soon iam going to purchase my first ar15 rifle and iam getting myself a bushmaster 16 shorty or now since i saw it online i might get myself a bushmaster 16'' heavybarrel carbine but my question is, is it better to have a heavy barrel or a lightweight barrel i know that when i get my ar15 i will be going to the shooting range alot more then i was just shooting my cx4 and i will be putting atleast 100 maybe a 100 or more rounds threw the ar15. i wanted to get somethin somewhat small but but with a 16'' bbl. cause iam in a wheelchair and my balance is alittle off, not to much but if i try and shoot a rifle that is to long and to heavy my balance will throw me off with aiming, so if i decide to get either rifle with a heavybarrel either under handguards or entire barrel would it be a bad thing or is haveing a heavybarrel better. iv heard mixed opionions some say get a lightweight barrel others say get a heavybarrel, i have held the bushmaster 16'' shorty carbine and it feels pretty comfortable and it is an HBAR carbine i like it alot sights are nice feels nice in my hands but will i get a long time of use out of it if im going to get an ar15 i want to know that with the barrel it has i will get many years with minimal to no problems or any corrosion or rusting in the barrel so basically should i get one with a lightweight or heavybarrel

thanks alot

sencerely
vinnie

ps what makes a wilson barrel better then most others cause im always seeing wilson heavybarrel lightweighbarrel what makes them so good.

Only get the HBAR if you intend to do a lot of full auto shooting other than that its useless.

I had a Colt at one time that was a lightweight..............I dont think you would go wrong since it's alot lighter than the H-Bar barrels, and I plan on building a lighweight carbine soon.....go for it!  

Better for what?  Depends on your usage.

An HBAR will shoot more before it gets to cookoff temp, but also takes longer to cool.  As it heats up it tends to retain its point of aim well.

A lightweight barrel is easier to carry around, and for most shooting, will do as well as the heavy barrel.

So, it all depends.

The M4 barrel is a little heavier than a true lightweight, but makes a good all around barrel, which is why many of us have at least one.  It is much much lighter than the Hbar.

I've got both a M4gery with 14.5/phantom f/s  contoured  heavy barrel,  this is my  favorite and consider it my grab & go  rifle.

I also have a A1  with a 20"  pencil barrel/guv contoured,  it seem lighter than my carbine.

Cant go wrong with either rifle.

TG

Light weight is all I need...

What about for a little varmint hunting, can a regular 20" serve the purpose? Gov. profile 1/9 chrome lined? I may end up with that one.

I'm in the same boat - trying to construct a rifle that's equal parts plinker, varmint-be-gone and SHTF.

I have no idea how it'll end up but I do know I'm having fun getting it there.

So far the plans are:

RRA EOP Upper
Stag Arms Lower (cheap stuff!)
Armalite Chrome-lined 20" 'heavy' contour.  Not bull but heavy.

My last AR with the 16" rra heavy stainless was a bit weighty - this rifle will be even more so as described.  I'm still pondering my options here.  16" was... decently accurate for me shooting irons.  I could keep everything on an 8x11 sheet of paper - that's actually enough to make me happy but again, others are more picky.  Any accuracy wasn't the rifle it was me.

I think that it is all about personal preference.  I like the looks of Hbars, so that is what I use. I wouldn't have a m4 profile barrel.....they look ghey to me.  I dont hink that there is any difference in performance.  I hump my heavy barrels up and down mountains( Texas Mountains) on a regular basis. they don not weigh that much more that the lighweights.

Try both if possible, before making a purchase.

I know. For me it is either the Gov. profile or the 20" HBAR (national match).

I like the A2 and M4 profiles the best as a compromise between the HBAR and the A1\pencil profile barrels.

I personally have no use for a HBAR and can't see ever buying one except maybe for a varmint\target rig. I do plan to someday make a build a basic carbine using an A1 barrel just to see how I like it and if I do, I'll probably use it as a truck gun.

I had my A3 Hbar profile turned down to just above Govt. profile, I find it makes the 20" just that much more of an all around SHTF choice.

What is the difference between the government profile and the HBar on 20' rifles?  Are then ends of the barrel (under the FSB and at the muzzle) the same diameter, it's just some metal removed under the handguard??
How much of a weight difference between the two?

Not quite sure of actual weights, however I can tell you I noticed a difference. Here's a link to a pic of Bushy's Govt. profile.

www.bushmaster.com/shopping/barrel-assemblies/abbl-20a2.asp

The end is the diameter of the HBar?

Yup just under the hand guards is turned down.

Quoted: What is the difference between the government profile and the HBar on 20' rifles? ...How much of a weight difference between the two?

1 pound.

Quoted: Quoted: What is the difference between the government profile and the HBar on 20' rifles? ...How much of a weight difference between the two? 1 pound.

What about fluted?

I love my 20", but with the YHM handguards it's too front heavy.

if you dont want to carry the extra weight, then get the lightweight

i like the HBAR simply it looks and feels better imo

i wanted to get somethin somewhat small but but with a 16'' bbl. cause iam in a wheelchair and my balance is alittle off, not to much but if i try and shoot a rifle that is to long and to heavy my balance will throw me off with aiming,

Sorry, I missed this detail...

Let me suggest a featherwt aka "pencil" barrel.  My 14 yr old daughter confiscated by Cav Arms lower/A3 (flattop) upper rx, 16" lightwt chromelined barrel.  These upper parts are from J&T.

All barrels whip when fired. Hbar is more stable,  whips less, more accurate. Full auto is fun, but is not very accurate.

Quoted: i wanted to get somethin somewhat small but but with a 16'' bbl. cause iam in a wheelchair and my balance is alittle off, not to much but if i try and shoot a rifle that is to long and to heavy my balance will throw me off with aiming, Sorry, I missed this detail... Let me suggest a featherwt aka "pencil" barrel.  My 14 yr old daughter confiscated by Cav Arms lower/A3 (flattop) upper rx, 16" lightwt chromelined barrel.  These upper parts are from J&T.

I'm guilty too, +1 for the "pencil" barrel


Barrel, 20 in. G.I., 1x12, Chrome Lined, M16A1, Early Issue Colt Light Weight, Rare, New in Wrap! $199.95 from Fulton Armory. Might be a possible option

HBAR is all I use and I've stalked white tail and searched for varmints for hours without dying, melting , or bursting into tears because of the weight. HBAR makes recoil almost nothing and gives the gun a nice balance with a beefier build quality feel.

Follow up shots are also very quick since the gun barely moves when fired.

My bushy 20"  is actually the lightest out of all my friends guns. They have a G3, FAL and Garand. My AR is cake compared to any of them

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: What is the difference between the government profile and the HBar on 20' rifles? ...How much of a weight difference between the two? 1 pound. What about fluted? .

That saves you 0.5 lbs - assuming you're using the Bushmaster fluted barrel or a similar style.

Quoted: I'm guilty too, +1 for the "pencil" barrel

But for my 20", I prefer 1/7...

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For long term shooting comfort, go for the lightweight or an M4. I have a bushmaster shorty AK with heay barrel and its ok. I have a 16 inch m4 and i like it better. I find that lightweight barrels give the rifle a more balanced feel. Looking back I should have gotten it with an m4 profile.

It really depends on which you feel more comfortable using -- so try both at the range.  I personally like the HBAR.  There IS a weight difference, but from reading some of the posts here you'd think it was 20lbs!HBAR
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I just scaled my rifle at 9 pounds he