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

[old lady new shooter]

Adding to

Function Check: always helpful to have a means of checking firing pin protrusion. Check bolt hold open with all magazines. Check that magazines drop free when mag release is activated. Inspect carrier key for proper staking and signs of gas leaks. NEVER dry fire with the upper removed as it can damage the receiver.

You will also want to familiarize yourself with how to mortar a stuck round. This is one instance where having a larger, comfortable charging handle is very beneficial. Radian Raptor is a good choice.

Added to previous list, thank you again!

 

[old lady new shooter]

Remotely activated, there are tactical lights that allow a pressure switch to be mounted closer to your hand, so you don't have to reach clear out to the end of your gun to turn it on, that Fenix comes with one, I'll try and get a picture of my setup later....
Real estate, having enough room to properly mount/use remote pressure switch.....

Great, thank you, looking forward to that!

The Ryker grip I mentioned would make the gun MUCH more comfortable for you to maneuver, without breaking the vertical fore grip rules but allowing more hand purchase than an angled grip.
https://rykerusa.com/

Thanks for the Ryker link, when you previously mentioned "Ryker grip" I thought it was a substitute pistol grip.

It's a very interesting concept, and on a personal level I'm pleased to see that somebody out there understands that a vertical hand is a lot more ergonomic.

The issue that occurs to me is you can only shoot your gun off the shoulder corresponding to how you attach it -- if you attach it for right-handed firing (grip on left side for left hand), then you can only shoot off your right shoulder, and vice versa. So this seems to me unnecessarily limiting for a gun intended for defensive use.
?

 

[old lady new shooter]

A video, he talks fast, that shows these attachments in use.

He didn't talk too fast because I was only trying to get the main idea, which I think is, somewhere on the rifle there are already places to attach a sling. Based on the video and your previous comments as well as the new one from @9mmephiphany, I think I now understand that the "additional hardware" has to be attached to those predetermined places. So do the hardware things come in pairs, i.e. each one you want is actually two pieces, one that attaches to the rifle and one that attaches to the sling? And you attach or detach the sling one to or from the rifle one to put the sling on the rifle or take it off respectively? And you would get two pairs for a "two-point" sling?

 

[old lady new shooter]

Putting a vertical foregrip on an AR pistol means you must pay the $200 tithe to the King.

Not sure if this is addressed to me or the group in general. For me, since I am fine using the mag well I'm no longer thinking about a vertical foregrip. For the group in general, this is good information to know.

 

[Skylerbone]

Normally QD swivels come singly so you’ll need to purchase two.

 

[horsey300]

Great, thank you, looking forward to that!


Thanks for the Ryker link, when you previously mentioned "Ryker grip" I thought it was a substitute pistol grip.

It's a very interesting concept, and on a personal level I'm pleased to see that somebody out there understands that a vertical hand is a lot more ergonomic.

The issue that occurs to me is you can only shoot your gun off the shoulder corresponding to how you attach it -- if you attach it for right-handed firing (grip on left side for left hand), then you can only shoot off your right shoulder, and vice versa. So this seems to me unnecessarily limiting for a gun intended for defensive use.
?

Per Ryker grip, if you're truly concerned about swapping trigger hands and plan on practicing with either hand until you are proficient, 1. There's nothing saying you can only have one grip 2. Angled foregrip mounted to the bottom would allow leaning into support surfaces if necessary.
This is my Fenix mounted to my 12 ga, remote switch attaches via included velcro, has toggle on/off and pressure switch if you want to only light a space briefly, can strobe if needed, on medium power with green filter (for the 4 leggers) it lights out to roughly 40 yds, and is plenty blinding at close quarters. In the pictures, the small circular black button turns the light on until it is pressed again, the longer black button only lights whilst applying pressure, the little silvery button on the light body itself is how you change modes, it remembers the way you set it when you shut it off.

 

[MistWolf]

CLEANING- For cleaning the bore, I use an original Boresnake. Since the introduction of the Boresnake, they've introduced a version called the "Viper". Avoid that version like the plague. The pulls string isn't attached well and will break off. Other items you should get are lintless rags, the M16 "toothbrush" and a stick for poking the rags into nooks & crannies. I've used everything from the classic Hoppe's #9 to non-chlorinated brake cleaner to mild solution of dish soap & hot water to clean my AR.

