Anyone here into firearms?

lorderos23

Here's my two favorite toys in my stable.

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ImportConvert

Many people feel that the M4 must be clean--absurdly so--to function.

To prove this notion wrong, putting the rubber to the road, I took my Noveske 14.5" Midlength M4 to Viking Tactics Carbine 1.5 course.

The course was excellent, instruction world-class, and I highly recommend this to ANYONE who is ready to take their training to the next level. Many people in attendance from local SWAT to Force Recon learned new things, techniques, etc. and everyone had a great time! Huge +1 for Viking Tactics!

Anyway, back to the M4, since that's what this sub-section is about...

We fired (well, I fired) just shy of 1700 rounds through my M4 over the 3 day course.

I began with a clean, properly lubricated weapon. I used MPro-7 LPX.

That's it.

There was no wiping, cleaning, spitting into the BCG, nothing. I just "forgot" to do a damn thing for the weapon (except to lube the switchblock and move it around to prevent carbon from freezing it...which turned out to be pointless. The 2nd and 3rd day I just left it alone, and it was just fine when I got home, Noveske is right---don't lube it, just move it every few hundred rounds and you will be G2G).

The results?

2 failures.

The first happened toward the 500 round mark. The weapon had locked back on an empty chamber (I glanced), and when I slammed a new mag home and pressed the bolt release, I got a double-feed. Was the first round in the mag dis-lodged coming out of my mag-pouch and thrown into the chamber and a second one fed? I don't know. I can't blame this on the rifle, though, as it locked back on empty, and the problem came when a new mag was inserted. Mag failure? User error? I don't know. It never happened again.

The second failure occurred on the last few hundred rounds of the course. I rode the charging handle after a mag-change during an administrative reload after I had shot a drill. Again, user error.

Other than that, sewing machine. It always locked back on an empty mag, etc. Flawless.


Buy a quality AR, and you won't have to be such a prude about keeping it clean. Just lube it every few thousand rounds or so, and it seems G2G. The bolt would fully seat when gently dry-cycling the weapon, after I got home, btw.

Here is what the weapon looked like when I got home today and broke it down:













Others had a jam or two every now and then, most who had feed issues were using USGI mags. One person started with what was probably a dry weapon, and began having failures at around the 6-700 round mark. It was lubed and forgotten for the rest of the course and did fine. Another person somehow got something in the firing-pin "channel". It was cleared on the bench. We do not know what it was. Other than that, all of our weapons ran just fine. Most were LWRC, BCM, DD, Colt, and others. There were also a few quality self-built rifles, and one RRA. Ammo ranged from Wolf to Lake City M855.

As a whole, there were no "problem children" AR's, and only the guy who ran his dry, and the firing-pin channel blockage caused weapons to be down for more than a few seconds on the line. All other stoppages were cleared quickly, and there were precious few of those. There were far more user errors, than there were weapon-failures (Failure to seat mag, forgetting to charge weapon, etc. etc.)

Over-all, the whole course re-affirmed my opinion that the M4 is a helluva weapon, and plenty durable.
Learning happening. - YouTube

Anyway, on to clean-up...

MacCool

I've had the same experience at two different 2500-round TriCon courses with Jeff Gonzales. Jeff usually suggests that people try this so that his students can get an idea of how their rifles will run when neglected for whatever reason. Last year, my Noveske 16 inch mid-length went the full course with only lube when I could start to feel the bolt dragging. This past October, I used my 11.5 SBR with Noveske upper/lower, BCM BCG and BCM barrel and didn't lube it until the third day when I dripped a little SLIP onto the bolt. Not a single malfunction of any kind.

The only other rifles in either course that didn't require any mid-course "attention" was my buddy's 16 inch Noveske and three guys that were shooting Huldra gas piston guns. I see those Huldras a lot around here since Fleet Farm HQ is located here and Stewart Mills (owner of the brand) shot both courses.

My experience does indeed reinforce for me that there are differences in functionality between upper-tier rifles and the rest of the pack. I also see a lot of DPMS rifles around here since DPMS HQ is also located pretty close by (about 60 miles south). They tend to be...problematic...when pushed hard, as is true of the Bushmasters that some of the local police agencies use and RRAs that the local Gander Mountain pushes so hard.

MacCool

Speaking of Stewart Mills and Mills Fleet Farm...

For those of you that don't know have one in your state (they're mostly just upper midwest), it's a large-scale store that sells a little bit of everything - farm suppies, hardware, lumber, housewares, sporting goods, automotive etc. As Stewart has become more interested in shooting over the last few years, we've seen Fleet Farm become increasingly more firearms-oriented. He developed the Huldra line of gas-piston rifles and expanded the firearms sections of their stores to include a wide array of "tactical" gear, including such things as the full line of MagPul accessories...things that aren't found at Gander Mountain or Cabelas, for example.

