I have an pre-ban 11.5" barrel w/4.5" flash hider pined on. I am curious about replacing the barrel with a like model if the need should ever arise. Most vendors don't seem to carry that size. Can I actually make a change like this or do I need to go longer?

If I decide to replace with longer barrel, I plan on keeping the old barrel with my original paper work so I can prove it's the same gun.

I don't completely understand the question, but..

I'm guessing that you have a preban gun and am going to replace the upper to a postban verson or just changing it for better accuracy and/or estetics(sp) but still want to keep the preban status...

NO Problem with what you are doing.

The 11.5BBL with 4.5FH is 16" anyway you want to cut it because its just a normal gun, the FH being soldered on to the barrel makes it a barrel extension.


BISHOP

1) You have to have 16" overall
length (includes flash supp)
2) Bushmaster sells 11.5" and
you can buy similar items
from all over the internet.
I suggest you visit the
dealers listed on [url]http://www.ar15.com/links/[/url].
Its quite possible that your
local gun shops don't carry
11.5" barrel.  But you can buy
those easily online.
3) You don't need to keep your
old barrel if your next purchase
is 16".  Your paperwork and
old barrel won't worth crap
if you get caught with
an upper shorter than 16".
4) As for flash suppressor,
you have to get the 4.5" kind.
Don't get the birdcage flash
suppressor, it won't give
you the 16" total length
you need.  

AS for the 4.5" FH.  
Don't you guys remember "back in the days"??

Any 4.5" FH works as long as it is permanently attached.  The cool things about prebans is that they still work on the old Preban laws!!!!!


BISHOP

It does make 16" ... Barely! [8D]

At least one catalog I looked at said that 11.5" is restricted. That was my only reason for asking.

If I were to replace the barrel, I was only going to do the barrel, I've got a 16" upper/barrel that I switch on and off.

OK READ this VERY slowly.

A 11.5" barrel with a 4.5" flash hider pinned or soldered onto the end of the barrel is a 16" barrel!!!

Since the FH is pinned or soldered on then its considered by the ATF as permanent.

AS long as it totals 16" then everybody is happy!

You can change the barrel to any leingth 16" and UP. And back again.

All legal...

I don't understand what the problem is here, mabey you aren't telling me enough


BISHOP

An 11.5" barrel with a 4.5" permanent flash suppressor actually comes out to about 15.3" overall, thanks to approximately 3/4" thread overlap.  That's why the 11.5" barrels are offered with [b]5.5"[/b] permanent flash suppressors for legality.

Some manufacturers choose to sell those types of barrels to LEO only... simply to avoid any legal problems. There is nothing wrong LEGALLY with you buying a 11.5 barrel. But jsut don't attach it to your rifle at that lenght.

Useless tidbit of info for the day (UTOIFTD): Barrel length is measured from the muzzle to the firing pin.

(wow.... i feel so smart now...lol..)[:P]