Looking at getting a Bren 2 MS in 5.56. The end goal is to have a 14" barrel pinned and welded to 16" and suppressed.
I can go about this in 3 ways:
-Get the 14" model, pin and weld, buy the OEM stock and longer handguard from the 16" model (more expensive?)
-Get the 16" model, have the barrel chopped down to 14", rethread, pin and weld (more work?)
-Get the 16" model, buy a 14" barrel (if one can ever be found), pin and weld, have two barrels to swap between (more headache?)
Besides the cost/labor between those two, the biggest difference is going to be the different gas systems. Would I be better off with the shorter gas system on the 14" barrel, or will the longer gas system on the 16" prove just as effective even after losing 2"? Will it even matter once I throw a can on it and tune things up with the gas key? Would I be better off just sacrificing a chicken to the gun gods and trying to find a 14" barrel to throw onto the carbine?
I like the stock and the longer handguard on the 16" model, and not having to locate those for the 14" would be helpful. But performance and efficiency are the biggest concern here. I'm not as familiar with piston systems yet so I'm in a bit of uncharted territory. I see AK's and other piston guns with the muzzle device right up against the gas system so maybe I'm just overthinking things? Idk, that's what groups like this are for so I figured I'd ask.
