Do you like it?  Do you think it was worth the hassle of the pin/weld?  What are your experiences and opinions on 14.5" bbls?

I have both a 16" bbl with welded 5.5" flash hider and a 2.5" comp. the 5.5 is very violent. I installed an adjustable gas tube but have yet to tune it. The 2.5" has a comp on it and runs smoothly. Gotta bump fire them to put them thru the real test.

I have both a 16" bbl with welded 5.5" flash hider and a 2.5" comp. the 5.5 is very violent. I installed an adjustable gas tube but have yet to tune it. The 2.5" has a comp on it and runs smoothly. Gotta bump fire them to put them thru the real test.

wait what?  You have a 16" bbl with a 5.5" FH?  So total length is 21.5"?!?  or am i reading that wrong.

Total length is 16.1".   Sorry being vague.

My 14.5 piston upper runs smooth and Rainier Arms made the pinning and welding process painless.

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My 14.5 piston upper runs smooth and Rainier Arms made the pinning and welding process painless.

Wow that looks pretty nice.  I just bought a barrel and muzzle brake from them.  Gonna send them my barrel nut and have them pin/weld for me.  This ar is going to look so pimp!

I really don't see the point of a 14.5" barrel...You'd still need to make it total 16", so your rifle is not going to be any more compact or noticably lighter. The performance and accuracy differences are negligible. So unless you've bought a 14.5" with muzzle device already permanently installed, it's not worth the cost or effort to get one pinned and welded (then you're stuck with that).  With a 16" barrel, you can always change your muzzle device if it became damaged, find something that works better, or just feel like it.

I really don't see the point of a 14.5" barrel...You'd still need to make it total 16", so your rifle is not going to be any more compact or noticably lighter. The performance and accuracy differences are negligible. So unless you've bought a 14.5" with muzzle device already permanently installed, it's not worth the cost or effort to get one pinned and welded (then you're stuck with that).  With a 16" barrel, you can always change your muzzle device if it became damaged, find something that works better, or just feel like it.

I felt that way too for a while and still do to a degree....but after debating whether to get one or not for a year, i decided to just go for it.  During that year of debating, i did a lot of "picture searching" and research.  IMO there's more downsides to having a 14.5" than up for just the reason that you stated.  However, I think 14.5" just "looks" bad ass and wanted at least one to have purely to satisfy my aesthetic needs in an ar15. 

When i came across pics like this, it basically sealed the deal.

I have a Noveske 14.5" carbine gas with a permed BC 1.5 that is my current "shooter".  I'm currently assembling a BCM 14.5 lightweight middy with a permed BC 1.5 as well.

If I was limited to 16" barrels, a pinned 14.5 or 14.7 would be as perfect as you could get.  Being that any justifiable shooting you would ever be involved in will be well within 100 yards, it makes you appreciate the shortest allowable length.

I have a 14.5" Daniel Defense upper with a pinned Battlecomp 1.5. It's my favorite AR. One thing to keep in mind is most muzzle devices come in two lengths. Normal,
which is the same length as a regular A2 flash hider, and extended versions which are made specifically to bring the overall length of 14.5 barrels 16.25" . The extra
0.25" gives you a little legal breathing room. A standard 16" barrel with regular length muzzle device is about 17" overall. So in the end, your overall barrel length only
ends up being about 0.75" (or maybe 1.0") shorter than the more common 16" barrels. I mention that because some people think they'll end up with a 1.5" shorter
barrel which isn't the case.

Having said that, I say go for it anyway. If I lived in a "free" state, I guarantee you I'd have at least one SBR. I think they're super sweet. Being in Hawaii, the shortest I can
go is 14.5" so I'll take what I can get. Plus, actual M4's have a 14.5 barrel and I wanted mine to be as similar to the military issued M4's as possible. Just research muzzle devices because you'll be stuck with it. It can be removed, but not without destroying it in the process. I chose the Battlecomp because the reviews I read seemed to indicate it had the best balance between muzzle rise reduction and noise reduction. Also research the shop doing the pinning/welding. Some might have a 2-3 day turnaround, some are weeks or even months.

Taken directly from Noveske.com SS barrel page.

HOW DO I CHOOSE BARREL LENGTH?
(In my opinion)
Barrel lengths and caliber selection are determined by the following factors: weapon weight, maximum required range, terminal ballistic requirements, ammunition supply, and vehicular or mission-based length maximums. In my opinion, a shooter should try to select the shortest barrel possible to accomplish the given task. Short barrels are very accurate because of their relative rigidity compared to a longer barrel of equal diameter. I don’t subscribe to the school that thinks short barrels burn powder at differing rates; if that were true, the velocities would differ on the longer barrel as well. Also, in most cases, the fastest load out of a short barrel will be the fastest load out of a long barrel. Adding barrel length only increases velocity, which translates to increased range. If you have a barrel length maximum, but require greater terminal ballistics, choosing a larger round may be a good answer. There are too many anecdotes to list here. I like the saying, "Overkill is an oxymoron, there are many levels of wounded, but only one level of dead." Choose what you realistically think you will need, and err on the lighter/smaller side.
—John

http://noveskerifleworks.com/cgi-bin/imcart/display.cgi?cat=110

Again it is J.Noveske's opinion.