OrangeCat
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Living in a free state I know I'm not supposed to think like this. But while it admittedly looks goofy I do wonder about how these kinds of stocks perform.
Its a firearm, not a Swiss Army knife.
- Thread starter Balrog
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Living in a free state I know I'm not supposed to think like this. But while it admittedly looks goofy I do wonder about how these kinds of stocks perform.
Varminterror
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Is there a point to the thread, or just more en-vogue complaining about tacticool accessorization of America’s Rifle?
Personally, I keep my AR’s kitted for function. I also don’t worry much about rifle weight. I’m content to haul a 12lb rifle up a mountainside for miles.
Personally, I keep my AR’s kitted for function. I also don’t worry much about rifle weight. I’m content to haul a 12lb rifle up a mountainside for miles.
Ha, if you are willing to carry a 12 pound rifle up a mountain, then I agree this is not the thread for you!
The point of the thread is that most (not all) AR's are used for plinking, short range hunting, or self defense, and probably don't have to have 5 pounds of stuff added to them to do their job just fine.
Of course to each his own. If you like a lot of stuff bolted on, go for it! Its America, after all.
Chuck R.
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Experience a type 3 malfunction when you really need the gun and the rationale for the extra mag becomes obvious....
Varminterror
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So was your original post meant to encourage the American paradigm of personal choice, or is is it meant to impose your short and light only personal preference of “not a Swiss Army knife”?
The guys using them a lot more than any civilian seem to have a much broader view of versatility for the platform than your narrow scope - let alone talking about the SMG/Commando, or SDM-R/SAM-R configurations:
The original post was simply asking if adding the stuff we add to our AR's is really detrimental for the most common usage of the AR, which I would think would be short range shooting and home defense.
For example, the ACOG shown above is a good bit heavier than an Aimpoint T1 red dot. Now, I have an AR with an ACOG, and another with a T1. For short range shooting and home defense, I would prefer the lighter T1. I don't need the long range capability of the ACOG for home defense.
I think the advantages gained from keeping the AR light and maneuverable out weigh the advantages of add ons for home defense. For home defense, I don't even want a heavy profile barrel. A red dot and a light is about it for that situation.
If you are using your AR for something else, then different stuff may make more sense.
For example, the ACOG shown above is a good bit heavier than an Aimpoint T1 red dot. Now, I have an AR with an ACOG, and another with a T1. For short range shooting and home defense, I would prefer the lighter T1. I don't need the long range capability of the ACOG for home defense.
I think the advantages gained from keeping the AR light and maneuverable out weigh the advantages of add ons for home defense. For home defense, I don't even want a heavy profile barrel. A red dot and a light is about it for that situation.
If you are using your AR for something else, then different stuff may make more sense.
marksman13
Member
I’m assuming the purpose is to reload the rifle once the first mag is empty.
Pat Riot
Contributing Member
The first AR that I assembled had a quad picatinny forend. I loaded that thing up. I had a light, a sling mount, a bipod, an angled foregrip, a set of BUIS, a red dot and I had batteries and crap stored in the stock. I also had a scope on a QD mount that I could mount on it. It wasn’t long before I took some things off and got rid if the hand shredder that was my forend.
The cool thing is, if you need that stuff the AR is adaptable. You can go Spartan or you can load it up. It’s your gun. Do as you please.
I carry a pack. That’s where all the stuff is that I may need. I keep the gun light. That is how I like my rifle.
If everyone was the same we would all have the same guns, right?
The cool thing is, if you need that stuff the AR is adaptable. You can go Spartan or you can load it up. It’s your gun. Do as you please.
I carry a pack. That’s where all the stuff is that I may need. I keep the gun light. That is how I like my rifle.
If everyone was the same we would all have the same guns, right?
marksman13
Member
I have no use for a rifle without a sling. A proper sling adds zero noticeable weight, and does not snag on anything to become a detriment. I’m also not a fan of red dot type sights. I’ve got an astigmatism in my dominant eye and red dots are blurry to the point of being ineffective. I have low magnification scopes on most of my ARs. My pig hunting rig in 6.8 SPC is around 9 lbs when suppressed and loaded. I’ll add another pound or so by clipping the thermal scope on it. I don’t find it be that heavy or hard to use. Different strokes for different folks. I won’t tell you how to run your rifles.
fireside44
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lol
Having a 2nd mag on rifle at all times without having web gear, pouches, or mag stuffed in back pocket.
Armored farmer
Member
I'm not likely to grab my AR to go hunting. Coyotes maybe....but not much else.
