98Z5V

This one, brother. It's still the SPR Profile in all dimensions, just with flutes. It's lighter in weight, but just as strong in rigidity. It's the badass SPR barrel, just with extras (flutes).

Good topic, and good questions. First, if you had the milspec front sight gas block on there (A frame and whatever companies call them now), that is absolutely the most bombproof way to secure that thing to your barrel. Both those pins are tapered, and literally lock that thing on your barrel. There is no other "more secure" way to attach anything to your barrel. If absolute bombproof is the goal, I'd cut that sucker down, and pound those tapered pins back in there. For the lo-pro gas block, and pinning it - gonna be hard to do, just to drill it. It would have to be secured with the set screws, locked in a vise, anf hit with a drill press, then roll-pinned in place. Think Geissele Super Gas Block. Now THAT THING ^^^, you can drill that barrel with a hand drill, and install that gas block, pinned. I've done it to several of mine. I just don't see a way to do that with a standard lo-pro, because there's not gonna be a flat there, to drill into. On the Geissele, you have the direct pilot hole right there in front of you, so hand drilling is easy. On a standard lo-pro, you'd need it locked in a vise or jig, and you have to start that pilot hole on an angled surface of the gas block. That's where Mister Drill Press comes in. Hope that makes sense - let's keep this going and figure it out.

My 16" Grendel Mod H is the overall baddest gas gun I have. It's the overall best gun I own. That barrel length and caliber will do anything I could ever expect it to do, at whatever realistic distance I'd shoot it at, and it'll still smoke a Mk12 5.56 18" gun. Now, for 5.56, even though I stated that a 16" will get it done... I'd do your gun in 18" barrel length. Give the 5.56 cartridge every possible advantage that you can throw at it - make it an 18", and run the heavies for ammo. It won't let you down.

I can tell you this much - I wouldn't shy away from a 16" barrel. Lemme explain that a little bit. #1. I wouldn't do a 5.56 barrel shorter than 11.5", as a general truck-gun type of rifle, and I'd prefer a 12.5" - simply for the ballistics. I have a 7.5", but that's truck-gun, or for running while you're inside a vehicle, and can't get out - yet. It's hard moving a 10.3, 11.5, 12.5 inside a vehicle. So, that short little 7.5 has one job. The ballistics suck, as far as terminal velocity goes, but I only need it to get me out of a vehicle, or stuck in a vehicle - get the vehicle out of the area. Off the X. As far as the Mk18 goes, the US Army SOF guys dropped the 10.3" barrels, and moved to 11.5" barrels for that platform. Decided, done, no more 10.3s on Mk18s. It's just ballistics. Now, 20" barrels are over rated. I don't think any barrel should be longer than 18", for a general purpose, all around rifle. Make an accurate load, build an accurate gun, and it's only a math problem after that, to the limits of your ballistics. Need to go further than that? Build a different caliber... Every build has a different purpose... #2. 18" 5.56 hand loads, my Mk262 clone load. It's 2789.75 fps out of an 18" barrel, averaged over 30 shots. The magic number that you need to hit in an 18" 5.56 gun running the heavies (75 or 77gr projos) is 2750 fps. That's the magic number for making those projectiles perform at a minimum of 600 meters, but all the way, very effectively, out to 850 meters. I've shot my handload out to 1100 yards on a fullsize IPSC target. For some weird reason, I need that gun to make hits out to 1150 yards. I just want that number. I used meters in the first example because that's military measurement, and standards for the issued ammo. I used yards after that, because I don't measure, estimate range, or shoot meters anymore. I have no need for that now. Now, that same load through the 16" 5.56 gun. It's had an avg of 2663 fps through a brand new barrel, and still wasn't broken in. Those were just the first shots through it. That's a 126 fps drop over the 18" gun, but also a brand new barrel, that needs shot more. It'll pick up a little, somewhere in the 100~200 round count, and it'll smooth out. If the load works, and is accurate, that'll be a badass (2" shorter) gas gun.

Hell yeah, brother!

