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[riflenerd]

Top three: two point slings? Triggers? Optics? How do you feel about eotech hws? 552 vs 512? What do you think about daniel defense m4v7 rifles?

This is all mostly AR15/M16 centric.

TOP THREE

> two point slings?

Jones Tactical 

USGI web sling

Specter Gear “Raptor” Series

> Triggers?

ADCO pinned RRA 2-stage Trigger (good luck finding one)

Geissele 2 Stage (G2S) Trigger

RRA Two Stage National Match Trigger

> Optics?

A 4x ACOG with a red chevron and dual-illuminated.  TA31F, RCO, etc.

An EOTech 552.  Don’t limit yourself.

An Aimpoint ACO or PRO.  They are just Aimpoints, I don’t like Micros.

> How do you feel about eotech hws?

Prefer over Aimpoint.  Better reticle and battery life, but get AA version.  Always have BUIS, prefer A frame front post and A2 rear, no flip ups.

> 552 vs 512?

See above.

> What do you think about daniel defense m4v7 rifles?

I like Daniel Defense, looks like a solid rifle, but I have no experience.  Someone send me one, I’ll post a review.

[riflenerd]

hi want to be friends

No thanks.  My friend is a SR-25 PR, PN:31961 with a Nightforce ATACR 5-25 X 56 F1 C546.  And a sling.  I enjoy long walks and quiet time laying in the dirt with my friend ringing gongs and punching out the A zone of IPSC targets and UKDs.  We have lovely diary full of notes.

Fuck off.

[riflenerd]

Pick me apart please. Thanks Rifle Nerd. John

OK John.  Johnny.  John John.  Johnny's got his weapon.  Let's run it down by the numbers.

Where is your fucking sling?  Seriously people, I swear to The Holy Lord Almighty I will buy the riflemen of this world slings and choke them until they understand how to use them.  Single-point, two-point, VCAS, USGI web slings, I don't give a fuck, check a box and unfuck your sling situation.

So this rifle, carbine as it were, yes, let's continue with picking like it was a big fucking scab.  It's a RRA, which is a more than decent rifle manufacture in Democratic People's Republic of Illinois.  They make outstanding National Match rifles, you can win the President's 100 with a RRA NM out of the box, true fucking story son.  Their tactical side however, well, LMT is just up the road...  This is a RRA LAR-15 Entry Operator.  Operator.  Yes sir, Operator as fuck with a muzzle brake (ugh), flip up front sight (ugh), ERGO sure grip (unless you have XL hands, ugh), and some fucked up CAR stock (holy Moses).

I see a SureFire light, that's great, but that has to be most fucking awkward place to put it with the XT07 tailcap.  I guess I can see it, probably a good bump with a knuckle to get her going, but man once you start with some hammers on that weapon with that break on the end that light is going to become less effective quick.  Indoors shit gets smokey fast anyhow, but usually gas goes up, not to the sides.  I digress, great light in a good spot, I could also see an overhand activation working good as well, driving the carbine.

A AimPoint Comp or PRO with a magnifier.  I have never had luck with those gizmos.  It's either go fast with a dot, or 4x with BAC, or long glass.  To mix it all up and flip the glass to the side is all fuckity to me.  I also fucking hate where the optic is mounted because the receiver is going to heat up and the hand guard is going to heat up but neither is going to be as fast as each other so guess what; that optic bridging the gap is getting twisted and you will lose zero.  Ah no you don't know what the fuck you're talking about blah blah, shut the fuck up.  Shoot out to 200 yards and when you can't hold minute of pizza box, don't come crying to me.

BUIS is a TROY pattern BUIS.  They're ok.  I'd rather shitcan the glass and put on a LMT A2 but you knew that.

Stock looks serviceable but weird.  One of them IMI type jobs I think, good cheek weld if people even do that any more.