My AR has a light, 3xBDC Nikon, offset irons for inside 25yds, collapsable stock, and a silent sling. It is what I grab when I check to see why the farm dogs are barking. Or if I see a yote on the property.
I'm really happy with my choices of accessories, but wouldn't like to lug them around on a all day hunt.
My AR has a light, 3xBDC Nikon, offset irons for inside 25yds, collapsable stock, and a silent sling. It is what I grab when I check to see why the farm dogs are barking. Or if I see a yote on the property.
I'm really happy with my choices of accessories, but wouldn't like to lug them around on a all day hunt.
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Trey Veston
Member
I guess for the same reason I carry an extra lighter, food, first aid kit, etc. Because I hike miles from civilization in actual wilderness and having an extra mag handy on the rifle is just common sense, especially with only 9 rounds in each mag.
I also have a survival pack with all sorts of goodies in addition to what I listed. I try to have enough stuff to stay alive for a week.
When you're usually in the woods alone, 30 miles from the nearest town, where the elk no longer bugle due to wolf pressure, then you tend to try to be as prepared as practical.
Cocked & Locked
Member
I view my one and only 5.56/.223 AR as critter control. 2.5X Weaver scope and offset iron sights like Armored farmer has on his.
Gotta have sling on your AR. Allows you to open doors, helps with weapon retention, transitioning to a pistol, plus aids accuracy.
Basics I want:
2 point sling.
Backup Iron Sights.
Red dot.
Flash Light.
I use this one for home defense:
Basics I want:
2 point sling.
Backup Iron Sights.
Red dot.
Flash Light.
I use this one for home defense:
Bare bones is an option but even then the choice of higher end barrels is limited. Pretty much all the nicer ones, from HK to KAC and even most off-the-shelf Noveskes are riddled with more rails than Union Station and furniture pretty far from mil-std. Not that swapping them to much lighter, bare-hand-friendly items is difficult but the whole principle of equipping nearly all higher end rifles this way seems a bit strange to me.
I always thought all that tactical clutter was pretty silly. Seems like some guys are entered into a contest to see how many batteries they can get their gun to hold. But what is really funny is the guys that need to get all dressed up in their SWAT team costumes to go see how fast they can blow through $100 of ammunition.
That makes sense. The premise of this thread though is AR configurations for home defense and general plinking. Harder to imagine why I need to carry an extra mag for home defense.
I would assume so also, but how often does the need to reload come up in a home defense scenario?
The reason he has the reload is because he is going on hikes with the AR and out in the middle of no where. While that is certainly a good reason to have an AR with you, I do not feel it is the most common usage of an AR, which is what I was trying to keep this thread about.
As far as slings go, I like them for all applications except home defense.
All the high end AR makers offer uppers with minimal or no rails. In fact, at this point, I would venture to say that Keymod and M-Lok handguards are more popular than full picatinny railed handguards. Maybe we're talking past each other though. By "bare bones" did you mean that it has a CAR15 or A1 style handguard? Those aren't any lighter or more compact or hand friendly than a Keymod or M-Lok handguard but I suppose they could be considered more "bare bones". If that's what you mean, then I agree that there are fewer available,
I think a lot of folks didn't realize that. I thought the thread was basically about keeping your AR "unnecessary gadget and gizmo" free. You said,
I got the impression that that's what you use yours for, not that you wanted to keep the thread focused solely on that application.
I used the term in the common meaning (sold without furniture) but mil-std furniture is also uncommon in higher end AR:s. Personally I prefer them over any rails or even holes, or alternatively a smooth no-snag designs like tubular handguards. OTOH my all-time favorites are DCM-style "stealth" floater tubes that retain the classic appearance but float the barrel. Having collected (ok, hoarded) M16:s since the 80's I've grown to appreciate the no-nonsense approach of OEM Armalite and Colt furniture in hunting AR:s as well.
CaptHank
Member
I'm guilty of add-ons to my AR. Started out as a standard LE6920, with Magpul furniture. Now it's perfect for me to hunt groundhogs in Pennsylvania. It's deadly with 69 GR. Match handloads. The added weight doesn't bother me.
I fully understand that using the AR for different applications will result in a need to configure differently. Thread was intended to discuss additions people make to ARs that are not used in less common roles. I may be wrong, but think the most common use for an AR is plinking, short range shooting, and home defense. The number of people using an AR as a long range hunting weapon, or backwoods survival rifle would be lower, I would think.
For home defense, I do not even want a heavy profile barrel, as I think you sacrifice maneuverability at the expense of weight. A lightweight barrel will heat up faster and have less accuracy potential (maybe), but for home defense, is that going to matter? Probably not.
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