AR Sponsor
Posted: 6/3/2009 7:34:29 PM EDT
| Anyone have one? Pic? |
|
Quoted:
Anyone have one? Pic? You mean one with an "M-4" cut barrel? I don't think a barrel like that exists. The closest thing would be a 14.5 midlength as pictured here. Or you can browse sixty pages of midlengths of off all barrel lengths here. If you can't find one you like, you're not looking hard enough. 
|
|
Quoted:
I was told it could be done.... Okay then! Perhaps. But the question is ... WHY would anyone want it done? 
The M203 notch on the M4 barrel serves NO purpose for those of us without access to a M203 40mm grenade launcher. Even Noveske's N4 Carbine barrel has this useless feature/holdover eliminated for more rigidity and lighter weight. The 14.5" mid-gas specimens (as posted above) look GREAT to my eyes and I see no reason, aesthetically speaking or otherwise, why I'd want the M4 profile notch there. But to each his own. I'm sure that if you provided the exact specs you wanted for the exact placement of the notch on a middy barrel to a competent smith who can re-profile a barrel, it could be done. Now, whether you'd actually be able to mount an M203 on there, or have any other useful purpose for it might be an entirely different question. 
|
An actual M4 profile barrel is 14.5". Most of what people sell to the public is 16" to make it legal for a removable FH. There is no such thing as an M4 profile midlength. If you really wanted one, you could probably get a midlength and get someone to turn it down into an M4 lookingish barrel . But then again why would anyone want that? The M203 cut has a cool factor but unless you are one of those ass hats that likes to shoot flares at the range they're pointless.
|
|
Quoted:
I was talking 16' M4 profile barrel...... Oooooh... That makes A LOT more sense now. Look here for 150 or so pages of M4 type barrels. Most of them are 16 inches. |
|
Sounds like you want a 16" Barrel, Mid-Length Gas System in the Government Profile.
Government Profile usually means conforms to the basic A2 profile, tapered and narrower under the handguards and then thicker and straight forward of the gas block. This usually does NOT have a notch cut for the Grenade Launcher with the Mid-Length Gas System. I'd like to see a Carbine barrel with grenade launcher notch next to a mid-length barrel, I had always "assumed" the Mid-Length Gas system put the gas block section over the notch for the grenade launcher, at least partly, enough that mounting a grenade launcher could NOT be done, thus why you never see it on a middy barrel. Don't know that, I'm guessing, off pics and drawings. According to one post there are some barrels like that in Europe? Are they there for M203 or another type of grenade launcher. Quoted:
I was talking 16' M4 profile barrel......  You mean 16" barrel, NOT 16' like this:
Sorry to be that guy, but your typo made me chuckle, just joking. |
|
Quoted:
Sounds like you want a 16" Barrel, Mid-Length Gas System in the Government Profile. Government Profile usually means conforms to the basic A2 profile, tapered and narrower under the handguards and then thicker and straight forward of the gas block. This usually does NOT have a notch cut for the Grenade Launcher with the Mid-Length Gas System. I'd like to see a Carbine barrel with grenade launcher notch next to a mid-length barrel, I had always assumed the Mid-Length Gas system put the gas block section over the notch for the grenade launcher, at least partly, enough that mounting a grenade launcher could NOT be done, thus why you never see it on a middy barrel. Don't know that, I'm guessing, according to one post there are some barrels like that in Europe? Are they there for M203 or another type of grenade launcher. The notch is about looks as it's not in the same place as it would be on a standard 14 or 16'' barrel. I have been trying to find a pic. It also has something to do with the laws over there, at least that was how it was explained once before. They look funky! I think there may be one or two in the midlength thread as I remember at least one guy getting chewed out for posting an M4 in there. It was reallya midlength. I don't really want to look through all the pages right now but will try later today. |
|
well I got lucky. There is one on the very first page of the midlength thread towards the bottom. I'm glad I didn't have to wade through 60 pages of pics.
midlength thread |
|
Quoted:
Sounds like you want a 16" Barrel, Mid-Length Gas System in the Government Profile. Government Profile usually means conforms to the basic A2 profile, tapered and narrower under the handguards and then thicker and straight forward of the gas block. This usually does NOT have a notch cut for the Grenade Launcher with the Mid-Length Gas System. I'd like to see a Carbine barrel with grenade launcher notch next to a mid-length barrel, I had always "assumed" the Mid-Length Gas system put the gas block section over the notch for the grenade launcher, at least partly, enough that mounting a grenade launcher could NOT be done, thus why you never see it on a middy barrel. Don't know that, I'm guessing, off pics and drawings. According to one post there are some barrels like that in Europe? Are they there for M203 or another type of grenade launcher. Quoted:
I was talking 16' M4 profile barrel...... You mean 16" barrel, NOT 16' like this:
http://www.milnet.com/pentagon/army-images/abrams-M1A2.jpg Sorry to be that guy, but your typo made me chuckle, just joking. Oh, 16 FOOT barrel, I'm sorry, I thought you meant 16" barrel...in that case yeah, you'll have room to put a 203 cut in front of the sight.
|
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
and the point of that is?
I would like to know this as well. Is there a Middy 203 coming out? That pic was originally posted 9/05 so the barrels have been out a while but mostly in the European market. The owner of that rifle hasn't logged on since 9/11/06 so I don't think we can find out how he came into possesion of it. All the ones I've seen have had that same muzzle device as well. No middy 203......it's just for looks. I wish we had more European members here that could chime in. I'm just going by memory of what little I've learned about them here the past few years. |
|
Quoted:
RRA is who told me this could be done ... Yes, as previously stated (and proved with photographic evidence) an M4 profile (or at least the M203 notch) can be put on a 16" midlength barrel. It's possible, but serves no purpose except to drain your wallet &/or it "looks cool," which is also fine, but confusing to most here. BTW, "midlength" refers to the length of the gas system and NOT the length of the barrel. Hopefully someone will be along shortly to further explain the differences here and correct my mistakes, but.... Pistol gas system has the gas port placed at about 5" (??? not exactly sure about this.) Carbine gas system has the gas port placed at about 7" (barrel length is typically anywhere between 10" - 16". M4 is a carbine-gas system on a 14.5" barrel.) Midlength gas system has the gas port placed at about 9" (barrel length is typically 14.5" - 16", with 16" being the most popular/common.) Rifle gas system has the gas port placed at about 12" (??? not sure on this one either.) (barrel length is typically 17" - 20", with an M16 right at 20".) 
Barrel PROFILE refers to the specific shape or profile of a barrel, e.g., "heavy barrel" (no metal removed), "lightwieght" (as skinny as possible), or with various portions of barrel machined away to save weight or for cooling or other purposes like putting a notch in a barrel so an M203 grenade launcher can be attached ("M4 profile"), or "government profile" which is where metal is removed and tapered under the handguards but heavy from the front sight base to the muzzle. This page gives a good basic run-down: http://www.ar15barrels.com/profiles.shtml After typing all that out I'm sure it's already been posted somewhere else (tacked thread?) and in a clearer, more accurate way, hopefully. |
AR Sponsor