Govt Profile Barrels - Why?

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  • sasd18

    Active Member
    Oct 29, 2017
    110
    I agree, the whole barrel should be heavy! Mine are! Those pencil barrels will red hot after I am done with them! :) 30rd mag on FA has them smoking! It certainly can't take a Beta!



    Or maybe they can... or can they?



    This does not help our cause..
     

    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    I prefer a pencil barrel for most of my applications. I'm not mounting a grenade launcher on any of mine, and it's a lot easier to carry in an M4 style than a heavy barrel would. If I want longer barrel accuracy, I'll get an SPR profile barrel. Both work great in my intended uses. I'm going to build another AR some time this year, pencil barrel with pinned FSB and FH, standard M-16 BCG, and a binary trigger. The current binary trigger I have is pretty dang heavy, but the release shot is right quick after. I think that will go on my snowflake lower.
     

    smokey

    2A TEACHER
    Jan 31, 2008
    31,412
    This does not help our cause..

    Howso? Next you'll think it's wrong to be out shooting a ma deuce for fun or something....
    Screen Shot 2019-05-13 at 21.51.19.jpg
     

    04RWon

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 13, 2010
    5,178
    Orlando, FL
    I prefer a pencil barrel for most of my applications. I'm not mounting a grenade launcher on any of mine, and it's a lot easier to carry in an M4 style than a heavy barrel would. If I want longer barrel accuracy, I'll get an SPR profile barrel. Both work great in my intended uses. I'm going to build another AR some time this year, pencil barrel with pinned FSB and FH, standard M-16 BCG, and a binary trigger. The current binary trigger I have is pretty dang heavy, but the release shot is right quick after. I think that will go on my snowflake lower.


    May or may not have a echo2 in a snowflake lol
    Noveske 10.5”, larue 10” rail, mro, sba3, stt2 and spikes spring.
     

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    04RWon

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 13, 2010
    5,178
    Orlando, FL
    I had been thinking about this. Not sure i can see the benefit of a gov profile barrel. For example, a 16” middy gov bcm vs an elw middy 16”. Even a standard lw. Most of the barrel is a lw profile already. What good does the extra weight at the end serve? Balance for certain shooting positions? Ok maybe.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,877
    To be more precise , this discussion is about A2 Gov't Profile vs A1 Gov't Profile vs ( other miscellaneous profiles ) .

    I'll play Devil's Advocate in favor of A2 :

    35yrs ago was before the era of routinely hanging the kitchen sink from rifles, and they were commonly fired " naked " .The A2 was a middle ground between better balance for offhand shooting and overall weight . I frequently make note of similarly of balance between an A2 and 16in HBAR . Going with a 20in A2 would give higher velocity ( for both trajectory, and tumbling of M193 projectiles on impact ) . And longer sight radius with iron sights then ubiquitous ( and still prefered by some ) .

    Added - Yes during the transition era , civilian Colts were made with various combinations of old style and new style components . But the prevailing wisdom was Colt using up remaining parts on hand randomly .
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    I don't know anyone who's ever handled a stock M16A1 and gone "wow, this is unbalanced". It is a magnificent rifle, and the pencil barrel is one of the reasons my 603 clone is one of my favorite guns.

    The "weight of hanging stuff from your gun" argument is irrelevant when you're using a FF rail, and even the Army has figured that one out with the DD RIS II.

    The real problem with the A2 profile is that it has all the weight in the wrong place (up front). The M4A1 profile makes a LOT more sense if you're going to bulk it up.
     

    OLM-Medic

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    May 5, 2010
    6,588
    I prefer the pencil barrel. Even for long range shooting with .223I really don't see the need for a heavy match barrel anymore
     

    TexDefender

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 28, 2017
    1,572
    "...as for bayonet charges, you’re not going to do one. Ever."

    I will beg to differ. That line is right up there with a Fighter Plane will never need a gun either. They are there for a reason for them, like saving weight. I have no doubt they got heavier to make them more durable. One would be surprised the things a Trooper, Sailor, Marine, or Airman can break. No one thought you could break a Hummer Axle, well it can be done.
     

    BeoBill

    Crank in the Third Row
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 3, 2013
    27,058
    南馬里蘭州鮑伊
    "...as for bayonet charges, you’re not going to do one. Ever."

    I will beg to differ. That line is right up there with a Fighter Plane will never need a gun either. They are there for a reason for them, like saving weight. I have no doubt they got heavier to make them more durable. One would be surprised the things a Trooper, Sailor, Marine, or Airman can break. No one thought you could break a Hummer Axle, well it can be done.

    The original F-35 design did not include a gun because all engagements were envisioned to be well beyond the line of sight using missiles... :innocent0
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    The original F-35 design did not include a gun because all engagements were envisioned to be well beyond the line of sight using missiles... :innocent0

    Worst comes to worst there is an easy solution, only recruit pilots with really bad eye sight to prove you are right.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    The original F-35 design did not include a gun because all engagements were envisioned to be well beyond the line of sight using missiles... :innocent0

    Just like the original F-4 Phantom II.

    And the F-111

    See how well that worked out.

    The USAAC/USAAF/USAF have a LONG history of forgetting history and reinventing it.
     

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