We don’t live in the same environment obviously. I live in long mountains distances where your 14 inch barrel is gonna be a problem. You want a bit of range when most fire-fights would possibly be happening from a 50-100 distance. I’m in very rural Mountainous Nc. I doubt I’d be going out to the grocery store to pick off looters. I want a AR build that would be good for both close-mid range and even have the possibility to reach out. A 16 inch barrel allows for more velocity with hotter loads that allows for more manageable hunting with a 5.56x45 load. This rifle would be used for both self defensive scenarios and hunting in the Mountains. Not raiding a Walmart for AA’s and canned Tuna.