Daniel Defense Barrel Replacement Kit, 5.56 NATO, 16″, 1:7, Government Profile, Mid-Length

Product Description

The Daniel Defense Barrel Replacement Kit, 5.56 NATO, 16″, Government profile, mid-length is a 1:7 twist replacement barrel package for AR-15 pattern rifles, supplied in the length and gas system combination that most general-purpose carbines use.

Barrels are consumable. A hard-used AR-15 barrel eventually loses its throat, opens up its groups and starts to shift point of impact as it warms, and at that stage a replacement barrel restores the rifle for a fraction of the cost of a new upper. A replacement kit is the tidy way to do it, keeping the barrel and its associated small parts together rather than ordering them piecemeal and discovering on the bench that something is missing.

Sixteen inches with mid-length gas is the configuration to pick when the rifle is a general-purpose carbine. The 16-inch length clears the federal rifle minimum on its own, so no muzzle device needs to be permanently attached and no registration is involved. Mid-length gas 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, as well as allowing a longer handguard.

Key Facts

• Brand: Daniel Defense
• Model: Barrel Replacement Kit, 5.56 NATO, 16″, 1:7, Government, Mid-Length
• Manufacturer Part Number: 28-101-07435-020
• Caliber: 5.56 NATO
• Barrel Length: 16″
• Twist Rate: 1:7
• Barrel Profile: Government
• Gas System: Mid-length

What this kit covers, and what we will confirm on the phone

One honest note before you order. There is no published specification sheet for this Barrel Replacement Kit, so we state only what the kit’s own designation establishes: 5.56 NATO, 16″, 1:7 twist, Government profile, mid-length gas system. We are not going to quote a weight, a muzzle thread pitch or a packing list by borrowing figures from a different barrel. Call 817-393-4000 and we will confirm the exact contents and specifications from stock before you buy.

Re-barrelling an AR-15: practical notes

Replacing a barrel means removing the handguard and barrel nut, pressing out the old barrel, fitting the new one to the receiver’s index pin, torquing the barrel nut to specification and verifying headspace. It is not difficult work, but it needs a receiver vice block, an action wrench and a torque wrench, and getting the torque or the gas alignment wrong causes problems that are hard to diagnose later.

Compare individual barrels in our Daniel Defense barrels, pick up any missing small parts from our upper parts, or browse the wider Daniel Defense catalog.

Ordering from Western Sport in Roanoke, TX

Western Sport is a Daniel Defense master dealer in Roanoke, Texas, licensed as an FFL and SOT since 2007. Re-barrelling is bench work, and we have a gunsmith on site who does it with the right tooling and a headspace check at the end. Call 817-393-4000.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is in the 16-inch Barrel Replacement Kit?

A: There is no published packing list for this kit, so we are not going to assert one we cannot verify. Call 817-393-4000 and we will confirm the exact contents from stock. What the designation does establish is 5.56 NATO, 16 inches, 1:7 twist, Government profile and a mid-length gas system.

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

A: A mid-length barrel requires a mid-length gas tube; a carbine tube is too short to reach the bolt carrier gas key and the rifle will not cycle. Whether a tube is included in the kit is something we will confirm for you on the phone rather than guess at.

Q: Is a 16″ replacement barrel legal on my rifle?

A: Yes. Sixteen inches meets the federal minimum barrel length for a rifle, so re-barrelling to 16 inches raises no National Firearms Act question and needs no permanently attached muzzle device. State and local rules can add requirements beyond federal law, so verify the rules in your own jurisdiction if you are unsure.

Q: What is the muzzle thread pitch on this kit’s barrel?

A: We will not state a thread pitch for this kit because there is no published figure for it, and borrowing one from a different barrel is exactly how people end up with a muzzle device that does not fit. Call 817-393-4000 and we will confirm it from stock before you order a device.

Q: Can I fit this myself?

A: If you have a receiver vice block, an action wrench and a torque wrench, yes. The job is removing the handguard and barrel nut, pressing the old barrel out, indexing the new one, torquing the nut to specification and verifying headspace.

Q: Why choose mid-length gas over carbine gas when re-barrelling?

A: Mid-length puts the gas port further from the chamber, which lowers peak port pressure and lengthens dwell time, giving a flatter recoil impulse and gentler treatment of the bolt carrier group. It also allows a longer handguard. The trade-off is that you need mid-length specific gas tube and handguard parts.

Additional information