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 6:17:27 PM EDT
[#22]
Quoted:
Quoted:
16" and make sure it is a quality barrel. RRA a quality barrel? I would be getting just a standard barrel, nothing fancy.... I'm not sure if Wilson barrels (which is what RRA use) are "quality" Havent owned it long enough to say, sorry. That being said I own a RRA 16'' middy that I love. I hit 12"X12" steel plates at 250 yrds with consistency at my local range. And a wamp rat...er coyote cant be much bigger then that! It does fit the nothing fancy, and standard barrel, catagory though 
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Posted: 7/22/2010 7:34:20 PM EDT
[#23]
my RRA Wilson SS 16 inch with Wiley chamber is extremely accurate with the 1x8 inch twist and Hornady 75 gr match bullets
The Wiley chamber will shoot 556 and 223 rounds safely and accurately.If you go with a 20 inch rifle with a heavy match barrel the weight of the rifle goes way up there and becomes akward for snap shooting or home defence shooting. Start with 16 inch middie then later pick up or assemble a nice 18 or 20 inch upper (you can change out complete uppers in a minute) Next you might want a nice lower with match grade trigger and a magpul stock. Later on a nice 18 inch SPR upper with chrome lined high end barrel,free floated rails for laser,lights etc.Then you would like a 14.5 inch short barrel for really close in combat type shooting. The AR15 is really a modular system that you can adapt to anything you want 
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Posted: 7/23/2010 11:00:43 AM EDT
[#24]
Another vote for 16" Middy then a 20" or 24" for the more static type shooting.
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Posted: 7/23/2010 11:31:05 AM EDT
[#25]
Quoted:
Hi all, doing my first ar build and I still can't decided between a 16" barrel or a 20" barrel..... I do know that I want to do a flat top in either build and I am not really all the worried about the extra weight of a 20" barrel... The primary purpose of this rifle will be target shooting, a home defense gun and I would want to use this for yote hunting on occasion... We have a 200 yard range at my sportsman club so this would be the max target distance.... My furthest shot for yote hunting would be close to 300 yards..... This gun does not need to be an absolute tack driver but I would like to see good accuracy @ 300yds... Which barrel length would be the best for my application? Thanks! Ive called Foxes & yotes in my back yard. you should be able to call them in closer than 300Y Anyway For Home Protection & Family I would go M4 14.5+P wich can do yote @ 300 and HD Stock Closed is 30.5 inches wich helps big time inside the house What can a 16.1 M4 can do that a 14.5M4 cant do? might ask yourself In my Book Carbine = 14.5 or shorter Rifle= 18 to 20 and the 24incher wich is overkill Also a 16.1 + A2 FH is close to 18 inches pretty darn long for a carbine I rather just go 20inches+A2FH and get it over with 
But thats just me and Im 1 of the Few 
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Posted: 7/23/2010 11:33:50 AM EDT
[#26]
Quoted:
Why not just get a 18" barrel and split the differance =) 16.1 + A2FH is almost 18 inches anyways |
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