The elites don’t want you to know this, but M4 carbines are perfectly practical

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Pros:

carbine gas cycles low pressure cheap .223 well

Broom handle grip is very comfy

Weighs a mere 7lbs

Carry handle for easy handling

Wide aftermarket of surplus parts

Far superior to hypebeast rifles

Cons: none and I won’t be taking criticism

[-]

ProDefenseSolutions@reddit

Will you just die at night then? Or does it never get dark where you are?

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

I have shelter, food, and water, I’ll make it overnight

[-]

RaccoonDoor@reddit

All good and dandy until you rest your barrel against something and start missing your target by a whole foot

There’s a reason almost every modern rifles have free floated barrels

[-]

englisi_baladid@reddit

No. It doesnt take much to cause barrel flex causing significant accuracy issues. There is a reason free floating shows such dramatic improvements in accuracy on something like a government barrel.

[-]

ecodick@reddit

People don't think it be like it is, but it do.

You are correct - it really doesn't take much

There's plenty of videos demonstrating that resting the rifle barrel on a support/barricade will cause POI deviation.

Go try it yourself if you don't believe me! One article from fishgame.com/2017/11/dont-rest-rifles-barrels showed a 10" deviation at just 50 yards.

[-]

ecodick@reddit

I'll fix tomorrow if I remember. If you Google it you should find the working link

[-]

The M4 was tested pretty extensively by the Air Force. Free floated vs not. Free floated showed shifts of 4 MOA from loading hand guard. Non free floated showed up to 20. Which matches data from the 70s from the Army on M16A1s.

[-]

BP_Ty98@reddit

This actually does have validity when it comes to bolt action rifles. A barrel doesn't have to be free floated but it helps.

[-]

FuZhongwen@reddit

ITT:people who've never shot their rifle off of barricades. Sucks you got down voted voted so much. I'm an RO, I shoot and RO a ton of 2gun matches. Can't tell you how often I watch dudes empty entire mags at a target 100 yds away and miss every shot because they're leaning all 200 lbs of their fat asses on that muzzle on a barricade. Missing by a country mile and they have no idea why.

[-]

riversofgore@reddit

The most stable and accurate shooting position is gonna make you miss by a whole foot? If you have to make an accurate shot you're not going to rest the barrel on something for support because it isn't free float? You don't even believe that.

[-]

englisi_baladid@reddit

You think resting your barrel on something isnt going to significantly effect your accuracy?

[-]

Jack_547@reddit

What the hell kind of rubber barrel are you talking about?

[-]

RaccoonDoor@reddit

The barrel is only held in place by the receiver and barrel nut. If you apply force near the muzzle of a 16" barrel that's a considerable amount of torque and can shift the barrel off target.

[-]

Jack_547@reddit

Luckily I am a bad enough shot for it not to matter. Aesthetics >>>> marginal improvements

[-]

englisi_baladid@reddit

Its metal. Metal flexes pretty easy.

[-]

Cliffinati@reddit

Yeah that's not how that works, you shift point of impact by inches at most and that's at long range

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Sounds like a marksmanship problem to me

[-]

SnowDin556@reddit

And you can cut it down to a pound and a half in total nowadays. And even not correctly zero it doesn’t miss by that much.

[-]

ifunnywasaninsidejob@reddit

The weapon that was specifically designed to be easy to carry for soldiers is easy to carry??? Im shocked

[-]

Little_Vanilla4916@reddit

Unless you were a marine then your not allowed to use the carry handle EVER

[-]

kuavi@reddit

How did not using the carry handle to carry a rifle become a thing anyways? Like it's goofy looking and not usable in combat whatsoever but it keeps people's hands away from the trigger at least.

[-]

FuZhongwen@reddit

Facts.

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Me too man me too

[-]

CaptainCruch18@reddit

what is a hypebeast rifle?

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Rifles with far more internet hype and cost than other rifles with a detailed history. Main one that comes to mind is the sig spear

They come with high price tags and all those mid rate guntubers get them and release videos within a 2 week span

[-]

SirEDCaLot@reddit

Why ever would you carry a fully-semi-automatic military style assault weapon into a peaceful place like a national park? Surely you aren't hunting with that thing, what good is a deer pelt if it has a 6" hole blown clean through it?

:P

All jokes aside- AR platform was originally designed, and the various modernizations also explicitly designed, to be light and efficient, practical for a solider to carry either slung or at low ready without weighing him down or being excessively clumsy. Easy to shoot and reliably cycles lightweight and inexpensive but effective ammo. In all respects, a practical and functional weapon well-suited for personal defense in a variety of unknown situations.

