So pleased with my 20+ year old Colt HBAR.

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3GunEric

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Feel compelled to tell this story.

I have a COLT HBAR purchased under the time of Clinton. Casually fired it over the years but over time it eventually became a safe queen as I fired my more modern ARs. Well over that last year or so I have "modified" the old Colt. 1. Sent lower to Timney, they removed the PC sear block and installed one of their triggers. 2. Then I installed a Midwest Industries free float handguard. 3. Installed Magpul UBR stock.

I have been playing the "optics" game with my more modern ARs so I want my HBAR to be "Irons" only.

This past week reeducated myself on the principles of iron shooting, adopted the 6 O'clock hold, embraced the 50/200 yard zero and went to the range.

Zeroed at 50. Then went to the 200 and 300 yard range where they have steel targets. With my iron sights and post-Lasik eyes I was pounding the steel. (Smallest tgt was 6" diamond largest 18") Even when firing quite fast I easily outperformed the other shooters with the optics.

Had more fun and a great feeling of success with that old Colt than my new Colt Competition CRE-16GT.

The Lesson: Break out those old safe queens, and perhaps give them a few upgrades, and take them to the range!

P.S. I was shooting 55gr reloads that I made with mixed range pick up brass and 20 year old powder!
 
I bought an H-BAR in the late 80s. I had always hated ARs .....until I actually fired one..... then it was love at first sight. In dead stock un-modified form that H-bar shot dime sized groups at a hundred yards with M-855 ball ammo. I could see a lot better in those days and I won more than my share of "Dime" matches. We would tape a dime to the center of the "X" ring and post targets at 100 yards. Each man put a ten dollar bill into the hat and we all fired one shot. You can figure out the rest.The last two men kept shooting until one missed. If everyone missed, the pot was divided up right then and there. Then we would start over.

I have only owned one rifle that could out shoot that Colt, my Mk III Ross in .303. I still have the Ross, but the Colt was sold years ago.

Still kicking myself.
 
No, I can't guess the rest. Logically, the first to hit the dime would win, right? If everyone hit the dime every time, you'd have to replace it very frequently. It would be sufficient to use dime sized spotters instead. You must have went through a lot of dimes, because HBAR's are that accurate!
 
20+ years ago I could use iron sights effectively and wondered why would anyone want the extra expense and weight of a scope. But now, using irons is little better than "I fart in your general direction" in terms of effectiveness.

So my HBAR is a safe queen as its mostly a waste of ammo for me to shoot it, although I'll occasionally bring it out so my young friends can enjoy the "retro" experience.
 
I put a flattop upper with a scope on my HBAR. It was too accurate to limit it to iron
sight ranges. It is, and will probably always be, my most accurate rifle.
 
I spent 23 years in the military, mostly in specialized units. Even though we had various optics and other devices before they were "mainstream" throughout the "big army", we still trained regularly with our iron sights. In fact, the first carbines we had sported A2 type uppers (VS flat tops). Over time, and with a newer "gadget oriented" generation filling our ranks- the use of irons (by this time they were of the folding back-up configuration on flat top uppers) became nearly a "lost art". This became evident when I was a senior instructor at a venue that provided advanced marksmanship training to our personnel. As a result, our training program was altered to insure that the shooters spent some time on irons, and to enforce the need to maintain this proficiency. In order to re-enforce this need, I would occasionally pick 1 or 2 guys at random just prior to executing a training objective and remove the battery box from their EO techs, forcing them to deploy and use their back-up irons for that exercise. They didn't like this, but they did acknowledge the benefit from it.
 
This will seem crazy but -

I do use optics for 3 gun matches on my newer AR. I just have always felt somehow that by introducing a scope there is "something" between me and the target. Optics introduce many variables, and a lot more movement, in what you are seeing. More like I am playing a video game. With irons I feel as if it is just me and the target - like I am really shooting. Put your nose to the charging handle, get a good sight pic - then bang. No eye box, or magnification throw levers, or dead batteries, rain/dust on the lens.

Not really trashing optics but just saying let's not forget that these guns have irons and they work.

Was also practicing snap shooting w/ the HBAR - look over the rear sight and basically place only the front sight on target - then bang. Consistently hit 3 gun targets up to 30 yards away. I may be giving my Tacops AR a rest at the next match and bring out the old HBAR. Many younger shooters have never seen one and think they are some type of cutting edge new "sniper" version.
 