WARNING Never poke anything into the gas tube you don't want taking up permanent residence there

LUBRICATION- The best lubricant to use on your AR is lubricant. Light oils like RemOil, Birchwood Casey's Gun Oil and such work very well, but constantly need re-application. There are other oils that last longer. Pick your favorite poison and use that. Thick grease is good for lubing the ttrigger/hammer/disconnect but oil is better for the rest. I use Lucas gun oil (Not Lucas Extreme) because the Material Data Sheet shows it to be relatively benign. (Lucas Extreme has a couple of warnings.) Lots of folks use synthetic motor oil like Mobil 1, but for myself, Lucas is easier on my skin and less likely to stain my clothing. Apply a thin coat to the entire bolt carrier group and 2-4 drops in the carrier exhaust ports and the body of the bolt. Apply a very light coat of oil to the exterior metal parts, especially the barrel if it's Parkerized.

LIGHT- Get a light that has a switch to turn it on and turn it off. No dimmers, blinkers, strobes or other options. The switch should be easy to use and give you the option to turn it on full time, or momentarily. Too many options will slow down your OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) because you can get stuck trying to decide what light mode to switch to.

I bought a light with dimmer options and strobe to use for work (aircraft techincian). It was a pain in the butt because it strobed when I wanted a steady beam and rarely used it different illumination levels. Keep It Simple Slick. On/Off, Full On/Momentary.

AMMO- XM193. What does that mean? 5.56 55 gr Full Metal Jacketed. Most common, economical, consistently delivers 2 - 2.5 MOA, reliable and stores well. Terminal performance isn't the best of the 5.56 ammo but it is deadly. Put a round in a badguy's center torso, you think he's gonna stand there and say "What, you shot me with a 55 grain FMJ?" (If he does, shoot him again.)

Take that bucket of Remington ammo and go shoot it up. I can tell you from first hand experience it isn't moisture resistant and doesn't store well. Freshly opened, it was reliable. However, if stored for awhile after being opened, it'll start giving misfires. Once, while out shooting, it started snowing and a light dusting got in the bucket. When I got home, I wiped each round dry and left the top off the bucket to air out for a few days. Next time I went shooting about a third of the ammo were duds.

If you can, get a case of Federal or American Eagle XM193.

SLING- The Easy Button is the Blue Force padded 2 point sling with QD (Quick Detach) hardware. For a right hand shooter, the most common attach points are the right side rear of the buttstock and left side forward on the handguard. There are variations, but this is a good place to start. You'll need to get help to initially adjust the sling to fit you & your AR and trim the excess lengths. You may also want to sew the webbing around the sling swivels.

RED DOT SIGHT- I'm gonna give you a fish. Get the Sig Romeo 5. It is the best value for the money for an RDS under $200. It comes with everything you need to mount to your AR and start shooting. Good optics and battery life is surprisingly long.

Get someone knowledgeable to help you figure out which eye is dominant. For some, it's easy. My right eye is strongly dominant and has been trained by years of use. It was very easy from the beginning to figure that out. For a friend of mine, it's not so easy. His left eye is dominant, but not strongly so and not trained. He struggles when he shoots.

A trick that will help you is to place a piece of frosted cellophane tape over the lens of your shooting glasses on the non-dominant eye. This should block it enough to prevent seeing two dots while shooting. It will also let you keep that eye open, reducing eye fatigue. Often, this will train your brain so the tape is no longer needed.

VERTICAL FOREGRIP- This is subjective. Some like'm. Some don't. I don't like'm. The angle feels unnatural. I have one on my M4A1 because that is my "what the Air Force is Using" AR. I don't use a "beer can" grip with the VFG. I cup the grip where it meets the handguard which is much more comfortable.



MAGWELL GRIP- I won't tell you it's wrong. I will tell you that you have less control in recoil, when changing from one target to another or when shooting at a mover when gripping the magwell. However, I notice a lot of shooters (myself included) start going to a magwell grip when fatigue sets in.

I don't know what state you live in, but if you're anywhere near us, my wife and I would be more than willing to help you with your new AR.

Most important thing- Have fun!