So we spend $millions developing a practical lightweight modern weapon for a variety of purposes, and then people are shocked when the result is a practical lightweight modern weapon that is well-suited for a variety of purposes? lol.

Personally I'd go with a sling but to each his own :)

[-]

singlemale4cats@reddit

Con: isn't an m16a4 clone with an acog

[-]

BroseppeVerdi@reddit

God, those A4s were absolute units.

I didn't even like lugging them at the range, TBH. Good thing I wasn't an 0331.

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Fair

[-]

Remarkable-Opening69@reddit

You gonna let him do that to you like that?

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

M16A4s are pretty cool though. I used to have one and it was legit

Sold it to fund other projects and always kind of regretted it

[-]

YuenglingsDingaling@reddit

Con, it isn't an M16A1 with a triangle grip, a solid varry handle, and 20" of fuck you.

[-]

singlemale4cats@reddit

My only rifle with a fixed carry handle upper is the kitty kat. It's definitely a vibe, but for shootability I prefer a flat top.

[-]

count_nuggula@reddit

Alright big dawg. Where are you getting carry handle Uppers from?

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

It’s a detachable carry handle, not a fixed carry handle

[-]

SkinnyStock@reddit

Why are you hauling that thing around the woods? Larping or hunting? Seems impractical to have irons only in a location like that

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

This is like the one outcropping that isn’t surrounded by trees. 99% of this hike had a 50m or less sight line

Vetting gear is important, if you’ve never carried a rifle 5+ miles it’s not something you can just jump off the couch and do

[-]

SkinnyStock@reddit

Are you doing this on public or private land? What are the rules around open carrying a rifle while hiking in your area? Ive always wanted to try that, but where i am i feel like people would think im nuts for hiking with a rifle

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

This is public land out west

There’s rarely any people in the areas I go, and those folks I do run into are usually more interested in what I’m carrying than anything

I don’t go to established trailheads with crowds, that’s just a lot of headache coming. Lots of yokels will come out with their brand new REI gear and give their opinions on your life and it’s as fun as it sounds

[-]

cledus1667@reddit

I can't believe you had to explain this. Why does the military ruck march and train with their equipment when combat is surely just like call of duty? You just teleport from firefight to firefight. Must be larpers.

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Bambooboogieboi@reddit

Self defense on a hike maybe? Idk where op is but I'd rather have a rifle against a grizzly than a sidearm.

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njmids@reddit

Hiking with a rifle because of grizzlies is wild lol. If you’re that scared just don’t hike.

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Bambooboogieboi@reddit

What? Are you saying that you wouldn't hike with adequate defense against local wildlife? That is insane. I for one would NOT want to be mauled and eaten alive by a grizzly or killed by a moose thanks.

[-]

njmids@reddit

I would hike with a handgun and/or bear spray like pretty much everyone else does.

[-]

Bambooboogieboi@reddit

Id rather not put my life in the hands of a 9mm or non lethal force vs a giant killing machine. And before you say "I didnt mean 9mm I meant [insert huge hangun cartridge]. After 9mm and 5.56 the price only goes up from there. I'd say a 5.56 rifle is probably your best cheap way to defend yourself against large game.

[-]

njmids@reddit

I’m not that pressed on the price difference. Neither are most other people considering how commonly handguns are carried in bear country.

[-]

Bambooboogieboi@reddit

Yeah im not blowing big bucks on .44 mag or a similar large caliber handgun and ammo to train with it when I could get a more effective set up for way cheaper.

[-]

njmids@reddit

Have you ever hiked before? Lugging around a rifle is not “more effective” lol.

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Bambooboogieboi@reddit

It weighs 7 pounds man. That's not really a lot of weight. Plus slings so you don't even have to hold it in your hands. Also I meant more effective at defending yourself with. 30 rounds of 5.56 will put anything down.

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njmids@reddit

Yeah you definetly don’t hike lol.

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Skelbton@reddit

Cons; not an M16A1

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Technical-Banana6902@reddit

I’d do unspeakable things for a M16a1

[-]

Antonw194200@reddit

Move to Sweden 😁 https://actionreactionsports.se/#!/-0x2e-223rem/products/colt-m16a1

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theblackmetal09@reddit

And it's just roughly 2000 bux....

[-]

Destroyer1559@reddit

Even... buy one?

