Posted on 10/23/2020 6:01:46 AM PDT by MtnClimber
So were finding ourselves once more with a whole lotta new gun owners. And that evil black rifle-the AR-15- wont stay on the shelves long enough to pick up any dust. While having one and knowing how to use one are two very different things, knowing how to use one and actually knowing how to set up a purpose-built weapon is another animal entirely. Heres the bottom line up front: what are you planning on doing? A so-called home defense weapon is worlds apart from what Im discussing here. Home defense implies that Im back on my heels, in my so-called retreat, just trying to live my life until they leave me alone. Well, theyre not going to leave you alone. You need to wake up to the reality that theres no magical retreat to skip off to where youre out of the reach of someone who wants you gone. Youre no longer living in a civil society and the fantasy of the so-called rule of law is null in void. Do you understand that? So with that disclaimer out of the way, lets go over my go-to weapon setup. This is a general purpose carbine; a jack of all trades that can perform a wide variety of tasks in my environment based on my combat experience.It is an offensive weapon, capable of killing from zero to six hundred meters.
The barrel is a 1/7 twist FN M4 barrel with a mid-length gas system and a standard A2 birdcage. I run a 1/7 because 77gr OTM does its job. The A2 birdcage works well enough at mitigating muzzle flash at night, which is a major consideration for a patrolling weapon. On night raids we would often simply shoot at the muzzle flashes we saw if we took contact and, as anyone whos been there and done that knows, the AK can put out an impressive fireball with either no muzzle device or simply the slant break. But the AR does as well, especially if youre running some type of muzzle break thats competition oriented rather than combat oriented. In my carbine course we observe the different muzzle flashes that everyone puts out of their weapons at dusk to take note of just how much flash theyre putting out. The A2 does a good job of breaking it up, as does the Smith Vortex, which I had on my M24 and we ran on the M240s as well.
The late, great Peter Kokalis noted from his advising of the Atlacatl Battalion during the El Salvadoran civil war that that the Vortex became mandatory due to its effectiveness on night ambushes in the Central American jungle. I share his opinion, having ran it on an AK in the southeastern woodlands for many years now.
My go-to AR wears a rifle-length MLOK floated handguard from Palmetto State Armory. This type of handguard serves a number of functions. It keeps the barrel from shifting zero when I rest the handguard on objects in my environment as well as preventing a point of impact shift from shooting using the sling as a support. It also squeezes every bit of accuracy capability out of my barrel, which is always critical. I use a Magpul RSA for a sling mounting point and it gives me a physical reference point to place my hand when shooting- consistency is the key to accuracy. The sling is my same old tried and true VTAC sling I carried in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nothing fancy, it just works. In front of that sling mount is my Steiner DBAL I2 IR laser to interface with my PVS-14 when Im wearing that on my head at night. The lower is nothing special, and the rest of the weapon is pretty much bone stock, even having a gasp mil-spec trigger. You dont need a fancy trigger, you just need trigger time to break it in.
Now lets talk about optics. Its 2020, you should have an optic on a weapon you plan on fighting with. I run an ACOG. Theres not a more bombproof optic out there. And for the people whove been in class they know exactly how bombproof mine is. Its a standard 4×32, not the fastest optic if Im concerned with CQB type stuff, but for rural patrolling and, most importantly, positive identification (PID), the ACOG shines. Its lightweight and effective. Theres other prismatic optics out there that are really good also, including the optics from Primary Arms. But if you want a one n done, the ACOG is the one.
Freeper post :
Some of the comments are worth reviewing.
https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3874816/posts
Original Reference Source :
https://www.americanpartisan.org/2020/06/from-a-reader-a-look-at-antifas-field-organization
Also on the AmericanPartisan website, but I used this link: Antifa's Tet Offensive
They're getting full-auto AR conversion kits smuggled from China.
I have a Burris AR-332 3X prism sight that is about a third of that. I've used it on both an AR-10 and AR-15. It's quite rugged and easily handles the recoil on the 7.62. It's very compact, and Burris makes a quick detach mount that enables me to remove and replace the sight repeatedly without loss of zero. I would highly recommend looking for a solid optic take a look at it.
Marker
Do you use an ammo vest? If so what do you recommend? My 10 round AR magazines don’t do well in the band of my sweatpants.
“But if you want a one n done, the ACOG is the one.”
It’s a little rich for the private sector, no?
Those two are worth more than my collection of M4s.
Yep, though in fairness the ACOG is certainly worth the money, if the rest of your kit is already bought, paid for and dialed-in. I think it was Classic Firearms that recently got a batch of military surplus ACOGs in and blasted out an e-mail to their customers. The lot (a large wooden crate full) sold out in around five minutes at $500 a pop.
The Primary Arms and Burris prism sights in the 3x range seem to be really good alternatives to the ACOG at a fraction of the price, though probably not as bomb-proof. The ACSS reticle is remarkable.
Everything I’ve heard from experienced users of NVODs is that you want them on your head, not on your weapon, at least a GP fighting carbine.
I concur with the 1:7 twist recommendation. This works with heavier bullets for longer range as well as 55gr stuff in close.
Regarding FF handguards, PSA doesn't have the best choices. There is better and more functional stuff to be found through Breek or Phase5 for example.
I have switched my slings mostly to the Magpul MS4 Duel QD. I like to run two point, but I like the ability to switch to single point in less than a sec. Single point is really nice for switching from right to left handed for CQB corners. The rear attachment point is at the lower receiver buffer tube plate, not on the adjustable stock. I have this on all my sling ready lowers: https://phase5wsi.com/sloped-quick-disconnect-end-plate-sqd-ep.html
Oh, and the article doesnt mention a light at all. You really need something. This is new and I have tried it and really like the ergonomics of it: Cloud Defensive OWL Weapon Light. Its a little more than a surefire these days, but has lots of features that make it worth it to me.
A nice fellow named Travis once recommended a Primary Arms ACSS to me. I picked one up off Amazon, and I have to say, I really like it. I wish I’d bought two.
(aka, good luck finding one now)
(aka, good luck finding one now)
A pair of these isn't much more than an Aimpoint PRO,and they're available on Amazon. Maybe I'll get a couple.
Thanks.
These Condor rigs aren't very expensive:
Condor MCR-001
Condor chest rig
Okay, good luck - I should mention, he recommended the 3x model, that’s the one that’s not available. I’m not sure what point there is to a 1x ‘scope’.
I did just find another on Ebay and nabbed it, from a pawn shop in AZ. Hopefully it will turn out to be a good deal. :)
Bump!
I guess they're okay for close quarters. All of the affordable (below $1k) red dots are 1X. It's no worse than iron sights, and you can see it in the dark.
98% of people will not and do not need this type of article. Buy any gun. Pistol, shotgun, carbine, rifle, gas launcher, flare gun ....
Buy a gun you can use and are willing to use.
If your a big time nuts and bolt gun owner, yet go to a public range, encourage, praise, teach .... never compare Peters, I mean guns. Any gun in a citizens hands is the perfect gun.
My 1/7 vs 1/9 vs 1/12 twist for my SHTF bullet weight doesnt help. If someone asks great otherwise STFU
That’s alright but pretty expensive. There are some good 2 MOA red dots out there for not much money. A 1:8 twist will also work with match loads up to 77 gr., and a longer or even heavier barrel is fine for one who gets accustomed to carrying it around much and using it (for places with more visibility, terminal ballistics, etc.).
BTW, a free float hand guard isn’t going to make any appreciable difference for most people other than maybe a really warm left hand. Tacticool dudes with tight slings and a fear of getting dirty like ‘em a lot, though.
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