Building a “Go To” AR

[brad sweet]

I used to have an M&P15. It was a 16” carbine and would eat ANYTHING without a hiccup

I had a 20" doublestar that didn't like steel at all..had to grenade clear it several times..brass no problem i guess thats why they call it a double star instead of five stars

 

[BangBang]

I guess thats why they call it a double star instead of five stars

Bahaha! That explains it!

I don’t want an AR unless it’ll run the cheap stuff. I figure if it’ll eat steel case Tula then it’ll eat ANYTHING and in a SHTF scenario I may not be able to be picky about the ammo I use.

My 14.5” AR is my current “go to” for the reasons you gave. It’s reliable as hell and slightly more maneuverable than a 16” upper.

 

[cmshoot]

I understand that being over gassed is harder on parts, but it also makes the gun more reliable with cheaper, lower powered ammo. I believe that’s why Colt and other companies sell 16” barrels with carbine gas systems.

It’s basically just a 14.5” setup that’s been extended to over 16” to make it legal for civilian sales.

The flip side to that is that the gun would be LESS RELIABLE with more powerful ammo. Gotta take the good with the bad, you can’t gain something without losing something else.

I don’t shoot the cheap steel case ammo, but I know plenty of my students that do in their midlength guns. I have never seen it cause a malfunction due to short-cycling.

Steel case ammo tends to be unreliable anyways. It’s loaded in dirty old Tsarist-era plants by borscht-slurpin’, vodka-swillin’ peasants out of the cheapest, dirtiest components they can get away with.

 

[cmshoot]

Do you think a slightly heavier barrel or profile could reduce recoil? My M&P Sport 2 has a carbine length gas system (I believe it does, anyway) and I can't tell much difference, if any, to similar mid length gas systems. Still, it is of concern to me if the system wears on the parts more rapidly because of the carbine length gas system. I bought the rifle when money was a bit tight and I really wanted another AR. It has been completely flawless, though, and a joy to shoot.

Great post, BTW.

A heavier gun will always have a softer recoil, with all other factors being equal.

A cheap fix is to try a heavier buffer and/or spring and see how she runs.

 

[brad sweet]

Bahaha! That explains it!

I don’t want an AR unless it’ll run the cheap stuff. I figure if it’ll eat steel case Tula then it’ll eat ANYTHING and in a SHTF scenario I may not be able to be picky about the ammo I use.

My 14.5” AR is my current “go to” for the reasons you gave. It’s reliable as hell and slightly more maneuverable than a 16” upper.

but as it was told to me the other day the 10.5 has become the new 14.5 ..so i dont know..if i was breaching doors and first man in a stack then yeah the shorties come into play but for general purpose 14.5 will suffice

 

[cmshoot]

Patience can save you a lot of money. I wanted a 15” Geissele Mk8 rail, everyone that had them in stock was selling them for $300. I waited for the blem sale that Geissele does every July, ended up paying $195. Such a good deal that I bought 2.