[-]

Old_Astronomer1137@reddit

Where’s the fun in that, he said unspeakable not undoable.

[-]

Technical-Banana6902@reddit

Old lady invites me over to “massage her back” but I know her late husband snuck one home from Vietnam….. “I know what I have to do but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it” - Brandon Herrera

[-]

2-cents@reddit

Old lady and a bring back! Double win!

[-]

Technical-Banana6902@reddit

That’s speakable I can’t do that

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

🥲

[-]

DirtyJackRivers@reddit

20 inches of barrel or bust, as the forefathers intended!

[-]

saint-clar@reddit

I read somewhere that Stoner inteded AR-15 to have 18" barrel, but army (or was it navy) heads said that's too short.

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

I wish I was that cool

[-]

themarmalademaniac@reddit

Fuck that bullshit. It was fine when I was Light but when I released to Mech a fuck 20 in barrel in a Bradley hatch is fucking nonsensical

[-]

West-Food-7561@reddit

Agreed. Mine lived in the back with the dismounts. Too many times I was smacked by the butt of it.

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themarmalademaniac@reddit

I always had this fear of some how having an iraqie or some other fill in the blank bad guy come up and I can't the god damn thing out because it keeps getting stuck on something. Irrational but some how realistic at the same time

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West-Food-7561@reddit

That's been an actual nightmare of mine.

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Excelius@reddit

The funny thing is, they'd have considered 20" extremely short.

The muskets and rifles of that era would often have 30-40+ inch barrels.

By the time you get to the Civil War the Spencer Carbine had barrel lengths ranging from 20-30 inches.

[-]

SovereignDevelopment@reddit

The only cool barrel lengths are 20" and 10.3" everything else is mid.

(My opinion will change soon when I finish my 12.5")

[-]

SnrkyArkyLibertarian@reddit

Ha! Mid. I see what you did there.

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Signal_Membership268@reddit

Of course it is. Designed for the military and paid for by our tax dollars. The average firearms company could never spend the amount of money the DOD does on design and development. It’s a “Hall of Fame” level rifle.

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

I’ll just reap the benefits of my own tax dollars, that would be great

[-]

Signal_Membership268@reddit

Probably better a better way to do it than than buying a Humvee.

[-]

Antonw194200@reddit

What are you on about? It was designed by a private company (Armalite) and produced by a private company (Colt) for the government.

[-]

RandomAmerican81@reddit

And FN. And Daniel Defense. And Knights Armament. And Bravo Company (IIRC).

[-]

shanep35@reddit

“Not practical” yet all services has used them. lol.

[-]

Ok_Complex4374@reddit

Beautiful scenery where is that at?

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Central Washington state my man

[-]

SternKill@reddit

where is AK-47 its nemesis???

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

https://www.reddit.com/r/ak47/s/N9cKgrOAx2

Right here my guy

[-]

random--encounter@reddit

16 in barrel with the RIS just looks wrong to me lol. So much time with M4’s and a 16in barrel just activates that uncanny valley part of my brain for some reason.

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Yeah it’s wack, once I get some money it’s going to be a 14.5” barrel. It’s already stamped for a different upper so it’ll be all good

[-]

Ryman43@reddit

But muh gwot data

[-]

snuffy_bodacious@reddit

Who said the M4 is impractical? (I mean, besides the anti-gun Democrats?)

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

There’s like 3 people in this thread commenting about how a free float handguard and MLOK are the only way to make a rifle practical

[-]

No_Staff594@reddit

I’m very tempted to recreate the m4 I was issued. Bone stock with side mounted kac rail covers and an lmt sopmod stock. Just irons sights maybe a cco depending

[-]

Belkan-Federation95@reddit

Ugh I have played too much Halo recently

[-]

OKTAXMAN@reddit

Is it fully automatic or semi? I thought civilian only allowed semi

[-]

kriegmonster@reddit

Civilians can own full-auto firearms, but there are some limitations. You have to have a special license to own them. There is a $200 tax you have to pay. And no new full-auto firearms entered the market after 1986. So any privately owned full-auto firearms in the U.S. we're made in 1986 or earlier. Due to the dwindling supply and usability to repair broken mechanisms, a poor quality FA firearm will cost you over $10,000 USD.

[-]

RandomAmerican81@reddit

Or you can be a licensed manufacturer or dealer of fully automatic firearms

[-]

kriegmonster@reddit

Does that license mean you can make whatever you want whenever you want and just never sell it, except to LE or military?

