Hobie, about buying that AR-15................

[Jeff Quinn]

Hopefully, none of us will ever need one in the gravest circumstances, but it can also do many things other than just save your hide.

This is almost 5 years old, but still relevant:

http://www.gunblast.com/Homeland_Security.htm

Jeff Quinn
gunblast.com

[Hobie]

Jeff,

I couldn't get connected just now but I'll be sure to read it. I'm sure you've got some good info there.

I hope I'm not shortstopping anyone when I say that a light carbine is the best solution for some folks.

[FWiedner]

An excellent article, Mr. Quinn.

Timeless and practical advice.

[Hobie]

It finally did open for me (after about 10 looooong minutes!) and it is a good article. Y'all go read it.

[dennie]

Very good article Jeff. And since then we had the Katrina fiasco where even our own government turned out to be the enemy for a lotta good folks!
Trust no one.
I have yet to get an EBR, but the time seems to be nearing. Just hoping I do not commit the greatest sin of all and sell a lever gun to pay for it.
Thanx again for the article and for telling things the way they really are.

[Blackhawk]

Good article.

My problem is deciding which to buy, the AR or the Springfield Scout? Both have pros/cons and are outstanding weapons in their own rights. I have a Remington 700 ADL Youth in 308 that needs some accuracy work but I feel like I can do that myself. The Mini-30 I won does not meet my needs for a combat rifle. It's a good rifle, but too many problems lay in hiding on the Mini's. Number one being the gas block system. So I'm thinking of selling the Mini-30 to purcahse an AK. The combat weapon would be covered then but I still want the AR or Springfield.

Johnny

[JReed]

I am a little biased to the AR . If I had the coin and didnt live in CA. An AR M4 variant would be in my safe right now. A great gun that is short light and easy to handle in tight quarters yet still decent out to 500yards with the iron service sights.

[AJMD429]

The Mini-30 I won does not meet my needs for a combat rifle. It's a good rifle, but too many problems lay in hiding on the Mini's. Number one being the gas block system. So I'm thinking of selling the Mini-30 to purcahse an AK. The combat weapon would be covered then but I still want the AR or Springfield.
Johnny

Mini-30's intrigue me but my problem was always the .308 vs. .311 bore thing, and do I get a gun (or rebarrel it) set up best for surplus affordable ammunition, or set up for bullet diameter I can easily find and reload?

As far as the gas system though, I always liked the fixed-piston, gas-not-sent-into-the-action style of the Mini-14's. My 223 Mini has NEVER jammed despite being fed thousands of varied factory, surplus, and some really shabby reloads. I field strip it and wipe it a bit every 1000 rounds or so, maybe. On the other hand, the AR-15's send all that gas through a fragile tube back into a complex, cloggable 'carrier' system which I know works, but seems way inferior in design than the Mini-14 system which is really a copy of the Garand/M-14/M1-A system. I know you can get 'uppers' that have a different, 'AK' style gas system for the AR-15, but for that price you could buy an extra Mini-14.

The only bad thing about the Mini-14 is if you don't like .223 as a caliber, but then stock AR's are .223 also; if you want, you could have either 'upped' a bit with a new barrel or upper, within limits, to one of the 6mm rounds, for instance. Then you get no cheap surplus ammo though.

[Blackhawk]

AJMD,

What I was referring to about the gas block system is its setup to affect accuracy. I didn't think the M14/Garand were setup in the same fashion. I keep meaning to get a ¼ inch wooden rod and slug the barrel. Mine does not shoot Wolf ammo very well. I get best results from Remington 123gr factory stuff, and a scope. I haven't handloaded for it yet. I've thought seriously about adding the Accu-Strut but worry that the system would be prone to damage if the rifle was put in rough conditions. I do perfer the iron sights of the Mini's over the AK's. But the one AK I played with, a Norinco, had no problems hitting a man sized target at 200yds.

Johnny

[Hobie]

It might seem funny but I think the AR system is all about the magazine as crappy as it can be. The darn things are and will be everywhere. Being able to use most mags you find rather than a very few of those you find is a big deal in such a gun.

[JReed]

Blackhawk
Levergunner 2.0


Joined: 07 Sep 2007
Posts: 112

Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 12:21 pm Post subject:

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AJMD,

What I was referring to about the gas block system is its setup to affect accuracy. I didn't think the M14/Garand were setup in the same fashion. I keep meaning to get a ¼ inch wooden rod and slug the barrel. Mine does not shoot Wolf ammo very well. I get best results from Remington 123gr factory stuff, and a scope. I haven't handloaded for it yet. I've thought seriously about adding the Accu-Strut but worry that the system would be prone to damage if the rifle was put in rough conditions. I do perfer the iron sights of the Mini's over the AK's. But the one AK I played with, a Norinco, had no problems hitting a man sized target at 200yds.