Magazine is a polymer IMI mag that is probably OK but I hear Magpul makes these poly mags that are fucking great and since the dawn of time you could get stamped aluminum mags that work fucking great, so I hope you got a good deal from guncloset.com or ammohut.net or whatever.  I'd just buy a case of pmags or USGI from DSG Arms and call it a fuckin day.

Actually I wouldn't call it a fuckin day.  I'd buy a few cases of ammo, M193 because of the stupid 1:9 barrel twist on your RRA, and then TRAIN.  WITH a SLING.  A LOT.  TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN.  Maybe get a Mini-MAV from Tactical Tailor and learn to load, a sling helps with that.  And get that pretty rifle dirty son.  Shit.

Nice carpet.

[riflenerd]

would like to set up a 10.25 inch upper on a lower using a fixed arfx ace stock. will the a2 rifle buffer be heavy enough.

A2 buffer will be heavy enough, no problem.  You should be able to get away with that barrel with a stock A2 buffer and spring without any tricks.

[riflenerd]

Why you say ACOG no good on rifle?

I don't think I've ever said that; I have used and do use an ACOG, and believe they are fine optics.  They are not optimal for all situations, CQB for example, but in the hands of a rifleman an ACOG is extremely beneficial.  I have seen rookies shoot above 85% with beat training rifles using mini-ACOGs at short distance (0-75 yard) engagements where they struggled with irons.  At inside 25 yards a 4x ACOG can be an issue if it's not a BAC model (and some people don't do BAC well anyhow) but a micro red dot can mitigate that issue.  I'm definitely pro-ACOG.  Gimme all the ACOG I can get.  Just not on that SBR though. 

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Kurt: Here is my submission.

Riflenerd:  Another hard c name.  This is a record or something I swear.  Not giving me a lot to work with here Kurt, but we'll run this by the numbers.

Behind the rugged BenchMade Griptillian is a YHM Phantom flash suppressor, probably pinned and welded to a 14.5" M4 contour barrel.  Barrel and rifle are a mystery, I see no maker's marks so I hope it's a quality rifle.  We have what looks like a drop-in rail system by Midwest Industries, but the length looks all wrong and the design doesn't match the current G2 rail.  It could be a G1 or I could be way the fuck off or it could be a custom job.  I see a barrel nut and the vent holes look like MI, that's what I'm going off.  Either way, there is a SureFire G2 on the 11 o'clock and the rail system's 12 o'clock looks too short past the front sight to mount an X300.  Guess which I'd rather have?  I have no way of knowing what mount the G2 is in.  Rail is covered by KAC panels (classy!).

Optic looks like an EOTech 512 mounted directly to the carbine.  I hope I'm wrong but that is sure what it looks like to me (there is a shadow falling right on the top of the carbine, so if I'm wrong, send me hate mail).  This would give you an absolute co-witness, which I hate.  I would get a Larue or at the very least a YHM riser to get a 1/3 co-witness going so you can run the carbine with your head up, neck straight.  See above photo for other option.  Rear "iron" sight appears to be a Magpul MBUS, a poor sight she be.  If you're going to run an EOTech, Run a rifle with a front sight tower, a hard rear sight (DD 1.5, LMT A2) and have the EOTech on a riser or run a new model with the 7mm rise like the 516 so you get that 1/3 co-witness, that way you can run with your head straight, optic on, and it shits the bed you can make a slight adjustment and be on irons instantly.  No bullshit flip up sights that can snag or require fine motor skills to deploy, no transition to secondary because your battery has turned into goo from recoil, just stay up on that primary and keep rounds on target.

The stock is a standard new style M4 carbine stock and the trigger guard appears to be a Magpul-type.  The magazine is a metal magazine, I'd guess aluminium with a black teflon coating.  Most of the rifle has been painted, which is awesome.

So what's wrong with this photo?  I don't see a sling on the rifle or in the photo and the shooter is nuts to guts on the bench firing his weapon.  I hope he's just taking a stable position to sight the optic in, but I would use a stable position called "prone" to sight my rifle in and use the picnic benches for eating lunch.  The knife with it's tip stuck in the wood also worries me, as it may be there to clear failure to extracts.  And that would make this whole rifle a NO GO, and the extractor would need to be taken off, spring checked (is it a rifle spring? is it just worn out?) and maybe an o-ring added and test fired again.