I've run my Colt SP-1 in a couple 3 guns, and my iron sighted Mini-14, and my Vepr type 2 iron sights. And a bunch of Garands. I actually have done better with irons than I have with red dots... maybe because it forces you to really concentrate on the front sight and get your hits
 
I also bought mine in the late 80's early 90's...you know because we are not going to be able to buy them soon.

It really has been a safe queen...sits in the back and collects dust....AR's do nothing for me. It always shot great, and always ran great even with the most rot gut ammo out there....there was just nothing there with the plastic fantastic for me.

I actually started shooting 223 again after I got my CZ 527...I am in love with that little rifle.

Just goes to show different strokes for different folks.

People ask why not then sell the AR if you are not using it....being a "pre ban" gun they command good money in some less then free states....yea....I guess....but everyone needs a belly button I guess.

Last time mine was shot was about 10 years ago...my kid used it in a high power match....it has been sitting that long.
 
Good eyes outshoot bad eyes. Optics help lessor eyes.
if you cant use iron sites and your eyes are that bad what can a scope do for that? do eye doctors prescribe glasses with variable power and side focus? if you put on glasses and they correct your vision no problem using irons. many have a mental block
 
do eye doctors prescribe glasses with variable power and side focus?
They would if they could, the technology is just not there yet, things like bifocals and trifocals are an attempt in this direction.

If I put on reading glasses to focus on the front sight I can't tell my target from the one next to me at distance, inside of 10 yards I can still see well enough with the readers for good enough target identification, but for defensive use "wait for me to put on my reading glasses" just won't do it!

When you get old and presbyopia happens you'll understand, until then you can pretend to know what you are talking about and tell me I can't use irons sights because of a "mental" block and you'll still be wrong.
 
No, I can't guess the rest. Logically, the first to hit the dime would win, right? If everyone hit the dime every time, you'd have to replace it very frequently. It would be sufficient to use dime sized spotters instead. You must have went through a lot of dimes, because HBAR's are that accurate!
If you hit the dime, you moved on to the next round, a miss bumped you out of the competition. Iron sights only. You were allowed one shot to hit the dime. Yes, H-BARs are THAT accurate, but it isn't all that easy to hit a dime at 100 yards with the issue sights. There was usually a cross wind to complicate things further.
 
A lens in the rear sight is now legal for NRA and CMP competition. "They" say get a lens halfway between your front sight and distance correction.
Here's the current configuration of my Colt Match Target HBAR: :p
colt ar.jpg
I can convert it back to match compliant in about 20 minutes, including adjustment of the Jewell trigger.
 
well I hope you guys do not drive and I would not want to be around you when you are shooting
You obviously have no clue as to what presbyopia is. If you really are 65 I'll bet dollars to donuts you have a lifetime of myopia (near-sightedness) and need glasses or contacts to drive.

I see the distant target just fine and only wear glasses to read, if the front sight was 6-8 ft away I could see it just fine, but on a rifle or handgun its a useless blur without "cheaters" but these blur a distant target so much as to be useless trying to accurately position the sights on the target. A simple red dot optic works wonders -- the dot appears to be 6' or more distant depending on the design -- just focus on the target and look through the dot to align it.
 
Shot my AR with a scope 7/9. On 7/13 I'll shoot it with peeps. No, it isn't the best sight picture for me. At 67 and with my glasses, the problems are hard to ignore...but I'll work on it because I have always liked peeps. I have four rifles with peep sights so if I'm going to shoot them, I've go to keep trying. Its fun to hear the comments at the range. Seems too many never even try with peeps.
 
These are my AR types. The far right is an AR-10(T) with match open sights. The forth rifle in from the left is my only scoped AR and with a Double Star receiver pretty much a pieces and parts gun, but it shoots extremely well. The two on the left are a pair of 70s Colt SP-1 rifles followed by a Colt Target Sporter. There is only one scoped rifle in the lot but I do have a scope for the AR-10. While I can't speak for anyone else as to vision I can speak for myself.

AR%20Family%201.png

Last February 7th brought about 67 years for me. I still can pass the drivers license renewals without corrective lenses. I do wear glasses pretty much for reading news print. My distance vision fortunately is still pretty sharp. There was a time when shooting any of these rifles, my M1A, or my M1 Garands yielded a sharp clear rear sight with a sharp clear front sight post. Today the only real difference is that once sharp ring is now a sort of circular blur and that remains true even with the glasses on. Does it effect my ability to shoot? I doubt it as much as other things like my ability to crunch into sitting or kneeling positions. :) Maybe someday I'll consider LASIK but for now I am content with my vision. Besides the damn teeth were expensive enough! :) I still very much enjoy taking those older Colt guns out and shooting them, they just contribute to nice range days.

