All posts tagged Olympic Arms

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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Your AR15 is probable not the AR15 your father had

It’s funny making a statement like that because I still feel like the AR15 is a new gun, but the reality is that it is now something that many of us had in the 1980s and 1990’s and now we have kids that are shooting them.    The AR15 is now probable the most popular firearm being sold in the Country, not only can you use it for close quarters combat and house to house clearing, there are varmint versions that are extremely accurate.   The whole durability and design of the rifle has improved dramitically, even though the M16A2 has been in service for about 25yrs and is a considerable leap in reliability over the A1, other changes have been made.

Chrome barrels use to be the thing that helped keep the direct impingement guns in a better functionality, but gun magazine improvements have reduced the number of malfunctions I see by atleast 95%.   I don’t see the failures to feed or the double feeding that I use to and it’s primarily due to the Magpul P-mags.   These magazines feed better than most and you can drive a car over them and still have them work.  Swapping out the upper receivers on an AR15 involves pushing 2 pins out, and there are many configurations from CMMG, LWRCI, DPMS that will improve the durability over lower grade guns.  If you want a combat reliable AR15, you will probable have to do a few things to an AR15 that costs under $800 to get it up to par, but overall I am very impressed with the improvements I see across the board  in the AR15 community.

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Is the gas piston a new thing?

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.

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Upgrading to the 6.8 SPC some range thoughts

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.

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Target Shooting and Defensive ammo

AR15 Upper ReceiverThe caliber wars are never ending, but once spin to the argument that in my opinion is not much of an argument anymore, is that bullet designs are becoming more and more effective.    When you read about the 9mm vs 45acp debates people argue about the size of the bullet, over penetration and stopping power.   The reality is that hunting bullets and defensive ammo has taken a step, maybe not a giant step, but a considerable step forward in increasing a calibers effectiveness.

I was watching a instructional video where the instructor showed bullet penetration differences between a 38 special, shotgun with bird shot, buckshot, a 9mm handgun and an AR15.    Most novice shooters would think the rifle was the biggest penetrator and the reality was it was not.    It now depends on the bullet design and not the caliber.   A fragmenting .223 bullet will transfer energy much easier to soft targets and violently fragment and not over penetrate.   Something as mild as a 38 special with a FMJ can pass through an urban home much easier.   Your AR15 may be a better option as a defensive weapon if you select the right ammo.   If you own a 20inch barrel variant you may want to consider swapping out your AR15 Upper Receiver for something a little shorter just so manuevering inside your  home is easier, but it hands down far better than a  handgun for most defensive purposes.

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Complete your CQB Skills with an M4 Upper

AR15 UppersI was never the one that was into the tactical doodad thing when I got into shooting AR15 rifles.   My idea of a rifle is a 30/30 or a M1 or FAL rifle.   I understood the ballistics of the .223 round and knew what is was good for and always thought that I should stick with the 20 inch heavy barrel for the best terminal ballistics.   Well, then I actually started learning about close combat and understood that toting the longest barrel gun and the heaviest barrel is going to mean slower speed and too much weight.

The M4 is hands down the best close quarters combat Carbine.   I have trouble referring to the M4 as a rifle, but I think that it really isn’t.   The beauty of the AR15 family or rifles is the easy swap in swap out changes you can do with an AR15 Upper.   AR15 Uppers are made by dozens and dozens of manufacturers and the quality and design differences are very diverse.   LWRC is making what I believe is the best M4 style carbine for US Citizens, but CMMG, Bushmaster, DPMS are making less expensive yet combat worthy AR15 Uppers.   Understand what the M4 is designed for and using the proper ammunition will put you in a much better position that using a handgun for those environments.

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Is a rifle an overkill for home defense?

AR15 UpperIf you are new to learning about defending yourself with a firearm, let me answer that question and save you from having to do any research.   The answer that you will come to if you choose not to read further and decide to research on your own is NO!   Using something as lethal as an Ar15 inside your home makes more sense than using any caliber handgun.

Sometimes when people think about defending themselves inside their home, the first thing that pops into their head is a revolver or some sort of handgun.   I still don’t understand that microscopic attitude towards defending oneself, but it is very common.    The real value of using a small M4 type firearm inside your home as the ability to weild it more effectively.  Give the least trained gun owner you know and give them an M4 and tell them to take out a target at 9 ft vs giving them a Glock.  If you’ve got a target model AR15, try swapping the AR15 Upper for an A2 style variant.

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Standard A2 to CQB

AR15 UpperI strongly recommend starting new shooters out on some sort of 22LR bolt action rifle.   It doesn’t matter if it is magazines fed or a single shot.  Learning the basic shooting skills of aim, hold, sqeeze and learning how to hit the X at 100yds is important.   If you are dealing with a young adult, one of the most fun things you can teach them on is a standard A2 AR15 and show them how to use the sighting system and the sighting system.

The Standard A2 Target models are probable the best instroductory semi-auto.   If you are firearm instructor or a Dad that has young sons to teach, that’s your best option, but if you want to have another firearm ready for home defense, we highly recommend picking up an M4 style AR15 Upper carbine and putting a white light on it.   You can keep one configuration for target shooting and training and another for close quarters situations.    The AR15 has quickly become a favorite amongst serious gun owners especially due to the ease and balance of the weapons firing controls.

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