With a few tweaks this could be a great rifle, but I think we need to adjust the weapon system.  Get a sling, ensure reliability, get of the bench, train train train.  And then train some more.

[riflenerd]

Submitted by a guy with an email address.  We'll call him Chad.

Riflenerd: So yeah, nice HKish SBR in the tub.  This has been sitting in my queue because I'm not really an HK guy and this isn't a rifle (it's a pistol caliber carbine) but who the fuck am I to split hairs.  For the photo alone I give you respect, sir.

So I'm pretty sure this is not a HK 94. They haven't been imported in a billion years and HK hates us and wouldn't make new ones on US soil even if we sent bars of Nazi Jew gold directly to Germany.  This rifle is new.  It's either been burred in a time capsule or some warehouse in Nevada and just finally delivered to you 20 years on or it's a new copy.  Either way I see no shame in your game because, as I said before, HK hates us.  Also it has a paddle magazine release and a new style grip, which could be retrofitted to a HK 94 I suppose but when it comes down to brass tacks I just know how to load and fire one, I don't know about rejiggering all the bits and bobs.  Either way this is a classy weapon and you've take the time to SBR it, so good for you.

As long as it's a good copy, and there are good quality weapons out there, I'm sure this is a blast to shoot.  Now is this an effective weapon system?  Well, number 1 it fires 9mm.  Range and penetration are going to be limited compared to a rifle caliber carbine.  Number 2, magazine changes and charging are going to be slower than an M16/AR-15 carbine.  And on semi-auto, you are missing out on the best features of the subgun, which is the ability to hose lead onto a target in a short amount of time.  And where is the fucking sling man?  I hope you just took it off for the beauty shot.

So, the breakdown goes like this; nice mystery HK 94ish SBR, nice photo (in the tub), train train train, get a sling.  I think that covers it.

[riflenerd]

James: iPhone 4 pic with an Instagram filter

Rifle Nerd: This kind of photo submission is bullshit.  An iPhone can take a great photo, but you have filter fucked it up and destroyed the contrast, basically making it impossible to do a decent rundown of your rifle.  Also, taken at such and acute angle, it's also a bit difficult to get what's going on with your rig.

So, I can't even see what kind of rifle it is, but you have some sort of shiny FDE/gold lower going on.  There is a SureFire MAG5-60 magazine, a SureFire MB556AR, Troy BUIS, and an Aimpoint Micro.  The light looks like a E2E body with a KX2C head and a Z68 "Scout" tailcap in a LaRue offset mount.  The stock looks like a Magpul UBR, but from this angle it's hard to tell.

Everything else is lost in the oblique nature of the photo.  It has the general feeling of a good rifle, but without digging into the details, I can't say for sure one way our another.  I like the light, but I'd run it at 10 o'clock instead of 5 o'clock.  SureFire muzzle breaks must be awesome, it seems like everyone has one, I'll have to try one.  I don't see a sling or accommodations for a sling, but I also can't see shit, either way I would square that shit away.  SF Mag5-60 mean either operator or gamer to me, and with a gold lower and guess which way I'm leaning.  Nothing wrong with that, but I'd like to see a sling and maybe a fixed front sight; I don't see a lot of rail being used up by devices.  Nice rifle, get a sling, take better fucking photos.

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Charles: 2 of my toys. Tear them apart.

