Patrol AR Questions for AR Experts

[ChristopherG]

I'd like to purchase an AR for work; I'm fortunate enough to have an issued A2 M4gery, but I prefer shooting my own guns and would like to be able to run my own A3--using a RDS on a quick-detach mount--when I'm on my own time.

The departmental parameters of the gun are:
It must be a DI .223/5.56 AR with standard controls etc.
It must have a 16" barrel.
I must use open sights only on patrol.
And obviously I want it to be reliable and accurate; and I want to be able to put on a light and a VFG--so a free-floated rail forend seems in order.

A mid-length gas system appears to be the best fit for a 16" barrel. But the requirement that I actually USE iron sights on duty--they're not just there for emergency backup--leads me to want the Very Best Iron Sight setup I can have, and that means I want the longest sight radius I can get. So what I'd like is a mid-length gas system under a free-floated (see 'accuracy', above) rifle-length forend with a barrel-mounted front sight. The only place I can find that puts such a unit together is CMMG.

It would be easy enough to put a rifle-length forend on a mid-length barrel and slap a sight onto the RAIL, I understand--but I assume (in my inexperience) that a RAIL mounted front sight would not produce as reliably accurate a sighting system as a BARREL mounted front sight. Am I wrong about this?

Is there an option I'm overlooking, or do you think I'm sweating sight radius too much and should just shut up and get a nice middy, or do you have a completely different take on my situation? Please throw it out there, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.

 

[Avenger29]

I think a mid length gas system carbine from Bravo Company would do you just fine. I wouldn't worry about trying to squeeze the absolute most accuracy by having a rifle length free float forend and a barrel mounted front sight post.

I'd take a mid length BCM gun, put some quality rails on it, and live with that. I'd also be just fine with a sight mounted on a free float rail that is quality. I'd take the money I'd saved from obsessing and trying to jury rig something and buy some ammunition to practice with.

In short, I think you are obsessing over the sight radius too much. Get the middlength, Practice practice practice will do you better.

 

[RP88]

Agreed. Get a middie and put on a Daniel Defense Omega rail of some sort. The sight radius is still good to hit whatever you want within the effective range of your ammo. I don't see why you'd worry about sight radius when you won't be shooting at anything farther than 50 yards most likely, anyways.

 

[Quentin]

You might want to look at this ArmaLite midlength upper on sale for $400. Complete and testfired, just needs sights. You could mount iron sights for duty and remove them when you want to have fun with optics. ArmaLite has a $50 matching sight for the gas block but it's not a fold down.

I built my AR using this upper (cost $500 then) and know it's an incredible deal right now.

http://www.armalite.com/ItemForm.aspx?item=U15A4CB&Category=bce7fa68-373e-4afc-b00e-63fe2c75d131

 

[franconialocal]

Greetings Brother,

I am a Patrolman in northern NH. I did the same thing you want to do....(at first...read on).

My issued rifle is a surplus Colt AR-15 A2 but I wanted to use my own, feeling that I would like mine better from more practice with it, being familiar with it's "feel", etc.

My personal rifle is a Bushmaster ORC with railed flat top. I replaced the carbine length handguards with Troy quad rails (drop in/ not free float) and added the Troy flip up battle sights. Even though the front flip up sight is on the rail just behind the front gas block, the sight picture still works well.

I can tell you from qualifying on it only about about a month ago, this rifle (for what we do mostly in LE) was spot on. Quality center mass shots no matter what distance Sarge threw at us.

But the Armorer brought up a good point....."Go ahead...spend all your money to build up your rifle only to have it seized as evidence if you ever have to use it on duty (even though you own it)" After thinking about this I promptly left my own rifle at home. I'll let the town bear the cost of the loss and stick with my issued rifle. Some would argue that you "can't put a price on your life", and I get that, but the issued duty weapon is still reliable, on target, and I trust it as much as my own rifle.

 

[Texpatriate]

This:

I think a mid length gas system carbine from Bravo Company would do you just fine.

plus this:

and put on a Daniel Defense Omega rail of some sort.

and call it a day. This is my personal favorite setup.

I can't speak from experience for or against CMMG, but BCM has a better reputation and I can speak from experience in their favor. Plus BCM just dropped their prices on their mid-length uppers to $425 (without BCG or CH). Or you could get one of their mid-lengths with a Hammer Forged barrel for about $100 more. Throw in a BCM M16 BCG and a BCM Gunfighter Charging Handle and you've got one heck of a setup with an DD Omega 9.0 rail.

 

[longdayjake]

YHM makes a midlength free floater as well.

 

[Guns and more]

read this site for police. It contains more good information than I ever knew existed.
Then make up your own mind.

http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81462&highlight=jwise

He liked one, I bought another, but I knew why. I ended up with a Colt, and for my reasons. Can't hurt to look.

 

[John Parker]

Some would argue that you "can't put a price on your life", and I get that, but the issued duty weapon is still reliable, on target, and I trust it as much as my own rifle.

Whoa whoa whoa! What you are saying is that a surplus A2 is as reliable and accurate as a decked-out M4gery?!?!?! It can't be true!!!! ;-)

 

[Avenger29]

Whoa whoa whoa! What you are saying is that a surplus A2 is as reliable and accurate as a decked-out M4gery?!?!?! It can't be true!!!! ;-)

I don't think anyone has said different.

I do prefer easy, reliable mounting of a solid and reliable optic (versus jury rigging it with a carry handle mount or whatever- this is the 21st century, not the 1980s), and provision for mounting a light and sling that's better than the "carry strap". I also like something other than that A2 pistol grip. Other than the price of the optic/reliable mount, the light, mount and a better grip can be had for an affordable price.

 

[Destructo6]

If the issued weapon is used by you alone and you are not allowed to mount optics, I don't see much advantage to using a personally-owned rifle.