AR15 lengths (for a noob)

MrSpit

MrSpit

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Ok, this could have gone in the noob section, but its specific to the AR's so i hope its ok here

Im going to buy an NEA-15 VERY soon... If you want to poo poo my choice of manufacturer please dump it into a different thread, i have made up my mind all ready.

What i dont yet know is what length to get.
I was looking very hard at the 14.5" because i thought it would be nice to be able to fix an optic to it and reach out to 200 yds with relative ease. That said, im new to the shooting sports, so putting something on paper would be a success! I suspect that until i find the right optic, i will most likely be shooting close range with iron sights, or a less expensive red dot.

So the question is, What length do i need? I was told in another thread that the 14.5" would be fine for 200 yds, and that it could do 300, but thats depending on my skills as a shooter. I dont know what my end goal is with this gun, other than owning it will be fun, so there is a chance that i might like to do some service condition or CQB stuff next year.

Im guessing that the 7.5" PDW's are not much good at large distances, especially for a noob, but what about the 10.5" or 12.5"?
The other thing, is that i kind of really like the look of the 10.5" and 12.5" but i dont want to regret it after the fact because it limits what i can do with it....


So any suggestions/recommendations???

Thanks
 
I just finished Hungrys 2 day CQB clinic here in Petawawa and I used my 14.5 inch NEA and it worked fine. I have an eotech and magpul BUIS installed on it.
I think that length or the 12.5 would suit you fine.
 
If I recall correctly, 11.5 and 12.5 have pretty similar muzzle velocities to 14.5, but the 10.5 drops off quite a bit.

I shoot an 11.5 with a red dot and until it was removed from the range, I had no problems ringing a 12x12 inch gong set up at 200m while shooting off hand or benched.

Shorter is handier for CQB, which is what I primarily use mine for.
 
Length affects velocity, velocity affects effective range not necessarily accuracy. At 200 yards you should be fine with something as short as 10.5”. Although, if you want more versatility I would suggest a 14.5” or 16”.
 
12.5 is my favorite choice for a balanced CQB rifle and can easily push out to 300. This is my personal experience with a 9.5, 12.5 and 16 stainless barrels. Don't have much good experience with the NEA barrels.
 
At last weekends SR clinic one gentleman was getting solid hits with his 10.5 at 500 yards.....your skill will effect things more than barrel length. Get whatever suits you.

14.5 and 16 are great for general use. I have both a 20 and a 10.5 and love them both. If you are going to play at CQB then the short side of 14.5 down to 10.5 would be the most fun. if you are mainly going to shoot SR type long distance matches than 16" or higher would be best.
 
I wouldn't go as low as a 10, but a 12.5 would be sweet.

If you like the 12.5, get it, you won't regret it cause you will have bought another before you have the chance to.

I have an 11.5, it'll connect with the 200 yard gongs everytime if I do my parts. Just bear in mind, it is a battle barrel length, don't expect groups from it.
 
I have a 12.5 and I consistently reach out to max (200yrds) at my range with an aimpoint 2moa sight. You can't go wrong with either a 12.5 or 14.5 IMO.
Regarding velocity, I think the rule of thumb is you loose approximately 75-100fps per 1 inch loss of barrel.

Keep us updated with your decision! Cheers.
 
I own a 14.5" DI in .223 and a 9.75" piston driven in 300BLK, I've also owned a 10.5" and 20" in .223 and I would suggest the 14.5" for your first one. The shorter you go the louder they get, especially if you toss the birdcage and put a brake on it. The 14.5 is great for any range out to 300 yards and could probably go further but I haven't shot mine beyond 300yds. I've also shot a 16" out to 400 yards and it was a little smoother with the midlength gas system so it is another good option.
I just bought a piston driven 12.5" and will be picking it up Friday. I like them shorter since I have bolt actions and a 20" Swiss classic green for longer shots.
The 20" AR was very smooth and accurate and I could rapid fire and hit a 12" plate at 300 yards every shot.
It really comes down to what you like the looks of the best. They are all capable of hitting 200yds no problem and the loss of velocity from the shorter barrels won't really come into play till your out past 200yds.
I would avoid weighing it down with a bunch of crap you don't need and keep it light and simple. A decent 1-4 or 2-7 power scope or a red dot is all it really needs for a range toy. Flashlights and lasers and all kinds of extras just make them heavy and there really isn't any practical purpose to them for most of us.

Best thing about an AR is that if you decide later that you want something different you can just buy another upper and swap it out in 30 seconds (or less) and have a whole new experience. You can also swap the barrel in the one you have if you decide you don't like that one.

Good luck
 
I would choose a 12.5" model. I say this because I find the 10.5's are ridiculously loud and you're starting to sacrifice velocity, whereas a 12.5 has similiar charateristics to a 14.5 as was previously mentioned. I say this because I am a fan of shorter rifles, they're generally lighter and drive better. I have an ACR that I can shoot the piss out of prone, but get me up and running around I do much better with my old 10.5 AR or my Tavor, even though the ACR is a fantastic rifle, but the length and weight hanging off the end can be a hinderence. You have to remember that with shorter barrels you do not lose accuracy like some people claim, once the bullet is stabilized it will go straight, what happens is you lose velocity, in return limiting your range. Hope this helps a bit.
 
I like the 14.5" as a general purpose length of barrel. Long enough to get some distance, short enough to handle nice and quick.