Rifle Nerd: So, another "hard c" name.  We are on a streak folks.  So tear them apart we shall.  Let's start with the carbine, then address the pistol-thing.  It looks like an LMT 16" upper receiver with a Daniel Defense Omega Rail, 7.0 Carbine.  Without a better photo it's hard to tell.  Magpul XTM rail covers in foilage green cover the rail.  Upper has an A-frame front sight, just how we like it, and a very handy M203 cut in the barrel profile.  We have an EOTech 552, Rifle Nerd approved, in what looks like a GG&G setup (Accucam, flip covers).  BUIS is a Magpul MBUS.  Charging handle has some sort of tactical latch, could be an LMT Tactical Charging Handle.  Stock is a Magpul CTR, grip is a TangoDown Battle Grip, and and there is a Pmag.  No sling is pictured.

The AR-15 pistol, well I don't really fuck around with those, but this appears to have a LMT 10.5" upper with a Magpul MOE forend.  A nice EOTech XPS, some BUIS I can't identify and a pistol buffer to make it legally a pistol and not a SBR, and a Pmag in foliage green.

I like the setup of the carbine, I'd run that gun almost as is.  I'd probably get an IMod and some KAC panels, maybe a KAC 600M Micro BUIS, but pretty much the same.  Not a damn thing wrong with LMT.  I'd get a sling, it looks like a sling is pondered or considered, but one should be gotten.  Now this pistol thing, I see little practical use.  I might get a single point sling and shoot it euro-subgun style, but it sort of screams "toy" to me.  But I guess you get your kicks how you get them.  Nice rifle Charles, get a sling and maybe paint it.  

[riflenerd]

So, Backlog of Submissions

Posts will served in the order they are received and when I get to them.   Also welcome new followers.  I like the 1:1 post to follower ratio.

[riflenerd]

Cliff:  I have painstakingly gone over every inch of Isaac Marchionna's Larue PredatAR and have successfully duplicated it to a tee. It really was no issue for me because I have no life and thrive off of other people's creativity. Plus I hear Isaac is a phenomenal operator and figured if I took the time to study and duplicate his setup I couldn't help but be as bad ass as him. Thank you for your inspiration. 

Rifle Nerd:  Why do all the cool guys get names like Cliff or Chad.  Or Issac Marchionna?  I'm pretty sure Cliff is pissing up my leg, but whatever, let's do this by the numbers, stem to stern.  The rifle is a 16" LaRue Tactical PredatAR coated in bling bling FDEish bronze.  The muzzle is capped by a SureFire MB556K, no doubt to mount a nice SureFire can.  We got a tan DBAL A2 and a SureFire M720V RAID white/IR light and a SureFire SR-D-IT tapeswitch for independent remote activation of each device.  There is an OBR/PredatAR handstop way out where we like it.

The BUIS are KAC Micros, with a 600M in the rear.  Micro AimPoint in a LaRue mount and another mount base, for like an AimPoint 3x or more likely a NVD.  Rifle comes stock with a Gissele trigger and I assume that has not changed, but anything is possible.  Rifle comes stock with MOE OD furniture and that has changed.  I see a black Magpul CTR (with that sweet Magpul sticker), and a black MOE+ grip.  Although who knows, there a like a thousand variations of the Magpul grip now, so whatever.

And a Pmag... wait, holy shit, a SureFire MAG5-60 in a pear tree.  

And oh my word a sling on a rifle.  It's a BFG in a custom color, but as to what style I have no fucking clue.  My guess is it's a padded VCAS.  Why it's attached to the left and right sides of the rifle, again, no clue.  Probably facilitate easier transitions when it's slung over the neck, rather then across the back and shoulder.  But then, why not get a padded single point sling?  You don't want all your expensive junk slamming around and banging into door frames?  It appears you literally piss money, so what the fuck?

This is a excellent carbine and an outstanding photo.  If I felt the need to trade a metric shit-ton of money for a rifle, I'd end up with something like this, but with a single point sling and an EOTech.  And an IMod.  And not golden sunset bronze.  Good job Cliff, very nice rifle.  I'm surprise it doesn't have a hydrographic transfer of Costa's face in multicam, however.  But this is a copy of Issac's rifle, right?

[riflenerd]

FYI, that photo of the 'copy of costa's rifle' IS costa's rifle. Just an FYI.

