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Posted: 3/29/2010 3:07:25 PM EDT
| I really like the BCM SS410 barrel. I like th ecomplete upper, but I don't know that I'd eve use the 12" of rail real estate. I've considered just buing the barrel and slapping a DD 10" rail on it. The thing is I'm guessing that the BCM proprietary build is superior. So, for those of you with a BCM complete Upper w/ 12" rail...how's the balance of the rifle. If the 12" makes for better balance, and not too much weight than I'd prefer it. If it throws off the balance and is really only useful if you need the space for accessories, than it's a no go. |
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The 12" is the way to go. Had that setup for a while, moved to a BCM 18" with a 14" DD lite.
The balance is great, I'd recommend a DD lite 12" with this barrel though. Save some of the weight, and 12" will give you enough room to run a bipod and get a comfortable grip on the weapon- add to it the extended sight radius if you need to run irons. The balance of the weapon doesn't change that much going from a 10 to a 12. |
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The 12" is the way to go. Had that setup for a while, moved to a BCM 18" with a 14" DD lite. The balance is great, I'd recommend a DD lite 12" with this barrel though. Save some of the weight, and 12" will give you enough room to run a bipod and get a comfortable grip on the weapon- add to it the extended sight radius if you need to run irons. The balance of the weapon doesn't change that much going from a 10 to a 12. The 16" BCM upper with DD 12.0 Lite rail has a good feel to it for my uses. 
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Quoted:
The 12" is the way to go. Had that setup for a while, moved to a BCM 18" with a 14" DD lite. The balance is great, I'd recommend a DD lite 12" with this barrel though. Save some of the weight, and 12" will give you enough room to run a bipod and get a comfortable grip on the weapon- add to it the extended sight radius if you need to run irons. The balance of the weapon doesn't change that much going from a 10 to a 12. How did you find one of those? Were there ever any for sale on BCM's website? Seems like every time I checked there are no MK12 uppers. I want one with a Larue 13" so bad it hurts. |
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The 12" is the way to go. Had that setup for a while, moved to a BCM 18" with a 14" DD lite. The balance is great, I'd recommend a DD lite 12" with this barrel though. Save some of the weight, and 12" will give you enough room to run a bipod and get a comfortable grip on the weapon- add to it the extended sight radius if you need to run irons. The balance of the weapon doesn't change that much going from a 10 to a 12. How did you find one of those? Were there ever any for sale on BCM's website? Seems like every time I checked there are no MK12 uppers. I want one with a Larue 13" so bad it hurts. Which setup are you referring to? Regardless, I build my own using BCM components and other quality parts. |
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Anybody else want to throw in their 2 cents? There is a lot of things that go into balance. Which stock and buffer are you planning on using? What all do you plan on mounting on the rail? Here's a BCM 16" SS410 barrel with DD Lite 12" rail mounted on a lower with an A1 length fixed stock and rifle buffer and as you can see, it balances perfectly on the magwell. I tried the upper on another lower with a SOPMOD stock and 9mm buffer. The balance did shift towards the front but not by a lot. With the scope mounted it might not have at all? This same upper with a Magpul UBR stock would probably balance very well. 
I will be adding a Troy front BUIS but I don't expect that to change the balance point but that does bring up another point. If you plan on using flip down sights, a shorter rail will give you a shorter sight radius. |
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Astetically the 12" rail looks better on the 16" barrel.
From a functional and practical shooting standpoint the weight difference between a 10.0 rail and a 12.0 rail is going to be around 2 ounces. I find that the 12.0 rail let's me get my hand further out on the fore end, which helps me drive the gun faster. That 2" inches of rail also helps when resting the fore end on barricades. One example of many: A shooter with a 10.0 rail resting on a barricade. Note how the edge of the rail is resting on the barricade and he is using a 20 round magazine: 
This shooter is using a 13.2 rail and a 30 round magazine: 
After trying several different rail systems on several different barrel lengths I have found that the 11.0 is the "sweet spot" on a 14.5" barrel and the 12.0 is the "sweet spot" on the 16" barrel. 16" BFH with a LaRue 12.0: 
You may find the info pertaining to weight and balance in these two articles useful: 
03designgroup | AR15 Buttstock Considerations 
64 BCM upper receiver weights cataloged with more to come: 
03designgroup | AR15 Upper Receiver Weight Comparisons
Hope this helps |
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After trying several different rail systems on several different barrel lengths I have found that the 11.0 is the "sweet spot" on a 14.5" barrel and the 12.0 is the "sweet spot" on the 16" barrel. When getting out and shooting most people are going to find the stock makes a different as it creates a large offset in the balance of the weapon. The rail is certainly one component if you are talking about the overall feel of the weapon. |
| Well, the 12" is for me. Thanks for all the great info and input. I have a SBR w/ a 9" DD M4 rail, covered w/ Magpul XTM. I really like the feel and grip on this better than my AR that has the DD Lite rail. I like the M4 best because of the oval shape. So, I think I will be getting the 12" rail, but a DD M4 rail and have it build by a good smithy. |
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