zobster wrote:Hi Guys,
I'm toying with the idea of shortening the barrel on my 223 and 17, sick of smacking the barrel against the door frame every time I move it in or out to take a shot.
To those of you who have had the chop, did it affect your accuracy?
Don't be worried by the naysayers or the out of context quoted factoids about accuracy.
You will only have a problem with accuracy if your barrel has some kind of defect at the point you decide to cut.
20" is a very handy length for 223 particularly if you use a powder like BM2. Not too much loss of velocity and not much increase in bark. 18" may be similar.
If the 17 is a rimfire then I wouldn't have any concerns about an 18" barrel.
In my case I have a 20" 223 where the original 26" blank was crooked in the last 6" and it is very 'handy' and is completely satisfactory.
I have a 17 Rem that has a fluted 22" heavy barrel but that is about as short a barrel in that caliber as I would care to go.
You should also do some tests to see if the stocks fit you for length of pull. Sometimes even 1/2" can make a big difference in handling qualities and balance if the LOP is too long for your physique. Too short LOP is easier to live with than too long LOP.