Archive for August, 2011

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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