Daniel Defense 11.5″ Cold Hammer Forged Barrel, 5.56 NATO, 1:7 Twist, Government Profile, Carbine-Length, with Fixed Front Sight Base

Product Description

The Daniel Defense 11.5″ Cold Hammer Forged Barrel with Fixed Front Sight Base is a 5.56mm NATO, 1:7 twist, Government-profile barrel on a carbine-length gas system with a pinned front sight tower, listed by Daniel Defense at 1.59 lbs in this configuration.

This is the configuration for a short carbine built around iron sights. The gas block and front sight base are a single pinned assembly, which means your front sight is permanent and cannot be knocked out of zero, cannot work loose, and needs no batteries or maintenance.

The trade-off is handguard choice. A pinned front sight tower means mil-spec drop-in handguards, quad rails that index between the delta ring and the tower, or a free-float tube short enough to stop behind it. If you had planned a long slim M-LOK tube running over the gas block, the low profile gas block version of this barrel is the one you want instead.

Key Facts

• Brand: Daniel Defense
• Model: 11.5″ 5.56mm, Carbine, 1:7, GOV
• Manufacturer Part Number: 07-077-10115
• Caliber: 5.56mm NATO
• Barrel Length: 11.5″
• Twist Rate: 1:7
• Barrel Profile: Government
• Gas System: Carbine Length
• Manufacturing Process: Cold Hammer Forged
• Material: 4150 Chrome Moly Vanadium (CMV) steel
• Bore Finish: Chrome lined
• Exterior Finish: Mil-Spec Heavy Phosphate
• Muzzle Thread: 1/2×28 TPI
• Diameter at Gas Port: .750″
• Barrel Extension: A4
• Barrel Weight (with front sight base): 1.59 lbs
• Barrel Weight (stripped): 1.28 lbs
• Barrel Configuration: With front sight base (FSB)

Why a fixed front sight base on a short barrel

On short 5.56 barrels the sight radius is already compressed, so the front sight position is fixed further forward than you might like regardless. What the pinned tower gives you is permanence: nothing to fold, nothing to lose zero, nothing to check before a course of fire. It also indexes most classic handguards, which keeps the parts list simple and cheap.

NFA status: this length builds an SBR or a pistol

The barrel itself is a component and not a firearm, so it requires no FFL transfer, no 4473 and no background check. The National Firearms Act applies at assembly. An 11.5″ barrel on a rifle-configured receiver is a short-barrelled rifle requiring BATFE registration, approved transfer through an SOT dealer and a tax stamp, and no muzzle device can extend 11.5 inches to the 16-inch rifle minimum. Western Sport is an SOT dealer, so call 817-393-4000 if you would rather we handled that side than work it out yourself.

Browse our iron and night sights for a compatible front sight solution, compare lengths across our Daniel Defense barrels, or look at the Daniel Defense uppers if you would rather buy a finished upper.

Ordering from Western Sport in Roanoke, TX

Western Sport is a Daniel Defense master dealer in Roanoke, Texas, licensed as an FFL and SOT since 2007, with a gunsmith on site for barrel installation and headspace verification. Ring 817-393-4000 and we will confirm handguard compatibility with the fixed front sight tower before you order.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much weight does the fixed front sight base add?

A: Daniel Defense lists this 11.5″ barrel at 1.28 lbs stripped and 1.59 lbs with the front sight base fitted, so the tower accounts for roughly 0.31 lbs. For comparison, the low profile gas block version is 1.36 lbs. That weight sits well forward, so it has a noticeable effect on how the gun balances and points.

Q: What handguards work with the fixed front sight base?

A: Two-piece mil-spec drop-in handguards, quad rails that clamp between the delta ring and the sight tower, and free-float tubes short enough to terminate behind the base. A full-length rail that would run over the gas block will not clear the tower.

Q: Is an 11.5″ barrel legal on a rifle?

A: Not without NFA registration. An 11.5″ barrel installed on a rifle-configured receiver creates a short-barrelled rifle, which must be registered with BATFE and transferred through an SOT dealer with a tax stamp. No permanently attached muzzle device reaches the 16-inch rifle minimum from 11.5 inches.

Q: Do I need a background check to buy this barrel?

A: No. A barrel is a component rather than a firearm under federal law, so there is no Form 4473, no background check and no FFL transfer. It ships as a part. Some states and cities regulate firearm components separately, so confirm your local requirements if you are ordering from outside Texas.

Q: Which gas tube length does this barrel use?

A: A carbine-length gas tube, matching the carbine-length gas system. Because the front sight base is pinned as part of this configuration, the gas block position is already fixed for you, so the tube length is the main gas-side part you need to supply.

Q: Will this barrel take a suppressor mount?

A: The muzzle is threaded 1/2×28 TPI, which is the standard 5.56 thread and what most suppressor mounts, brakes and flash hiders for the caliber are cut to. Confirm your can’s mount thread pitch before ordering. Do not fit a 5/8×24 mount intended for 300 Blackout or 7.62-pattern barrels to this muzzle.

Additional information