Rogue Elite

Sometimes we find our preferences as far as the look and reliability of a firearm for duty carry or self defense.   The reality of finding a firearm for an operator that works for them is customization.   No handgun or rifle will fit everyone.   There are plenty of firearm manufacturers that are putting out combat reliable firearms, but with handguns, gun grip is extremely important.   There is a lot of BS that comes from from training instructors and the gun boards about which firearm is the BEST, but the one that works the best for you is the one that fits you.  Rifle stocks can be meastured by measuring from the inside of your elbow to your trigger finger, but pistol grips are a little bit different.

Some of the guns we see that people often swap out the grips for are Sig Sauer factory grips.   While some people may like this, many find them to be a little slippery and could use something that helps keep the hands tight during firing.  Hogue Grips come in fingerless and fingered grips.  These grips will help fill in the space between your fingers and make you feel like you’re holding a pair of brass knuckles.   I’ve done many tests where I took 2 of the same handguns to the range and let novice shooters try both, I asked them which gun they preferred and they almost always preferred one over the other.   After they decide, I tell them it’s the same gun, just different grips and the cost of the upgrade is under $25.   Sometimes using the gun you have and making a small tweak is all you need to improve your shooting skills and confidence.

I must admit that I have my preferences when it comes to handguns and rifles, but I realize because I like something more than another, it doesn’t mean that they are functionally better.    I’m aware of dust tests on firearm where one beats out another, but for non-military endurance levels, most of what I normally handle is in the top tier.    Firearm maintenance is another area that people don’t like to venture into, because some people seem to think that just because it’s got a good reputation for being reliable means it’s always going to work for them.   Tools break, operators can abuse, and climate and enviroment can have an impact on your weapons, but when it comes to proficiency with the firearm, customization is something I strongly encourage.

I took a family member to the range to get them to try out 9 handguns.   Everything from 38 Special, 9mm, 40 S&W, 45acp and 357 Magnum.     Some of the 9mms I used were the same guns, but with different sights and different grips.    Novice shooters tend to not notice the slight differences in the guns and just think that because it has different pistol grips, it’s a different gun.    I had Factory grips on a Sig 226 and Hogue grips on another, and yet another one had the Hogue Grips with the finger grooves.   It turned out that this new shooter preferred the finger grooves on the Sig 226, but didn’t realize she was shooting basically the same firearm the whole time.   One had night sights which she didn’t care for because they didn’t work too well during the day.   I wonder which one she would have picked if we were shooting in low light?

Just a reminder to all of you that forgot about that fact that 5.45×39 ammo is still cheaper than any of the 5.56 .   I have heard a lot of good things from our customers that have picked up the Smith & Wesson 5.45×39 upper, but I’m still not sold on it’s combat worthness.   Something about the direct impingement being dirt enough and how much worse is it going to get with that type of ammo?  One defense I’d have to make of the notion that semi-auto guns jam because they are dirty is something that I have never witnessed.   I have witnessed several handgun and AR15 malfunctions due to lack of lubrication, but I don’t know how much sludge you’re really going to end up  having if you put 1000rds through a 5.45×39 DI upper.

LWRC has recently put an AR15 upper that I am seriously considering to optain, as a matter of fact, Rogue Elite has just signed off on the papers to become a parts dealer for LWRC.   If you think having a piston driven gun means the gun is more reliable, well, I think you’ll get some pretty headed debates, but if you make the decision to pick  up any of the AR15 complete upper receievers that are piston driven, you will defanitely notice your gun is easy to clean and won’t take up 1/4 as much as you use to.   If you are a serious shooter, I would think that is worth spending the extra money for a piston conversion kit or a new piston upper.

I remember the first time I pulled the trigger on an AR15 rifle I thought it was the rich boy gun.   Back in the 1990s there was a mentality on the State Game ranges I use to dwell on where a certain level of snotty attitudes went with the expensive firearms.   Since just about everyone and there dog owns a 5.56 AR 15 now,  I don’t really look at it that way anymore.  The new trend in 5.56 calibers is to move away from the direct impingement and towards a gas piston driven gun.   There are plenty of people that can honestly claim that their AR15s don’t give them problems, but now that I know more about firearms, this is because they are maintaining their firearms properly.