 

[Ed Ames]

You received a veritable fire hose of information. Kudos to everyone who contributed, and kudos to you for keeping up with the stream.

I’ll toss in a one thing I found to be helpful and I hope contributes.

Red dot: this is what helped me get used to them. I have no idea if it would help anyone else, but I’ll offer it: 1) mount it as far forward as you practically can. 2) in a bright room or outdoors, go at least 20 feet away from something that is interesting to look at (not just a sheet of paper, but a picture, tree, TV; something for your eyes to latch on to), hold the gun in shooting position, and look at the thing. Don’t try to do anything, don’t pay attention to the dot or gun, just look at the thing. Watch it. Move around if you want. 3) put the muzzle-side lens cap on the red dot and repeat step 2.

What I found with that is that it helped re-train my brain to stop looking at the front sight, or the optic, and just see the thing with a red dot superimposed. Step 3 was actually really helpful in my case to help my brain work out that it was assembling the image from both eyes into one “scene”. After a bit of practice it became automatic to see the target with a dot superimposed rather than looking for sights.

I don’t really have much else that hasn’t been covered already, but good luck.

 

[horsey300]

CLEANING- For cleaning the bore, I use an original Boresnake. Since the introduction of the Boresnake, they've introduced a version called the "Viper". Avoid that version like the plague. The pulls string isn't attached well and will break off. Other items you should get are lintless rags, the M16 "toothbrush" and a stick for poking the rags into nooks & crannies. I've used everything from the classic Hoppe's #9 to non-chlorinated brake cleaner to mild solution of dish soap & hot water to clean my AR.



LUBRICATION- The best lubricant to use on your AR is lubricant. Light oils like RemOil, Birchwood Casey's Gun Oil and such work very well, but constantly need re-application. There are other oils that last longer. Pick your favorite poison and use that. Thick grease is good for lubing the ttrigger/hammer/disconnect but oil is better for the rest. I use Lucas gun oil (Not Lucas Extreme) because the Material Data Sheet shows it to be relatively benign. (Lucas Extreme has a couple of warnings.) Lots of folks use synthetic motor oil like Mobil 1, but for myself, Lucas is easier on my skin and less likely to stain my clothing. Apply a thin coat to the entire bolt carrier group and 2-4 drops in the carrier exhaust ports and the body of the bolt. Apply a very light coat of oil to the exterior metal parts, especially the barrel if it's Parkerized.

LIGHT- Get a light that has a switch to turn it on and turn it off. No dimmers, blinkers, strobes or other options. The switch should be easy to use and give you the option to turn it on full time, or momentarily. Too many options will slow down your OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) because you can get stuck trying to decide what light mode to switch to.

I bought a light with dimmer options and strobe to use for work (aircraft techincian). It was a pain in the butt because it strobed when I wanted a steady beam and rarely used it different illumination levels. Keep It Simple Slick. On/Off, Full On/Momentary.

AMMO- XM193. What does that mean? 5.56 55 gr Full Metal Jacketed. Most common, economical, consistently delivers 2 - 2.5 MOA, reliable and stores well. Terminal performance isn't the best of the 5.56 ammo but it is deadly. Put a round in a badguy's center torso, you think he's gonna stand there and say "What, you shot me with a 55 grain FMJ?" (If he does, shoot him again.)

Take that bucket of Remington ammo and go shoot it up. I can tell you from first hand experience it isn't moisture resistant and doesn't store well. Freshly opened, it was reliable. However, if stored for awhile after being opened, it'll start giving misfires. Once, while out shooting, it started snowing and a light dusting got in the bucket. When I got home, I wiped each round dry and left the top off the bucket to air out for a few days. Next time I went shooting about a third of the ammo were duds.

If you can, get a case of Federal or American Eagle XM193.

SLING- The Easy Button is the Blue Force padded 2 point sling with QD (Quick Detach) hardware. For a right hand shooter, the most common attach points are the right side rear of the buttstock and left side forward on the handguard. There are variations, but this is a good place to start. You'll need to get help to initially adjust the sling to fit you & your AR and trim the excess lengths. You may also want to sew the webbing around the sling swivels.

RED DOT SIGHT- I'm gonna give you a fish. Get the Sig Romeo 5. It is the best value for the money for an RDS under $200. It comes with everything you need to mount to your AR and start shooting. Good optics and battery life is surprisingly long.

