As a former AR15 hater, I give to you the bringer of salvation

I spent an awful lot of my young adult years watching guys with loads of money show up at gun clubs and firing ranges with their fancy guns and bash anyone that had an AK, SKS or a Mini 14.  I was often ridiculed for owning a Mini 14 because according to most AR15 owners, it couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn at 100yds, but I was hitting 2 inch groups all the time.   These guys would always rave about how accurate the AR15 was and that they never had reliability issues, but I was always watching these guys clear malfunctions or blame magazines or ammo for all of their jams.  I will tell you that I got tired of the mentality and avoided AR15s for a very long time just because I could get the job done with a Sturm Ruger Mini 14 for just about every job I ever need it for.

I did notice that shortly after Pmags started showing up on firing ranges the amount of jamming I saw dropped by 99%.   I don’t know when the last time it was that I watched an M4 or AR15 jam that was  using Magpul Pmags.   These magazines are virtually indestructable.   I’ve seen youtube videos of guys driving trucks over them and they still worked.  I have heard of a few problems with them not dropping free from magwells of some manufacturers, but that’s a minor production issue and not really the magazines fault.   Even if you live in a un gun friendly State, you can still get 10rd magazines.

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Keeping a good marking pen handy

I was recently watching the Make Ready with Paul Howe DVD about Tac Rifle Operator, and it’s a good one.  I definitely put this one up with the must get collection with Magpuls Art of the tactical carbine.   I won’t get too into the DVD because I’d rather you buy them, but one point that came up is something I kind of slack off on.   The topic about marking or putting a strike on a gun magazine when it fails was something that should be monitored.   Most people know to rotate gun magazines, but when do you give up on it and toss it?

I was one of those that had a hard time tossing magazines and usually spent the money to replace followers and magazine springs, but some magazines really aren’t worth keeping around.  When the mag wells get bent or they are absurdly worn, don’t get too caught up in keeping it with your primaries.   When gun magazines even something as tough as Magpul pmags are used, they are a step closer to wearing out or breaking, sometimes they don’t completely crap out on you, they just start to have intermittent malfunctions.   One of those that can occur is a worn magazine follower.   Three strikes and your out is a good philosophy, and keeping a good marking pen around to document this is a very good idea.

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Have you considered using 20rd mags instead?

I guess it’s from all of the years of reloading and bench shooting that I find 30rd magazines to be annoying to shoot from the bench with.  I consider myself to be a pretty good shot, but you do have to learn how to get into different shooting positions if you really want to get good with a rifle.  I stared out shooting SKS rifles and could get 3-4 inch groups on a good day, but when I tried shooting groups with an AK, I felt like a was standing on a unicycle.   Sometimes having higher capacity magazines means more bulk and drag.

I’ve had my share of owning 75rd drum magazines, but the amount of work that goes into loading those really takes away the fun of shooting them.  It’s kind of like when you were a kid sledding down a big hill, after the 2nd or 3rd time you were so worn out from walking up when the ride down only took 20 seconds.  The gun magazines are magpul pmags in my opinion and I would even consider picking up 10rd pmags for DMR work or bench shooting and 20rd mags for fighting.   I don’t think there is a difference in reliability with any of the various magazine capacities, but getting down on the ground and putting accurate shots on paper with a 30rd can become awkward.  There are positions you can try, but they aren’t for anyone not in good shape.

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Eotech range report on the 512

The newer Eotech gun sights are all being made with the power buttons on the left side and not in the back.  If you have the older models, you’ll probable have some issues like I did with the Eotech Magnifiers.   I had to leave a bit of a gap between mine just so I would be able to get  my hands in between them to turn it off and on.  The way my present M4 Carbine setup is, I can still use the older models, but It should does make it easier to just use your left hand them (if you are right handed) to turn the power up and down.   The magnifiers really make a difference, but its one of those never ending responses  I get about “Couldn’t I just have got an ACOG for that price?”

Sure you could, but you’ll have a lot of trouble using a Trijicon ACOG in short ranges.   If you look at the ranges most engagements take place in, there is almost no need for magnification.   A few friends of mine that were in Iraq said the Trijicon ACOGS they had came in real handy to spot wires from roadside bombs.   The Eotech sights you the widest field of view of any optic I know of and that makes rapid engagements of multiple targets very easy and fast.  Getting the first hits in is more important that how tight your groups were.

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Making a rifle into a DMR

The term Designated Marksmen Rifle has been around for a long time, but in the last 8yrs it has really made a comeback.   When the United States invaded Iraq, there was more street fighting and urban engagements that in the first Persian Gulf War.   I remember making some comments to a few friends about what we will see evolved with the military now that we actually have boots on the ground.   We expected to see the M16 replaced by now, but according to many sources, the piston driven versions of the M16 are in service in Special Forces and some branches.  Even rumors that the H&K 416 was used to kill Osama Bin Laden.

You can make any rifle into a Designated Marksmen Rifle.    In my opinion it usually means putting a higher magnification optics like a Trijicon ACOG or  Leupold Rifle Scopes on them.   If you have a good enough operator behind a weapon the standard M16A2 can be a very leathal weapon out to 600yds, especially with the right type of ammo.   There are some really good rounds for longer engagements, but the .308 is probable a better choice.  There are many times where a bad guy sticks his head out and it’s too hard to get them with an M4 Carbine.   The LWRC REPR is probable the nicest .308 gun designed for this role that is actually a few pounds lighter than it’s predecessors.