[-]

singlemale4cats@reddit

You have to actually have a bona fide business. Many people have had the idea of getting the licenses just so they could play with full autos but the feds don't like that idea.

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

This is semi auto

Civilians can own full auto registered machine guns, but they are limited in number and very expensive

[-]

Mellero47@reddit

Wish I'd bought one instead of this Favor. End message.

[-]

definitelynotpat6969@reddit

I love my M4A2.

Not as cool due to lack of carry handle, but she gets the job done.

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Still light and handy I bet!

[-]

definitelynotpat6969@reddit

Oh yeah right around 6 lbs!

[-]

SupremeWUNY@reddit

Beautiful nature scenery !

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Thanks my friend 🤌🏽

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ThirteenthCross@reddit

I'll be building an m4 as my next rifle sometime in the future

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Do it, they’re pretty great

[-]

ThirteenthCross@reddit

Just gotta decide on a block ii or cloning my service weapon lol

[-]

Lui_Le_Diamond@reddit

No it isn't! It's not like that horrible deadly AR15! (Which you shouldn't buy or use because the government has jets and nukes anyways)

[-]

eggiam@reddit

Next you're gonna tell me I need to eat food, drink water, and sleep, huh?

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

No thanks I’ll survive on Liquid IVs and gas station energy gels

[-]

Capitalizethesegains@reddit

You forgot gas station boner pills

[-]

eggiam@reddit

🤝

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

🫡

God speed to our kidneys

[-]

PandorasFlame1@reddit

From the jungles of Nam to the streets of Fallujah, the M16 has seen it all. Over the years it's evolved to be shorter, but it's remained an effective tool.

[-]

ReactionAble7945@reddit

You do you. It doesn't matter if you love your 7inch or your 14.5 or 16 or 18 or 20 or 24. It doesn't matter if you are running the pencil of the heavy or the ULTRA heavy. IF that setup makes you happy then go with it.
Personally, I find the M4 the most useless design for ME.
For a walking around setup, I think the lightweight 16inch gives a little more velocity and about the same weight. I will take the 1-8 scope with drops with a RD backup over the irons.

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

I just need a red dot and an LPVO and an optic mount and a new stock and a new grip and a weapon light and a new muzzle device and then $1,500 later I’ll have a good rifle

[-]

RandomAmerican81@reddit

Be a man. 45* mount BUIS for your LPVO.

[-]

ReactionAble7945@reddit

As I said, you do you, but not for me.

[-]

Chevy_jay4@reddit

Based on reports from Ukraine, it's only good when cleaned

[-]

Youre_Brainwashed@reddit

So not true. ARs run for thousands of rounds even without lubing it. These are not the rifles of the 60s any longer

[-]

Chevy_jay4@reddit

The Ukrainians prefer aks for trench fighting because they jam less when dirty.

[-]

Fear_The-Old_Blood@reddit

Holy commie propaganda. Literally the only environment AK's outperform a properly maintained AR is in the extreme cold where AK's were primarily designed to be fielded lmao

[-]

Chevy_jay4@reddit

The Ukrainians are communists?

[-]

Fear_The-Old_Blood@reddit

No, I said "commie propaganda" but what I should've said was "that's a myth and many factors in this specific situation have caused a miscommunication". Sure, AK's in general performed better in muddy conditions than the first few generations of AR's but the design has been tweaked and refined since to the point that AR's in general now perform better in muddy conditions.

The context we're probably missing here is that most of those M16's and M4's the Ukrainians have are old and beat to shit surplus that may not perform well in many different environments regardless of normal maintenance. Also, if you train on AK's your whole military career and now have to use a completely different platform you're bound to run into maintenance and performance issues. It makes sense that those people would prefer AK's regardless of how well a different platform may perform.

[-]

RandomAmerican81@reddit

AR with dust cover closed > AK in any condition.

[-]

Aquaticle000@reddit

Do you have an actual source for this information?

[-]

Chevy_jay4@reddit

Can't find what I was reading about it.

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Soldiers from Slavic country who grew up and trained with AKs prefer AKs

Pretty crazy

[-]

PlumbgodBillionaire@reddit

No they don't, they prefer what works and they both work when clean and built right. Every weapons system malfunctions when not maintained.

[-]

alecxheb@reddit

Sources ?

[-]

citizen-salty@reddit

20+ years of GWOT: “Am I a joke to you?”

[-]

RacerXrated@reddit

Jesus christ, all these people losing their minds over irons and basic furniture.

