Daniel Defense 14.5″ Cold Hammer Forged Barrel, 5.56 NATO, 1:7 Twist, M4 Profile, Carbine-Length, with Low Profile Gas Block

Product Description

The Daniel Defense 14.5″ Cold Hammer Forged Barrel with Low Profile Gas Block is a 5.56mm NATO, 1:7 twist, M4-profile barrel on a carbine-length gas system, set up so a free-float handguard can run over the gas block instead of stopping at a front sight tower.

This is the configuration most modern 14.5″ builds start from. The low profile gas block sits under the handguard rather than above it, which frees the entire length of the barrel forward of the receiver for a continuous M-LOK or KeyMod rail.

At 14.5 inches you are committing to a muzzle device decision. For a rifle build that stays outside the National Firearms Act, a flash hider or brake gets pinned and welded to bring the barrel to 16 inches or longer overall.

Key Facts

• Brand: Daniel Defense
• Model: 14.5″ 5.56mm, Carbine, 1:7, M4
• Manufacturer Part Number: 07-075-07157
• Caliber: 5.56mm NATO
• Barrel Length: 14.5″
• Twist Rate: 1:7
• Barrel Profile: M4
• 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 (bare barrel): 1.60 lbs
• Barrel Configuration: With low profile gas block

Low profile gas block or fixed front sight base?

Choose the low profile gas block if your handguard is a free-float tube and you want the full sight radius of a receiver-length top rail. Choose the fixed front sight base version if you are running mil-spec drop-in handguards, a classic quad rail, or you specifically want an iron front sight that cannot be knocked out of zero.

NFA status of a 14.5-inch barrel

Barrels are components, not firearms, so this one requires no FFL transfer. The regulated moment is assembly. Installing a 14.5″ barrel on a rifle-configured lower creates a short-barrelled rifle under the NFA unless a muzzle device is permanently attached to reach 16 inches or more of overall barrel length, the firearm is already registered as an SBR, or the firearm is configured as a pistol. Daniel Defense’s own warning is blunt: once the part is assembled into a complete firearm it becomes an NFA-regulated item, and that compliance is the buyer’s responsibility. Western Sport holds both an FFL and an SOT, so either route can be handled here. Call 817-393-4000 before ordering rather than after.

Plan the rest of the upper while you are here: browse rails and handguards, compare the other Daniel Defense barrels we stock, and look at suppressors if this build is headed toward a suppressor host.

Ordering from Western Sport in Roanoke, TX

We are a Daniel Defense master dealer and have held an FFL and SOT in Roanoke, Texas since 2007, with a gunsmith on site for barrel installs, headspace checks and pin-and-weld work. Questions about gas block clearance or handguard fit are best answered on the phone: 817-393-4000.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the low profile gas block come installed on this barrel?

A: This SKU is the low profile gas block configuration of Daniel Defense’s 14.5″ M4-profile barrel, which is how the company distinguishes it from the stripped and front sight base versions. Rather than guess at the exact packing list, call 817-393-4000 and we will confirm precisely what arrives in the box before you order.

Q: What handguard length works with a 14.5″ carbine-gas barrel?

A: With a low profile gas block you can run anything from a 9-inch tube up to roughly 13.5 inches on a 14.5″ barrel, depending on how much muzzle you want exposed for a pinned device. Carbine-length gas puts the block close to the receiver, so even a short handguard covers it completely.

Q: Is the muzzle thread 1/2×28 on this barrel?

A: Yes, 1/2×28 TPI, the standard thread for 5.56 AR-15 barrels. That covers the great majority of flash hiders, brakes, compensators and suppressor mounts made for the platform. Daniel Defense notes that 300 Blackout and 7.62-pattern barrels commonly use 5/8×24 instead, so do not mix mounts between calibers.

Q: Will this barrel work in a standard AR-15 upper receiver?

A: Yes. It uses an A4 barrel extension and a .750-inch gas block journal, both standard AR-15 dimensions, so it indexes and headspaces in any mil-spec forged or billet upper. You will need a barrel nut appropriate to your handguard system, a carbine-length gas tube, and a correctly torqued install.

Q: Can I buy this barrel without a background check?

A: Yes. A barrel is not a firearm under federal law, so there is no Form 4473, no background check and no FFL transfer needed. It ships as a part. Local component rules differ by state and city, so confirm your own jurisdiction’s requirements if you are ordering from outside Texas.

Q: How much does the barrel weigh?

A: The bare 14.5″ M4-profile barrel is listed at 1.60 lbs. There is no published assembled weight for this length with the low profile gas block fitted, so we will not quote one. Call 817-393-4000 if you need the exact assembled figure for a build weight calculation.

Additional information