Accuracy loss would be very little if firearm is going to be optically sighted, and never fired beyond 200 meters.
The shorter barrels sometime do show enhanced inherent accuracy, due to being more rigid, with there more uniform harmonics. Of course,.. this is only evident at closer ranges, and while being fired from a supported rest.
Out on the 300 yd line, the lower velocity out the 10.5" barrel, should start to show up, causing more drop, and more drift between each round fired. This in itself, can be a big group opener of epic proportion, and not from the barrel's accuracy itself.
If you are shooting over the irons with a 10.5", the same size front sight will appear larger in your sight picture, and cover more target at "Rifle distances"!
The shorter sight radius, the distance between the front and rear sight, will magnify sighting errors more. This is why a 2" barrel handgun fired at 100yds with a 1/64th errror will give a 1 foot miss, but the same sight error between shots with a 30" target barrelled rifle with nearly 40" of sight radius, may only stray by an inch or so. This is extreme for comparison purposes only.
Even the 14.5 " barrel's standard size front sight width on my Mforgery, covers alot of a figure 11/59 at 200yds. A National Match front sight would be alot better for these carbines in my mind at 100 and 200, where they are meant to be fired.
I've never fired the 10.5", but I've seen the handicap with iron sights going from a stangard GI lenght A2 with 20" barrel to the M-4 with 14.5", and is quite noticeable at 200yds. I'm guessing the drop from my 14.5 to 10.5 would be similar.
If you're into CQB, or like to plug away off hand on the 50yd line, these handgun distances, won't matter to either barrel length.
Personally,..I've always loved the look of the original Colt Commando with it's 11.5" barrel, so if you're not into competition with iron sight's past 100yds, I say try the 10.5". They look sweet, but make sure they don't short stroke.
The 14.5"s, seem to run flawless, as long as you've got good US mags. Mine had the Nork mag's changed out by dealer before I bought it. Maybe the mags may be a problem for the 10.5" guns as well. I'm not sure what Norinco has done with buffer's and gas port's on these shorties.
Maybe someone with some data could help us out here.