Get someone knowledgeable to help you figure out which eye is dominant. For some, it's easy. My right eye is strongly dominant and has been trained by years of use. It was very easy from the beginning to figure that out. For a friend of mine, it's not so easy. His left eye is dominant, but not strongly so and not trained. He struggles when he shoots.

A trick that will help you is to place a piece of frosted cellophane tape over the lens of your shooting glasses on the non-dominant eye. This should block it enough to prevent seeing two dots while shooting. It will also let you keep that eye open, reducing eye fatigue. Often, this will train your brain so the tape is no longer needed.

VERTICAL FOREGRIP- This is subjective. Some like'm. Some don't. I don't like'm. The angle feels unnatural. I have one on my M4A1 because that is my "what the Air Force is Using" AR. I don't use a "beer can" grip with the VFG. I cup the grip where it meets the handguard which is much more comfortable.

View attachment 923682

MAGWELL GRIP- I won't tell you it's wrong. I will tell you that you have less control in recoil, when changing from one target to another or when shooting at a mover when gripping the magwell. However, I notice a lot of shooters (myself included) start going to a magwell grip when fatigue sets in.

I don't know what state you live in, but if you're anywhere near us, my wife and I would be more than willing to help you with your new AR.

Most important thing- Have fun!

Vfg+7.5" pistol=$200 tariff if my understanding is correct...... Otherwise, SPOT ON agreed with many points sir!

 

[old lady new shooter]

Per Ryker grip, if you're truly concerned about swapping trigger hands and plan on practicing with either hand until you are proficient, 1. There's nothing saying you can only have one grip 2. Angled foregrip mounted to the bottom would allow leaning into support surfaces if necessary.

I would very much like to be able to shoot off either shoulder, after all, half the corners in the world go each way. I am right-handed and right-eye dominant. Being that I thankfully have no problem shooting a handgun accurately with either hand, I'm not worried about the shooting part, but about the aiming part, i.e. my left eye looking through the sight -- the first time I tried to shoot WHO I thought it would be more natural to use the left eye, like a mirror image of shooting SHO, my shot hit the outermost ring. Switched to using the right eye and the remaining shots hit comparable to SHO.

This is my Fenix mounted to my 12 ga, remote switch attaches via included velcro, has toggle on/off and pressure switch if you want to only light a space briefly, can strobe if needed, on medium power with green filter (for the 4 leggers) it lights out to roughly 40 yds, and is plenty blinding at close quarters. In the pictures, the small circular black button turns the light on until it is pressed again, the longer black button only lights whilst applying pressure, the little silvery button on the light body itself is how you change modes, it remembers the way you set it when you shut it off.

Definitely worth the proverbial 1000 words, thanks very much.

 

[old lady new shooter]

CLEANING- For cleaning the bore, I use an original Boresnake. Since the introduction of the Boresnake, they've introduced a version called the "Viper". Avoid that version like the plague. The pulls string isn't attached well and will break off.

Happy to report that the boresnake I ordered is not the "viper" one.

LIGHT- Get a light that has a switch to turn it on and turn it off. No dimmers, blinkers, strobes or other options. The switch should be easy to use and give you the option to turn it on full time, or momentarily. Too many options will slow down your OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) because you can get stuck trying to decide what light mode to switch to.

I bought a light with dimmer options and strobe to use for work (aircraft techincian). It was a pain in the butt because it strobed when I wanted a steady beam and rarely used it different illumination levels. Keep It Simple Slick. On/Off, Full On/Momentary.

I thought I wanted a strobe but everybody seems to think it's not a good idea. I'm coming to the conclusion your on/off, full on/momentary is better, as long as the "on" is REALLY bright. I don't want the full on/momentary to be the same switch as the on/off one. Any suggestions?

AMMO- XM193. What does that mean? 5.56 55 gr Full Metal Jacketed. Most common, economical, consistently delivers 2 - 2.5 MOA, reliable and stores well. Terminal performance isn't the best of the 5.56 ammo but it is deadly. Put a round in a badguy's center torso, you think he's gonna stand there and say "What, you shot me with a 55 grain FMJ?" (If he does, shoot him again.)