As part of that new-found enthusiasm, Fleet is in the final stages of completing a state-of-the-art 10-lane 50 yard indoor range here. Should be opening within the next couple of weeks. It will include regular "tactical" instruction rather than the usual paradigm of just standing behind the booth and firing away. It should be a great opportunity to work drills year-round...an important consideration here in Minnesota where outdoor winter shooting can be...challenging. I have a couple of buddies that are cops and firearms trainers. They have "Northern Command Training", and this indoor range will be their new headquarters. Good times.

atx370z

I have OCD with my rifles... I put 50 rounds through it and I'm home tearing it apart and going over it with a white glove. Probably a little over-kill, but hey.. can't hurt and the M4 gets very dirty. One reason I got the SCAR... Shoots cleaner. Good to know that they are very reliable weapons, though.

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Berk HFC & CBE, Stillen G3's, AMS Crank Pulley, JWT Flywheel,
4.08 Gears, UpRev, H&R Springs and 20mm Spacers, JDM
Rear Fog, EVO-R Front Lip and CF Upper Cover, 305's

atx370z

My new found hobby... Instead of a twin turbo kit build, I decided to invest in what is below.

Top to bottom...

Remington 700 Target Tactical .308 - Vortex Scope, Larue Picatinny Rail & Low Profile Scope Mounts, Harris Bipod

Remington 870 Tactical 12 Gauge

Ruger 10/22 - Timney 3lb Trigger + Assembly, Hogue Olive Drab Stock, Larue Picatinny Rail, Burris Fastfire III Red Dot Sight

Daniels Defense M4 5.56 - Daniels Defense Omega Rail, Aimpoint Comp M4S Red Dot, Magpul Stock & Trigger Guard, Troy Flip-down Rear Battle Sight, TangoDown Fore-grip

FN SCAR 16S 5.56 - Magpul Selector Switch, Larue ACOG Mount, TangoDown Fore-grip, Trijicon TA-31 ACOG Sight

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Berk HFC & CBE, Stillen G3's, AMS Crank Pulley, JWT Flywheel,
4.08 Gears, UpRev, H&R Springs and 20mm Spacers, JDM
Rear Fog, EVO-R Front Lip and CF Upper Cover, 305's

BlackZeda

Nice collection! I happened to go to the gun store today looking at a SCAR 16S, but the sales guy said that standard AR mags (Magpul is mostly what I have) won't work with it. Is that a standard Magpul PMAG? Was he wrong?

atx370z

Yes, he's wrong. The old PMAG's won't work... The Gen3 PMAGS (newest ones) will work. Even the older PMAG's can be modified to work with the SCAR... All you need is a dremel and it takes literally 10 seconds.

Video shows you how to do it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDmM0eN8jhc

__________________
Berk HFC & CBE, Stillen G3's, AMS Crank Pulley, JWT Flywheel,
4.08 Gears, UpRev, H&R Springs and 20mm Spacers, JDM
Rear Fog, EVO-R Front Lip and CF Upper Cover, 305's

OMGiGOTaZ

Same decision I had to make, Upgrade the car or the Arsenal

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all you gotta do is...

MacCool

The word from the DOJ is that they have finally lifted their hiring freeze and among other new hires, have added 9 new NFA examiners to the 10 that are already working.

That sounds like good news for those of us who aspire to NFA weapons. However, the more paranoid among us might look with alarm at the rumor that Obama is looking at reclassifying ALL "assault weapons" as Title II firearms under the GCA. At issue within the adminstration is whether or not he can do that by Executive Order. One other question is whether or not any new AWB will have a grandfather clause for weapons existing at the time of the ban.

Historically, firearms under the NFA have been left out of the previous AWB or other federal regulation. My personal approach has been to send in Form 1's for a couple of receivers I have sitting around. They're applied for as 11.5 SBR's, even though I may put 16 inch (or other length) barrels on them. While I was at the Sheriff's office, I also had them print up several additional fingerprint cards and I'm contemplating getting NFA transfer stamps as 11.5 inch SBRs for at least one or two of my current 16 inch rifles.

Interesting times we live in.

Rooster89

why not get the scar in 308?

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OG3
Diligentia Vis Celeritas

atx370z

Because I would never shoot it... Ammo is too expensive.

With that being said... It's definitely on my "to be bought" list. Already have my eye on a flat dark earth one at a local shop, but they have it way overpriced at 3k.

__________________
Berk HFC & CBE, Stillen G3's, AMS Crank Pulley, JWT Flywheel,
4.08 Gears, UpRev, H&R Springs and 20mm Spacers, JDM
Rear Fog, EVO-R Front Lip and CF Upper Cover, 305's

Rooster89

its sad that the 308 in black is typically 3-4 hundred dollars cheaper than 308 in fde

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OG3
Diligentia Vis Celeritas

BlackZeda

If I were to get a .308 carbine I would go with a LWRC REPR.

Rooster89

REPR is undoubtedly one of the most accurate .308 carbines you can buy. and undoubtedly one of the porkiest. that thing is heavy.

I don't think you can compare the REPR to Scar17s. they just aren't made with the same intended purpose.
To quote my friend on this comparison, "Do you want a heavy precision rifle or a lightweight battle rifle?" "Either way, you end up with a precision rifle built well-enough to be used in combat(REPR) or a battle rifle built well-enough to be used for precision.(SCAR)"

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OG3
Diligentia Vis Celeritas