Practical Tactical?

[dogsoldier0513]

My current AR is a Bushmaster A2 HBAR. It is a former LEO rifle that I purchasesd earlier this summer. It was manufactured in 1994 and is in pristine condition. I bought it because I didn't have an AR (rebuilding my 'armory' after a divorce) and it was at a great price.

I am familiar with ARs, having owned/carried (on duty as an LEO) since 1989. My duty-use ARs were always in the 'M4' configuration, usually equipped with a Trijicon of some sort.

My current AO is suburban. I live in a medium/upper middle-class neighborhood, yet have a Section 8 housing development a few short blocks away. A 'long' shot is 300 yards. In the current economic climate, civil unrest is always on my mind. As such, I am looking at 'modifying' my stock A2 HBAR for such eventualities but am uncertain which 'direction' to take w/o making my rifle cumbersome.

Ideas and suggestions (other than trading it) are welcomed. FWIW, I also have a stock Benelli M1 Super90 and a built/scoped M1A.

Thanks!

 

[ultradoc]

EoTech sight would be a nice addition.

 

[Geno]

I have long been a big believer in simplicity. When I still had my ARs, I had the simple A3 and A4 models, with an ACOG and a forward vertical grip, and a railed fore end for my A6 light laser. What more do you need? Beyond that, I would look to quality ammo, training, and competition.

JMHO,

Geno

 

[benEzra]

You're talking a fixed carry handle setup, right?

The two things I would do would be

(1) add a CAA polymer rail setup to the front sight tower, and throw on a Surefire G2 LED or G3 LED flashlight in a GG&G ring, like so:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=6562751&postcount=5

(2) The best optic for a fixed carry handle, IMO, is the Trijicon Reflex carry-handle mounted sight:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=6552740&postcount=15

http://www.opticsplanet.net/trijicon-rx0110-reflex-65-moa-amber-dot-sight-m16-mount.html

Haven't used one myself but have heard a lot of good things about them.

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

How well do you shoot it? For me, the thing I consider essential on an AR15 is a sling.

Secondly, a light. Next, a good optic. Those are not critical in all cases but could be.

Anything other than that, is going overboard for my taste.

Everyone is different though. You have to discover what you feel that you need and what works best for you.

This is my primary home defense carbine.

 

[Dionysusigma]

I wrote up a huge long post of suggestions, but after re-reading what benEzra said, I have to agree with him wholeheartedly. Keep it simple, but good quality, and you won't have any regrets. Really, the only downside I see is the overpoweringly blue hue that the Reflex gives its window (thanks to the dichroic filter it has for an objective lens), but everything else far outweighs this subjective con.

In other words, +1.

 

[taliv]

dogsoldier, A2, fixed stock and heavy barrel is about as cumbersome an AR as you can get. Not to say it's not still useful, but offhand, I'd say just about anything you do to it would make it less cumbersome, not more.

If I were in your shoes, I'd think about trying to trade it for an m4 style. If you're set on keeping it and modifying it, then as funds allowed, I'd start by changing the barrel to a 16" lightweight/pencil profile, which means you'd also need to change the gas block, tube and handguards. Then I'd change the stock to a lightweight collapsible model. (don't change the stock first, because it will make the balance really awkward.)

if you swap parts, you'll wind up with an old barrel assembly, handguards and fixed stock on your hands that you have no use for, and will be difficult to sell for a reasonable price. that stuff is basically only valuable to high power service rifle match shooters and folks with a lot of nostalgia.

 

[DougW]

Collapsable stock, forward mounter red dot, and a light would be my suggestion. (I like my M1 Super 90 with reduced recoil slugs out to 150 yards myself.)

You could rebarrel it either with a 16" carbine barrel on your A2 upper, or replace the upper with a flat top and a BUIS. Then you could go with a more conventional optic rear sight and keep the HBAR. My son has his 20" set up with a Vltor buttstock, Magpul MBUS, and a TA01NSN.

 

[dogsoldier0513]

Prior to picking up my HBAR Bushy, my 'go to' long gun was my Benelli M1 Super90 (with 1-oz. brenneke slugs I can hit a 5-gal paint bucket @ 200 paces all day long).

I bought the HBAR because it was a 'good deal' and would 'do' until I acquired another M4-type carbine. I have a guy at work that is interested in it, so.....

As for the weight of the HBAR...my wife HATES it.

Thanks for the recommendations, guys!

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

I'm not a fan of HBAR's for home defense use. It gives an insignificant advantage at short range and I don't think it's worth the disadvantage.

I built a superlight AR15 for my wife, but most of my AR15's have a traditional military A2/M4 configuration barrel, which is not as heavy as an HBAR and not as light as a superlight.