I don't care what BG thinks, but I am fond of my neighbors. I was told by people whose profession included or includes shooting, that FMJ will penetrate the walls of neighboring houses. So that's not going to be my defensive ammo. I selected Speer Gold Dot for that, as posted above.

Take that bucket of Remington ammo and go shoot it up. I can tell you from first hand experience it isn't moisture resistant and doesn't store well. Freshly opened, it was reliable. However, if stored for awhile after being opened, it'll start giving misfires. Once, while out shooting, it started snowing and a light dusting got in the bucket. When I got home, I wiped each round dry and left the top off the bucket to air out for a few days. Next time I went shooting about a third of the ammo were duds.

I live in central Arizona. Outside of winter humidity runs well under 10% during the day, here is a photo I took of my indoor/outdoor thermometer on April 27th at 5 pm to send a friend in the Northeast who was complaining about snow:

Being that we are now more into summer, temps have moved up to 105-110, outside humidity still usually 1% during the day, inside now runs 19-20%.

That said, I would be fine with storing unused rounds from an open container in a metal ammo box and/or putting dessicant packs in with it, if either of those methods would be helpful. Or storing them in mags, magpul gen 3 30-round ones are enroute to me, and the gen3 come with a dust cover. ?

I bought this ammo because it was actually available and at least from a known reputable manufacturer.

SLING- The Easy Button is the Blue Force padded 2 point sling with QD (Quick Detach) hardware. For a right hand shooter, the most common attach points are the right side rear of the buttstock and left side forward on the handguard. There are variations, but this is a good place to start. You'll need to get help to initially adjust the sling to fit you & your AR and trim the excess lengths. You may also want to sew the webbing around the sling swivels.

Thanks. The whole sling thing seems like its own separate area to learn about. The one you mention is the one I was planning to buy, I still need to understand the attaching pieces better and also how to adjust all the buckles.

RED DOT SIGHT- I'm gonna give you a fish. Get the Sig Romeo 5. It is the best value for the money for an RDS under $200. It comes with everything you need to mount to your AR and start shooting. Good optics and battery life is surprisingly long.

As posted earlier, I already ordered the Holosun HS403c which I used in my lesson and range visit. It was OK. After coronavirus is no longer a consideration if I'm not happy with it I would like to go to a store with a lot of different ones I could try looking through.

Get someone knowledgeable to help you figure out which eye is dominant. For some, it's easy. My right eye is strongly dominant and has been trained by years of use. It was very easy from the beginning to figure that out. For a friend of mine, it's not so easy. His left eye is dominant, but not strongly so and not trained. He struggles when he shoots.

We did that in my first handgun class a few years ago. I am right-eye dominant. I do have several vision issues that I have to work around.

A trick that will help you is to place a piece of frosted cellophane tape over the lens of your shooting glasses on the non-dominant eye. This should block it enough to prevent seeing two dots while shooting. It will also let you keep that eye open, reducing eye fatigue. Often, this will train your brain so the tape is no longer needed.

Thanks for the tip.

VERTICAL FOREGRIP- This is subjective. Some like'm. Some don't. I don't like'm. The angle feels unnatural. I have one on my M4A1 because that is my "what the Air Force is Using" AR. I don't use a "beer can" grip with the VFG. I cup the grip where it meets the handguard which is much more comfortable.

As noted, using the mag well for my support hand eliminated any need for some other kind of grip for it. In any case, as others have pointed out, a vertical foregrip on an AR pistol requires getting involved with ATF and a $200 tax stamp. If I decide to also get a full-size one down the road I might revisit the question, but right now I have no such plans.

MAGWELL GRIP- I won't tell you it's wrong. I will tell you that you have less control in recoil, when changing from one target to another or when shooting at a mover when gripping the magwell. However, I notice a lot of shooters (myself included) start going to a magwell grip when fatigue sets in.

As noted, it was recommended to me by seasoned Army vets after I complained that the classic position of outstretched arm with palm up is very uncomfortable for me. The mag well is a much better solution for my body size and physical capabilities. And with 55 grain ammo there is zero recoil on this gun. No opportunity to shoot at multiple or moving targets so far so I can't judge that.

I don't know what state you live in, but if you're anywhere near us, my wife and I would be more than willing to help you with your new AR.

