All posts in Rifle Stocks

Customization of Firearms, fun, but necessary

Even since the AR15 got shortened down to the M4 Carbine, many in the Military and Law Enforcement have realized that there are ways to improve upon the design for the operators advantage.  No longer is an individual issued a rifle and forced to adjust to the stock length.  I have several World War II Vets and Korean War Vets that have told me that they actually hated shooting the M1 Garand and the BAR rifles.  All of those individuals were  under 5’6″ and it was pretty obvious to me as to why they didn’t like it.  They claimed that they couldn’t hit a darn thing with it, but anyone that is a firearm instructor knows that this is probable true.

Nobody starts a 7yr old kid out with a full size bolt action rifle and expects them to shoulder it, now that we have the M4 Carbine in service the stocks are adjustable.   Not just body size, but the types of things you may be wearing like a vest, armor ect can affect LOP.  Magpul Stocks and Accessories are our number one selling stock accessories and and everything from trigger guards to gun grips can be customized.  Body sizes and preferences mean a world of a difference for an operator to become proficient.

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It’s Christmas shopping season, but there’s no laws on buying for yourself

I admit that I am guilty of buying stuff for myself at this time of year, the truth of the matter is that this tends to be a good time of the year to buy as well as immediately after the Christmas shopping season.  It’s very rare that people give firearm accessories or ammunition as Christmas presents because that can actually be more tedious for a wife or girlfriend than going to Victoria’s Secret and buying items that match.   When it comes to gun accessories on an AR15, you’ll probable have a frustrated female on Christmas wondering if she got you the right item.  Foliage green and flat dark earth aren’t in the Victorias Secret Catalog.

Now that there are different length AR15 rifles and it’s not as simple as the A1, A2 or A3 styles.  You might  be better off shopping for your on AR15 upper receivers.   You won’t find many options for clearance prices, but the used and hardly used guns parts are out there.   Spikes tactical uppers seem to be hot sellers right now because they are reasonable priced and of good quality for those that are looking for a good accessorized or plinking gun.   I’m sure there are people out there that think they are above that level, but Daniel Defense, Colt and LWRC are in another category.

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Magpul Stocks and Accessories

If you’re ready to do some Christmas shopping for your husband or boyfriend, ask them if they need anything for  their AR15 and I’m sure there will be something that they wish they could put on there gun.   Everyone with an AR15 has something that they want to try out or mount.   There are different accessories for different things and recently I got a phone call from a friend that was looking for an AR15 for varmint hunting.   Varmint hunting is something that comes up from time to time and its more about magazines and bullet styles than accessories, but sometimes that might mean rail covers on everything.

I tried the whole folding handguard thing but it didn’t work out too well when I found out that it was cracking.  The Magpul MOE accessories are probable the newest thing that is going to cause the AR15 world to go crazy over.   Everyone put a fore grip on their AR15 and some people never knew why they should do it, now people are realized how difficult it is to shoot with something like that and the Angled foregrips from Magpul give you the best middle of the road option.   The Magpul MOE also cuts out a good bit of weight for someone that cares about that.

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One thing at a time is the way to modify a firearm

People can move entirely too fast when it comes to customizing and AR15 rifle.   I  have seen countless times while attending Carbine courses where people end up just stripping their guns down and finish the courses with flashlights and grips being removed.   One of the biggest changes we’ve seen in recent months is a move away from foregrips.   That whole stance is somewhat un-natural for people although in some people’s minds, it looks cool  so they want to do it too.

The move away from using the foregrips of the past has actually been a move towards getting rid of them or the Magpul angled foregrips.   These Magpul stocks and accessories have really become original as a matter of fact, the MOE stands fro Magpul Original Equipment which very much lives up to it’s name.  Once students got down on the ground or were shooting from behind cover, the protruding gun parts and accessories really got in the way and opened an Operator up to snags and bonking.

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I’m an LWRC Piston guy, but……….

I’ve been on bandwagon with LWRC long before we sold their upper receivers and I really have a hard time spending money on anything but.  We’ve been involved with gun builds at various places in the Country and it’s been loads of fun doing it and see people build or assemble their first AR15.   The AR15 is still the next best training rifle after a 22LR bolt action for new shooters.   You can teach range adjustments and get people to learn how to manipulate a firearm that is basically the same thing that most of our standing military uses.

If you are looking to get your first AR15, I would not hesitate to tell you that you really don’t need to spend more than about $600.   I see nothing wrong with people buying something like Spikes Tactical Uppers and slapping it on a used upper receiver or a less expensive gun.   Spikes Tactical Uppers give you a very good starting point with quality parts and a good price point.   If you don’t think you’ll be put on the front line and be shooting 10,000rds a year through your barrel, don’t worry about spending the $2000 on an LWRC.