Alth0ugh you can get the job done with a DI gun, I really have to say the that biggest reason I would want the United States Military to change to an H&K 416 style weapon is so our troops don’t have to break down their guns every day and do as much maintanace.    If we all drove a car that got 75 miles to the gallon, but needed an oil change every 500 miles, I think we get annoyed at how much time we are spending changing the oil filter or dropping it off to get done every month.  The beauty of market we are in is that piston conversion kits are being made for many of the DI guns and for a few hundred bucks we can convert everything over.

We carry a  lot of gun accessories and gun holsters and we are always eager to hear back from our customers about which products they like the most.   We have trimmed our inventory several times after getting feedback and reviews from our customers and we are very happy with the products we are selling.   Firearms are much better made than even just 20yrs ago due to superior technological changes in the production and manufacturing of synthetic materials and product consistancy.   Many rifle scopes and tactical optics are being made with etched glass and not mounted.  This has a huge impace on the life and durability of an optic.  I remember the tactical scopes I saw at gun shows in the 1990′s that cost $40.   I have since broken every optic that ever was mounted on a firearm that cost under $150.   I guess I do more shooting that the average gun guy, but why waste the money inexpensive tactical gear or rifle optics.

A good hunting scope can be had in the $200 price range and there isn’t always a need to have to spend a grand or more.   Get good Leupold rifle scope mounts and use loctite to on the screws for added reliability.   If you are looking for a tactical rifle scope, then you’re really going to  have to cough up the money and spend the cash.   There are many applications for tactical rifle optics, zero magnification like the Eotech combat optic, or low magnification with a added magnifier on your Eotech or go with low magnification medium range optics like the Trijicon ACOG.   Long range shooting means finding the right reticle that applies to the type of shooting you want to do.

I always try to sit in on training courses whenever I can although I wish I had the time to actually take more classes.   I’ve written on several occassions that one of my greatest joys of watching classes is watching all of the gear fall off or fail a student and watching their slow evolution of losing gear along the way.   Theirs nothing wrong with being a tactical accessory junky, but if you have to carry an M4 all day like i’ve had to, you’ll quickly learn that lightweight, means a happy person.  There seems to be a big craze getting tactical gear with the quad rails even though most people don’t need them, and then having to go out and get rail covers, when a simple stock would have lightend the gun by a few pounds.

Although I am a big fan of battle rifles and prefer to carry a gun bigger than an M4, if I gotta carry ammo on my person and it’s not being carried in the trunk of my car, I’ll gladly take the smaller caliber.    The M1 Garand is a great and powerful weapon, but combat is at a much faster pace and being able to suppress a target with small arms is as important as neutralizing it.  If you are a weekend warrior and are considering taking a Carbine Class, even though your training will take place in the Course, you should do research on gear and accessories before you walk in the door.

I’ll be honesty with you, I would have a hard time given you very many references on places you should go to, to get the answers and avoid a bunch of bullshit when it comes to firearms and accessories.   Gun forums have been around for almost 2 decades now, and even though some are better than others, there is always going to be a lot of BS and drama around certain products.   One of the best analogies I have ever heard when it comes to firearms is that they are just like Golf clubs.  Each firearm is good for its inteded purpose, but you don’t use a putter to drive a golf ball 400yds.  I have family friends that were draft bait in WWII and Korea, and most of them though the M1 Garand was a reliable platform and most said not everyone could shoot them very well, because they were all issued the same gun with the same stocks.    It’s amazing how much modification and stock accessories are out there now, even something like an M14 or M1A rifle can be converted to an adjustable stock.    Everyones length of pull is different and if the gun is too short or too long, it’s going to be hard to get into a good firing position and be proficient.

