I took one down to 16" a couple of years ago and couldn't be happier. I also knocked a few inches off the butt. It made a great fast handling easy packing and pointing little carbine for what needs killing. A Lee precision "case cutter" chucked up in a drill with a .308 case length gauge as a pilot will cut a perfect flat 90 degrees that is recessed a little (case length gauge and a case cutter with lock stud is about $11 total) with much less effort than a file but still uses basic hand tools most everyone has on hand. Follow that with the brass screw for a perfectly polished result.


As far as velocity loss or limits to the range of the .308 cartridge with a short barrel, Well just ask or take that up with the guys banging steel at 600+ yards with 12" barreled Savage strikers. I promise you nothing wants to be to be in the cross hairs down range of my 16" barreled rig at any distance.
Also great to share with the grandkids, nieces and nephews when downloaded to less recoil than a .243 with H4895 and 125-130Gr bullets and still deadly on deer. (yeah I have grown to love these "effective "youth" loads myself.)