Most important thing- Have fun!

Thanks on both counts. I'm in central Arizona, where are you?

 

[old lady new shooter]

You received a veritable fire hose of information. Kudos to everyone who contributed, and kudos to you for keeping up with the stream.

THR is awesome!

I’ll toss in a one thing I found to be helpful and I hope contributes.

Red dot: this is what helped me get used to them. I have no idea if it would help anyone else, but I’ll offer it: 1) mount it as far forward as you practically can. 2) in a bright room or outdoors, go at least 20 feet away from something that is interesting to look at (not just a sheet of paper, but a picture, tree, TV; something for your eyes to latch on to), hold the gun in shooting position, and look at the thing. Don’t try to do anything, don’t pay attention to the dot or gun, just look at the thing. Watch it. Move around if you want. 3) put the muzzle-side lens cap on the red dot and repeat step 2.

What I found with that is that it helped re-train my brain to stop looking at the front sight, or the optic, and just see the thing with a red dot superimposed. Step 3 was actually really helpful in my case to help my brain work out that it was assembling the image from both eyes into one “scene”. After a bit of practice it became automatic to see the target with a dot superimposed rather than looking for sights.

I don’t really have much else that hasn’t been covered already, but good luck.

Thank you very much for the red dot advice, I will try it.

 

[horsey300]

I would very much like to be able to shoot off either shoulder, after all, half the corners in the world go each way. I am right-handed and right-eye dominant. Being that I thankfully have no problem shooting a handgun accurately with either hand, I'm not worried about the shooting part, but about the aiming part, i.e. my left eye looking through the sight -- the first time I tried to shoot WHO I thought it would be more natural to use the left eye, like a mirror image of shooting SHO, my shot hit the outermost ring. Switched to using the right eye and the remaining shots hit comparable to SHO.


Definitely worth the proverbial 1000 words, thanks very much.

@either shoulder, I'll not dispute the usefulness of shooting from either side, I was serious about a Ryker for each side+afg under for leaning.....that aside, it seems that you're very comfortable with a handgun, I have curiosities about 1. Not choosing a hi cap for your purposes with a wml? (Got the 12 year old hooked on such a concept) 2. With the ultimate concern seeming to be hd, and choosing the 5.56 cartridge, is there a reason you didn't go with either a 7.5" pistol caliber or 11.5" suppressed, indoors (and worse at night) the blast must be wondrous on that setup? Not nitpicking just genuine curiosity on the process.

 

[TonyAngel]

Mistwolf had a good recommendation for a budget red dot. The Romeo5 line is difficult to beat in the price range. I'd suggest checking out the model that comes on a mount appropriate for an AR and it takes AAA batteries. The little 2032s are pretty common, but who doesn't have a AAA laying around the house?

As for your using the magwell as a grip...I'll say it has it's places. Like when you have to hold the rifle up for a long period of time or when trying to stay compact and nimble while sweeping your house. When actually shooting, engaging multiple targets at any range beyond a few yards, using the magwell as a grip will cost you speed, precision and recoil control. It's a matter of leverage. The longer the lever, the more leverage you have to control whatever the lever is connected to. The farther out on the barrel your hand is, the more control you will have. You don't have to hyper extend your arm, but anywhere beyond the magwell is better than the magwell.

I can understand that many consider the 5.56 to have "zero" recoil, but that really isn't so. If you can look through your optic, squeeze the trigger, have the round go off and the sight is still on the target when it's all over, then I will concede. In my experience, putting three into the A zone of a target at ten yards from a high, or even low ready in under a couple of seconds is difficult to do with a magwell grip.

 

[Skylerbone]

My main concern about the magwell grip would be actuating the light when the time comes. Better to find a comfortable hand stop that puts a full grip on the forend and within reach of your WML switch. Simple indexing even in low light.

 

[old lady new shooter]

@either shoulder, I'll not dispute the usefulness of shooting from either side, I was serious about a Ryker for each side+afg under for leaning.....that aside, it seems that you're very comfortable with a handgun, I have curiosities about 1. Not choosing a hi cap for your purposes with a wml? (Got the 12 year old hooked on such a concept) 2. With the ultimate concern seeming to be hd, and choosing the 5.56 cartridge, is there a reason you didn't go with either a 7.5" pistol caliber or 11.5" suppressed, indoors (and worse at night) the blast must be wondrous on that setup? Not nitpicking just genuine curiosity on the process.

