Daniel Defense 12.5″ Cold Hammer Forged Barrel, 5.56 NATO, 1:7 Twist, Government Profile, Carbine-Length, with Fixed Front Sight Base

Product Description

The Daniel Defense 12.5″ 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 the gas block and front sight tower pinned together as one unit.

Twelve and a half inches is the longest of Daniel Defense’s carbine-gas short barrels, which makes it the most capable of them as a general-purpose gun. You keep most of the velocity a 14.5″ barrel would give you, the gas system has enough margin to run on standard buffers and springs, and the sight radius is long enough that irons are genuinely usable rather than a token backup.

What you accept is the handguard constraint. The tower dictates mil-spec drop-in handguards, a quad rail indexing between delta ring and sight base, or a free-float tube that stops behind the tower. If a continuous M-LOK rail over the gas block is what you had in mind, the low profile gas block version of this same barrel is the right part number.

Key Facts

• Brand: Daniel Defense
• Model: 12.5″ 5.56mm, Carbine, 1:7, GOV
• Manufacturer Part Number: 07-077-10135
• Caliber: 5.56mm NATO
• Barrel Length: 12.5″
• 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 (bare barrel): 1.40 lbs
• Barrel Configuration: With front sight base (FSB)

Building a duty-pattern 12.5-inch carbine

The combination of Government profile, carbine gas and a pinned front sight base is the classic duty short-carbine recipe. The Government contour keeps enough steel under the handguard to tolerate sustained fire, the carbine gas system runs on the most widely available parts, and the pinned tower means the gun has usable sights even with a dead optic on the rail.

Legal position of a 12.5-inch barrel

Barrels are components, not firearms. This one requires no FFL transfer, no 4473 and no background check. Assembly is the regulated act: a 12.5″ barrel on a rifle-configured receiver creates a short-barrelled rifle under the National Firearms Act, requiring registration with BATFE, an approved transfer through an SOT dealer and a tax stamp. No permanently attached muzzle device brings 12.5 inches to the 16-inch rifle minimum. Western Sport is an SOT dealer. If you are unsure how your receiver is classified, call 817-393-4000 before ordering.

Add a rear sight from our iron and night sights, compare the other short options in our Daniel Defense barrels, or browse our wider Daniel Defense catalog for the rest of the build.

Ordering from Western Sport in Roanoke, TX

In Roanoke, Texas since 2007, Western Sport holds a licensed FFL and SOT and is a Daniel Defense master dealer with a gunsmith on the premises. We build short uppers regularly and are happy to talk sights, handguards and gas tubes with you: 817-393-4000.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is a 12.5″ barrel worth the extra inch over 11.5″?

A: For a general-purpose short carbine, usually yes. You gain muzzle velocity, a longer sight radius that makes iron sights more usable, and more gas system margin so the rifle is less fussy about buffers and ammunition. For a build whose whole point is minimum length, 11.5 or 10.3 inches remain the better choices.

Q: How much does this 12.5″ barrel weigh with the sight base?

A: Daniel Defense lists the 12.5″ Government profile barrel at 1.40 lbs. That is the barrel alone. No assembled weight with the front sight base fitted is published for this length, so we will not quote one. If you need the exact assembled figure for a build calculation, call 817-393-4000 and we will check for you.

Q: Can I use standard mil-spec handguards with this barrel?

A: Yes, that is one of the reasons to choose this configuration. The pinned front sight tower indexes two-piece mil-spec drop-in handguards and quad rails that clamp between the delta ring and the sight base. You will also need a delta ring assembly and barrel nut if your upper is not already set up for that style.

Q: Do I need a tax stamp for this barrel?

A: Not to buy it. A barrel is a part, not a firearm, so no FFL transfer, stamp or background check is involved in the purchase. Fitting it to a rifle-configured receiver is what creates a short-barrelled rifle requiring BATFE registration and a stamp.

Q: Which gas tube length fits?

A: Carbine length. This barrel is built on a carbine-length gas system and the front sight base already fixes the gas block position, so the tube is the part you choose. Do not substitute a mid-length tube; it will be too long to seat in the bolt carrier gas key and the rifle will not run.

Q: Is the front sight base removable?

A: It is pinned as part of this configuration, so treating it as removable is a gunsmithing job rather than a field change, and removing it leaves you needing a separate gas block. If you want a low profile gas block from the start, buy that version of this barrel rather than modifying this one.

Additional information