High Exposure

Well, for one, your opening statement is in no way, shape, or form, easily understandable in the English language. It follows no accepted format for the written word and, as written, can be interpreted many different way. The lack of a capital O and the inclusion of an unnecessary colon makes your second sentence nonsense at best, intentionally misleading at worst. The above .gif is an attempt at humor. Not a personal attack. Please don’t take it as such. I understand typos happen, I make them all the time. I also understand that people make mistakes with spelling and grammar, I get it. But don’t call my reading comprehension into question when your post is what is jacked up. A better way to go about it may be to clarify your statement. Because at this point I still don’t know what you are trying to say. Simply bolding the text of a poorly crafted sentence does nothing to enhance the clarity of your statement. Second - What weapon systems do you repair for DOD. I was unaware that DOD uses an outside vendor for weapon maintenance? I was under the impression that they will either use their own unit level armorers, send it to depot level gunsmiths, or call on the manufacturer to make serious repairs.

Since when are PSA rifles DOD approved? You are really scraping the bottom of the barrel here in defense of your position with some very specific examples that are rare in the overall scheme of things. Most folks are better served with a pinned/fixed stock, pinned comp or brake, and no bayo lug - while retaining the regular removabel mag and standard pistol grip on an AR than not. There is no need to reinvent the wheel or get creative. If someone just wants to be different, that’s fine - but don’t try to sell It as better.

Lol! Aren’t you the guy that tells people to not be poor? My primary use for my rifles is “tactical” and all of my rifles have a brake or comp on them. While I agree they aren’t necessary, they all do offer a measure of increased control on the carbine. When I shoot on a timer, I see some measurable benefit to them. They definitely don’t make my carbines unusable in their designated role. Also, as I stated earlier, there are some brakes/comps that do a decent job at reducing flash that are N.J. legal. For the rifles used socially, I use a blast-diffuser or blast shield like the Surefire Warden. How often are you replacing gas blocks that a fixed mag makes more sense than a removable muzzle device? Generally, when a gas block is shot out, the barrel also need to be replaced anyway. If for some strange reason you want an adjustable gas block on an already built rifle (which seems at odds with the rest of your position as I read between the lines) there are quite a few quality 2 piece adjustable gas blocks out there that are priced affordably and easily installed. In any event, are you saying that you would rather have a threaded muzzle with an unpinned flash hider than an easily removable magazine?

Ok. So, legality aside. I just looked at the video demonstrating the item that is being bandied back and forth. That thing is stupid. While it may be necessary in CA, at this time it is thankfully unnecessary in N.J. If it came to pass where we needed something like that, it is better than most of these devices, but still - it’s bag of hammers stupid at this place, at this time. A “Pistol grip” and a “detachable magazine” are the two parts that are most useful on the AR platform - especially in NJ. In a state where you are required to only keep 10 round magazines, the only thing that makes the reduced capacity even remotely workable is the ability is simply and quickly swap mags with a removeable mag, and a pistol grip allowing you to keep positive control of the carbine allowing fast shots and easy handling when conducting administrative functions and effective TTPs. So, which “evil”* do you think should take precedence over that ability? Why should someone purposefully create a fixed mag version of an AR? Is it to: • Install a grenade launcher? C’mon. • Have a bayonet lug? Most ARs today have free float tubes with low-profile gas blocks that remove the lug altogether. The bayonet lug is practically vistigial at this point. • Have a flash hider or threaded and unpinned barrel? For most people the substitution of a brake, a compensator, or even a crowned muzzle is adequate. There are a few brakes and comps out there that also do a decent job at reducing flash - although most flash reduction is a function of quality ammo designed for reduced flash and barrel length. Also, many ARs are 14.5” and are required to follow the federal standard of pinning anyway. • Having a folding or telescoping stock? Maybe this is a little more useful than the others but it is not as important as a removable mag or pistol grip IMO. Personally, once I find the LOP I find useful on an AR, I don’t tounch it again. Additionally, there are plenty of options out there to make a fixed stock that doesn’t cause permanent damage to a receiver extension. You can swap fixed stocks with LOP or add an adjustable if in a free state, then bring it back to a fixed stock when you return home to Jersey. If you want the folding or telescoping ability for mere storage, maybe just buy a new case/safe/bag/locker. Serious question - Is the presence of any of these features more important than a carbine with the ability to simply and quickly swap reduced capacity magazines? I don’t think any of those features is more important or useful than a quick and efficient mag swap. I just don’t see where the juice is with the squeeze with this thing..... * Note: I don’t think any of these features should be “evil” but we have to work within the current N.J. laws as passed until such time as something changes.

As an FYI: This is false. NJSP FAU considers the Law Folder a folding stock, and thus would be no good with any other features. Before you ask, yes, I have it in writing.