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Boat load of Spikes tactical uppers in stock

The Spikes Tactical upper receivers have recently become our number one selling upper receivers.   We have done extensive inventory reviews on our product lines and pruned a few product lines out because we got sick of the complaints or returns on them.   From a price and quality standpoint, these are the best bang for the buck.  The MOE upper is also a pretty good deal if you want to get on that Magpul Original Equipment bandwagon.   We’ve been playing with the LWRC lightweight uppers that have the MOE furniture and we’ve been very happy with them also.

The mid-length uppers from Spikes Tactical seem to outsell the others, but since these have been backordered for awhile and we haven’t had the others in stock, it’s been hard to compare them.   The Spikes tactical uppers are now in stock and we have more of them than we had before.   We also have a full inventory of the Magpul MOE stock accessories from grips, angled grips, fore grips and rail options.   Put some thought into what you really want on the guns and avoid too many exchange or returns.   We do get cranky with customers that order a ton of gun parts and then want to return them later.   Restocking fees apply!

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Something new and different, will it work for you?

I remember a long time ago whenever I thought about an AR15, it was always the AR15 A2 model and always a 20inch barrel.   The Bushmaster XM15E2 was probable the most widely used AR15 in competition shoots at my gun club.   Most Cops had A2 M16 and then everything changed in the early part of the decade.   Now it’s hard to find anyone with a 20inch barrel on their gun because the M4 Carbine 14 inche barrels have gotten so well made and are so much more accurate than before, that you don’t sacrifice much of anything.

Stock accessories have gotten a bit out of control at times  and my eyes just buggout whenever somebody tells me about so new company or tricked out gadget that they found.   For me and most of my best shooting and LEO friends, the Magpul gun stock accessories and the new Magpul MOE are all we need.  The new angled fore grips are a better idea and don’t get in the way or protrude like many of the foregrips in the past.   Magpul does have a reputation have holding up to Military and LEO use so it’s worth the money.

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Combat guns and plinking guns and just having fun

I remember all of those times I spent arguing with people on gunboards about which gun was better and which guns were pieces of junk.   I started out collecting many of the Soviet era military style rifles, namely the SKS rifles.   There are some fun accessories from Tapco that can make even an old relic like an SKS into a more modern looking rifle, but even if it’s not an AK, you can always customize the firearm to your liking.   I wouldn’t expect to use an SKS for house to house clearing, but if you got it for $200 and want to improve the fit to your liking, go right ahead.

One problem I have found with many of the semi-autos I owned was that the length of pull on the guns was very short.  This was not something I go too worked up about with the plinking firearms I owned, but for a primary weapon, the rifle stocks you use on them should fit you like a glove.   Customizing a firearm to fit you is an important step in learning how to effectively use a firearm.   I have learned that the hard way with various rifle scopes that ended up putting a ring around my eye because the stock was so short, I forgot to adjust my bean and got a good thunk.  There is nothing wrong with changing the butt pad on any gun you own to fit you.  Just be aware that when you are wearing a heavy coat or winter clothing that LOP might need to be shorter, so don’t modify your stocks too much, and think about an adjusteable stock for just that purpose.

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AR15 upgrades without the hassles

There are enormous numbers of things you can do to customize your AR15 style rifles but one thing to consider is every time you do a gunsmithing job to your firearm, that’s one more thing that may not be  installed correctly.   The more you add on, the more can fall off, that goes from changing magazine releases, trigger guards, triggers, hand guards, gun grips and and more.   Instead of taking everything off of your firearm, it’s really better to just get another upper receiver or another firearm.   Especially if you think there is a chance you won’t like the modifications.  Piston conversions are another thing to be careful about because the gun should be functioning reliable after the changes and not less reliable.   And remember don’t fix something that isn’t broken.

Going back and forth from a direct impingement firearm to a pistol driven gun and then back to DI is a bad idea.   There are some really cost effective versions of the piston uppers like the CMMG uppers for sale at Rogue Elite.   LWRC is still the king of the piston driver uppers especially after the new lightweight upper receivers have come out that are just slightly over $1000.    The M4 LEPII is a popular upper receiver and only change of your recoil spring should do the trick.   The key to maintaining a reliable firearm is to maintain it, not constantly mess around with it.   If  you want to do minor changes, go ahead, major changes to a firearm, get a new one.   The cost in time and money may be about the same.

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Military handguns and gun grips

I know several first hand bitchin and moaning concerning both the 1911 and Beretta 92FS or both.   I rarely engage in these arguments because I am experienced enough to know that people have preferences and forcing someone to carry a firearm that does not fit them very well is not wise.   I expect that the military will eventually move towards an handgun that is more versatile as far as adjusting to varying hand sizes much in the way that the M4 Carbine is adjustable for various operators.

The guns that seem to have improved operator control with gun grip changes were the Sig family of firearms.   There is something serious lacking in the factory grips because in my humble opinion they feel too slippery and that is not something I think is good.   Every Sig that I have seen in a Defensive Training course had altered gun grip and everyone was using the Hogue pistol grips, wrap around, finger grooves or standard ones.   My Beretta 92FS felt smaller by putting finger groove grips on it and the Sig 239 I own feels like it’s suppose to, an extension of my hand.

 

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