Daniel Defense 14.5″ Cold Hammer Forged Barrel, 5.56 NATO, 1:7 Twist, Lightweight Profile, Mid-Length

Product Description

The Daniel Defense 14.5″ Cold Hammer Forged Barrel, Lightweight profile, mid-length in this retail assembly is the stripped configuration, with no gas block or front sight base fitted, weighing 1.38 lbs.

This is the lightest starting point Daniel Defense offers at 14.5 inches, and buying it stripped keeps it that way until you choose what goes on top. Daniel Defense describes the Lightweight profile as being for those wanting to shed a few ounces without sacrificing durability or accuracy, and 1.38 lbs bare is the figure to plan a build weight around.

Stripped suits builders with a gas block already decided: an adjustable block for suppressed shooting, a particular low profile block to clear a slim handguard, or a titanium block for a weight-focused build. Nothing comes fitted that you would pay for and remove, and nothing has to be pressed off.

Key Facts

• Brand: Daniel Defense
• Model: 14.5″ 5.56mm, Mid-Length, 1:7, LW
• Manufacturer Part Number: 07-078-08072-018
• Caliber: 5.56mm NATO
• Barrel Length: 14.5″
• Twist Rate: 1:7
• Barrel Profile: Lightweight
• 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: 1.38 lbs
• Barrel Configuration: Stripped (no gas block fitted)

Building light: what to buy alongside this barrel

Your remaining gas-side parts are a .750-inch gas block and a mid-length gas tube. The journal is the standard AR-15 dimension, so low profile clamp-on, set-screw, adjustable and titanium blocks all fit, and Daniel Defense states its own gas blocks follow military specifications for dimensions.

Legal position at 14.5 inches

A bare barrel is a part, not a firearm, so there is no FFL transfer, no Form 4473 and no background check on this purchase. The National Firearms Act applies at assembly. On a rifle-configured receiver, a 14.5″ barrel creates a short-barrelled rifle unless a muzzle device is permanently attached to bring overall barrel length to 16 inches or more. The alternatives are a receiver registered as an SBR, or a firearm configured as a pistol. Western Sport is an SOT with a gunsmith on site for permanent muzzle device attachment. Call 817-393-4000 if you are not certain which route applies.

Choose a light gas block from our gas blocks and gas tubes, browse our rails and handguards for a slim tube, or compare the rest of our Daniel Defense barrels.

Ordering from Western Sport in Roanoke, TX

Roanoke, Texas is where we work, and Western Sport has carried an FFL and SOT there since 2007 as a Daniel Defense master dealer. Our gunsmith installs stripped barrels, presses gas blocks and torques barrel nuts as everyday work, so call 817-393-4000 if you would rather hand us the parts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What weight should I use for build planning?

A: 1.38 lbs. Daniel Defense lists that figure for this 14.5″ Lightweight profile barrel, and because this SKU is the stripped configuration it is the barrel alone with nothing fitted. Add your own gas block, mid-length gas tube, barrel nut, handguard and muzzle device weights on top of it.

Q: What gas block size fits this barrel?

A: A .750-inch gas block, the standard AR-15 journal diameter. Clamp-on, set-screw, adjustable and lightweight titanium low profile blocks in .750 all fit, as does an F-marked front sight tower if you want irons. You will also need a mid-length gas tube to match this barrel’s gas system.

Q: Why buy stripped rather than with a gas block?

A: Because you control the gas system and the weight. Builders chasing a light rifle often want a specific titanium or aluminium low profile block; builders running suppressed often want an adjustable one. Stripped avoids paying for a part you would remove, and the barrel underneath is identical to the other configurations.

Q: Does a Lightweight barrel wear out faster?

A: Daniel Defense states the Lightweight profile sheds ounces without sacrificing durability or accuracy. What a thinner barrel does change is heat behaviour: it warms faster during sustained fire, and sustained heat is what shortens barrel life. Short strings and normal recreational or patrol use are not a problem for the contour.

Q: Is an FFL needed to receive this barrel?

A: No. Barrels are components rather than firearms under federal law, so no transfer, Form 4473 or background check applies. It ships straight to you. Several states and cities regulate firearm components separately, so check your own jurisdiction’s requirements if you are ordering from outside Texas.

Q: Can this be built into a legal rifle?

A: Yes, if a muzzle device is permanently attached so overall barrel length reaches 16 inches or more, which keeps the firearm an ordinary rifle. That is gunsmith work and permanent. Without it, a 14.5″ barrel on a rifle-configured receiver is a short-barrelled rifle requiring registration; a pistol build avoids the question entirely.

Additional information