Daniel Defense 14.5″ Cold Hammer Forged Barrel, 5.56 NATO, 1:7 Twist, Government Profile, Mid-Length, with Fixed Front Sight Base

Product Description

The Daniel Defense 14.5″ Cold Hammer Forged Barrel, Government profile, mid-length, with fixed front sight base is a 5.56mm NATO, 1:7 twist barrel that pairs the softer-shooting mid-length gas system with a pinned front sight tower, and Daniel Defense lists it at 1.81 lbs in this configuration.

This configuration is the one to build a mid-length duty carbine around. The mid-length gas system puts the port about two inches further from the chamber than a carbine system, which lowers peak port pressure, lengthens dwell and gives a flatter, more controllable impulse.

That longer sight radius is the underrated benefit here. On a 14.5″ barrel with mid-length gas and a pinned tower, iron sights are genuinely precise rather than a last-ditch backup, and the sight will never lose zero because there is nothing to fold or clamp.

Key Facts

• Brand: Daniel Defense
• Model: 14.5″ 5.56mm, Mid-length, 1:7, GOV
• Manufacturer Part Number: 07-077-10654
• Caliber: 5.56mm NATO
• Barrel Length: 14.5″
• Twist Rate: 1:7
• Barrel Profile: Government
• Gas System: Mid-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): 1.81 lbs
• Barrel Weight (stripped): 1.50 lbs
• Barrel Configuration: With front sight base (FSB)

Sight radius, gas timing and handguard fit

Mid-length gas moves the front sight forward, which is why a mid-length pinned tower gives a better sight picture than the carbine-gas equivalent at the same barrel length. It also means your handguard has to be a mid-length pattern: a carbine drop-in handguard is too short and a carbine quad rail will not reach the tower correctly.

The 14.5-inch length and the National Firearms Act

Barrels are components rather than firearms, so no FFL transfer, 4473 or background check is required to buy one. The regulated moment is assembly. On a rifle-configured receiver, a 14.5″ barrel creates a short-barrelled rifle under the NFA unless a muzzle device is permanently attached to bring overall barrel length to 16 inches or more. The other lawful options are a receiver already registered as an SBR, or a firearm configured as a pistol. Western Sport holds an SOT and our gunsmith attaches muzzle devices permanently in house. If the classification of your receiver is unclear, call 817-393-4000 first.

Find a mid-length handguard in our rails and handguards, compare the other 14.5-inch configurations in our Daniel Defense barrels, or pick a pinnable device from our muzzle devices.

Ordering from Western Sport in Roanoke, TX

Western Sport has traded in Roanoke, Texas since 2007 as a licensed FFL and SOT, and we are a Daniel Defense master dealer with a gunsmith on site who fits barrels and pins muzzle devices week in, week out. Call 817-393-4000 and we will match the gas tube and handguard to this barrel for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does this barrel weigh with the front sight base?

A: Daniel Defense lists 1.81 lbs for the 14.5″ Government profile mid-length barrel with the front sight base fitted. The same barrel is 1.50 lbs stripped and 1.58 lbs with a low profile gas block, so the tower accounts for roughly 0.31 lbs, sitting well forward where it affects balance most.

Q: Do I need a mid-length handguard for this barrel?

A: Yes. The pinned front sight tower sits at the mid-length gas position, so a carbine-length drop-in handguard or quad rail will not reach it properly. Use a mid-length handguard, or a free-float tube short enough to terminate behind the tower.

Q: Which gas tube does a mid-length barrel take?

A: A mid-length gas tube. A carbine tube is too short to reach the bolt carrier gas key on a mid-length system and the rifle will not cycle. Because most generic parts kits include carbine tubes, order the mid-length tube specifically when you buy the barrel.

Q: Does the mid-length gas system actually shoot softer?

A: In practice, yes. Moving the gas port further from the chamber lowers peak port pressure and lengthens dwell time, which spreads the unlocking impulse over a longer period. Shooters usually describe it as flatter and less abrupt than carbine gas, and the bolt carrier group is worked less aggressively over high round counts.

Q: Can I build a non-NFA rifle with a 14.5″ barrel?

A: Yes, if a muzzle device is permanently attached so that overall barrel length reaches 16 inches or more. That is a pin-and-weld or equivalent permanent attachment, done by a gunsmith, and it fixes your muzzle device choice for good. Otherwise the build is a short-barrelled rifle requiring registration, or a pistol.

Q: Is the iron front sight adjustable?

A: The configuration is a pinned front sight base, which is the standard AR-pattern arrangement where elevation is adjusted at the front post and windage at the rear sight. We are not going to quote a sight height or F-marked status we cannot verify for this SKU, so call 817-393-4000 and we will confirm before you pair it with a rear sight.

Additional information