I've been contemplating converting my pre-ban from a 20" w/fixed stock, to a 16" w/telescoping stock.

This is what I have now:

It has an HBAR.

This is the barrel I'd like to put on my rifle:

it's a Bushmaster "11.5in Heavy Barrel Assembly w/ 5.5in Flash Supressor."
I mostly just like the look of it compared to the typical M4-look 16" barrel.

I really like my rifle as it is now, but there's no way I can afford another pre-ban, and it is pretty heavy to lug around especially with the 20" hbar.

Thoughts?

Did the same with mine, only made it an M4gery. I'd do it a thousand times over.
Good Luck.

why not go with the full 16 inches of barrel....
or sell your upper and buy a m4 upper.....

If you put that 11.5"/5.5" upper on it, you are getting the absolute bottom velocity and reliablity out of you're AR.

If you want to go carbine (I did), either go with the 16" or 14.5" (since you can still attach bayonet". Plus you don't have to go with the M4 if you don't like the profile (I admit I don't understand, but), you can always go with a lightweight upper.


And my suggestion is if you just don't like the weight, you could always go with a Government Profile upper. Makes a 20" rifle weigh about as much as an M4. I've got one and I love it.

Either way, good luck.

If you go to the troubleshooting forum, there a bunch or 11.5 barrled AR's that are nothing but headaches.  I agree it looks great, but since your AR HAS to be 16 inches then why not use a 16 inch barrel?  Plus since it's preban, why would you want to do away why would you want to do away with one of the "evilfeaturs" you can have withthe gun by permenantly attaching a FS to the end of a short barrel.  It is preban right?  If it's not preban then throw away all your plans.  No telescoping stocks or FH (no matter what length) on a Post ban gun.

is it possible to get a 14.5" barrel with a flash supressor permanently attached to bring it up to 16"?  like this one:
www.bushmaster.com/shopping/barrel-assemblies/abbl14m4a.asp
of course bushmaster does say it's under the 16" limit.

Definitely.  The barrel you are showing there is just a 14.5 inch barrel.  If the FC is permanantly attached, it'd be 16 inches.  Just like there m4 barrels and the Shrty carbines with FS/Brakes on them.  This one in particular isn't permanently attached, that's why they say it needs to be registered as a SBR.

A permanently attached Phantom or Vortex FS will bring a 14.5" barrel slightly over the 16" legal limit.

The A2 FS isn't long enough but if you want the A2 FS you could start with a 16" barrel and have it cut down to about 15" and permanently attach the FS.

Are you going for the lightest weight you can get or just lighter than what you have now?

Edit: I would personally get at least a 14.5" minimum barrel for the velocity.