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

Product Description

The Daniel Defense 14.5″ Cold Hammer Forged Barrel in this retail assembly is the stripped version of the company’s M4-profile 5.56mm NATO barrel: 1:7 twist, carbine-length gas system, no gas block and no front sight base fitted, so you choose the gas block yourself.

Buying the barrel stripped is the builder’s choice. It makes sense when you already own the gas block you want, when you are running an adjustable block to tune a suppressed gun, or when the handguard you have picked dictates a specific block height and clamp style.

Because the barrel is 14.5 inches, a civilian rifle build normally ends with a muzzle device pinned and welded to reach 16 inches or more of overall barrel length. If the receiver is registered as a short-barrelled rifle, or the firearm is configured as a pistol, the threads stay free for swapping devices and suppressor mounts.

Key Facts

• Brand: Daniel Defense
• Model: 14.5″ 5.56mm, Carbine, 1:7, M4
• Manufacturer Part Number: 07-075-18024-018
• 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: 1.60 lbs
• Barrel Configuration: Stripped (no gas block fitted)

What a stripped barrel means for your parts list

Plan for a gas block and a carbine-length gas tube on top of the barrel itself. The gas journal measures .750 inches, the standard AR-15 dimension, so low profile clamp-on blocks, set-screw blocks, adjustable blocks and F-marked front sight towers cut for .750 all fit.

Legal status of a 14.5-inch barrel

This barrel is a component and requires no FFL transfer, no 4473 and no background check. The National Firearms Act enters the picture at assembly: a 14.5″ barrel on a rifle-configured receiver is a short-barrelled rifle unless a muzzle device is permanently attached to bring overall barrel length to 16 inches or more, the firearm is registered as an SBR, or it is built as a pistol. Daniel Defense’s own warning notes that once assembled into a firearm the part becomes NFA-regulated and compliance is the buyer’s responsibility. If you want the 14.5-inch handling without a pin and weld, an SBR is the other route, and Western Sport is an SOT. Call 817-393-4000 and we will explain the options.

Build the rest of the upper from our upper receiver parts, pick a gas block from our gas blocks and gas tubes selection, or compare this against the other lengths in our Daniel Defense barrels.

Ordering from Western Sport in Roanoke, TX

Roanoke, Texas is home base for us, and we have carried an FFL and SOT there since 2007 as a Daniel Defense master dealer. There is a gunsmith on site who installs stripped barrels, gas blocks and handguards all week, so call 817-393-4000 if you would rather the assembly was done right the first time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does this stripped barrel include a gas block or front sight base?

A: This is the stripped retail configuration, which is how Daniel Defense distinguishes it from the front sight base and low profile gas block versions of the same 14.5″ M4 barrel. We would rather you hear the exact packing list from us than read an assumption, so call 817-393-4000 and we will confirm what is in the box.

Q: What gas block size do I need for this barrel?

A: A .750-inch gas block, which is the standard AR-15 journal diameter and the dimension this barrel is cut to. Both clamp-on and set-screw low profile blocks in .750 will fit, as will an F-marked front sight tower. You also need a carbine-length gas tube to match the port location.

Q: Why choose the stripped version over the front sight base version?

A: Because you control the gas block. Stripped suits builders running an adjustable block for a suppressed gun, a specific low profile block to clear a slim handguard, or a block they already own. If you want a permanent iron front sight and mil-spec drop-in handguards, the fixed front sight base version is the easier buy.

Q: What is the barrel weight?

A: Daniel Defense lists this 14.5″ M4-profile barrel at 1.60 lbs. That is the barrel alone, which is exactly what this stripped configuration is, so the figure is directly useful for a build weight estimate. Add the weight of your chosen gas block, gas tube, barrel nut and muzzle device on top of it.

Q: Can this be used on a pistol build?

A: Yes. A 14.5″ barrel on a firearm configured as a pistol by the manufacturer, or built from a pistol-configured receiver, is not a short-barrelled rifle. That is one of the common reasons buyers pick 14.5 inches and leave the 1/2×28 threads free.

Q: Is the bore chrome lined?

A: Yes. Daniel Defense specifies a chrome bore finish and a Mil-Spec Heavy Phosphate exterior on this barrel, the combination the company abbreviates as chrome lined and phosphate coated. Chrome lining adds corrosion resistance and eases cleaning at the cost of a small amount of theoretical accuracy compared with an unlined match bore.

Additional information