1. Do you mean a high capacity handgun with a WML? First of all, my handguns are revolvers, which I like for their simplicity and reliability. My very first one was a 686 Plus which is the closest a normal caliber revolver gets to high capacity LOL. I don't have a WML on any of them, I'm happy with a handheld flashlight. But anyway now I want a more powerful weapon for home defense. Maybe my next handgun a year or so down the road will be a semi-auto though, my fingers are not getting stronger with age.
2. a) Since I want more power than a handgun, I didn't want a handgun cartridge.
b) I tried holding an AR with a regular suppressor and found it very front-heavy. People told me about a perfect suppressor for an AR pistol, tiny and light. I went to find it now to report here, it was https://www.deltapdesign.com/produc...sor/brevis-ii-ultra-556-nato-rifle-suppressor but currently says out of stock. It's also come down considerably in price, when I first heard of it it was I think $2300 and change, now it's "only" $1491. Which is still about 50% more than I paid for the gun, plus that would require getting involved with the bureaucracy.
c) The Saint happened to be the gun the instructor gave me for the range part of my lesson, although in the "classroom" part we had used a full-size Daniel Defense. I think he figured out that one was going to be too big for me. At the lesson the Saint was OK, and a lot better size for an old lady barely over 5' tall, well-balanced, nice trigger, no recoil, but the day I rented it at the range another customer kindly helped me with my stance etc and after that I got quite accurate with it and totally loved it. Someone asked me how it felt to shoot it, the best adjective that came to mind was "satisfying". At the range (which is an indoor range BTW) I did not find it too bright or too loud, but I confess I did have squishy plugs under my muffs. Also it does come with a really good flash hider, it directs the flash forward in front of the muzzle. At my lesson the instructor joked that even if I were to miss BG he'd be blind and deaf after I fired LOL.

So are you using your AR for home defense? Or if not, what?

 

[old lady new shooter]

My main concern about the magwell grip would be actuating the light when the time comes. Better to find a comfortable hand stop that puts a full grip on the forend and within reach of your WML switch. Simple indexing even in low light.

Does this mean that the only place a WML can be mounted is out at the end of the barrel?

 

[old lady new shooter]

look through your optic, squeeze the trigger, have the round go off and the sight is still on the target when it's all over

I don't know what to say, that's exactly how I was instructed to shoot accurately, keep looking at the target even after you squeeze the trigger, and you want the sight to stay in the same place. Maybe it worked for me because I had never shot so much as a squirtgun before and didn't come with any pre-existing ideas.

 

[MistWolf]

I don't want the full on/momentary to be the same switch as the on/off one. Any suggestions?

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!

I also have a Streamlight TLR-7 which costs much less. It's smaller than the Surefire and not as bright. My wife & I use them on our carry pistols.

For a handheld light, we have a Nightstick TAC 460XL. Bigger than the Surefire x300, it's still compact. I use mine everyday at work. It's bright, rugged and economical with the added benefit of using rechargeable batteries. It's a lot of flashlight for the money. Mounts are available so it can be attached to a rifle.

There are other good lights, but these are the ones I have first hand experience with.

I don't care what BG thinks, but I am fond of my neighbors. I was told by people whose profession included or includes shooting, that FMJ will penetrate the walls of neighboring houses. So that's not going to be my defensive ammo. I selected Speer Gold Dot for that, as posted above.

A 9mm hollow point will penetrate more walls than a 55 gr FMJ. I wouldn't recommend ammo to you with excessive penetration.

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.

I live in central Arizona.

We used to live in Tusayan, the small town just outside the south gate of the Grand Canyon. We're currently living in Utah.

That said, I would be fine with storing unused rounds from an open container in a metal ammo box and/or putting dessicant packs in with it, if either of those methods would be helpful. Or storing them in mags, magpul gen 3 30-round ones are enroute to me, and the gen3 come with a dust cover.

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.

The mag well is a much better solution for my body size and physical capabilities.

You gotta go with what works for you. What's important is that you get out, shoot and have fun!

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.

 

[Skylerbone]

Does this mean that the only place a WML can be mounted is out at the end of the barrel?

