This is my AR-15. There are many more like it but this one is mine. Mine isn't a pure breed, it's a mutt. I purchased the completed lower (a S&W) the day after our current White House resident was elected to office and just a few hours before the price gouging started. For a few months after that I searched for a reasonably priced upper to complete the gun, but for a long while there was no finding any at all, let alone "reasonably" priced ones. After some months looking I set it aside for other projects. Since then the lower has been in my gun safe collecting dust. A few days ago I finally got around to buying the rest of the rifle which is made by Bushmaster. My "Bush & Wesson" is a 16-inch, A3 upper with the detachable carry handle. Right now it's just your basic "black rifle" but I intend to do some customization in the coming months, which will probably include an optical sight. But of course that is only after I make sure that the rifle is completely functional and good to go with the iron sights.This is the fourth AR that I have owned over the years. The best being a Colt Match HBAR that would cut one hole groups at 100 yards. I never shot any of them that much. I would usually shoot one a few times, lose interest and then trade it in on something else. I don't guess that I'm much of a "Rifleman". I've owned some rifles over the years, and still own a few now, but my main interest has always been in handguns and concealed carry. Maybe I need to change that.
Gun haters have managed to label these guns "assault rifles" which they are not. But I will give them credit; they and their media sycophants have managed to make the label stick. I have even heard (ignorant) gun owners refer to them as such. Wish I could own an assault rifle, but they are hard to come by, their cost would make a nice down payment on a house and then there is or course all of the legal hoops to jump through to own one. I don't own an assault rifle I own a semi-automatic copy. It might look like one but functionally it is the same as a Ruger Mini-14. But the Mini-14 looks more like a "rifle" so I guess it's not quite as "evil" as an AR-15. All of this is irrelevant anyway as our enemies on the gun issue would prefer that all of them be destroyed.
I don't intend to sell this one ever. Now I understand a little better the need for such rifles. This current president and his friends helped educate me on why civilians like myself need them. If for no other reason than they don't think we should have guns at all, particularly these, which are somehow extra "evil"...
"Wish I could own an assault rifle..." Really? Not me. Full auto fire in rifle-caliber is best accomplished by pairs of tripod-mounted beasts. See Cooper's remarks.
ReplyDeleteI've shot (and carried) a number of "assault rifles", and "humped" the "Pig" (M60) as well. I'm a fair (at least last time the opportunity called) machine gunner with the .50 as well.
Don't see a need for an "assault rifle" even for most military applications.
Our Black Guns are Stags. We're very happy with them.
You make good points!
ReplyDeleteBut when I said “Wish I” I was speaking more of “want” than “need”. But then again if I did own one, because of the ammo costs I would probably start regretting it right after (if not during) my first range session…
The whole idea of hand-held full-auto is primarily a solution in search of a problem. Absent a requirement to kill everyone in a small conference room, there's really no application.
ReplyDeleteThat said, sub-machine guns and the like are really FUN to shoot - as long as someone else is buying the ammo.
Looks like you've got a nice little carbine there. If you really want to buy a RIFLE I think the best deal going is the "Special" M1 Garand currently available from CMP - for just under a grand you get a BRAND-NEW M1. Very nice.
If I were pressed to keep only one long gun though, it would probably be an 03A3 Springfield; which will do anything an individual needs rifle to do and do it well under the most adverse conditions.
You note that after you're certain of your iron sight you might go to optics. May I suggest an EOTech? The model that uses AA batteries is what I'd recommend.
ReplyDeleteI bought a couple and have used them in both "official" and "private" capacities.
The EOTech will give you a low-light capability that will retain a zero even when removed and reinstalled. I found it to be very useful in dusty environments as well.
Bride was just using hers on her Stag over the weekend and actually said "We should take this thing off, it's too easy. It's kinda like cheating." She's competent with her carbine but doesn't shoot often. Pretty good endorsement says I.
Yes I have a RIFLE, two actually, an M1 Garand and a British Enfield. EOTech is one of the brands that I am considering for optics. What kind of life do you get out of the AA battery models? Do you have any opinions on Aimpoint or C-More?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions…
Battery life hasn't been bad. Can't really quantify it save to say I always EXPECT battery-powered stuff to fail at the most inconvenient time and keep LOTS of spares. rotating rechargeable batteries seems to be working well for all my gear.
ReplyDeleteI actually have had more trouble keeping my Peltor 6 muffs running than either SureFire or EOTech stuff.
I've used AimPoints in the past and prefer the EOTech for field-of-view especially. The AimPoint requires looking through a scope which tends to limit my peripheral vision.
Congrats on the M1. George Patton was righter about the M1 than anytihng else he ever said.