Mapgul stocks and accessories  are very well made and I have yet to had any of my AR15 rifles break on me.  I’m not one to bash synthetic stocks, and there is nothing wrong with the fixed stock on an AR15, but they don’t work for everyone.  Not only do people have to worry about finding rifle stocks that fit them, they have to think about what if I’m wearing a winter coat?   What if I am wearing body armor and  a tactical vest?   Being able to adjust the stock on your Carbine or rifle by 1-2 inches can be a huge deal as far as comfort.  The Magpul PRS stock will give you a great cheek weld and adjustability.  My personal favorite is the Magpul CTR stock.

The vast majority of M4 Carbines I see at the range have optics that are top of the line.    Aimpoint and Eotech along with the Trijicon ACOG are probable the top 3.   All of these are good for a certain purpose which is mostly for close up fighting.   The Trijicon ACOG is more of a medium range combat optic depending on the type of reticle you choose.   They do have a line of red dot or even green dot optic options, also.   If you are are a weekend warrior and new to defensive shooting and tactical gear, I would suggest you think about this next statement, whenever you attach an accessory to your Carbine, think about what you would do if that accessory mount broke or the actual item failed.

When you mount your rifle scope, please do some research on how to properly level and mount it.  A properly mounted combat optic should not be over torqued and should have loctite on the screws.  I have yet to see a mount come loose on a gun that used loctite.   When you go out an spend $1000 on a combat rifle scope, ask yourself, what will you do and how will you remove the scope and aim it if the optic goes down.   If one your Trijicon rifle scopes takes a bullet, are you going to be able to see through it and still be able to lay down effective fire if you can’t see through it?  Even if you have a rifle scope that does not allow for co-witness, would it be a good idea to still attach flip up sights to the gun if there is room for them?  Always have a backup plan for your defensive carbine.

I remember looking at guns with their AR15s and all of the bragging that went on when I was still plinking away with a $179  russian SKS.   I have memories of that time period when the owners were talking about how accurate their guns were, but when we walked down range, they shot groups that were basically the same thing I shot with SKS.   After several years of walking up the ladder of cheap guns to match grade guns, I realized my shooting skills were actually better than I thought, but it was all about getting the most out of a firearm and not really which one was better than the other.   Now that the AR15 has been in the hands of law enforcement and private citizens there has been a real debate about using the 55gr ball ammo for defensive purposes.

I have a close friend that has witnessed the use of 55gr Federal American Eagle and it was a one shot and drop shooting.   I predicted along with a few other military personel that with the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, we were going to see a chanc in the type of ammo snipers used.   The resurrection of the DMR has also come about.    Since there has been a growing trend towards using retired military in security and contractor forces, these individuals have been choosing their own weapons and many of them have been choosing pistol driven guns like LWRCI AR15 upper receivers.  These guns have a  proven track record of requiring less cleaning and reducing the wear and tear on extractors and bolt carriers.

I recently got myself into a situation with a CCW gun wear a magazine that was stored for a long time ended up not functioning properly even though the springs in it were fairly new.   I believe the Sig 239 pistol magazine had less than 100rds through it when it was left loaded for approximately 2yrs.   I’ve heard debates about single stack pistol magazines holding up better than double stack magazines,  but I’ve come to the conlusion that it is NEVER a good idea to leave a full loaded rifle or pistol magazine for more than a few months.   It’s best to rotate your carry ammo especially if you are cleaning  your sidearm fairly often.   After about 3 chamberings of any ammo, the ammo really should be used and not loaded back into a firearm.  Bullet separation is something that will eventually happen, and the last thing you want your gun to do in a defensive situation is to blow up.

I highly recommend getting a gunsmithing video on dissassembling or assembling your firearms so that you can familiarise yourself with firearm maintenance.   A big problem I have run into when doing maintenance is having the right tools to actually take guns apart and replace hammer springs and firing pin springs.   A Glock pistol is probable the easier to take apart and for just about $5 you can pick up glock dissasemble tool to replace any Glock parts you think you need replaced.   Do a search on youtube to see if you can find any free instructional videos, but also check with AGI or the manufacturer because there’s a good chance something is posted from the factory reps.