14.5 pinned & weld vs 16 AR barrel

AR10ShooterinNC said:
What is the appeal or advantage of a 14.5" pinned and welded vs 16" barrel? My thoughts are if I need 16" to be legal, just get the 16" barrel and be done with it.
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I prefer 16" but I can think of 2 reasons why you might choose 14.5".

1) You want a military accurate m4 length.

2) You want the shortest overall package and still be classified as rifle.
 
If you like to tinker, get the 16. Say you have an adjustable gas block that fails and you need to swap it out or changing the muzzle device. The permanent weld makes things a little more challenging. I really like 14.5’s (used to own a few, now down to one), but the 16 plays nicely & you get a tad more velocity. I have a few SBR’s now and I (my opinion) think there is no need for any more P&W’s.

Honestly I would form 1 a SBR and get ANY barrel you want
 
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I went 16” so I can run a van, change gas blocks, change brake/flash suppressor.
If you want the overall length of a P&W 14.5”, get a 16” and screw on a thread protector.
 
14.5" P&W may have a small weight advantage depending on the components used, if you're going for an ultralight build.
 
I did a 13.7 upper with a pinned sico mount to get the shortest possible non NFA upper with a can on it. Unintended consequence, but it ended up being noticeably handier without the can than a standard 16 inch
 
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alpharius said:
I prefer 16" but I can think of 2 reasons why you might choose 14.5".

1) You want a military accurate m4 length.

2) You want the shortest overall package and still be classified as rifle.
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1. P&W is still 16 inches...

2. How is a P&W shorter than a 16 inch?

I have an SBR'd lower and run an 11.5", it's very handy...
 
I would think the "military accurate" aspect relates to ballistics or compatibility with military sights/optics. A rifle that works alike, not just looks alike.
 
AR10ShooterinNC said:
1. P&W is still 16 inches...

2. How is a P&W shorter than a 16 inch?
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Just measured my two DD (Gucci, I know) ARs.

DD M4V4 (16" carbine; no longer made): 36" from tip of the flash suppressor to the full extension of the stock.
DD M4V11 SLW (14.5" mid-length; keymod rail; no longer made): 34.5" from tip of the P&W flash suppressor to the full extension of the stock.
 
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I went through this not too long ago when I bought a BCM rifle. I didn’t have any 16” rifles but I also really like 14.5” mids, but decided to measure what I was really saving in terms of size versus the inflexibility to mod a 14.5 p/w.

14.5 p/w GA Flashcomp + ResK was 1” shorter than a 16” w GA Hammer comp + ResK.
Since I prefer to shoot suppressed, this configuration comparison was what mattered to me. I bought the 16”.
 
My favorite rifle is my 13.7 p/w. Its a super handy little rifle and accepts my can. Especially when adding a can, the shorter barrel makes the gun balance just that much better.
 
I mean, just wait a couple years for an SBR case to go up for review. Post Bruen, I don't see pinned barrels being a thing much longer. I hope.
 
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