Which would you prefer?

[JHoward]

I have owned two 14.7 mid lengths from PSA and a handful from BCM and they have all been great shooters. Mine would lock back Tula with an H buffer. I would recommend going with whatever company you can get a good muzzle device installed from. I have never tried to get PSA to install one, but I can say that with BCM giving free BCG's with their uppers, that is a pretty solid value right now. I ordered my last one with a BCM Gunfighter comp pinned. It was an awesome rifle. Very flat shooting, and the Gunfighter comp is not too aggressive that you have to double up on ear pro.

[UWone77]

I honestly never felt a big difference between mid and carbine systems in a 14.5" barrel, but that's just me.

If your talking about building the most general purpose AR you possibly can, a carbine length gas system will cycle/ and or lock back with a wider range of ammunition more reliably... But at that point you are talking about cycling 98% of ammunition versus 96%

why are you looking at 14.7" and not 14.5"?

I agree with you. I think people who claim that a 14.5 Mid shoots softer than a 14.5" carbine or whatnot is suffering from a placebo effect. I can't tell the difference, maybe there is one, but I can't feel it.

14.7's and 14.5's with pinned muzzle devices suck for the most part. 14.7's and 14.8's exist so people can pin and weld standard muzzle devices like A2's without getting a longer one to meet the legal length.

I would argue you should only have hard use/abuse rifles. Just my opinion though.

[JHoward]

It's a lot more noticeable in a 16" mid vs. carbine IMO.

[Ride4frnt]

I agree with you. I think people who claim that a 14.5 Mid shoots softer than a 14.5" carbine or whatnot is suffering from a placebo effect. I can't tell the difference, maybe there is one, but I can't feel it.

14.7's and 14.5's with pinned muzzle devices suck for the most part. 14.7's and 14.8's exist so people can pin and weld standard muzzle devices like A2's without getting a longer one to meet the legal length.

I would argue you should only have hard use/abuse rifles. Just my opinion though.

Reckon I should have worded my first post better. I agree on the fact that it's more noticeable on the 16", but the thought is still the same. Theoretically there should be a difference, albeit negligible.

[GOST]

I don't know what the difference in cyclic rate is between a 14.5" middy or carbine, but the middy may be a little easier on parts. One thing to consider is with a carbine length the gas block is a little farther back and shifts the center of balance back a little. A lot of guys on other forums are claiming that the BCM 14.5" ELW feels like a 12.5".

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-1....5-elw-std.htm

[FortTom]

Soisauss, what is it that you built into your rifles, that make them marginal? I say marginal, because you said you wanted a heavy duty do it all gun. As far as the difference between mid-length or carbine, I really don't think it matters one bit as to the toughness of your weapons. I have to admit that two of my rifles with heavier barrels and C4 rails "feel" beefier than the Voodoo Arms ultra light barrel KMR rifle I built, but I really wouldn't feel underserved grabbing any rifle in my safe, say in a natural disaster or something, where I could only grab one and go. Now I have narrowed it down to six and one AR-10. Unless you just want to build another rifle, I'd go back through what ever you've built so far, and rectify any steps you took that make you not have faith in them as a "do anything" rifle. I would reconfigure every one, if I had too, unless it's a purpose built rifle like a 3 Gun comp rifle, and have a whole safe full of "do anything" rifles.

FT

[Soisauss]

Oh, I don't doubt the FN barrels, I was just in a terrible limbo on which gas system that would be the most optimized for a 14.7 as I have never trekked into this territory. 16 inch with carbine or middy I can easily say middy, but 14.7 I'm about as clueless as...well, clueless lolol

[Soisauss]

Soisauss, what is it that you built into your rifles, that make them marginal? I say marginal, because you said you wanted a heavy duty do it all gun. As far as the difference between mid-length or carbine, I really don't think it matters one bit as to the toughness of your weapons. I have to admit that two of my rifles with heavier barrels and C4 rails "feel" beefier than the Voodoo Arms ultra light barrel KMR rifle I built, but I really wouldn't feel underserved grabbing any rifle in my safe, say in a natural disaster or something, where I could only grab one and go. Now I have narrowed it down to six and one AR-10. Unless you just want to build another rifle, I'd go back through what ever you've built so far, and rectify any steps you took that make you not have faith in them as a "do anything" rifle. I would reconfigure every one, if I had too, unless it's a purpose built rifle like a 3 Gun comp rifle, and have a whole safe full of "do anything" rifles.

