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18" rifle length gas or 16.1" intermediate length gas barrel


shadoflame

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I cannot come to a decision on what to replace my worn dissipator barrel with. The current barrel does not have enough dwell time for my liking. I am currently reloading my own and am using an adjustable gas block. Also I am using a 1-6x optic, no irons.

Does anyone have any feedback on the two?

Thank you.

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I am not entirely convinced light weight translates into faster stage times. Yes, you can swing the gun faster, but it is more nervous on target, and when it shoots it is less stable. When I try the same stage with light and heavy guns, the time difference is almost nothing.

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It really should depend on where and how you plan to shoot.

If you are into more local matches that rarely get out past 200, stick with the short barrel.

If you are wanting to go to regional or major matches and/or your local matches frequently go to 300 and beyond, you might want to stick with an 18 inch barrel.

Yes, you will hear some people professing to be able to consistently hit itty bitty targets at 500 yards with a 16 inch barrel and 55 grain ammo. Reality is going to some of the matches that have targets out past 250, what you will see consistently perform are the 18 inch barrels.

I have both, but 90% of the time shoot the 18. If you use an adjustable gas block and low mass bolt, you can get a 16 inch gun to shoot pretty flat and soft. Not as nice as an 18 with the same setup, but soft enough for quick shots and low splits

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The Stretch 16 and Nordic 18 are almost identical in performance. I have shot both out to 700 yards and if you know your zero, there is no practical difference. The recoil impulse is indistinguishable as well. It really comes down to balance and total weight between the two. If you are big, a 16" might not let your hand get far enough out on a 16" gun whereas the 18" will.

I have built guns with every 16" barrel out there to test them and the Stretch 16 really gives you 18" performance in a 2" shorter length.

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The Stretch 16 and Nordic 18 are almost identical in performance. I have shot both out to 700 yards and if you know your zero, there is no practical difference. The recoil impulse is indistinguishable as well. It really comes down to balance and total weight between the two. If you are big, a 16" might not let your hand get far enough out on a 16" gun whereas the 18" will.

I have built guns with every 16" barrel out there to test them and the Stretch 16 really gives you 18" performance in a 2" shorter length.

marco, have you tried the odin works 16.1 intermediate?

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The Stretch 16 and Nordic 18 are almost identical in performance. I have shot both out to 700 yards and if you know your zero, there is no practical difference. The recoil impulse is indistinguishable as well. It really comes down to balance and total weight between the two. If you are big, a 16" might not let your hand get far enough out on a 16" gun whereas the 18" will.

I have built guns with every 16" barrel out there to test them and the Stretch 16 really gives you 18" performance in a 2" shorter length.

marco, have you tried the odin works 16.1 intermediate?

Yep. Odin copied the Stretch16, just did not do as good of a job.

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I don't know who could tell the difference between a 16 and 18 during a stage if all other parts are the same (stock, handguard, etc.) I have 2 guns which are identical except for the barrel, one is 16 the other is 18 and both are mid-length gas. Both are 100% reliable. My advice is flip a coin, pick one and stick with it. Being used to the gun is more important than having the latest and greatest.

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The Stretch 16 and Nordic 18 are almost identical in performance. I have shot both out to 700 yards and if you know your zero, there is no practical difference. The recoil impulse is indistinguishable as well. It really comes down to balance and total weight between the two. If you are big, a 16" might not let your hand get far enough out on a 16" gun whereas the 18" will.

I have built guns with every 16" barrel out there to test them and the Stretch 16 really gives you 18" performance in a 2" shorter length.

marco, have you tried the odin works 16.1 intermediate?

Yep. Odin copied the Stretch16, just did not do as good of a job.

How is the stretch 16 better?

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The Stretch 16 and Nordic 18 are almost identical in performance. I have shot both out to 700 yards and if you know your zero, there is no practical difference. The recoil impulse is indistinguishable as well. It really comes down to balance and total weight between the two. If you are big, a 16" might not let your hand get far enough out on a 16" gun whereas the 18" will.

I have built guns with every 16" barrel out there to test them and the Stretch 16 really gives you 18" performance in a 2" shorter length.

marco, have you tried the odin works 16.1 intermediate?

Yep. Odin copied the Stretch16, just did not do as good of a job.

How is the stretch 16 better?

For one thing, the gas port is proper size to allow reliable function, it is hand lapped by McGowen, and is more accurate.

The Odin is none of those because they copied the Stretch.

I own both, have shot both extensively, and now all I use in competition is the Stretch.

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I have both built up in my own guns right now. For RM3G, I will probably shoot the 18" Nordic with the XTRII 1-5. For Noveske, I will shoot the 16" Stretch with the MTAC 1-4, so i guess I do not have to choose. :roflol:

The trade-offs are minimal for me and honestly, for a 50% male 3Gunner, I might say the 18" Nordic would be my suggestion. The benefits of the hits on rifle from 300 yards on out would likely be better than the small gains due to faster transitions. 50% shooters just do not transition as fast regardless of the weight. For someone smaller in stature or for short berm match type shooting, I might say the Stretch16.

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Thanks for making the point about skill levels. I'll admit to being one of those 50% or so guys.

edited to add.. LOL Tony, apparently me!

Edited by Neomet
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What is a 50% male 3Gunner Mark?

Not derogatory at all. It is the largest group of 3Gunners. The 30-60 year old male 3Gunners who have major match scores that are about 50% of the match winner. That makes up about half of the normal major. They represent the backbone of the sport IMHO. Maybe shoot 1-4 majors a year, a few local matches and just love the sport.

I see many people buy the gear that "Pro Shooter XYZ" is using and in many cases, it is detrimental to their scoresheet. Either because they spend too much on gear and can not afford any practice ammo, or because it is literally too twitchy for them. I take new folks out and let them try my guns often. The lightweight gear is almost always harder for them to shoot than the heavier gear.

My 13 year old, who with the pistol is doing very well, shoots the 30% heavier Ruger MarkII better than the 22/45 Lite with a VQ trigger. As his skills develop, he is closing the gap and by this time next year, I think it will have flipped for him.

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