tool(s), videos, SD and range ammo for new AR?

MistWolf said:

It's ok if the continuous/momentary (continuous is the word I was searching for) switch is the same. It keeps your hand in the same place when using the light. Just takes a bit of practice to manipulate the switch for what you want. I've used my weapon light at work quite a bit. It's easy selecting continuous or momentary as needed.

I do have a recommendation for a light, but it is expensive. I've been using a Surefire x300 for close to ten years, on my weapon and daily at work. Small, bright, light and rugged. I also have a Surefire x300 Ultra which the same size as the x300. It burns brighter, hotter and burns through batteries quicker, but it's a good light!

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x300 Ultra seems to be widely available. I didn't find any links for x300 not Ultra except some with additional letters at the end.
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Gold Dot is a good choice, but expensive to practice with. The trouble with using one type of ammo for practice and another for defense is different points of impact.

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Others stated that point of impact will be very close as long as the weight is the same.

I don't intend to use the Gold Dot to practice with, beyond one or max two boxes to compare it to the range ammo.

Although we live in a desert area, the Remington bucket ammo (223, 9mm & 45 ACP) gave me problems with misfires. The ammo itself just isn't sealed well against the elements. Storing it in open containers only makes the problem worse. You're gonna shoot it up for practice anyway, right? Then, replace it with Federal ammo. Or Winchester. I'm hearing rumors that Lake City didn't renew it's contract with Federal and gave it to Winchester.

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It was the only FMJ from a recognized manufacturer that I could find. I don't see how humidity can hurt it if there is no humidity to speak of. But I guess if it forces me to learn how to deal with malfunctions that's probably a positive. Meanwhile the place I bought it sold out and NOW they have Winchester for I think $387 for 1000 rounds. Whatever... <shrug>

Adding a vertical foregrip to an AR pistol with an OAL of less than 26" turns a pistol into AOW (Any Other Weapon). If I understand it correctly, it's a $5 tax stamp to transfer an AOW.It's a $200 tax stamp to make it yourself. Better off making it an SBR (Short Barrel Rifle) instead.

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As noted, I am not interested in a vertical foregrip for this gun. My mention of vertical foregrip referred to my one experience a few years ago trying to shoot a full-size AR with the classic support hand position, I said that at the time looking at photos I thought a vertical foregrip would help but they were illegal in California where I lived at the time so I just abandoned the whole rifle idea.

Skylerbone said:

Preferably so as to avoid shadow from the forearm blocking your beam. You’ll also need to actuate it and, unless you’re using a remote (tape switch) you’ll need (usually) a thumb to depress the tailcap switch. Mounting it at 10:00 (45 degrees left of handguard) and gripping the guard puts your support thumb where it needs to be.

It may be possible to mount a switch such that you could keep your magwell grip but I’ve not seen it done.

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I'm not visualizing how a shadow from my forearm would block the beam if I'm holding the mag well and the WML is in front of it.

???

9mmepiphany said:

When looking for a WML, be aware that there is such a thing as too much light. If you throw too much light on a target, you can easily end up blinding/dazzling yourself with the bounce back.

I've been shown many different techniques over the years. One that works well for many folks is to have a more powerful handheld light to illuminate by bouncing a light into a room an a less powerful light on the weapon to track on the target

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How does a person manage a handheld with an AR?

I was thinking of a WML with a strobe setting, which would allow me to see BG(s) but not vice versa. Everyone who's addressed that so far had negative things to say.

I did not want a WML that stays on because it was my understanding that BG will aim at the light. So my latest thought was, OK, a WML that I can just quickly flash to see BG right before firing, and in that context, I thought very bright would be best.

I have nightlights in my house. If I also turn on the patio lights, I can see enough to get off one shot, but due to the flash I probably won't be able to see well enough after that without a WML or other additional light. Turning on the regular lights inside the house I don't like because then I'm visible to be aimed at.

In any case I would be very interested to hear more about the technique you describe above.

horsey300 said:

Well don't forget the range report too!!!

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I promise to post a range report but it probably won't be for at least several days, I need to study the manual and watch the videos everyone recommended so I can take it apart and clean and lube it first (and then put it back together correctly).

Skylerbone said:

Took a few shots of attachment with a paraclip set up.


Front clip attached to handguard.
View attachment 924537

Rear attached to hog ring.
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Now single-point with front clip attached to sling.
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And this is how it sits as a single-point. The pistol stays close allowing you to release it if you need to move to a secondary option (traditional handgun) or a cell phone. The negatives of a single is that it typically offers less structure while shooting and a smaller loop to slip through when slipping it on. As a 2-point the pistol is better controlled as there is no “pivot” point.


View attachment 924536

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The topmost photo illustrates clearly that there are two pieces of hardware, one attached to the gun and one attached to the sling. I think you are saying the one attached to the sling is a "paraclip". So for a two-point sling I need two of those? But then I also need the pieces that attach to the gun, correct?

MistWolf said:

The x300 Ultra is the x300u

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Being that you drew a distinction between x300 and x300 Ultra, and your description indicated the former is better, I was hoping to be able to find it online, but could not. If you have a link that would be great.

