Daniel Defense 16″ Cold Hammer Forged Barrel, 5.56 NATO, 1:7 Twist, Lightweight Profile, Mid-Length, with Low Profile Gas Block

Product Description

The Daniel Defense 16″ Cold Hammer Forged Barrel, Lightweight profile, mid-length, with low profile gas block is a 5.56mm NATO, 1:7 twist barrel that Daniel Defense lists at 1.58 lbs in this configuration, and at 16 inches it builds an ordinary rifle with no NFA paperwork and no permanently attached muzzle device.

Daniel Defense describes its Lightweight 16″ barrel as being for shooters looking to shed a few ounces on an AR-15 build without sacrificing durability or accuracy, and the figures bear that out: 1.50 lbs stripped against 1.70 lbs for the Government profile barrel of the same length and gas system.

The trade-off with a Lightweight contour is heat. Less steel means less thermal mass, so a Lightweight barrel warms faster and strings shots sooner during high-volume fire than a Government or S2W profile would. For a carry gun that shoots in short strings, that is a good trade. For a barrel that will see long courses of fire, the heavier profiles earn their weight.

Key Facts

• Brand: Daniel Defense
• Model: 16″ 5.56mm, Mid-Length, 1:7, LW
• Manufacturer Part Number: 07-078-06106
• Caliber: 5.56mm NATO
• Barrel Length: 16″
• 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 (with low profile gas block): 1.58 lbs
• Barrel Weight (stripped): 1.50 lbs
• Barrel Configuration: With low profile gas block

Lightweight or Government profile at 16 inches?

The deciding question is how you shoot. Lightweight sheds 0.20 lbs against the Government profile barrel of the same length, and the saving comes from the section forward of the gas block, so the gun feels considerably livelier in the hands than the raw number suggests. Daniel Defense states the Lightweight profile does not sacrifice durability or accuracy to get there.

Fitment and legal notes

This barrel installs in any AR-15 or M16-pattern upper on its A4 extension and requires a mid-length gas tube, not a carbine one. With a low profile gas block you can run a long free-float handguard over the block, and you will need a barrel nut matched to that handguard system. There is no built-in front sight in this configuration.

Pick a long free-float tube from our rails and handguards, browse the rest of our Daniel Defense barrels, or compare complete options in our Daniel Defense uppers.

Ordering from Western Sport in Roanoke, TX

We have been a licensed FFL and SOT in Roanoke, Texas since 2007 and are a Daniel Defense master dealer with a gunsmith on the premises. If you would like this barrel installed, headspaced and paired with a handguard rather than shipped loose, call 817-393-4000 and we will sort it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much lighter is the Lightweight profile than the Government profile?

A: Daniel Defense lists the 16″ Lightweight barrel at 1.50 lbs stripped against 1.70 lbs for the 16″ Government profile barrel, a difference of 0.20 lbs. Because the steel comes off forward of the gas block, the reduction in muzzle-end weight makes the rifle noticeably quicker to point than the figure alone suggests.

Q: Does the Lightweight profile give up accuracy?

A: Daniel Defense states the Lightweight barrel is for those wanting to shed ounces without sacrificing durability or accuracy. What a thinner barrel does give up is heat capacity, so groups tend to open sooner during sustained fire than they would with a Government or S2W profile.

Q: What does this barrel weigh with the gas block fitted?

A: 1.58 lbs in the low profile gas block configuration, against 1.50 lbs stripped and 1.81 lbs with a front sight base. Those figures cover barrel and gas block only, so add your gas tube, barrel nut, handguard and muzzle device to estimate a full upper receiver weight.

Q: Do I need a mid-length gas tube?

A: Yes. This is a mid-length gas system, so a carbine gas tube is too short to seat in the bolt carrier gas key and the rifle will not cycle. Order a mid-length tube. This is one of the most common parts mistakes on mid-length builds, so check what you already have before assembly.

Q: Is a 16″ barrel free of NFA restrictions?

A: As a rifle, yes. Sixteen inches meets the federal minimum barrel length, so no registration, tax stamp or permanently attached muzzle device is required, and you can change muzzle devices freely on the 1/2×28 threads. State and local law can impose additional requirements, so confirm the rules where you live.

Q: Will a full-length handguard fit over the gas block?

A: Yes. That is the reason to choose the low profile gas block configuration: a free-float M-LOK or KeyMod tube can run continuously over the block for an unbroken top rail. Mid-length gas places the block further forward than carbine gas, so check your rail length against the exposed muzzle you want.

Additional information