All posts tagged M4 Carbine

Keeping a Carbine running

There are a lot of really good sources of information about maintaining an AR15 and now that there are so many variations of AR15’s out there you really have to pay attention to the type of gun you have.   I’ve found that one of the best sources of information is SWAT Magazine because the writers they get have a long track record of knowing the products that our out there and  what the real world use is like.    Issues like over cleaning firearms is something you rarely hear about it goes on a lot more than you realize.   Especially when it comes to bolt carrier groups.  I was amazed at the number of Instructors that weren’t cleaning their Carbines and were only dropping lube in the guns as maintenance.

Now that piston driven guns are becoming so prevalent, there are areas that don’t need as much lubrication as other AR15 variants.  One thing that hasn’t changed over years, but has only continued to grow are the use of Magpul Pmags.   They are everywhere and although there have been some minor issues with dimensions and materials, they still beat USGI mags in just about everything except for weight.  One thing you still need to keep in mind when operating a Carbine and keeping it running is you still need to clean magazines out.   Pay attention to how many rounds you are putting through your magazines and inspect them.   Magazines get dirty at some point and they will cause malfunctions.

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Firearm training and DVD instructional video just broader

I have a great many gun dvd’s in my collection and they are mostly of value, but I did have a few that I lent to a friend for comical reasons, but unfortunately they got lost and there’s no way in hell I’ll spend the money for another batch of them.    Now that DVD editing has gotten better and easier to do, more firearms trainers are taking to the camera eye.   There are several people that I would love to train with, but like many people I can’t take 3 days off from my day job.  I subscribed to the Outdoor Channel over a year ago, but sadly most of the shows I watch are producing so few shows that I’ve already seen the same ones 4 or 5 times and I’m itching for something a little more complicated.

We just got word that Travis Haley just got done shooting “Adaptive Carbine” training course and will be out in a few months.    Considering the names that I am seeing on the Make Ready gun dvds,  I’m sure that Fernando Coelho knows the people to get in front of the camera and how to sell a DVD.   I think all of these DVD’s are a great thing because the production is so well done and gun owners will have easy access to important tactics and safe gun handling skills.   I think there are too many people out there that own AR15 rifles that don’t know the proper ways to maintain or handle them.

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Handgun flashlights should you mount it?

Should you put a flashlight on your handgun or should you keep it separate?   Go to an IDPA competition and check out the low light flashlight competitions and get back to me.   We see them dropped or competitors fumble them all the time.   We sell the Section 8 tactical Ultimate Retention Device which is a great an easy thing to add on to your finger when you are shooting but a less trained shooter is going to have some trouble getting use to using them.   Many handguns are now being made with rails under them and it’s becoming almost mandatory to have a white light on an M4 Carbine.

When you think about putting a light on a handgun, I would always suggest you think about what the gun is going to  be used for.   I believe that a home defense firearm should be configured to be used inside your home and sometimes that may mean not using a handgun, but an M4 Carbine or a shotgun with fragmenting bullets.   Streamlight flashlights can be mounted on handguns or rifles especially the TLR-1 light.   I’m a big fan of lights that are 110 lumens or more for home use because they will seem far brighter and easier to light up a room.

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Complicating a firearm with buttons and switches?

The era of the over done M4 Carbine seems to be coming to an end, and I have already seen a transition towards the lighter weight Carbines.   When the M4 initially came out, it was suppose to be a lighter weight and smaller weapon to be wielded on the battle field, but many of the ones that I have seen on civilian firing ranges were about the same weight as an M1 Garand.   I have not had very good experience with using pressure switches on flashlights, not only have I seen them fail, like all other wired accessories, but they do open you up to the possibility of snagging on more things.   Something like that would get messed up in a wooded area and in close hallways ect. you can get it caught on just about anything that hangs out.

There is no real advice I can give about what to put on your firearm, all I can tell you to do is to think about the environment you are using it in and think about what “could happen” in that environment.   Streamlight flashlights have worked very well for me, I recently got some negative feedback from a fellow operator about the switches they have on the flashlights now, but I have avoided using pressure switches.   The Streamlight Scorpion I have on my M4 Carbines is located in such a position that I can reach it with my thumb and turn it on and off with ease.

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CCW options, gun, knife, mace, fists, flashlights and strobes

I think those about sum up your options for fighting and maybe if you are in good shape a good kicking foot will do.   I primarily count on firearms for self defense because there are levels of threats and levels of criminal intent and showing a gun is enough to deter most crimes when a knife or flashlight really might just make a bad guy laugh at you especially if he’s bigger.  I’ve seen first hand that a untrained person with a knife isn’t going to inflict much damage and unless you actually know how to move with a knife, don’t even try and wield it.   A tactical knife is a good accessory to concealed carry, but not something for the amateur to fight with.

Something to consider which is showing up more and more in CCW flashlight courses I have sat in on are the strobe flashlights.   Now, first of all, I’m not going to tell you that it’s something that is going to stop a threat, I’m just saying that it is something else to consider especially when Streamlight Flashlights only cost you about $50+ dollars and might give you something else to use on a dumb drunk that is really just an annoyance rather than a threat.  An unsuspecting drunk isn’t going to like having a 180 Lumen flashlight and a ” Hi, how are you” from a friendly CCW that flashes him in the eyes and then gets into a car and drives off.

