.243 ballistics in 16 1/2 inch barrel

[wallhanger]

I'm still looking into guns for my son, and Ruger makes a compact model with a 16 1/2 inch barrel. What kind of velocity will I lose by cutting three and a half inches off the tube?

Any help is appreciated.

WH

 

[RLH]

i'd say maybe 100 fps. could be more, but i'd doubt if much more. that's a real short barrel for sure. i like them long barrels for kids. harder to tote, but easier to get out of the way of. one of my sons has a ruger .270 with a 20" pencil barrel. it seems to chronograph ok. if you handload, you can compensate for some of the short barrel.

 

[RELH]

You loose about 25fps per inch of barrel cut off. In your statement you said that Ruger makes the rifle with a 16 1/2 inch barrel, and you plan to cut off 3 1/2 inch of the barrel. This will give you a barrel lenght of 13 inches. If this is the case, you may be in violation of certain gun laws that require a rifle to have a barrel lenght of 16 inches unless you have a exemption from ATF. Also most states require 16 inches on rifles, and 18 inches on shotguns. you may want to check Federal and local state laws before you start cutting. This was the problem that got Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge in trouble with ATF.

RELH

 

[RLH]

RELH, i think he means the difference between a 20" barrel and a 16 1/2". i don't think he meant to cut off the 16 1/2". there is also a minimum overall length for at least shotguns, too. from what i remember, that is what got weaver. the gun was legal when he bought it and he took the kick pad off or some deal, and then it was too short overall. there were some other deals about sawing off a barrell too, but it seems the gun he got cited over originally, was too short overall. i think. hell, that was a couple years ago and i'm gettin' old. i do know one thing, he didn't do anything to deserve what he got. but that's another story. also, the minimum barrel length for rifles is 16" and shotguns is 18". some of the old trapper model winchesters 94's and 92's just had 14 or 15 inch barrels. they are grandfathered.

 

[wallhanger]

Hey guys, thanks for the responses. No, I'm not going to cut off any barrels. I'm wondering what the difference is in velocity and trajectory is in a 243 when you have one gun with a 20" barrel and one with a 16 1/2. I'm just worried that if I go with the 16 1/2 inch barrel, I'll be turning a 200-250 yard deer rifle into a 100-150 yard deer rifle.

thanks, and sorry for any confusion.

WH

 

[RELH]

RLH;

The min. overall lenght is 26 inches measured in a straight line, not following the curves of the gun. Randy Weaver did cut the barrels down, then refused to be a informant for the ATF.
I may have been an ex-law enforcement swatt sniper, but I feel that the sniper who shot Weaver's wife, and his supervisors who gave the shoot to kill instructions, should all be tried for manslaughter.
If a city or county cop had done what they did, they would be in jail now. So much for the ATF under the Clinton Admin.

RELH

 

[RLH]

between ruby ridge and waco, i don't have any respect for the atf. both were nothing but a show of force for PR purposes and a lot of innocent folks died. and none of the killers were ever even tried. sad, sad deal for sure.