Barrel Weight Difference - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

**Rustynuts** · 07-07-2008, 03:48 PM

What's the weight penalty on a 14.5" M4A1 SOCOM over a regular M4 barrel?

**mvician** · 07-07-2008, 04:18 PM

14.5" M4 barrel is 1lb. 9oz.
14.5" M4A1 barrel is 1lb. 13oz.

whopping dif of 4 ounces.

**Rustynuts** · 07-07-2008, 04:27 PM

So is the A1 a better all around choice then?

**mvician** · 07-07-2008, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustynuts

So is the A1 a better all around choice then?

It's up to you

Mine is a Colt, realtively rare, and I got the upper for a song.

EricCartmann · 07-07-2008, 11:25 PM

4 oz at the barrel end of the gun is a lot. Your AR can gain weight elsewhere and it would still handle the same. But put that extra weight at the very end and the weapon becomes unbalanced...

I am just nitpicking and splitting hairs, that extra weight is easy to get use to. Just saying if I had a choice, I would always go lighter barrel (for semi auto, now if I were building a MG I would go heaviest barrel possible).

**Rustynuts** · 07-08-2008, 03:54 PM

Isn't most of the extra weight from the chamber to the FSB? Not at the very end? I think the barrel is thickened there to allow for the grenade launcher notch seen under the handguard in mvician's pics.

battalion13 · 07-08-2008, 04:11 PM

The M4A1 barrel was designed for USSOCOM because they have the Automatic feature on their M4A1s, thats why theirs are SOCOM "heavy" profile. The M4 is Triburst, so it has a Govt profile. Believe me, when your humping it, ever ounce counts.

**mvician** · 07-08-2008, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustynuts

Isn't most of the extra weight from the chamber to the FSB? Not at the very end? I think the barrel is thickened there to allow for the grenade launcher notch seen under the handguard in mvician's pics.

yes the extra 4 0z. is from the chamber to the FSB as seen here in this pic

EricCartmann · 07-08-2008, 07:02 PM

It don't have to be at the very end, just far enough forward and the weapon will feel unbalanced. my HBar XCR is only 6oz more compared to a light barrel.... put 6 oz in your hand and it seems like nothing, but pick up a light barrel XCR back to back with a HBAR XCR and extra weight seems like a world of difference.

07-07-2008, 03:48 PM	#1
Rustynuts XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,327	Barrel Weight Difference What's the weight penalty on a 14.5" M4A1 SOCOM over a regular M4 barrel?

07-07-2008, 04:18 PM	#2
mvician XDTalk 2K Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Indiana Posts: 2,886	14.5" M4 barrel is 1lb. 9oz. 14.5" M4A1 barrel is 1lb. 13oz. whopping dif of 4 ounces. __________________ AR15s...ya I've built more than a few http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/ar-talk...ar-family.html

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07-07-2008, 04:27 PM	#3
Rustynuts XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,327	So is the A1 a better all around choice then?

07-07-2008, 11:25 PM	#5
EricCartmann XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: My Mom's Basement Posts: 1,398	4 oz at the barrel end of the gun is a lot. Your AR can gain weight elsewhere and it would still handle the same. But put that extra weight at the very end and the weapon becomes unbalanced... I am just nitpicking and splitting hairs, that extra weight is easy to get use to. Just saying if I had a choice, I would always go lighter barrel (for semi auto, now if I were building a MG I would go heaviest barrel possible).

07-08-2008, 03:54 PM	#6
Rustynuts XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,327	Isn't most of the extra weight from the chamber to the FSB? Not at the very end? I think the barrel is thickened there to allow for the grenade launcher notch seen under the handguard in mvician's pics.

07-08-2008, 04:11 PM	#7
battalion13 XDTalk Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Corpus Christi,TX Posts: 70	The M4A1 barrel was designed for USSOCOM because they have the Automatic feature on their M4A1s, thats why theirs are SOCOM "heavy" profile. The M4 is Triburst, so it has a Govt profile. Believe me, when your humping it, ever ounce counts.

07-08-2008, 07:02 PM	#9
EricCartmann XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: My Mom's Basement Posts: 1,398	It don't have to be at the very end, just far enough forward and the weapon will feel unbalanced. my HBar XCR is only 6oz more compared to a light barrel.... put 6 oz in your hand and it seems like nothing, but pick up a light barrel XCR back to back with a HBAR XCR and extra weight seems like a world of difference.