Barrel Length 16" or 20"

[ssullivan777 0]

Any opinions on this? I am picking up my Saiga 223 Saturday and can get either length. I am using the gun for a varmint rifle, any help, or experiences appreciated.

[Bvamp 604]

longer is almost always better in terms of accuracy and satisfaction.

[uber_maus 0]

read this and then choose the longer, heavier barrel for your .223

Edited February 8, 2007 by uber_maus

[Bad Bob 0]

Any opinions on this? I am picking up my Saiga 223 Saturday and can get either length. I am using the gun for a varmint rifle, any help, or experiences appreciated.

Based on what I've read, a long barrel will generally buy you more velocity (with rifle cartridges!), but a shorter barrel, for any given barrel diameter, will generally be more rigid than a long barrel - which (theoretically speaking ;>) means the shorter barrel will be more accurate.

 

Having just said that, your best bet would be to listen to folks here with actual experience with both barrel lengths. If that information is not available, I would probably go with the 20" barrel, just to get the extra velocity (as you know, most .223 varmint rifles have barrels much longer than 20"). The extra velocity might help secure you more hits than the difference in length might cost you in terms of accuracy. In all honesty, the .223 Saiga barrel is pretty dang heavy for a military-design self-loading rifle in that calibre, so I would suspect the 20" barrel might not flex all that much more than the 16" barrel. My suggestion (which is worth everything you paid for it ;>) would be to try the 20" Saiga first. If you don't like it, you can always swap it out. Plus, the 20" Saigas seem to be more rare than the 16" versions, so that might be a consideration as well...

 

;>)

[aurbis 1]

You can always cut-down the 20" barrel in the future, to whatever you like; 18-inch, 16-inch or even shorter.

[longhunter-CO 0]

Any opinions on this? I am picking up my Saiga 223 Saturday and can get either length. I am using the gun for a varmint rifle, any help, or experiences appreciated.

 

Would have to go with the 20"

[WYK 0]

When he states heavier barrel in that article, he means thicker, not just longer.

A thicker(walled) barrel will absorb more heat and vibrate less, and have less harmonics.

The longer the barrel for a given diameter, the less rigid it is, and more likely to vibrate.

 

WYK

 

 

 

read this and then choose the longer, heavier barrel for your .223