It must have been before he shot it, there is skate tape and such on it now.  Or is Costa shooting a copy of his rifle?  That guy...

[riflenerd]

Thesmashy: Here is my rifle.  It's a 20" A4 CMMG upper with a STAG lower.  You can figure out the rest.

Rifle Nerd: Second submission.  Another "pile of man stuff" photo.  Let's do this by the numbers.  20" M16A4 profile rifle, going for that mean Marine look but the ACOG is wrong.  I see a TA01NSN with the shitty mount instead of a TA31F or TA31RCO in a shitty mount.  The holdovers are going to be all wrong, the TA01NSN is calibrated for a 14.5" M4A1 shooting M855, not a 20" A4 shooting whatever that is in those mags and strippers.  No BUIS so I'm going to assume we're sticking to the Marine theme.  Standard A2 buttstock, A2 grip (hurray!), KAC M5 RAS with a full panel kit, and a TangoDown VFG in the right spot.  The SureFire is a 9P with some sort of crazy tailcap and bezel config going on, probably a Z48 tailcap for clicky and an M2 or M3 bezel with a some sort of cover/filter/diffuser (it's shut, I can't tell).  The light is in another Daniel Defense offset mount which is an outstanding mount, especially for this rifle because you will want to be holding that VFG in a "choke the chicken" style and you can knock that switch with you thumb.  I see a standard A-frame front sight (which would come in handy if you had BUIS, but I guess you probably lug around a carry handle, right?) and a standard A2 compensator.  This rifle has a buttstock mag pouch, definitely not a SPEC OPS brand, probably something nice and expensive.  I see a three-point sling which is terrible unless you are going to be walking around all day with this rifle, and don't need to switch shoulders that often.  The rifle is laying on a claymore bag in coyote, which is sort of rad, you don't see to many of those and they're good bags, but then it's all on a go-fast softshell from TAD gear or whatever that probably cost like $300.  This rifle is a working man's rifle and doesn't really belong with that jacket.  I see some USGI mags, beat up mags, which I like, and holy crap ammo on strippers so you can reload the mags quickly and easily.  I'm not sure why there is a mix of 30 round mags and 20 round mags, and I don't see 20 rounders with paracord loops very often.

This photo is shot well and except for the flagrant "pile of cool guy stuff" motif, I'd say it's composed well.  I like the rifle, except for the wrong optic, and I'd add a BUIS even if it's not "AS ISSUED" it would be useful and stuff.  No Magpul and no painted in selector markings, very refreshing.  Get a new sling too.  Nice watermark by the way.

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Rifle Nerd: Winner winner, chicken dinner.  As his go-fast gear betrays, this guy has the offhand stance of a stone cold killer.  This operator is holding another rifle with the selector graphics painted in, in case you totally lose your shit and can't remember which way you flick the selector lever.  An ARMS BUIS and an ARMS #22M68 with a cantilever spacer holding an Aimpoint CompM3 with a dark earth rubber cover and flip-up covers that are actually flipping up.  This is very helpful for when you lower your rifle to search and asses, because you have these covers sticking up in your field of vision.  Also, the mount is placed just in front of the BUIS so the cantilever spacer hangs the optic just in front of the end of the receiver.  Why a normal spacer wasn't used I have no idea.  Grip is probably Magpul, and the trigger guard looks like Magpul.  The stock is the newer standard USGI adjustable stock.  The RAS is a YHM, probably to make room for the can.  That sweet, sweet can.  I believe that is a YHM flip up front sight.  Rails are covered by FDE/tan ladders.  Now let us talk about the VFG/light setup.  Let's talk about it.  The abomination that is holding that SureFire G2 LED is inefficient and dangerous.  You should be very careful how you activate your weapon light, if its close enough to how you fire your weapon you can confuse the two and have a negligent discharge instead of activating the light.  I believe that VFG has a trigger that activates the light, that is a bad fucking idea.  Left hand trigger, right hand trigger; one lights up the room, one goes bang.  Oh, and there is a FDE Pmag.

