The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

There seems to be a view that around 16" is the optimal length of barrel for a .22LR however does anyone have a view on optimal length with a suppressor of say 150,0mm/6" long for shooting out to 75-100 yards.

My S&W M&P15-22 has a 16" barrel and the DM804 over-barrell mod (8.5") adds 4" to the OAL when fitted, still handles and balances very nicely with it fitted.

Really depends on the the shooter and the rifle - I prefer a shorter OAL rifle/mod combination.

I had my Anschütz 1416 shorted to 16.5" (from 22") back around 1990, I chronographed it before and afterwards and the difference was negligible, and accuracy was certainly as good if not slightly better. With a PH can the rifle remains very handy. My sone recently bought a Browning T-Bolt 16.5" sporter and this shoots extremely well.

16" works well but it depends on purpose. A .22 trainer could easily be 21"+ pre suppressor.

Many years ago the club that I belonged to visited Eley as they were then part of the same company and we could buy their ammo at very preferential rates. The guy showing the club members around the manufacturing facilities stated that Eley had done a fair bit of development on optimum barrel lengths for sporting rifles and had come to the conclusion that 16 inches was it. It probably isn't by chance then that several rifle manufacturers offer rifles with that length of barrel.

That's exactly what I had heard via the gunmaker who shortened my barrel - he's ex Westley Richards etc. and well known in the Birmingham trade.

I was thinking of getting closer to 12" and making up the remaining 4-6" of suppressor using freebore boost effect to bring the barrel length back to an optimum yet still keeping it to a compact OAL.

ovenpaa wrote:I was thinking of getting closer to 12" and making up the remaining 4-6" of suppressor using freebore boost effect to bring the barrel length back to an optimum yet still keeping it to a compact OAL.

I'd go with that.

The interesting part is arriving upon the optimal length which will be very dependant on the suppressor design. Shortening and threading a barrel is easy enough, sticking a bit back on could be problematical...

If anyone has experience of this I would be interested.