18” vs 16” barrel with midlength gas system

[Gringoloco]

Curious as to what the pros and cons are of either of these setups while mainly running suppressed. Im interested in either the 16” Lilja barrel offered by Six Sigma or the 16” BFT Six Five Arms.
I realize that Lilja has a great reputation for accuracy but what are people experience with the current barrels from BFT? I shoot Hornady ELDM and AG for factory loads and have 107 SMK and 90 TNT for reloading for this setup.
I currently have the 18” Faxon group by barrel on a Gibbz side charger with a POF Dictator adjustable gas block. Accuracy is ok, would like a little better and not sure if a slightly shorter barrel with the MLGS would help with that. I know I would give up a tiny amount of speed. Looking at a DMR type setup for 600 yds or less mostly.

[LRRPF52]

If you think about the suppressor as an extra few inches of barrel, it helps you configure the gas system you intend to use.

I still haven’t even attempted to mount mine on any of my MLGS 18” rifles in any caliber.

For 6.5 Grendel, I have kept my 5” Ultra 5 on my 12” Grendel, and use a Bootleg Adjustable Carrier to choke the shaft between the carrier key and the expansion chamber.

16” MLGS is better to suppress than 18” MLGS because 18” already has more plug dwell time.

18” ILGS or RLGS is a better way to go if you want 18” suppressed. The farther forward the gas port is, the better for a suppressed configuration.

Any Grendel barrel length will deliver good results out to 600yds in my experience. That distance is mostly child’s play, unless you’re chasing 1 MOA targets (6” at 600yds, tiny).

I’m at higher altitude, so I get away with shorter barrels and don’t see a noticeable difference between 12”, 16”, and 18” Grendels.

It’s just a dial or holdover and windage hold for me.

[Gringoloco]

Well guess I’ll see how the Six Five BFT 16” barrel works with the MLGS suppressed. For the price I figure it’s worth a go. I run a Rugged Micro 30 mostly on my ARs so curious to see how that is in both configurations with the slightly shorter setup.
I shoot mostly around 1200-1400 MSL although there are certainly some areas in AZ that are much higher.

[LRRPF52]

16” MLGS is one of the more ideal gas port locations/barrel lengths to suppress, but I would still have a plan to choke the gas and add buffer weight with stiff action spring weight.

I’m a fan of the Bootleg carriers.

Biggest con to them is you have 4 positions, whereas set screw adjustable gas blocks have a wide range of fine-tuning the gas restriction.

I have had issues with adjustable gas blocks getting carbon-seized, so I kinda steer away from them now.