FT

By heavy duty, I meant one that will see more rounds than any of my current ar. it would be the one that sits in the trunk of my car for a random impromptu range meet or do heavy drills on. That's what I meant. I know all my rifles are above and beyond duty capable and would never fail and would not hesitate a bit on grabbing one and go , but they tend to have fancier parts in it, not that I don't abuse them already. But also I wanted a shorter barrel or moreso a straight 16" instead of a 16" + the muzzle device.


UW, I think all my current ar's have seen it's fair share of rain water, mud and vegetations (oopss, did I drop that? let me wipe off the mud lolol).

The whole purpose of this thread was to clarify on the optimal gas system one would use on a 14 inch barrel as I have zero clue on it, because I thought it was only the carbine gas system for a 14 inch, didn't know they even made a middy for a 14.
My apologies if my initial post didn't make sense. lol

[GOST]

They're both good to go, mine just doesn't like weaker pressured steel case ammo.

[Will@AR15Hunter]

14.5" and shorter = carbine
16" = middy
18-20"+ = rifle

That's what I've seen some say is the order of which system to run.

I'm with UWone77 here, I can't tell the difference in felt recoil between a middy and carbine. I've owned both.

I prefer carbine gas for my carbines because it's a proven system on the battlefield. I don't buy the hype of the mid length gas system (the "better" dwell time is measured in milliseconds, it's supposedly easier on parts, less recoil, etc.). I will say that when iron sights are concerned (as in a barrel with a FSB), the middy barrel does offer a longer sight radius. This is the only positive I can find to the middy system on a carbine, and that disappears when you talk about longer rails with low-pro gas blocks, etc.

So, my vote is carbine for a 14.5" or 14.7".

[Soisauss]

14.5" and shorter = carbine
16" = middy
18-20"+ = rifle

That's what I've seen some say is the order of which system to run.

I'm with UWone77 here, I can't tell the difference in felt recoil between a middy and carbine. I've owned both.

I prefer carbine gas for my carbines because it's a proven system on the battlefield. I don't buy the hype of the mid length gas system (the "better" dwell time is measured in milliseconds, it's supposedly easier on parts, less recoil, etc.). I will say that when iron sights are concerned (as in a barrel with a FSB), the middy barrel does offer a longer sight radius. This is the only positive I can find to the middy system on a carbine, and that disappears when you talk about longer rails with low-pro gas blocks, etc.

So, my vote is carbine for a 14.5" or 14.7".

Actually, I plan on running a front FSB instead of a low pro gas block. But thanks for those info!! :D


I guess it's appropriate to maybe say, why not build both? lolol

[JHoward]

I just love my mid lengths. Especially 14.5". I'm very partial to them. I haven't owned a carbine length gas system over 14.5" in a long time. I guess I'm a mid-length fanboy, but I'm also an FSB fanboy, and 14.5" mid lengths with FSB's are just freakin good-looking.

[Soisauss]

I just love my mid lengths. Especially 14.5". I'm very partial to them. I haven't owned a carbine length gas system over 14.5" in a long time. I guess I'm a mid-length fanboy, but I'm also an FSB fanboy, and 14.5" mid lengths with FSB's are just freakin good-looking.

This. is what I'm after, less the carry handle. Very nice sir!

[WHSmithIV]

14.7's and 14.5's with pinned muzzle devices suck for the most part. 14.7's and 14.8's exist so people can pin and weld standard muzzle devices like A2's without getting a longer one to meet the legal length.

Just out of curiosity UWone, why do you think that 14.5's with pinned (or welded) muzzle devices suck? Granted, it's a pain to change one if you decide you want a different one. I'm curious because I've been thinking about doing a .300 Blackout with a 14.5 barrel.

[WHSmithIV]

JHoward - I like that first one with the carry handle too.