Possibly. Every rifle is a law unto itself. You won't know until you actually shoot the ammo. Some are comfortable with a POI within 2 inches inside 50 yards between two types of ammo acceptable. That doesn't work for me. I don't want to have to remember what the different POIs are between practice and defense ammo.

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As you note, I won't know for sure until I try both. Being that I bought this gun for home defense, and the furthest distance with a line of sight inside my house is 50 feet, I guess I care whether the point of aim matches at 25 yards. If it turns that there is a substantial difference, more than 1/4" or so, I will probably sell the Remington and buy the Winchester they are now offering after having sold out the Remington, if there is any left by then. Based on the advice of other folks in the thread prior to your arrival, I went with the same weight for practice and SD expressly to avoid a difference in point of aim. But real life is what counts.

There is always humidity in the air, even in the driest desert. (The photo showing 1% relative humidity means the measuring device needs to be re-calibrated. People would know if the humidity was that extreme.)

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For the record, weather.com is running 6 to 8%. I assumed the difference was location since their sensors are not in my backyard, but even 6 to 8% is extremely low. This has likely been a major contributor to the fires raging in Arizona now.

Bad ammo will teach you how to deal with malfunctions but can lead to a bullet stuck in the bore. Just trying to save you some grief. Use what you've got for practice and replace it with better ammo.

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I'll see how it goes. I hope it doesn't happen, but I suppose removing a stuck bullet is also a good thing to know how to do, and certainly better to learn at the range than in a Situation.

I didn't buy the Remington because I thought it's great ammo or something, I bought it because it was the only .223 FMJ I could find from a recognized American company. I'm not married to it.

In view of your comments about it, I went looking for reviews.
-> BassPro has 22 reviews, overall rating 4, all but one of the negative comments were people complaining of fewer than 300 rounds in the bucket, probably an equal number posted that their buckets were over. Only one comment complained about the ammo per se, and it was from two years ago, it said velocity varied a lot and in the poster's opinion the ammo is not very accurate.
-> TargetSportsUSA has 88 reviews, overall rating 5, of which 74 are 5-star, 13 4-star, 1 3-star. I looked at the first 7 pages, only the one 3-star review complains about the performance, here it is: I try many brands and usually look for thr magical mix between inexpensive and good range ammo. While generally happy with remmington this bucket sticks and jams where others dont. It only happens to me with these.
-> Bud's has 6 reviews, overall rating 5. Feeding highly praised in two of them.

Get out & have fun with your new AR and let us know how it shoots!

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Thanks.

9mmepiphany said:

The problem with illuminating a person in your house with a very bright light is that it has the same visual effect as a flash bang device...you both have to deal with the shock of light at the same time. The 1k+ lumen WMLs are very popular, but when used to illuminate a room it is better to point up to bounce off the calling. Half that is more than enough to identify a target before engagement

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FWIW (maybe nothing), the only experience I have with a bright flashlight pointed at another person in a dark room was not in a self-defense situation. I was pointing in my friend's general direction looking for something, she asked me to turn it off because it was "blinding" her, I did not experience any diminuition of vision. That said, the logic of your idea makes sense. Is there such a thing as a WML that shines upward rather than in line with the barrel?

I understand your reasoning and it makes complete sense if you are barricaded in place and waiting in ambush for their approach. It makes much less sense if you are moving about.

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I dunno about "barricaded" but I guess what I am envisioning might be a sort of "ambush". My house is thankfully very well hardened, nobody can get in without making a lot of noise and taking probably several minutes. I haven't yet run mental scenarios for every possible location they might try to break in at, but for the two most likely ones I can be concealed and shoot off my right shoulder, and one even has actual cover (books on their side of the wall). Obviously I still need to have a plan for each of all the other possibilities even though I think they are less likely. My idea is to get to the relevant place for where I hear they are, and be ready to fire if they start to succeed at getting in.

When we would clear buildings...which I'm not recommending that you do...we would always turn all the lights on if it was possible. After taking low/no light courses, you come to appreciate the saying, "Danger Lurks in the Shadows"

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If say I went somewhere and on coming home the house somehow looked different than how I left it, leading me to believe someone might have gotten in in my absence, I would get back in my car, drive a little ways away, and call police. They know how to clear a building and they do it in pairs.

David Hoback said:

Hello OP I would warn against falling into THIS trap! Some get carried away with accessories.
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LOL, I am such a minimalist that even the idea of a WML requiring a cord to its switch feels like those photos to me! I'm having a red dot, a sling, and most likely a WML, finished.

J/K LOL... Congrats on your choice. In 2005, shortly after the Clinton AW Ban expired, I built my first AR15 and instantly fell in love with it. After 15 years I’m currently building another. I can’t tell how many I’ve built...lost count long ago without stopping to think. It is absolutely my favorite platform and I believe it to be the greatest rifle of ALL TIME!