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Adding tactical gear you can really use

When people talk about tactical gear, it usually pertains to the stuff they are hanging off of their M4.  One of my biggest pet peeves in the  tactical accessory market is something I refer to as the tactical gear snag.   I have torn tactical pants in the kitchen of my home because the pockets get caught on everything that a kitchen has to offer, and slings, pressure switches ect are all extra things that get caught on the same things, I’m definitely not a fan of pressure switches because if you have the right size flashlight and mount it in the right position, you should  be able to turn it off and on with your finger without the need for running wires.

One thing that I have found to not be a drawback are gloves, having a good set of tactical gloves like the Larry Vickers tactical gloves from Eotac, will not be as heavy and hard to feel like Kevlar gloves and the Vickers tactical gloves can be customized to what you want with your trigger finger.   If you do not like the idea of  having your trigger finger wrapped in a glove, you can cut these down to where you want your trigger finger to be exposed and the glove will not fray or fall apart.  This will work for left or right handed shooters.

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Otis butt stock cleaning kit

The first time I ever got a hold of an Otis gun cleaning kit I was kinda overwhelmed with the amount of brushes and tools that were in it.   It was a universal rifle and pistol cleaning kit and I was kind of bothered by how much stuff was jiggling around inside the pouch.   I know now that this was a little more than what I really needed, but once I figured out how to use the kit and what all of the tools were for all of the other cleaning kits from Otis were easier to use.   This is from someone that started out with a bolt action 22LR rifle and a Hoppes gun cleaning kit from K-Mart.

The gun cleaning that I have grown to hate usually is from the AR15 direct impingement guns I own.   I have heard numerous firearms instructors tell me that there is such a thing as too much cleaning, and knowing exactly what parts to lube and clean on an AR15 is the key to firearm maintenance.   The Otis gun cleaning kits I use now are specific to the firearm I am cleaning. Hoppes boresnakes have served me well, but getting into the parts of an AR15 especially the locking lugs is difficult without an AR15 brush designed for that type of chamber.  There are times you will need to literally scrape the locking lugs of an AR15 and Otis has the tools and gun cleaning kit for your needs.

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So you want to get your daughter to like shooting guns

I don’t know what happens to girls these days, but I remember plenty of girls that liked to play with toy guns and pretend they were Bonnie from Bonnie and Clyde, but when they get older, if they aren’t shown the proper way of handling firearms at a young age, they tend to be afraid of firearms.   If you can turn the head of an anti-gun female, you’re gaining some major ground.   I’ve done it a few times when introducing female friends that I talked into at least going out once, and 100% of the time they had fun and it did have a change of opinion about what people should be allowed to own.

If you have a young niece or girlfriend, there are plenty of things you can do to alter a firearm and girlafy it.   I think I may be inventing a word there, but AR15, Bolt actions ect can all be modified to take pink or pink camo stocks, even Allen gun cases come in a pink camoflauge for a Ruger 10/22.   I strongly suggest people that are serious about  winning over hearts and minds to responsible firearm safety should consider making a gun out that is for Youth or womanized.   Not all women need a 22LR because I know plenty of women that can handle anything you put in their hands, but put together a newbie gun if you  have the time.

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Take your gear camping and get back to me

I always enjoy watching the weekend warrior guys show up with their $4000 worth of M4 and accessories that are the first ones to panic and want to leave the range if it starts to drizzle.   The idea that your $4000 rifle will some how get ruined in the rain and the majority of firearms like it are expected to be combat reliable.   Well… what is combat reliability?  Combat reliability is a gun that will take a level of abuse in bad weather and dirty conditions without malfunctioning.  If you have a military issued rifle, the gun better darn well be combat reliable and a little bit of rain shouldn’t concern you.

Combat optics are are also given this description because they better take the abuse and still hold zero.  The gun should work if it gets dropped and the glass better not break.   I’ve retired a few rifle scopes because they would fog up and I learned the lesson of wiping all of my hunting rifles down with a light amount of CLP whenever I brought them back from a trip. Take your gun cases and your firearms out on a day when the weather isn’t that great and have some confidence.   A good nylon rifle case should protect your firearms from moisture and dirt and there’s nothing to cry about if you know your gear.

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Getting the most out of the .223 gun

Even if you are someone that get’s very accurate results from your M4 or 14.7 inch barrel AR15.   You may be getting hits, but that caliber can become very weak once you get several hundred yards out.   When I picked up a chronograph I was blown away by how much velocity I actually got out of short barrel handguns and my M4 rifles because it did not match up with what I previously read about on the internet.   I saw 75gr HPBT clock at 2900fps out of my guns when I thought they would have been close to 2750.   I know you can push the limits with hand loaded ammunition, but you do have to be careful about excessive wear and tear.

I have been recently thinking about picking up an LWRCI Repr because I have been a big fan of battle rifles and even the military has brought back the 7.62 DMR rifle in various configurations.  I have even seen a few British troops show up with FAL rifles with scopes on them.   There is also a difference between what you can get out of a 55gr hpbt and a 75gr hpbt out of a 5.56 gun.  Sometimes an 18-20 inch AR15 upper receivers will get you far more range and punch than M193 ball ammo.  What you can do at 400-800yds with those guns compared to a 55gr bullet is considerable especially with wind drift ect.   Of course much of this is up to the skill level of the shooter.

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