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.

 

[MistWolf]

Does this mean that the only place a WML can be mounted is out at the end of the barrel?

No, but it is the most practical. A remote switch (called a tape switch) can be used to put the switch at a location more convenient for you.

 

[horsey300]

1. Do you mean a high capacity handgun with a WML? First of all, my handguns are revolvers, which I like for their simplicity and reliability. My very first one was a 686 Plus which is the closest a normal caliber revolver gets to high capacity LOL. I don't have a WML on any of them, I'm happy with a handheld flashlight. But anyway now I want a more powerful weapon for home defense. Maybe my next handgun a year or so down the road will be a semi-auto though, my fingers are not getting stronger with age.
2. a) Since I want more power than a handgun, I didn't want a handgun cartridge.
b) I tried holding an AR with a regular suppressor and found it very front-heavy. People told me about a perfect suppressor for an AR pistol, tiny and light. I went to find it now to report here, it was https://www.deltapdesign.com/produc...sor/brevis-ii-ultra-556-nato-rifle-suppressor but currently says out of stock. It's also come down considerably in price, when I first heard of it it was I think $2300 and change, now it's "only" $1491. Which is still about 50% more than I paid for the gun, plus that would require getting involved with the bureaucracy.
c) The Saint happened to be the gun the instructor gave me for the range part of my lesson, although in the "classroom" part we had used a full-size Daniel Defense. I think he figured out that one was going to be too big for me. At the lesson the Saint was OK, and a lot better size for an old lady barely over 5' tall, well-balanced, nice trigger, no recoil, but the day I rented it at the range another customer kindly helped me with my stance etc and after that I got quite accurate with it and totally loved it. Someone asked me how it felt to shoot it, the best adjective that came to mind was "satisfying". At the range (which is an indoor range BTW) I did not find it too bright or too loud, but I confess I did have squishy plugs under my muffs. Also it does come with a really good flash hider, it directs the flash forward in front of the muzzle. At my lesson the instructor joked that even if I were to miss BG he'd be blind and deaf after I fired LOL.

So are you using your AR for home defense? Or if not, what?

So for more power and a pistol caliber carbine concept a 10mm will get it done, but that is neither here nor there now. After seeing MANY setups and having shot at varmints indoors, I began drawing my own conclusions of what I wanted for MY perfect home defense setup. Supplemented by input from fellow thr members I've arrived at these premises:
1. Suppression is a MUST. Personal experience dictates the can is necessary.
2. Ideal barrel length is 12", this allows for suppressor without creating an object bulky or unwieldy (I agree with you that on a "regular ar15" it makes things less than ideal, especially for close quarters maneuvering), but (this is where fellow members were most helpful) 7.5" barrels and some suppressors don't mix especially with the 5.56 being higher pressure.
3. Horsepower from a longer barrel is not to be sneezed at with modern ammunition out of a pistol caliber, both 9mm and 10 mm fast mono bullets are quite an eye opener in the home defense arena. I currently am setup in 5.56 but am planning quickly on adding to the stable, also the lower pressure rounds will benefit greatly with the suppressor especially if only lowering db -34(ish), which leads to:
4. I've always been an outdoorsman in the middlewest great plains area and have an unreasonable hatred of the .300 blackout. Now that I've matured some and circumstances have altered my perspective slightly, both the .300 blackout and ham'r have caught my attention, running a heavy subsonic bullet with a suppressor indoors appeals much more (plenty of firepower, less hooplah).

As for my ar15s, they're currently dual purpose as I'm remodeling and the firearms budget has been somewhat diminished, they are both home defense and ranch/truck guns thus the cartridge choice of 5.56. Once the budget loosens up, there will be dedicated ar15s for home defense setup as outlined above, until then, the carbines, revolvers, semiautomatic high cap pistols, and shotguns will have to make do lol. Lights and red dot sights on everything that i can mount one on .

 

[old lady new shooter]

I owe several replies, hopefully will get to them tomorrow night.

Meanwhile happy to report I did pick up my new baby from the FFL.

 

[9mmepiphany]

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

 

[horsey300]

I owe several replies, hopefully will get to them tomorrow night.

Meanwhile happy to report I did pick up my new baby from the FFL.

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