chopping a .223

Betterrifles

Well-Known Member
gentlemen,

I'm going to get my R8 .223 chopped, will be shooting 50gn bullets, how short can i go without problems and what velocities should i expect.

it currently 22 3/4", i was thinking maybe 18" to be a good printable truck and highest gun.

anyone done this?
 
I chopped a .222 down to 19"
no issues at all

much nicer to walk with than the current 22+" thing
 
you'll start to get a lot of muzzle flash / blast and itll be louder[/QUOTE said:
Not if he uses a mod he wont, however there is a risk of unburnt powder build up in your moderator unless you change to a faster burning powder for your reloads, the goal being to have all the powder combusted within the confines of whatever length you choose to cut your barrel to.

Ian.
 
Varget is fairly fast burning. Either way, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Short barrels have their downsides and upsides. So long as you're happy with the negatives there is no reason not to chop it down.

Most AR15's in the US are between 16" (legal minimum without a tax stamp) and 20" (the length of an M16 barrel) so may be worth checking out US forums.
 
My AR-15 lightweight carbines, with 16-inch barrels ( legal minimum for a rifle in the USA), will shoot the USGI 55-gr ammunition, various brands, about 3,050 FPS, and 69-gr match just under 2,800.
 
I'm Just in the process of having my rem .223 I in 12 twist, cut down to 17 inches. I looked into it and read up a fair bit on the web before I decided on this length. Primarily I wanted something that would handle easily with a CQB mod on the end. Mainly for fox use. My research led me to the conclusion that the velocity of the .223 round was not too badly affected by barrel shortening and as I would be using it mainly for 2-300 yard shots ,17 inch would keep me happy. Loads on the web with one article showing velocity drop as barrel cut down inch by inch (which was less than expected) and that as the barrel got somewhat shorter accuracy actually improved due to the harmonics of the now shorter stiffer barrel Interestingly .
Anyway good luck with whatever you decide to do, if I have any good or unexpected surprises following the barrel shortening I will post up for you to see.
Al
 
I had Norman Clark shorten, thread and crown my Sauer 202 and fit a ASE Jet Z compact. It was 24", he recommended 20" as a minimum, which is what i had done. Its fantastic now, prints tiny groups with home loaded Nosler 55gr BT's doing 3150 fps.
 
Back
Top