[-]

wtfamieventrying@reddit

You deserve an up vote for the Surefeed!

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

👊🏽 gang, they’re great mags. I only found them right before they closed so big bummer

[-]

wtfamieventrying@reddit

I'm lucky, I got about a 12 in all colors still in packaging for a rainy day. I found a paintball site a couple years ago that showed in stock. Emailed them up and bam, they had 100s of em for like 12 bones each :)

I justed checked and they sold em all lol

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

That’s sick, I love out of the way mom and pop shops, they get good stuff

[-]

drmitchgibson@reddit

They are, but 20” barrels rule outside of cities.

[-]

Darthaerith@reddit

I like it, but I prefer a sling to a carry handle. I like my optics since I've lost all ability to hit with irons.

Yes I suck. Yes I'm old. No I wont be retraining myself again.

[-]

sssstr@reddit

A lot of favorable points but I don't expect to defend myself from bear with a .22, so what else are you worried about?

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Bears around here are just big raccoons

You scare them away with an ooga booga

[-]

sssstr@reddit

Awesome

[-]

IoBrosGaming@reddit

Haven’t seen that Marpat backpack before, only the tan one. How can I get issued one

[-]

guill732@reddit

That's the assault pack from the ILBE system. The system was made by Arc'teryx

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

I don’t know, I’m not in the military

I got this as used surplus

[-]

ModernT1mes@reddit

You shooting bunnies with that round? 😅

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Bunnies and punching paper on the flat range

[-]

EntertainmentOk5332@reddit

I wish I lived in an area where I could bring my rifles on hikes with me! Only forest near me is an hour away and it’s not very large.

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

That’s a bummer my friend, this is one of my favorite perks of living out west

[-]

PlentyOMangos@reddit

How is this done exactly? I know you can shoot on BLM land (for now…) but what are the rules about where you can just open carry like this in the woods?

I’d love to do it myself someday but I’d prefer to not get into trouble over it lol

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

It depends on the location really, some BLM areas I would not bring a rifle or go shooting, other places it’s a free for all

I’d recommend checking with your local management office/ranger station, there are sometimes specific rules at specific areas

I’ve been in this area and I know it’s lightly populated, no organized campgrounds, no real visitor attractions, etc

[-]

EntertainmentOk5332@reddit

If I could move out there I would in a heartbeat! You definitely have it made!

[-]

winston_smith1977@reddit

Elites have spent the 6000 years of recorded history trying to keep you from knowing how to protect yourself from exploitation.

Why would today be different?

[-]

Judoka229@reddit

I would remove the carry handle and put some BUIS and a cco on there, but otherwise I agree. Perfectly capable rifles.

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Then how would I carry it???

[-]

Cliffinati@reddit

Sling

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

No style points, pass

[-]

WindstormMD@reddit

Use a 3pt sling to establish dominance

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

These are the ideas that I come here for

[-]

Judoka229@reddit

Telekinesis

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Valid

[-]

Greenshardware@reddit

Since when are M4s 16"?

Carbine gas on a 16" is just silly.

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Since I am too poor to buy a colt 14.5” barrel and too autistic to cut off the barrel markings if I chop this one to 14.5”

[-]

Greenshardware@reddit

I mean, I guess I can see not wanting to cut up a 6920.

I'm partial to the 6933, though.

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

I don’t mind cutting it but if I cut it down to 14.5 the barrel markings will get ruined

It’ll be like right down the middle of the 5.56 1:7 MP all that markings

[-]

556_enjoyer@reddit

No they’re not. MLOK is superior and MLOK ARs are usually cheaper especially than quad rails.. Carry handles suck to shoot with earpro. Why pay the same if not more for a worse AR? Also A2 furniture is bad. There’s a reason they’re going they went away

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Nooo my consumerism!!! I need the newest light and laser and bipod and ergonomic grip and my $750 rifle now costs $1,800

[-]

citizen-salty@reddit

Rule one of rifle marksmanship is always spend more money on a rifle than time behind it. Everybody knows that.

[-]

ardesofmiche@reddit (OP)

Aw shoot I got confused with spending money on practice and dry fire training instead

[-]

citizen-salty@reddit

For real tho, nice rifle. Just picked up a 14.5 myself.

[-]

Signal_Membership268@reddit

You’re correct but that approach might be cheaper than actually learning to shoot!!! A lot of folks around here gained the majority of their expertise and experience playing video games.

[-]