[riflenerd]

Rifle Nerd: Oh luminous wonder.  Two lights on one rifle, fuck yeah!  And one of them fuckin strobes!  All right, let's do this by the numbers.  Carbine length gas system, can't see the barrel profile.  Probably a KAC M4 RAS (Nice!) with Magpul XTM rail panels all mix-n-matched.  PSA: this is a hard look to pull off, stop.  Aimpoint CompM in a LaRue mount, some BUIS, let's go with Troy.  Ergo grip and a MOE trigger guard.  Fancy lower receiver with an auto setting but I'm just going to guess there is no pin for that guy.  And filled in with paint in case you can't remember which way the selector switch goes.  MOE CTR buttstock almost finishes this hot little ticket off.  On the 6 o'clock rail we have a Streamlight TLR-1 and on the 3 o'clock rail we have a SureFire Z2-S Combat light jimmied into a Daniel Defense offset mount.  I have this mount and it's a good mount, if you're using a VFG and want to knock that tailcap with your thumb.  What is going here I have no idea.  Bonus points for creative mounting.  And a Pmag in a pear tree.

I love how this photo is shot and this rifle probably handles well.  Besides the inbred light situation and the painted in selector graphics on the lower, I'd rock the casba with this any day.  Two lights on one rifle is not a bad idea, but I'd rock maybe two E-series lights, or a X300 and a Scout light; you know light weight stuff.

[riflenerd]

Rifle Nerd: A tight little carbine, and this guy loves tape!  Old schoold Vltor clubfood Modstock with some 100mph tape to keep your whiskers from getting pulled out.  TangoDown battle grip, a TangoDown VFG missing it's cap (and wrapped with tape), and a Magpul trigger guard. A KAC free float RAS Medium (P/N: 20214) over probably a 10" barrel with a Smith Vortex flash suppressor.  Mix and match of KAC panels, TangoDown, and rail ladders to cover the rail.  Troy flip up BUIS in the front and rear.  A very nice Schmidt and Bender Short Dot in a LaRue Tactical SPR-E mount.  Some mystery bit of something screwed to the 12 o'clock rail.  Maybe an offset light mount for that huge SureFire poking out behind the muzzle?  The receiver end plate has single point sling mounts and this rifle has a an undetermined single point sling.

This is a tasteful SBR.  The optic is probably a bit overkill for a 10" barrel and the light rig is a bit crazy, but I have a feeling this photo is a bit old judging by the lack of a Pmag.  I'd probably run an X300 or a Scout light and have crazy lumens for half the weight, and run an EOTech or Aimpoint Micro, not that I don't love me a Short Dot.  Still, what's up with the tape?

[riflenerd]

Rifle Nerd:  The SG 550, or in this case, a SG 552 "Commando".  An AK-47 done up by the Swiss (read: better), the Stgw 90s are Switzerland's right arm of freedom.  Every enlisted Swiss male over the age of 20 has a Stgw 90 and a tin a GP 90 in his closet until he's 30.  It's not unusual for the rifle to stay in the family (with the burst or full auto function removed at the end of service).  The government sells subsidized ammunition at ranges and there is a 4 week long shooting festival called Schutzenfest with over 50,000 marksmen.

This sturmgewhr is the SG 552 or Commando version of the 550.  It features a crazy short 8.9" barrel, open three prong flash suppressor, and modified internals making it even more AKM-like and increasing the rate of fire.  This is fitted with a black rather than the regular army green furnature, and for some reason there is a cheek piece on the folding stock.  Drum sights (rotating diopter and hooded front post) and light weight (6.7 pounds) make this a fast handling CQB weapon.  A standard 20 round mag is seated in the rifle, but for this guy I'd want a few 30s.  A two point sling is the preferred sling for this shorty, but if SIG left a ring welded to the receiver I'd use it for a single point.  She sure looks like a sweetheart.  This is a "Fuck Yeah!" rifle if I ever saw one.