I agree I love HBARS but picked a 14.5 because even with the pantom its still over all shorter than a 16".being able to take off a supressor is not a big deal because if I need Ill just change out the whole assembly.The 11.5 is a waste because we have to have a permanent 5.5 supressor and that would be better served by barrel instead of supressor.The 11.5s greatest asset is its compactness with a regular birdcage something civies cant have unless you have a permit for an SBR.people will say velocity is a factor and it is and this is where a 16" is not needed for the little extra you get from it.The last 60 years has shown that 90% of engagements take place at under 100yds and 75% of them under 50 so the velocity a 14.5 provides is plenty enough for the most likely real world ranges you would encounter.I like HBARS because they take the heat better especially for rapid fire although they take longer to cool.Besides an HBAR carbine loaded is the same weight as a standard size loaded Govt A2 so the extra 1/2 pound increase over a real M4A1 that uses the new heavier barrel is a negligible increase.AS far as less barrel weight to more ammo,the ratio would be an extra mag as they weigh a pound loaded and an HBAR has a pound over a standard M4 profile so increase in ammo is very small.My gear plus the 2 mags on a mag cinch comes to 16 if I need extra Ill add another pouch.More people hang gadgets that way more than a barrel on their rifles so weight seems not to be a concern to most.