Yes. They are an excellent option.

No thanks. I really hate this criticism against Glock. It’s not true. You have the option now when buying a Glock to pay more (between $70 and $100) and have your choice of two different sets of night sights from the factory - Trijicon or Ameriglo. There are 18,459,107 different options out there for Glock sights and everyone has a different favorite set. I personally prefer they keep the plastic placeholder “sights” so I continue to benefit from the commensurate savings rather then they raise their prices because they provide each gun with a set of real sights and the increased costs of doing so just so I can take those sights off and throw them away. I like that Glock saves me $70-$100 per pistol by not forcing me to spend money on sights I don’t want, as I am just going to buy the sights I do prefer anyway. If you don’t like the available factory options, just budget for the sights when you buy your Glock.

This is pretty accurate info and jives with what I know and have been told - especially regarding the military contract. Sig won because they priced the M17 so low that they are taking a loss on the guns. They hope the note rusty of being selected gives them a huge jump in the LEO and civilian market. Colt is a disaster - their QC is taking a shit as is the CS and they were forced to share the TDP with FN. FN is now making an excellent AR now for a very good price and have the .gov on a sweetheart of a contract. FN is slowly taking over all of Colts business. Their civilian rifles are top notch and the quality is high. They make the TDP rifles and the civilian guns on the same assembly line. As for Glock Inc - Keep in mind - Glock already makes more than pistols and they make it for the rest of the world, not just USA. Example, do you guys know they make disposable polymer suppressors that go for almost nothing? They don’t sell them here because they way cost less that the Tax Stamp you would need to get one and only last hundred rounds or so. Foreign militaries and civilized countries that see suppressors as safety equipment instead of assassin equipment love them. Not a photoshopped photo: I’d love to see Glock design, manufacture, and market a carbine. I’d like to see their take on it, but it’s not something that will help their bottom line right now so why would they do it?

Shit. They must be sold out. You can click on other stuff and get to an “Add to cart button” but not on the M332. Maybe try calling them? Sorry guys.

If anyone is looking for a quality 3x fixed optic for an AR, Interstate Guns has the Steiner M332 with 5.56 reticle on sale for $199. I played around with my buddies. It is excellent quality and if you like fixed power optics, this is a winner at 1/6 the price of an ACOG: https://www.interstateguns.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Steiner+M332

No restrictions on vertical grips at the moment. You can select one with the attachment method you need for the rail/tube/handguard you have on your carbine. They make some to attach to 1913 rails, others are direct attach for MLOK, Keymod, or Troy Alpha type tubes. What kind of handguards do you have on there now? What kind of shooting are you planning this for? Have you shot with one before and already have a preference for a type? More and accurate info will help us help you.

That is pretty cool Ray. Nice piece. Good luck with it.

That falls under the heading of “Not my problem”. Personally - I follow that advice religiously. I don’t aspire to mediocrity and I will set myself up for success in all I do. I have preached this mindset, as have others. People follow it or not. If their equipment selection doesn’t affect me or my people, I don’t care what people buy. I will attempt to guide them, using their stated mission as a template, and reminding them of the difference between "Lowest Price" and "Best Value" an important distinction that many gun owners seem to ignore. I can direct the people under my care and control to examine their personal needs and buy accordingly. As for the rest, we can advise and guide, but we can’t mandate. There is some personal responsibility involved and some folks just can’t be reasoned with. The “just as good as” crowd, the “parts is parts” crowd, the “keep it simple” crowd - all have legitimate philosophies to some degree. The lack of flexibility in the thought process is the hard part. Ultimately, you can’t resolve a software issue with a hardware fix. Yes, 99.9% of shooters would be better served with 1000 rounds of ammo and some quality training than a new aftermarket trigger and lighter springs. But, you know what they say about leading a horse to water...