Ron
 
These are my AR types. The far right is an AR-10(T) with match open sights. The forth rifle in from the left is my only scoped AR and with a Double Star receiver pretty much a pieces and parts gun, but it shoots extremely well. The two on the left are a pair of 70s Colt SP-1 rifles followed by a Colt Target Sporter. There is only one scoped rifle in the lot but I do have a scope for the AR-10. While I can't speak for anyone else as to vision I can speak for myself.

View attachment 342986

Last February 7th brought about 67 years for me. I still can pass the drivers license renewals without corrective lenses. I do wear glasses pretty much for reading news print. My distance vision fortunately is still pretty sharp. There was a time when shooting any of these rifles, my M1A, or my M1 Garands yielded a sharp clear rear sight with a sharp clear front sight post. Today the only real difference is that once sharp ring is now a sort of circular blur and that remains true even with the glasses on. Does it effect my ability to shoot? I doubt it as much as other things like my ability to crunch into sitting or kneeling positions. :) Maybe someday I'll consider LASIK but for now I am content with my vision. Besides the damn teeth were expensive enough! :) I still very much enjoy taking those older Colt guns out and shooting them, they just contribute to nice range days.

Ron
nice collection run and I love using irons on the AR and M1A. I even put tech sites which mimic the AR sights on my 22 marlin 795
 
yes I am very near sighted and I put on my glasses and see perfect. never heard of presbyopia and hope I never have to learn about it. how can the dot be clear with the eye condition you have. I have to use my glasses with a red dot otherwise it looks like a blotch
Presbyopia is the progressive inability of the eye to accomodate-that is focus at various distances. Wally is either an emmetrope (no distance Rx needed) or s slight hyperope. (far-sighted), hyperopes usually don't need readers until later than myopes like you and I. BTW, salt&battery how old are you? Myopes often need readers sooner, unless they are lucky and their distance Rx balances their near vision Rx. Presbyopia usually develops in one's 40's, but I have seen many in their 30's needing readers, due to increased computer usage.
There are three components to a vision RX: Spherical, Cylinder and Axis thereof, and Add Power. Spherical corrects Axial anomalies like Myopia and Hyperopia by refracting incoming light to the correct focal plane. Cylinder corrects astigmatism, which is an irregular shape of the cornea usually, though there are types of internal astigmatism also. It does this by changing the angle of incoming light to 'slip by' the cornea in focus. That's the axis, that angle. Then there is the add power This is to correct presbyopia. It does this by ADDING a second Rx power at the bottom of the lens for reading, and it is set at a short distance, usually 30cm. The lenses are designed so the optical center of the add power is set in about 3mm, because the eyes converge when looking that close.
Sorry you had to read that, salt&battery, but the only other ways of avoiding learning about presbyopia is to either die too early to develop it, or remain ignorant of it and never read again after it's onset.
 
I still enjoy taking my A2 HBAR to the range , it is one of my favorite rifles that I have
 
I an 65 and I guess I am lucky not to have it but I was real nearsighted from when I was a kid. It is a shame that those in their 30's can get that condition
I got news for you. You have presbyopia, unless you've have cataract surgery. Perhaps your Rx looks like this?
-3.00 -.50 x85 +3.00
-3.25 -.75 x122 +3.00

With that Rx, all you'd need to do to be able to read is take off your glasses. If you're not taking off your glasses to read, your eye doctor and optician fit you with progressive lenses. Or you are literally one in a million.

He should be able to shoot skeet fine(assuming he could before....:p ) ; you really don't use the bead except when shouldering the shotgun, to align the barrel with the eye. The target is in the distance portion of the
lens.
 
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Enough snark about eyesight.

Back when I was younger, some eight years back, I did the Cadillac surgery in both eyes. Made iron sights usable again, with only a very slight blurring of the target. Use of scopes was same as ever.

But I was only around 75 then. Still doing adequately well, eight years later.

Now, with some macular degeneration in the center of my left eye, I've found that a one-eyed shooter can still be a problem for Bambi. :)

IOW, the existence and magnitude of vision problems varies among individuals. We all have to cope with our differences. We don't need low-rent smart-mouth about others' problems.
 
Reloadron

Outstanding collection of ARs! And I hear you about having to take off the eyes and the teeth! If it's not one it's the other...or both! Glad my dentist let's me pay on the installment plan.
 
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