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Getting ready for the training, got your guns and gear, but what about your boots?

I’ve seen plenty of guys really worn down about half way through a training course and there is usually a mount of unwanted gear tossed somewhere on a range.  Mag pouches, ammunition, gun parts and backpacks can really wear you out if you are over packed.   Getting a gun that is a pound or two lighter than really makes a difference especially if you’ve ever thrown some of your ammunition on a scale to see how much 30rds of .223 actually weighs.  One other thing to seriously consider doing is lightening the footwear you are using.   Sneakers may be good for an urban environment to some degree, but not good on rough surfaces.

Wearing your steel tip boots that were meant for construction workers is also an over kill.   Original Swat boots has a broad selection of footwear to choose from and if you want support, and don’t want to get weight down.  Try the 1232 Air 9″ Side Zips.   These boots always impress people when they put them on and feel how light they are.  If you want a steel toe, try the composite toe try the 1260 boots.   These won’t transfer cold like steel toe boots but give you the protection you need.

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Reasons to spend dough on gun cases and gun bags

Well, there’s many reasons, and it’s not all  about keeping your shit together.  There are plenty of nice assault rifle style bags, but you gotta watch what  you order online because you might find out that little M4 Carbine you have in your gun safe won’t fit in a gun case that is designed for that barrel length.  Your tactical flashlight, laser, optics and the list goes on can cause it to not fit in there.  I’ve had to carry some of my Carbines in a Elite Survival bag that was really designed for a sniper rifle because my smaller AK type gun cases wouldn’t fit them.   I took my flashlight on my LWRC M6A2 last week and tossed it in a case not realizing that the flashlight was floating around and could have damaged something.

Protecting your stuff can vary, if you want to drop it out of a helicopter, get and SKB gun case, but there are some fine gun cases like the Blackhawk gun cases that are really drag bags.   These gun cases can carry pistol, pistol ammo, lots of AR15 gun magazines and more.   It might be a good idea to research gun bags or better  yet, stop in a gun shop that carries them so you know exactly what you are looking for.   Having a gun bag that fits your needs may take some research because some gun bags an be pricey and ordering them online from just a  picture can be a headache.

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More praise for the Blackhawk Serpa Holster

I recently got a customer phone call about the Blackawk level II leg holster.   This is our number one selling leg holster and there’s a reason why.   For many of the guys running competition shooting, this holster gives you free upper body movement with a carbine without having too much gear on your chest to snag a rifle sling.  Many of the rifle slings that you really should use on an M4 Carbine should be quick detach.   It’s nice to be able to secure a firearm to you, but bad things can happen when you can’t get your gear off.   Ask an EMT or medical technician about getting seat belts off of injured people and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

There is a quick detach mechanism you can install on your holster, but it’s a little hard to explain it without doing a video explanation.   One good thing about the Blackhawk holsters that I use is that I can swap anyone of them out on my drop down rig depending on which sidearm I want to use.  The one thing I have noticed about this type of leg holster is the flexible yet hard back keeps your gun in place when you are moving.  Some of the nylon versions of these holsters will wobble when  you walk and that might be a problem if your gun is not in place when you reach for it.

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Some time with the Eotech Flip to side Gen 2 magnifier

I have been using one of these on my LWRC M6A2 for several months now.  It’s taken me awhile to get to where I am at with using it, but it was a learning experience.   When I first looked at these I was trying to decide if I should get an Eotech magnifier or the Mako magnifier.   I figured I would start out with the higher end and work my way down.  The first thing that hit me was the cost of the Eotech 556 I have and the Magnifier were the same as some of the Trijicon rifle scopes that I have been looking at.

I’ve learned to keep my guns in a configuration that they are meant to be in, and M4 carbine is meant for close up fighting so why turn it into a long range shooting weapon.   Eotech gun sights are my favorite for close fighting but there are major drawbacks to using them at medium ranges and in low light environments.   The magnifier gives you that medium range visibility and  helps ID targets and become more effective at hitting targets. with the flip to side mount, it takes a second to go back to close range shooting.  Definitely worth it in my book.

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Otis 5.56mm grip cleaning kit

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a thorough check of my gun cleaning supplies, and today I decided it was time to do a brush check  to see if I need anymore gun cleaning brushes.  Some of the gun cleaning brushes I have seem to have really taken a beating and especially with my rifles, I thought it was a good idea to replace them because I didn’t know if they were really doing the job anymore.  I was  happy to find out that I completely forgot that I have an Otis 5.56 grip cleaning kit that was unused from over a year ago.

I met with a rep that worked for Otis at a few conventions and he hooked me up with a few of the Otis gun cleaning kits.  The Otis 5.56 grip cleaning kit is meant to fit exactly where you think it goes, the pistol grip on  your AR15.    These gun cleaning supplies are meant for AR15.  When I was cleaning my AR15 rifles, I was thinking that I should be using a chamber brush, unfortunately the Otis pistol grip cleaning kit doesn’t come with one.  I find that somewhat disappointing because I would think that any AR15 cleaning kit would come with one of these.  The chamber area is one of the hardest parts to get to on an AR15 and on a direct impingement carbine, this is where the most dirt can collect that usually causes jams.  The kit is nice for being a compact kit, but I’d still add a a chamber brush to it.

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