All posts in M4 Carbine Parts

Finding a place to try thing out

We  have heard people say for years now that they wish they knew a place where people could go to try on various tactical pants or concealment holsters and not have to deal with ordering things online.   I’ve had enough experience shopping for clothing online for women to know that images and color swatches don’t always tell you what a product is because there are still many variances that can cause you to see a color wrong.  Not everyone sets their computer monitors to the same standards and the differences between a light green and a lime color may be an issue on your side of the screen and not the other.

When it comes to gun accessories and gear, sometimes its the time of the year and the way you hold a firearm that determines your comfort.  Sometimes people pick up magpul accessories and start complaining about how something feels and people forget that at one time your first 22LR probable didn’t fit your shoulder either.  Sometimes you have to grow into a firearm and others you have to adjust to.   There are different ways to hold a Carbine in a fighting position and some shooting positions are not comfortable for very long.   Start off simple and add on as you need to.  If you have too much of an issue with accessorizing your firearm, get another gun.

 

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Understanding optics and reticles

There is so much back and forth behavior when it comes to accessorizing AR15 guns and and the optics that go on them.  Luckily I was not in the category of people that spent $1000 on optics and then switched to something else later.  I was smart enough and had enough life experience and also a very small amount of money in a bank account so I started off with an AR15A2.   I still believe that after starting a new shooter out on a 22lr rifle preferable a  bolt action, once a shooter can handle a 22lr gun, the AR15A2 is the next best step.

When it comes to not having a  lot of money to spend but you know you want serious equipment, it really comes down to Trijicon, Aimpoint and Eotech.   There are pros and cons of each but none of them will do everything.  Trijicon Rifle Scopes and give you a very wide range of optics for hunting and combat but to this day the Eotech still holds its own for close up fighting and fast shooting.   In close range fighting zero magnification is the best but there are some options like the TA26 which is 1.5x magnification and gives you a light edge over zero mag.   This may mean the difference between identifying a weapon from a cell phone at reasonable close ranges.

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Ger yourself a good Molle vest

If you are looking to become a serious shooter and looking to acquire the tactical gear that works for you, be real careful about all of the tactical gear that applies to Carbine Operators.   There is plenty of junk out there but even more importantly people get too much of the wrong stuff.   Now that Molle gear is all over the place, start off with a good Molle vest and only buy what you need.  After you run a Carbine course you’ll be better off starting light and adding on then starting off with tons of vests.

There are plenty of vest options out there but I prefer to stick to American made tactical gear anymore.  The Elite Survival Molle vest is under $100 and depending on the tactical pants that I am wearing, it’s more than enough versatility for me.  Sometimes it’s not all about packing on magazine pouches.  Considering the something like the Woolrich Elite Style 44447 pants can hold up to 6 30rd magpul pmags there isn’t much of need to carrying another 6-8 magazines on a vest.   I prefer to carry a sidearm on the leg which blocks up some of the pants usage but with a Molle vest you can always put  your sidearm on the vest.

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Varmint hunting with military firearms

There are plenty of guns and calibers out there that are good for specific jobs but they are not very versatile.   Larger calibers may be good for long range shooting but for under $100yds they are beyond an over kill and actually can be unsafe to use.   A good 30/06 rifle is probable now considered to be a medium range rifle now that the 338 Lapua and 50 BMG have seen so much use.   Long range shooting is now about 2000yds longer than it was previously possible for a one rifleman.  Now that the AR15 is king of the rifle world and barrel lenghts, weights and calibers can vary.

The .223 is a very versatile cartridge, it is far more effective than just about any handgun caliber gun especially if you are using the right ammunition.   I have seen white tail deer taken with M4 Carbines and 75Gr hpbt bullets and if you want more range just slap on a any of the new AR15 upper receivers for sale.   The most popular AR15 uppers we sell are the CMMG uppers and the Smith & Wesson AR15 upper receivers.   If you have the money, the Cadillac of the AR15 world are the LWRC guns.

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You hands are different so change your grip

Everyone has something slightly different about their hands and this has been know to firearm manufacturers for some time.  Many military issued firearms were not very good for people that were below or above average sizes and that has been the norm for a very long time.  Not until the accessorized AR15 have there been so many opportunities to improve a firearm to an operators standards.   To each his own when it comes to which handgun fits your hand, but a good fit can be better if you can use Hogue grips or Magpul grips.

Magpul is king of the AR15 accessory world but Hogue, Packhmayr, Decal and Ergo cover everything else.   If you have to carry a handgun or rifle all year long and live in an area where the seasons change magpul accessories will probable get you covered.  There is not always size variations, but angle variations can mean something too.  There are big differences between the grip angles of a Smith & Wesson M&P, Glock 19 and a Springfield 1911 so not all rifle grips for your AR15 are the same.