Yeah. I do have some spare parts on hand even for the AK. I amended my earlier post to reflect that I was talking about ARs, since that is what this thread is about. Without turning this into an AK vs AR thread - I want to be clear, my decision has nothing to do with the belief that an AR needs spare parts and an AK does not in order to be run hard. Simply put, I have quite a few ARs. I have only one AK type - an Arsenal SAM7R. The ARs accompany me daily at work, and are what I take to training. I keep spare parts because I may need them to continue using the rifle to complete my task. I may have spent a thousand dollars or more on tuition, travel, ammo, food, etc.. to take a carbine class. I don’t want to waste that because my gas rings shit the bed or my firing pin broke. Hell, I bring 2 rifles to every class I attend just in case I can’t fix an issue with the pets I have on hand. It’s cheap insurance to insure my investment in quality training. I also teach AR classes. Pretty bad to have your gun go down while teaching and not have the parts to get it running. It’s also a nice bonus to be able to get student’s guns running if they have a problem. The AK, on the other hand, is a range toy. I have never taken a class with it. It is for fun and familiarization of others. If it breaks, it breaks. I put it away and drive home or grab another gun. If I was to spend money on an AK class, I would definitely have spare parts on hand to insure my investment in the training. I should also note that I am a big believer in preventative maintenance. I keep a log and stay on top of my carbines. In all the classes I have taken and training I have conducted, I have had one instance where my rifle was acting up and I needed my kit to replace a part. I was using a full auto gun and my action spring went - I had many thousands of rounds through that gun.The gun started running sluggish, exhibited weak ejection, and it just felt weird under recoil. Luckily, I had a spare action spring and was able to swap it out and drive on. On the other hand, I have reached into my emergency parts kits many times to give fellow shooters parts to get their rifles running. Gas rings, firing pin retainer pins, etc... Hell, I gave one guy a set of KNS Anti-rotation pins to fix his hammer and trigger pins walking out on an out-of-spec lower so he could finish a 3 day carbine class in Virginia. I’ve also provided my spare carbine to quite a few shooters when their guns went down hard, in order to let them finish the class they spent so much money to attend. Keep spare parts on hand. They may make the difference between an enjoyable learning experience and an exercise in frustration and wasted money.

“The mission drives the gear train” - Pat Rogers

Same here. I keep one in each of my AR rifle cases.

Good advice!! Well said.

I very rarely clean my BCG. If I do, it’s generally a quick wipe down with a rag and then luned, reassembled, and installed. I have never had a malfunction like the OP described. However, I have seen this malfunction type in BCGs that are not built to the Technical Data Package (TCP) specs in materials or manufacturing. It has been almost exclusively found to be a loose carrier key with sub-par staking - if there is any staking at all, followed by a very close distant second to crappy gas rings. Occasionally the issue will be tracked to cracked cam pins or other damaged BCG parts. If you have a quality rifle that is built to meet or exceed the TDP, you will find that proper lubrication and preventative maintenance at appropriate intervals is more important to reliability of the gun than meticulous cleaning.

Gas tubes usually fail by blowing out at a weak point or coming loose from the gas block. They should never be so dirty that they cause issues. As stated, they are self cleaning. They do however experience wear - at the gas block end especially. As such, the replacement of the gas tube should be part of your preventative maintenance program. There is no need to clean them. Throw out the old and by the new. Note: I do not think the gas tube is the culprit in this case based on the information at hand.

Sounds under-gassed. 1) Check the staking on the gas key where it attaches to the bolt carrier. Make sure the bolts are tight and restake them properly if necessary. 2) Check the gas rings. Poor staking if the gas key or out of spec gas rings are not uncommon in hobby guns. If a new BCG solves the problem, then the BCG is the likely culprit. I would start there.

Thanks! I did forget to add: I have anywhere from 500 to 1500 lumen light on my rifles, and 500 to 1000 lumen lights on my handguns. I have cleared countless homes, fields, backyards, and structures with them. They have always given me an advantage, and have never left me behind the curve. I have never been “blinded” by a reflection of my light and I have never not had an appropriate reaction when pointing my WML at anyone. There are no negatives to a WML.

You have to be kidding. Please tell me this is tongue in cheek. This is almost as silly as the “Trench Knife in one hand and 1911 in the other” for home defense argument we had a few years ago here “It worked in the trenches in WWI, it will work in my house”. The WML is not for navigating your home. It is not to prevent you from stubbing your toe. It is not meant to let an intruder know you are armed. It is not a deterrent in and of itself. It is not a less lethal tool meant to give the intruder the old razor dazzle and make them see sparkles. The WML is for target acquisition and threat identification. There are times in daylight/full value light conditions where you would still need a WML to identify a threat in a structure. Regardless of ambient light, you still often need more. Your vision is the limiting factor in being able to target discriminate. The better you can see, the faster you can act - You can’t shoot what you can’t see. The WML can be said to make you more accurate in low light. • It lets you keep both hands on your pistol in your normal shooting grip - I don’t know about you, but I am more accurate with two hands on the gun. • It lets you see what you want to hit so you can apply the “Aim small, miss small” principal of marksmanship. Big difference between aiming at a shadow of an entire silhouette vs aiming at a button on a jacket. • Being able to see in the dark is an enormous force multiplier that allows you to calm down a bit - it may not put ice water in your veins, it it will help keep your heart rate and adrenaline at a more manageable level when fighting in low-light conditions. • Being able to see your threat builds confidence that what you are seeing is appropriate to point a gun at or shoot. This speeds up your reaction and calms the nerves knowing your actions are justified.