LMT MWS barrel length and gas system differences

[Buckshotu2]

I have a MWS with two barrels. A 16” SS and a 20” SS. There are different length gas tubes for each barrel with the 20” barrel having a rifle length tube.

I’ve never had a malfunction with an MWS but there is always discussion about rifle being over-gassed with a standard 16” barrel. I’ve not had a chance to take the 20” barrel out yet, and I’m curious if the longer length tube will have any effect on the overall feel of the rifle? I’ll see if I can get it out there soon and compare, but I’m curious if anyone has any comparative experience with the feel of the longer barrel and gas tube.

 

[flyright]

I have a 16"SS .308 and 20" SS 6.5. Both shoot well but the 6.5 is a .5 moa gun and often better. I got a buffer/spring combo from Slash (he recommended for it) and both feel very similar recoil wise with the 6.5 being softer, of course. The MWS is certainly over gassed but 100% reliable and accurate. The buffer and spring Slash sold me cut my group sizes by about half.

 

[bnanaphone]

I have an MWS and purchased an 18" barrel and had it cut down to 16" for the longer gas system to mitigate the over-gassing issue. The rifle shoots great with the original buffer and RED Sprinco spring. Recoil is mild and controllable. My only issue occurs when I add my Specwar 762 and shoot FGMM 168 or other match ammo. The rifle is still over-gassed using match and it has failures to eject. I have no problems suppressed with surplus ammo, from Hirtenberter or DAG.

With match ammo, I average right around .75 to 1.25 MOA. I usually only shoot to from 300 to 600 yards.

I have toyed with getting a 6.5 barrel for it to make it more competitive in matches, someday.

 

[Buckshotu2]

Yes, I’d considered a 6.5 CM barrel as well. Might be the perfect package.

 

[The DFC]

I have a 16" ss and just picked up a 24" 6.5 cm barrel that I threw on an mlok MWS upper. Gonna shoot this weekend because I actually want to see the difference as well. 16" is definitely overgassed and it throws brass a mile-in a nice pile-but it's a sweet shooter.

 

[Jsp556]

I have a 16” CL and an 18” SS. The 18” rifle gassed barrel is definitely the softer shooting of the two. I’ve thought of having it cut back to 16” but it’s shooting really well and I hate to mess with it. I don’t shoot suppressed. Id rather have a dead nuts reliable rifle that may be a bit over gassed than a finicky, ammo sensitive one that operates on the ragged edge of reliability.

 

[The DFC]

Range trip findings: 24" 6.5cm barrel shoots much softer than the 16" 308. Doesn't launch brass into the next state either. To me though both have a nice workable recoil impulse that I really like. I did not like the impulse of the POS-USA revolution at all and never got used to it after 1000s of rounds.

 

[Buckshotu2]

I wonder what effect it would have on the 20” barrel to cut it shorter? It would still have the rifle length tube, but I’m curious if the softer shooting rifle length is dependent on the extra barrel length as part of the equation.

 

[Buckshotu2]

I have a 16” CL and an 18” SS. The 18” rifle gassed barrel is definitely the softer shooting of the two. I’ve thought of having it cut back to 16” but it’s shooting really well and I hate to mess with it. I don’t shoot suppressed. Id rather have a dead nuts reliable rifle that may be a bit over gassed than a finicky, ammo sensitive one that operates on the ragged edge of reliability.

Completely agree. Nice to have a softer shooting MWS, but reliability is why I bought this rifle. I’d hate to mess with that.