
Originally Posted by
Brian
Great point and probably worth mentioning... since you have decided you want a 16" barrel, you still have a couple decisions to make.
1) As ray mentioned above, BCM (and others) often have different grades of barrels. Some may be lightweight, some have thicker chrome plating, etc. I agree that the "BFH" hammer forged barrels from BCM are worth the extra cost - you may not ever end up shooting it enough to notice the difference in wear, but it's probably good insurance spent. If you have the extra money and aren't 100% sure what you want, nobody is going to tell you that a Bravo Company BFH barrel is anything but a good choice.
2) You should read up on carbine vs. mid-length gas systems - a 16" barrel can be either. Frankly either one is fine, but you should understand the differences and make a deliberate decision. In general a midlength gives you a slightly longer gas system meaning your handguards will usually be slightly longer and (in theory at least) you have a little less wear due to pressure differences. The carbine length is still more common and is the default way to go unless you're interested in the potential benefits of the mid.
I don't remember seeing it - did you decide on what profile of barrel you want and whether you're doing a FSB or gas block?