20 inch heavy or govt profile

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 20 inch heavy or govt profile

Posted: 5/22/2003 6:47:01 PM EDT

I am currently in the process of changing my pre ban bushy m-4 w coll stock into a 20 incher w standard a-2 stock but am having a hard time deciding if i should go with a govt profile or a heavy barrel.the govt profile is lighter and would make a better s.h.t.f weapon and if its good enough for the govt it should be good enough for me. But on the flip side a heavy bbl will shoot better and would take the heat better. does anyone have any info to share on the accuracy difference between the two? maybe some experience in the field with one or the other, some feedback would be really helpful

Posted: 5/22/2003 6:57:15 PM EDT

[#1]

Get the A2 (GOV.) profile, less weight, balances better, evidently takes heat good enough for the military, if you want a heavy barrel for accuracy, get quality stainless barrel from someone.

Posted: 5/22/2003 7:01:40 PM EDT

[#2]

Don't bother with the heavy barrel. The plain ole government profile is plenty accurate for hitting man sized targets out to 500m.

Semper Fi [;)]

Posted: 5/22/2003 7:07:21 PM EDT

[#3]

Govt.

Lightweight is the entire AR15/M16 concept.

Posted: 5/22/2003 7:57:05 PM EDT

[#4]

Just ordered a bushmaster 20 A2 gov barrel 1X7 twist and they were in stock and ready to ship!

If you plan on carrying it much get the gov.

I'll bet you'll never notice the accuracy diff unless you doing major bench work.

I have a 16" pencil barrel and I was shooting cloverleafs with an OKO sight at 50 yds. NO difference between this and my fluted HBAR. Accuacy might suffer slightly if the barrel was hot, but I haven't noticed yet, but maybe I haven't got it hot enough yet.

Posted: 5/22/2003 8:37:25 PM EDT

[#5]

Just agreeing with my colleagues: government profile.

-Troy

Posted: 5/22/2003 9:09:39 PM EDT

[#6]

I would say the best bet would be a fluted H-bar 20"

The gov't profile has very unbalanced heating.

After 40rds in 2 minutes the handguards are hot near the chamber. After 160rds the handguards are scorching and uncomfortable to touch. After about 220 you will not be able to touch the handguards and after 360 you will have to move your hand from the lower to the magazine.

[b]20in gov't profile is OK but H-bar is better, H-bar fluted will give you a barrel that heats like an H-bar- ie heats slower, cools faster- and balances like a gov't profile[/b]

Posted: 5/22/2003 10:49:06 PM EDT

[#7]

Despite having more surface area, an HBAR cools slower than a lightweight barrel, simply because there's a lot more metal to retain the heat. It does heat up slower, but it cools down slower too. No free lunch, and why carry the extra pound of weight, UNLESS you're going to be using high volumes of full auto. And then, you could have a SAW...

-Troy

Posted: 5/23/2003 3:30:54 AM EDT

[#8]

And an HBAR is more than a pound heavier. Heck a 16" HBAR is heavier than a 20" M16A2 barrel.

-- Chuck

Posted: 5/23/2003 12:19:26 PM EDT

[#9]

Bushmaster quotes the 16" heavy at 2.7, the 20" heavy at 3.5, and the 20" A2 at 2.5 lbs.

What about compromise profiles? I've heard about the "M4A1" profile which supposedly offers 1/2 of metal in front of the chamber. Has anyone here had an HBAR turned down to something between lightweight and HBAR?

And since AR15.com has a handguard shootout, so do we have any data on heavy vs lightweight barrels in extended semi-auto fire?

Posted: 5/23/2003 1:02:09 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
What about compromise profiles? I've heard about the "M4A1" profile which supposedly offers 1/2 of metal in front of the chamber. Has anyone here had an HBAR turned down to something between lightweight and HBAR?

View Quote

IIRC Colt used to have a 'medium weight' that was .75" the entire length. It weighed about .4lbs more than the A2 profile.

If your shooting so much that temperture is an issue then you have two choices. Wear gloves or use a forward grip (or both!).

Posted: 5/23/2003 1:20:21 PM EDT

[#11]

govt all the way.

I have an armalite with a 20 HB. Good bench gun but thats it.

mike

Posted: 5/23/2003 2:21:42 PM EDT

[#12]

Depends how you shoot.With rapid fire a govt barrel WILL walk on you. The heavy basically wont. When I shoot, gun control is getting the most round out of the barrel in the shotrtest time, my barrel goes out for cokes & cookies, it walks so much. I have an A1.
GG

Posted: 5/23/2003 3:41:55 PM EDT

[#13]

I have a Bushy 20" with the mini y and a Colt with the heavy 20", no muzzle attachment. It all depends on what you want to do with it. From all unsupported positions, I can continue hitting a 12"x12" steel plate at 100m at the rate of 1 shot per second with the mini y. It is light and quick handling, well balanced. I have'nt sat down to see how accurate it really is. Just shot the Colt yesterday, 1" with good ammo at 100 off the bench(scoped). If I had to hump with it, the Bushy!

Mark

Posted: 5/23/2003 4:00:07 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Just agreeing with my colleagues: government profile.

-Troy

View Quote

Ditto, I agree.

Posted: 5/23/2003 5:04:37 PM EDT

[#15]

[b]JPM "I am currently in the process of changing my pre ban bushy m-4 w coll stock into a 20 incher w standard a-2 stock but am having a hard time deciding if i should go with a govt profile or a heavy barrel"[/b]
________________________________________________

I was thinking about changing my preban Colt (small piviot pin) 20 inch A2 HBar into M4 config. Maybe we could work out a swap of uppers and stocks. Just a thought. IM me if you want to pursue it.

Posted: 5/23/2003 5:58:26 PM EDT

[#16]

An HBAR in anything over 16 inches is a BOAT OAR! Go with the Govt profile, it makes for a perfectly balanced weapon.

Posted: 5/23/2003 6:06:26 PM EDT

[#17]

GreenO has reached the proper conclusion...the 20" fluted H-bar is GO! Put a mini-y comp on it and PERFECTION has been obtained!

Posted: 5/23/2003 6:33:59 PM EDT

[#18]

approximately how much weight loss is in fluting???

Posted: 5/23/2003 7:40:58 PM EDT

[#19]

Another vote for Gov Profile.

Unless you're hunting varmints, it's the only way to go IMO.

Ever since I got turned on to one, I haven't been able to find a good reason to own another 20" upper.

And as far as accuracy, I've done a few informal tests with a High Power shooter firing the shots. And really haven't been able to see much of a difference between the two.

And we even tried heating up the barrel a bit with a 30 round mag dump, followed by a group.

It might show at 300, but it didn't show much at 100.

Posted: 5/26/2003 8:43:28 AM EDT

[#20]

does anyone know how much a fluted 20 inch barrel weighs?

Posted: 5/26/2003 9:55:24 AM EDT

[#21]

[url]www.bushmaster.com/faqs/techdatafaqs.asp[/url]

20" HBAR - 3.5 lbs.
20" HBAR, fluted - 3.0 lbs.
20" Gov't. - 2.5 lbs.

-Troy

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 20 inch heavy or govt profile

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