These threads are difficult. You are looking for information, but are bombarded by all this information..sometimes with conflicting points. What are you to believe? It can be confusing to someone new. I’m not going to throw in yet another contrasting bit of information. Of course if you ever ask me specifically, I am always happy to give advice. So, I don’t mean it like I wouldn’t. But there is already a good bit here for you to absorb. And I have but very minor arguments. With some time learning, you will assemble your own group of thoughts & beliefs concerning the AR. Just be vary of bad info & habits.

Really not difficult. Learn in the beginning, from people online your gut tells you to trust. When the information they are giving makes sense to you. That is how I learned. I never paid for training. I never went through a single “class”. Yet today, I’m. Gunsmith, a firearms builder & reloader. I machine small parts for firearms and have been a firearms instructor. All of this I learned on my own over 20 years. I wish you luck & again, congrats on joining the AR club my friend.

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Thanks very much for your warm-hearted encouragement and inspiration.

FL-NC said:

Check out books and videos by Kyle Lamb, a retired Special Forces Sergeant Major who is considered a leading authority on all things training and AR.

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Thanks very much.

MistWolf said:

I've been busy and haven't been able to get back to you on this before now.

The x300 was rated for 500 lumens. The x300u is rated for 1000. It looks like Surefire has dropped the x300 and only makes the x300u

Link to Surefire lights- https://www.surefire.com/categories/illumination/weapon-lights/

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OK, thank you very much.

Buzznrose said:

OLNS,

You need to have any weapon mounted light attached so that the light throws the beam parallel to the barrel, not up or down.

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That was what I thought, but 9mmephiphany said shining upward would be better for illuminating the target. I was trying to follow his logic.

That said, when you are moving with a Drawn weapon in the dark with a mounted light, you are NOT going to point it up, you should carry it pointed at “low ready” with the muzzle pointing at the ground in front of you.

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As I was trying to explain to 9mmephiphany, given my personal setup I do not expect to be moving around inside my house looking for BGs who already got in. Given the substantial hardening in which I have invested, to break into my house would involve making a lot of noise and likely take several minutes. So my scenario is to get to the best place vis-à-vis where they are trying to break in and be ready to fire if they start to succeed. Obviously failure is not impossible, if one or more actually get in it's a whole different ballgame, then I was thinking flash the very bright light at them to negatively affect their eyesight while enabling me to see where they are so I can continue trying to stop the threat.

So,to get the gist of what I’m saying, try this some night...using a good flashlight and all your house lights off, move through your home with the flashlight pointed at the ground 4-6 feet in front of you.

What you will see is that the light spill will easily illuminate a room and most everything in it.

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I would greatly prefer that *I* not be illuminated.

A WML will be no different. This is the safest way to move with a loaded weapon in a heightened emotional state. With the weapon pointed down, any negligent discharge caused by being startled, tripping, etc., will go straight into the ground/floor.

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Do you happen to know whether a .223 Gold Dot would go into tile at that very close distance as opposed to ricocheting off? (I have a lot of tile in my house.)

horsey300 said:

At an angle, likely to ricochet, straight on? Probably penetrate, no promises.

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Thanks. Ricochet was the first thing that came to my mind when I imagined firing down at tile, "low ready" means it would be at an angle.

LiveLife said:

OLNS, I know you just got the AR but my wife and I went from pistol/shot gun combo to .223/.300 BLK ARs with pistol back up for multiple intruder/gang banger threats.

If you are concerned about over penetration and ricochet, may want to consider 9mm carbine or "pistol" conversion to the likeness of "HK MP5" for smaller package that is easier to handle.

We currently use AR based 9mm carbines with 30 round magazines as our primary defensive weapons backed up by pistols loaded with premium HP ammunition which will reduce over penetration and ricochet issues. And additional 150-200 fps added to the muzzle velocities will push the performance of 9mm ammunition to near .357 Magnum velocities.

FYI, we use CMMG 22LR conversion kits to shoot 22LR out of .223 ARs for training at much reduced cost. You could even convert .223 AR to 9mm by changing to 9mm upper, using a heavier buffer and converting PMag to 9mm by using EndoMag kits. Benefits are cheaper 9mm ammo for practice and using same lower receiver and stock you are familiar with. Personally, I would recommend another dedicated Glock lower carbine/pistol to use with factory Glock 33 round magazines for utmost reliability in feeding.

Lots of options.

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Thanks for your thoughts.

I was not concerned about ricochet per se, it entered my mind when it was suggested here to have the gun pointing downward while moving around in case of accidental discharge -- I have a lot of tile flooring and the house is built on a slab.

I could not find any HP, I got Gold Dot which is a soft point with excellent expansion, I don't think I have to worry about over-penetration with it.

In one of my posts upthread I explained my rationale for not wanting to use a handgun caliber.

That said, I am interested to know the logistics of how you guys manage the backup handguns you mentioned. I would love to have one or two handguns with me but I can't see putting on my carry setup, I'm already gonna be putting on muffs... ? I do have one idea in mind that I think is workable but I'd like to hear what you guys do.

LiveLife said:

Tactical vest. And if you prefer, with plates.

Rather quick to put on, carries extra magazines for primary weapon and secondary weapon along with extra magazines. Pouch for cellphone to record the 911 call and room for other equipment/supplies.

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Link?