LaRue is discontinuing the LT-104 mount, so there's about 500 of them left. Charging $199 for them with the QD levers. That's about $60 off normal price. I snagged one in 34mm. If anybody wants to grab one, better get one of the last ones fast... Lesson 65b - You snooze, you lose. https://www.larue.com/products/larue-tactical-spr-m4-scope-mount-qd-lt104/?mc_cid=6d685e7e79&mc_eid=bd9d7dbc01

I've talked about this before, here. The data is here, where I've said it. 10.5" and the Mk18 10.3" barrels - there's a HUGE difference once you go to 11.5". That's the minimum barrel length I'd ever recommend for a 5.56 gun, ever, based on years of data. SOCOM recently (or not so recently) changed all their Mk18s to 11.5" barrels. Because, math matters. Check this vid out - I've preached it here before.

Got one of those as a war trophy, PI in 2002. I'll dig it out and put up pics. I love Kukri blades. EDIT - As promised:

I think it's badass, but I'd do the 18" SPR Profile .223 Wylde Chamber, 1:8" rifle gas barrel - before I'd do that 20" barrel. All day, hands down. The Premium Series. Do it stainless, or nitrided - same barrel, different treatments. One is dull silver, the other is black. These two: https://www.ballisticadvantage.com/18-223-wylde-spr-stainless-steel-rifle-length-ar-15-barrel-w-ops-12-premium-series.html https://www.ballisticadvantage.com/18-223-wylde-spr-stainless-steel-rifle-length-ar-15-barrel-w-ops-12-premium-black-series.html I have the SPR Profile Premium Series barrels in: 18" .223 Wylde (two) 16" .223 Wylde (two or three, hard to count right now...) 16" 6.5 Grendel 18" 6.5 Grendel 18" 6 ARC 18" .224 Valkyrie ^^^ Those are the stainless ones, Premium Series. I might be forgetting one, not sure. I'm pretty sure that's the count on those, though. They make them in CrMo, 5.56 NATO Chamber, 1:7" twist, too, the Modern Series. I have two of the 18" 5.56 barrels in those. Bought one for @JBMatt for his birfday a few years ago, as well, outside of my two. Got it on sale, and he was worth it, so Let's Do This!... They don't suck. They have a 1 MOA guarantee on those, all those listed above, if you're using match ammo. I can definitely confirm that 1 MOA Guarantee, too. They get it done. You won't make a bad decision with the purchase of a BA barrel. For what this gun should be, I'd very highly suggest the SPR Profile barrels, and nothing else. For all around, I'd suggest the .223 Wylde chambers, 1:8" twist, and those are only in the Premium Series.

I'll take the Chain Gun...

Not this old toaster, you two.

Hell Fuckin' YEAH, it's worthy!

This one is Kimmy. To the bone. Wish she wasn't batshiit crazy... she was the one. Minus the Batshiit Crazy part. I'm not doing that anymore. Unless Jodi Arias gets paroled. Jodi is the safe one, and a Keeper. That's long-term crazy, that's been rehabbed. I still want that one.

Saw both of those in concert, unreal. Both bands.

Breaking with my 80's poop right now, but I have to post one of the baddest singers on this planet. Sully Erna. You know him. You fuckers started this rabbit hole...

Some more Def...

I don't think you realized what you have just done, but you have fired up THE GREG with that one. He's hardcore Pantera, to the bone. @edgecrusher

FUK IT... Here's ZZ Top WITH Carmen Electra...

I hope I don't trip and fall into the ZZ Top hole. That's another whole level of badassery from the 80's.

I'm not going down the AC/DC road - everything is badass. Nobody will ever top them.

Now, I gotta do Joan Jett. You fuckers pushed me... Might as well throw Billy Squire in here too.

Now I'm fired up. These fuckers are unreal live. Another badass one... Cheap Trick.

...this is a rabbit hole that I can't get out of tonight. Fuk you guys.

^^^ Not to mention seeing all the Bad Motherfuckers in that video - seeing Joe Elliot in there is some amazing shiit. They're all badass. Getting Tommy Vext in there, on that, AFTER he told Bad Wolves to eat a dick, is perfect. Badass song, legendary motherfuckers. All in one.

I'm bad into Slipknot, brother. Corey Taylor is a bad motherfucker. Both Slipknot and Stone Sour. He's unreal. Here's a good one of him, and a BUNCH of other badass motherfuckin' singers and players.