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Magazines and mag pouches, tactical vests or belt pouches?

Everyone of us has a closet full of gun holsters and gun accessories that we either took off a firearm or purchased and didn’t like.   The one thing you find out after you start putting gear on is how bulky it is and how uncomfortable it is to wear.   Recently we had a guy stop in our store looking for a tactical vest and liked the Woolrich Elite tactical vests but they didn’t work well with  his firearms instructors protocol and he needed a shorter vest that did not go below the belt line.  Molle gear is really the way to go anymore because you don’t know what you’re going to need all the time.

Not everyone wants to stow a sidearm on their vest and in my personal experience I’d much rather have a sidearm in a leg holster than up near the rifle.  Rifle slings can get caught on your Magpul accessories and there is a reason quick detachable accessories are so important.   Your life can be endangered if you get in a car accident or get caught in a building and need to get out and your gear is what is retraining you.   I’ve seen it many times and I always suggest people consider carrying a strong blade to give you the security to know that you can always cut your gear loose.

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Magpul stocks for your Battle Rifles

There are several firearms out there that don’t have the ability to be accessorized with lights and mounts like the AR15 and stock options are very limited.  My favorite battle rifle is still  the FNFAL and I have gotten MOA out of the gun with very little modification.   Having a good mount and I would consider a mount that is welded on is extremely important with this rifle.  The DSA SA58 has a very good track record for holding up if mounted properly and that means  using loctite.  There is also a lot of truth to not over torquing a screws with firearms because you will find out a few thousand rounds later that the screws are sheered off.

When it comes to stock options, your old G3 or FNFAL does have more options with Magpul.   Magpul Accessories are now the number one gun accessories for AR15s but the Magpul PRS stock is a very good option for making your battle rifle a DMR gun.   The battle rifle has seen a resurgence in use and sometimes going back to proven design and making improvements to its ability to be accessorized is the way to do it.   The FAL has often been over looked compared to the M1A, but that argument has become less and less.

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Stock length and cheek weld and good shooting

There is more to a Carbine stock than just adjustability and length of pull.   Body armor can make  your standard Carbine feel really uncomfortable and put on a tactical vest and you’re probable a good 2 inches or more shorter on your Carbine stock.   One other thing that comes into play is the amount of play you might end up with if you have a commercial stock sitting on a Mil-spec buffer tube.

Knowing something about your Carbines parts history and if its all Mil-spec is going to be very important if you start to accessorize your parts.  Magpul accessories give you a lot of options for making your AR15 fit you right and adjust to the gear you may be using.   The Magpul MOE stocks and accessories are also something very new and original to consider.

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Adding to your Carbine could mean more changes than you intended

Every time you add on more and more accessories to a Carbine the more weight you will add to the firearm and movement and snagging can occur.  Anyone that knows what its like to wear tactical pants and walk around a kitchen is going to be able to tell you how many times they’ve torn a pocket on a kitchen cabinet or snagged your pants on a door knob.  You will know what I’m talking about if you’ve worn them and if not, do a YouTube search and you’ll see it discussed.   We’ve sold pants to people that torn pockets off their 5.11 and Woolrich Elite pants.

When you change grips or add on flashlights, the same things can occur.  Gun holsters can get sheered off your body going around corners and even Magpul Accessories can do the same thing.   Everyone keeps an eye o n where their optics are but snagging on windows with your gun grips is something that gets learned the hard way.  I’ve seen rifles fly out of peoples hands during live fire shootings because they did not clear obstructions and the fore grips latched on to something while they were backing up.   I highly recommend you look into the Magpul Angled grips.

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Research your guns before accessorizing

Nowadays many companies will hit you with restocking fees on gun accessories and in all fairness, the real reason is to deter people from being lazy asses and ordering wrong parts and acting like it was the companies fault something didn’t fit.   Many stock accessories tend to not be drop in changes and some fittings may occur, this is very common for non-AR15 style rifles.   People make mistakes but 85% of time we get a call about a return on a gun accessory its because somebody didn’t know that the gun had to go to a gunsmith or that they need to buy another mount or accessory to fit it.

Many companies also give Free Shipping on an item and if you’ve been a lazy bum and purchased a C-more optic and didn’t know that you needed a $75 mount for it to work on your gun and now you want your money back on the scope, we’ll you’re the person I’m talking about.   If you have a question ask it, if you aren’t sure about Magpul Accessories, the manufacturer of your firearm probable knows best.  Everyone and there dog is putting the MOE stocks on their guns and if you have a question about it, call them up.

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