With a variable 1-4x Excellent quality Optic (don't skimp here), you would do fine plinking targets out to 300, and still have a nice fast manoeuvrable gun for CQB should you go that route. The beauty is that if funds permit and down the road you are shooting Service Rifle and CQB, you could get yourself a dedicated upper for each sport, and swap as your day dictates. I once saw a guy shoot a three gun stage, starting with a 20" match barrel upper to engage his long range targets, and before leaving the shooting position to engage on the run and closer, he actually switched the upper to a short barrel upper. Didn't do much for his time, but it's doable. YMMV
 
Canadian eh! said:
At last weekends SR clinic one gentleman was getting solid hits with his 10.5 at 500 yards.....your skill will effect things more than barrel length. Get whatever suits you.

14.5 and 16 are great for general use. I have both a 20 and a 10.5 and love them both. If you are going to play at CQB then the short side of 14.5 down to 10.5 would be the most fun. if you are mainly going to shoot SR type long distance matches than 16" or higher would be best.
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Interesting; I was able to hit a letter-sized piece of paper pretty consistently at 200 using irons on my 10.5" Norc (I'd swapped out the blocky factory post for a much finer NM post, which helped). And this was just from prone, with 55-grain AE bulk. I'm going to be taking it out again this weekend to see how it'll do off bags.
 
Man i love this web site!!! Ok thanks so much for all the insight!!! I had not even thought about the noise factor at all!! i mean its not really a huge factor, but still, great to know. I guess the biggest thing was the ability to adequately hit paper at various distances, but im learning that from 12.5" and up, that wont be a big deal. As it stands now, im deciding if i should try to budget for this gun a little longer, or if i should just dump the cost on my visa..... I really want to pay cash for the damn thing, but the waiting is KILLING me!
That said, i do my range orientation this weekend (May 5th) so i should probably just chill for a bit...lol

Thanks again for the great feedback
 
MrSpit said:
Man i love this web site!!! Ok thanks so much for all the insight!!! I had not even thought about the noise factor at all!! i mean its not really a huge factor, but still, great to know. I guess the biggest thing was the ability to adequately hit paper at various distances, but im learning that from 12.5" and up, that wont be a big deal. As it stands now, im deciding if i should try to budget for this gun a little longer, or if i should just dump the cost on my visa..... I really want to pay cash for the damn thing, but the waiting is KILLING me!
That said, i do my range orientation this weekend (May 5th) so i should probably just chill for a bit...lol

Thanks again for the great feedback
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If the range orientation is at EOSC, bring it out to the Summer Milshoot; there's an Open class for rifles that aren't pre-1946 military surplus. Lots of guys shoot ARs in the Open. It's a really good time.
 
Without being judgmental I really can't see the fascination with shorter barrel AR's since most of us will never be in a battle situation. Mine is 16 and I don't find it at all clumsy in the matches I shoot in. Many of the three gunners use 20 inch barrels. I will give you one possibly major advantage to a 16 inch or better barrel and that is that you can cross the border with it as long as it's not a Norinco. I just got back from Texas where I compete just about every week and having my hardware with me is a must. Under 16 inch is a "Short Barreled Rifle" in the US and requires far too much fuss as SBR's require a special tax stamp and are restricted in certain ways. I'm not even sure we could qualify for one.
 
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I guess the most practical reason for me is dropping a slung rifle while taking a knee and reaching for my sidearm. A longer gun would smack me in the jaw, but a 10.5 falls out of the way leaving me free to transition while kneeling.

Although when it comes down to it, I built a 10.5 because It's awesome and I can. :D
 
hercster said:
Without being judgmental I really can't see the fascination with shorter barrel AR's since most of us will never be in a battle situation. Mine is 16 and I don't find it at all clumsy in the matches I shoot in. Many of the three gunners use 20 inch barrels. I will give you one possibly major advantage to a 16 inch or better barrel and that is that you can cross the border with it as long as it's not a Norinco. I just get back from Texas where I compete just about every week and having my hardware with me is a must. Under 16 inch is a "Short Barreled Rifle" in the US and requires far too much fuss as SBR's require a special tax stamp and are restricted in certain ways. I'm not even sure we could qualify for one.
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frankly a 10.5" isn't really all that effective for combat outside of CQB, the .223 projectiles have a tendency to "icepick" when they drop under about 2400FPS, which severely limits wounding potential, combine that with their rather poor BC and you get a gun that, while accurate, isn't combat effective beyond 1 or 200m. Personally, for a combat 5.56mm carbine I would be hesitant to go shorter than 14.5" with 16-18" being preferred. If you want a good short gun go for something like the .300BLK, it uses faster burning magnum pistol powders, and has a wider bore creating more volume to burn them in, meaning that you don't lose near so much velocity by shortening the barrel. Combine that with the better ballistic performance of .308 projectiles and you have a serious contender.
 
All lengths are excellent for 200 yards. Whether you have a Standard M16 (20") barrelled AR, M4 (14.5-16" barrel) or an XM177 (basically anything shorter than 14.5"), you'll do just fine at 200. However if you want the BEST one, I'd personally suggest 20". I have a 10.5 and a 16" AR and I would say the 16" is VERY versatile.
 
I have had a few different lengths and my overall favorite is 14.5. It just seems to be the perfect middle ground 12 and under is fun for being loud and lots of flame. 18 and up is good for trying to get a tight group.
 
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