Before They Sunset

I don’t know if anyone can really predict what is going to happen. We will all have to wait to see how the various appeals and lawsuits filed will affect the outcome. In the meantime, many have decided to invest in the various types of AR Pistols currently available. Adding them to their existing inventory. This may be the last time you are offered the opportunity if the ATF has their way. Something to consider is even if the ATF gets its way and imposes a ban you still have options. Removing the brace can circumvent the ban while still providing you a viable defensive option.

A Normal Check Weld

Not every AR Pistol will fall into this category, but a lot are small enough they can still be used in a non-traditional method. Years ago when the primary long gun for assaults was the venerated H&K MP5 we worked tirelessly to improve our skills under a variety of conditions. Some of those conditions required us to shoot while wearing protective gear such as gas masks up to full on hazmat suits. In these conditions you absolutely could not achieve a traditional check weld. Due to the respirators worn the bulk and placement of various features denied access. The usual space the butt-stock would interface with the shoulder pocket was no longer available, thus denying access to a normal check weld.

The “Sling” Method

Along came the “sling” method for shooting the sub-gun. Believe me, it wasn’t as sexy as it sounds when you spent hours in a gas mask. However, it was essential everyone be able to do their job none the less. The sling method worked partly because the sling designed for use with the MP5 was a three point sling. All but extinct in today’s rifle sling options, the three point sling was excellent on the sub-gun. What made it unique was a portion of the sling traversed down the side of the upper receiver producing force or as it would turn out stability.

Seeing Your Sights

Flash forward to modern times and AR pistols. Should the worse occur, one of the options would be to completely remove and dispose of the brace. If you run a sling on your AR pistol you theoretically should be able to accurately engage targets inside close range with relative ease using the sling method. To do so, you may need to adjust the tension in your sling. At full extension you want enough stability through the tension to see your sights. In this position, you should be able to achieve a decent sight picture whether using iron sights or red dot sights. Even set on the lowest magnification, low powered variable optics will be challenging. The necessary check weld to avoid scope shadow may prove too inconsistent for true defensive use.

More Skills in the Skill Set

With proper tension through the sling, you should achieve a consistent and acceptable sight picture. With a little practice, you can find what might have started out cumbersome to be manageable. Even rapid fire drills with high round counts can be successfully achieved. As can reduced targets at close range when precision is required. Dry fire is a great option to help familiarize yourself with the nuance of this method. The good news is even if the ATF does not get their way, this is still a viable option you might consider exploring. There is little chance I will choose to run the sling over deploying the brace if given the option. But, if I do decide for whatever reason to run the sling, I’m skilled enough to allow the situation dictate.

Like millions of Americans, I’m not happy about the ATF’s decision to change their minds. Don’t despair as you can still make a AR pistol work with just a sling.

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There will always be a tipping point, where too much of a good thing can be bad. One scenario I have paid more attention to is with rifles; their weight and its effect on performance.

It’s Always About The Ounces

Ever since I can remember, there has always been an association with lighter being better. Again, not a blanket statement you can easily make when you factor in durability and reliability. The lighter option may not have the ability to take higher use. I saw this first hand in my military career when we were always trying to shave ounces off our gear. Having to carry the weight is one thing, having to fight with the weight is a completely different story. You feel its effect most often in a negtive manner. But, there was always the need to have a high reliability on the gear we used so it still had to be tough. Flash forward to modern times and you can still see a similar trend.

If You Know, You Know

We have a rifle weigh-in at the beginning of our rifle classes. What we are doing is collecting metrics to compare with performance. Do we see a trend of heavy to light weight rifles effecting shooting performance. By shooting performance we are talking about scores and overall final grade. Generally speaking the lighter the rifle, the higher the chance of passing the class. There could be a lot of different reasons for this trend. Maybe it has more to do with the end user understanding the idea of minimizing his loadout to the bear necessities. Someone with this mindset, might already have the prerequisite skills to be an above average shooter. Their marksmanship skills are tied to the idea of understanding performance.

Define The Mission

When we see rifles weighing more than normal, does it help or hurt the student’s performance. In general, weight and its effect on performanceit has hurt their ability to score high or achieve a passing grade. While we have only been collecting the rifle’s weight and its effect on performance for about three years, it does illustrate a belief that I have had for as long as I can remember. Having a light weight rifle with the minimum gear necessary to complete your mission should be your top priority. This goes further into defining your mission, specifically the mission of the rifle. Here is where we see many folks make mistakes. Without having a weight metric to include with their decision making matrix this very important point is left out. When you start to get into the weeds you have a better chance of identifying your needs more clearly.

Needs Vs. Wants

Define the mission for your rifle. For the vast majority, the rifle will fullfil an urban defensive mission. The range to target in these self-defense shootings will be close. What you need, versus what you want are two different subjects. When you start adding up all the accessories are they offering you advantage, a force multiplier. Or are they just there as a decoration. I refernce decoration for a lot of add on’s because most truly have no real need for some items. But, just because you don’t need them doesn’t mean you don’t add them on to the rifle. If you do, how will it affect your performance. Rather than tell you what you need, I will provide you some observations as it relates to the overall weight of the rifle unloaded.

What Is The Magic Number

I have found if you can keep your rifle to 8 pounds or less you are heading in the right direction regarding weight and its effect on performance. While I’ve seen rifles much heavier in our classes, the scores were also lower. I’m not saying don’t add to your rifle, but before you do ask this question. How will this positiviely and negatively effect my performance. If the added weight is going to push you over that 8 pound mark then you have that information in advance and make a more informed decision. Does the percieved advantage outweight the added weight…literally. Here is what we typically see on rifles in our classes that come in at the 8 pound mark. They are a light weight rifle to begin with, with some type of optical sight, usually a red dot sight with back up iron sights. They are all equiped with a sling and some have a weapon mounted white light. We will see short barrel rifles come in much lighter and when we add surpressors they typicaly come in a bit heavier. If you can combine the SBR with suppressor you get the best setup regarding weight.

Of course, you can still use a heavier rifle. You can build up a tolerence to the extra weight and to some extent bring balance to the equation, but always consider if it is a want versus a need.

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