Johnny

The AR with service sights useing M855 Ball (62grn FMJ boat tail @3027fps) has no problem hitting a man sized target out to 500 yards. As to the magazines dont get the Circle Kay mags they are crapp most of the rest work fine and hold up well to combat stress wich means that for civilian use they will last forever as long as you dont use them as a hammer and clean and maintain them.

Do the AR's come with info on how to set up the sights correctly? If not I have all the Marine Corps manuals electronicly and can send them if anyone wants.

[Blackhawk]

As bad as it sounds I shot moving targets better than staionary ones in the military. But then I grew up hunting and not target shooting so that may contribute something to it all. IIRC my battlesight zero was up 7 & and I dont remember if it was right or left that the back sight was started from? I'm thinking left, is that correct? I think a refresher course is in order.

My wife told me today, "Just weight things out and get the best one suited for your needs." Problem is that both feel a role that, I feel, the other doesn't. Close combat, I'd pick the AR. Open field fighting & hunting, I'd take the M14.

[Blackhawk]

I was way off!

http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/a ... -m-2.shtml

[bj94]

You can get the carbine config. for defense or plinking. You can get a bull barrel flattop and hunt varmints with it. You can load appropriately and hunt small deer with it. You can put the appropriate upper on it and shoot NRA highpower rifle, you can put a larger bore upper on it such as .50 Beowulf and hunt really big game with it.

[kaschi]

Great article, Jeff. I like your style of writing. Good point made about having extra mags and practicing with them to ensure reliability. There are some brands on the market that just do not cut it when it come to reliable feeding. Magpul is supposed to have a good reputation. There is some info about them and other reliable mags (as well as about other brands NOT to buy) on ar15.com. Also, I don't know if this point was mentioned or not, so I apologize if it was: Keep a few basic spare parts around!
Hopefully, we'll see a similar article from Jeff about top choices for handguns when it comes to personal protection. Since a lot of us have a CWP, we'll most likely be carrying one at the mall, supermarket or just cruisn' around if and when the bad times. It will have to serve as the tool that gets us home alive to get a hold of that AR.

[Jeff Quinn]

Great article, Jeff. I like your style of writing. Good point made about having extra mags and practicing with them to ensure reliability. There are some brands on the market that just do not cut it when it come to reliable feeding. Magpul is supposed to have a good reputation. There is some info about them and other reliable mags (as well as about other brands NOT to buy) on ar15.com. Also, I don't know if this point was mentioned or not, so I apologize if it was: Keep a few basic spare parts around!
Hopefully, we'll see a similar article from Jeff about top choices for handguns when it comes to personal protection. Since a lot of us have a CWP, we'll most likely be carrying one at the mall, supermarket or just cruisn' around if and when the bad times. It will have to serve as the tool that gets us home alive to get a hold of that AR.

Thanks for the kind words. I like USGI mags.
There are about 550 articles on Gunblast.com, with many of them reviewing suitable carry guns for defense.

[505stevec]

Ar-15's are definitely the way to go. Get a Short barreled version with a fixed stock. Its more comfortable and you can have the added benifit of getting a full legnth heavy barrel upper for varminting later. Since the upper receivers interchange so easily you can readily have several guns in one. No other weapon system lets you be so versitile. This way you can show the world "sporting rifle" but you will know you have "EBR" hidden away for a rainy day

[cas]

Then you get no cheap surplus ammo though.

That doesn't seem to exist anymore. .308 is worse yet. I'm still crying over the South African battle packs I sold for gas money last summer. They're now selling for 3 times what I got for them.

[Idahoser]

[mescalero1]

I have a CAR & a Daewoo
The CAR goes with me when I travel, because of it's size
IMHO the Daewoo is a better rifle

[JReed]

Blackhawk you arent wrong. Your link just shows initial zero before BZO firing. Battle Sight Zero is the sight setting that will put you on at 36 yards and again at 300. The rifle I have been shooting last week is BZO with the front post at 2 up rear sight at 8/3 and windage set at 5 left. that puts me in the 5 ring (center) of the 15" bull at 300 yards. So you were right in your first post.

[tman]

every legal american citizen should be allowed and encouraged to own and shoot , and to become proficent with, the current u.s. battle field rifle, with full automatic capability. this is what the 2nd ammendment means!

[JReed]

How very true.

[505stevec]

I have two Colt ARs. One in .223 and one in 9mm. I am thinking of selling the 9mm and buying an M1a or maybe a Garand and an underfolding stock AK. hmmmmmm