This might be one of the best threads ever on the ODT.
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Observations from recent carbine courses I've taught.....
- Thread starter cmshoot
- Start date
Good stuff in this thread !
Are you asking what brand of AR's run fine with steel cased ammo, or what manufacturers say it is OK to run in their AR's?
Frankly, I don't pay attention to what the owner's manuals say on a weapon system I already know how to run. Can't think of the last time I read one, so I may not be able to answer your question.
Personally, all the AR's I've seen run with steel-cases ammo ran just fine, as long as my recommendations in the OP are followed.
OP, I want to thank you for this thread...and for refreshing it recently. I am a relative newcomer to the AR platform. My experience with firearms is primarily from hunting and shooting for a few decades...but I don't have military or law enforcement experience or training.
I can disassemble a Browning A-5 or a BENELLI in my sleep and know my way around bolt guns.
I got dragged kicking and screaming into the AR world by my 15 year old son a couple of years ago...because he loved them and wanted to compete in 3-gun.
So, over the last couple of years I have studied the platform, the various makers and spent hours on forums talking to those like you who have experience with an AR.
I've learned a lot...and can tell you my experience echoes your conclusions:
"Custom" AR's are fine for competition, including light weight bolt carriers, adjustable gas systems, etc.
But for reliability? Or one to trust as a self defense weapon? I'll take my FACTORY DD, BCM or KAC any day.
I can disassemble a Browning A-5 or a BENELLI in my sleep and know my way around bolt guns.
I got dragged kicking and screaming into the AR world by my 15 year old son a couple of years ago...because he loved them and wanted to compete in 3-gun.
So, over the last couple of years I have studied the platform, the various makers and spent hours on forums talking to those like you who have experience with an AR.
I've learned a lot...and can tell you my experience echoes your conclusions:
"Custom" AR's are fine for competition, including light weight bolt carriers, adjustable gas systems, etc.
But for reliability? Or one to trust as a self defense weapon? I'll take my FACTORY DD, BCM or KAC any day.
Good post Shep
Anyone do your class with a mini-14? If so, what issues arose with that platform?
One day I'll own another AR-15.
I had an Olympic Arms CAR-15 back in the late 1980s.
It had a lot of jamming issues. I bought it, owned it for a few years and sold it for the same price ($400, I think) that I paid for it. Yeah, I told the buyer that it jammed.
I did have use of a Colt HBAR for a year. A friend of mine from up in Woodstock traded rifles for a year. I lent him my M1 Garand, and I got his HBAR. I took it to a few highpower rifle matches. That was a good gun to shoot bullseyes with, and I imagine that if it were scoped, it would be a good varmint rifle too.
I'm thinking that if I ever get my own AR again, it will be either an SBR or a 16" barreled carbine, with emphasis on light weight. I want it to be about 5 lbs. I only want practical accuracy out to 200 yards. If I ever scope it and shoot it at 600 yards, I'll be happy to hit on paper-- and I mean 36" square paper!
I had an Olympic Arms CAR-15 back in the late 1980s.
It had a lot of jamming issues. I bought it, owned it for a few years and sold it for the same price ($400, I think) that I paid for it. Yeah, I told the buyer that it jammed.
I did have use of a Colt HBAR for a year. A friend of mine from up in Woodstock traded rifles for a year. I lent him my M1 Garand, and I got his HBAR. I took it to a few highpower rifle matches. That was a good gun to shoot bullseyes with, and I imagine that if it were scoped, it would be a good varmint rifle too.
I'm thinking that if I ever get my own AR again, it will be either an SBR or a 16" barreled carbine, with emphasis on light weight. I want it to be about 5 lbs. I only want practical accuracy out to 200 yards. If I ever scope it and shoot it at 600 yards, I'll be happy to hit on paper-- and I mean 36" square paper!
Go to a local IDPA match or carbine match. The amount of malfunctions are downright scary. In my mind, if the gun doesn't run, it gets worked it until it does, or sold/no longer used. Unless you have the ability to dodge bullets, being proficient at shooting will mean squat if your gun goes down in the middle of the fight.
