M14 Barrel Thickness Differences

Is there even such a thing as a "light" M14/M1A barrel? I have only seen standard profile (USGI) or heavy weight (Douglas, Krieger).
 
From what I understand the "standard" is generally considered the light version. There are mediums along the mix but doubtfully much from the USGI era.
 
If I recall correctly, the Krieger website has the drawings for the different barrel profiles. There's the Standard/USGI, the Saco-Lowell NM (a med-heavy profile used on the NM rifles and the M21, Criterion makes a copy of this), the Med-Heavy profile the USMC used for the DMR/EMR and the true Heavy profile that requires a proprietary op-rod guide. Those are just the Krieger/Criterion offerings in 22" length. There are a few other companies making different lengths and proprietary profiles: SEI, SAI, Bula, John Wolfe, etc. Like with any barrel the pros as you get heavier are that the barrel is slower to heat up and therefore less likely to string shots in longer/faster strings of fire and the cons are that as the barrel profile gets heavier so does the weight...
 
For what it's worth, I've seen dramatic differences in consistency and precision in an M1A rebarreled from a Standard to Medium profile (1-2 MOA to .6-1.5 MOA with no temperature related stringing). When it comes time, I will do this and move from a 22" to an 18.5" to reduce the weight.

The biggest gain for me would be consistent cold bore shots rather than the normal (for me) first round flyers.
 
I understand that the heavy barrel won't "drop in" to a standard barrel stock.
Anyone knowledgeable about interchangeability between non-standard barrels and stocks care to shed some light?
 
My own personal Springfield M1A1 NM has a standard weight barrel, when new it would shoot a 3rd clover leaf at 100 yds if the sun was shinning and I did my part, prone from a sandbag using a 10x Pecar scope, after that I never bothered with a heavy barrel. This was using " Green Spot". The rifle is about 40 years old now probable shot over 12,000 rds and will still hold her own, her groups have opened out with time but so have mine.

I always found my first rd from a cold clean bore went 1 1/2 inches high and then we were good all day. I think it was due to the fouling not the barrel temp.
 
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I understand that the heavy barrel won't "drop in" to a standard barrel stock.
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Yes you are correct. The SAI Supermatch and Fulton Armory NM Peerless rifles for example come with heavy match barrels, and come with oversized stocks that have a widened barrel channel and ferrule.
 
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