AR-15 novelty wearing off?

[Rainman48314]

It took a few days before I got around to preping my SW M&P15 5.56. By preping, I mean dissassembly, cleaning and lubing. I also filled my one 30 round mag full of .223 and left it that way for three days

Q1. Do you use Rem Oil or equivalent or high temp bearing grease?

I knew I had to sight in or zero my Eotech red dot because my M&P does not yet have BUIS.

Q2. Do I stick with Troy flip up sights or other brands, and should they be flip up? I have seen sights where you cant your weapon and sort of look around your Eotech.

Well, I went to the range and shot low left but suspect it was more me than the sights. I also forgot the directions for making adjustments. I merely shot it for fun at 85 feet. It was pretty cool as I'm a first timer with a rifle of any kind. I enjoyed the sound and the recoil.

I do think I need to find an outdoor place to shoot reactive targets..steel plates, soda cans, balloons, watermellons or anything but paper I can't see well. It could get boring to shoot indoors at 85 feet.

I kinda wish I'd spent the $1300 on a Dan Wesson CBOB!

[jlottmc]

Are you saying now that you might unload that AR? :D

[Rainman48314]

Are you saying now that you might unload that AR? :DNot until the Occupation of Wall Street ends. They may come for my bank and its a 1/4 mile away! :)

[jmurch]

Do you have a front post? If it was me (and on one of my ARs) I would get a quality removable carry handle (RRA, etc.) and if no front post a removable front post. Alot of it depends on whether you want something as a backup if the optic fails or you want to ditch the optic and use iron sights.

[Rainman48314]

Do you have a front post? If it was me (and on one of my ARs) I would get a quality removable carry handle (RRA, etc.) and if no front post a removable front post. Alot of it depends on whether you want something as a backup if the optic fails or you want to ditch the optic and use iron sights.This is an M&P 15 5.56 OR (Optics Ready). It has no front sight but was bundled with an Eotech red dot. I wish to keep the red dot.

Please explain what the carry handle does in terms of back up sights. Thanks.

[LaP]

It doesn't sound like the novelty is wearing off.

If it is, I'll gladly accept yours as a token of neighborly assistance.
I'll also promise to NOT resell the weapon to any Mexican Cartel. I swear. No, really, I have no connection to the State Department that I am legally aware of. I've never partied with Eric Holder (whoever that is???)

[rholmes69]

For me, the novelty of an AR could wear a bit IF I didn't have the .22 conversion. I don't have enough money to blast through a couple hundred .223 rounds every time I go to a range. However, I can shoot 500rds of .22 for the cost of 60 .223 rds. That (for me) makes my AR infinitely more fun. I picked up a ceiner kit used (under $100) and it makes the AR the hottest thing on our "range" when I go with friends. Look in to one..

The carry handle will give you a rear sight, allowing you to have the backup should the optic fail.

The oil use for these is like oil for cars, every one has an opinion which is best. Most people say to get something that has teflon in it. I have used regular oil and also have used some of the exotics. In my experience, neither has worked better as far as operation goes. The exotics seem to last longer....

[Bawanna]

I just sold my Colt Match Target to get some funds (wheelchair parts, that sucks) but I didn't love it, it was an awesome gun, must not me, I rarely shot it, had it since 2003 and probably didn't shoot 100 rounds through it. I got a great deal on it when I went to Colt Armorer school. They offered a nice discount for going to the class.

I'm a wood stock guy.

They do make some rail mounted flip up sights, front and rear, mag pul I know makes a nice set there you can sometimes leave your red dot and still have iron sights. There's no end to the bells and whistles you can hang on these Mattel specials. I might get back into them with a 6.8 or 7.62 if there's enough days left.

[Rainman48314]

For me, the novelty of an AR could wear a bit IF I didn't have the .22 conversion. I don't have enough money to blast through a couple hundred .223 rounds every time I go to a range. However, I can shoot 500rds of .22 for the cost of 60 .223 rds. That (for me) makes my AR infinitely more fun. I picked up a ceiner kit used (under $100) and it makes the AR the hottest thing on our "range" when I go with friends. Look in to one..

The carry handle will give you a rear sight, allowing you to have the backup should the optic fail.

The oil use for these is like oil for cars, every one has an opinion which is best. Most people say to get something that has teflon in it. I have used regular oil and also have used some of the exotics. In my experience, neither has worked better as far as operation goes. The exotics seem to last longer....Wow, at $100, I'd jump at it.

I'll look into a carry handle. I'm looking for the low cost solution since its a backup and only a range gun.

[crazymailman]

For Q1, the RemOil will work, but I like this;
http://www.slip2000.com/slip2000-EWL.html

As for Q2, the Troy folding sights would work great. You can get sights that do not fold, but they will be in your sight picture when using the red dot. Some people prefer that, but that would be up to your preference.

edited to show correct url

[HadEmAll]

I had the fortune, or misfortune, depending on how you view it, to buy a Ruger Mini-14 series 180 off the shelf at the long defunct Texas Liquor stores for the princely sum of $150.00 plus tax in 1976. It would and still will group into 4" at 100 yards with any 55 grain load I've tried. It doesn't have the twist to shoot the heavier loads, but I like the original 55's. The first shots will group better than that, then it starts going vertical as the skinny barrel heats up.

ARs at the time weren't the rage they are now. Some of us still remembered some bad things about the M-16 early on in Nam. And I liked the non-threatening appearance of the Mini-14 versus the obviously militarian appearance of the AR.

Here 35 years later, it's on it's 3rd recoil spring, has a plastic handguard in place of the original wood, and that's about the extent of the maintenance on and modifications to it. Ruger has dropped factory support for the 180 series, and nobody ever made any aftermarket stocks for it. I've added a later series Mini and put an aftermarket stock and scope on it, but still have an affectionate bond with the old 180 and it's original peep sight.

Anyway, it has been all the 5.56 rifle I've ever needed. As such, I've always been mildly envious when buddies got a new AR-15 and jealous of all the stuff you can do to and buy for them, but have never had the pleasure. Never even shot one.

Let me beat you to it...........I know most AR's can easily outshoot my Mini for pure group off the bench paper punching. Away from the bench, well, who knows?

[johnh]

Q2: I love the Magpul sights:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=44044/Product/AR-15-M16-MBUS-GEN-2-SIGHT-SYSTEM

Very sturdy, and open with a couple different methods. I have them on several rifles.

I also like the ARMS polymer sights for about the same price:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/cid=0/k=arms/t=P/avs%7CManufacturer_1=AxzzxRxzzxMxzzxSxzzx%2cINC/f_a=1/Products/All/A.R.M.S.,INC/search=arms

[Rainman48314]

Q2: I love the Magpul sights:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=44044/Product/AR-15-M16-MBUS-GEN-2-SIGHT-SYSTEM

Very sturdy, and open with a couple different methods. I have them on several rifles.

I also like the ARMS polymer sights for about the same price:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/cid=0/k=arms/t=P/avs%7CManufacturer_1=AxzzxRxzzxMxzzxSxzzx%2cINC/f_a=1/Products/All/A.R.M.S.,INC/search=arms
Just saw these at my LGS today. I didn't have my AR with me but hope to go there tomorrow. The rifle range was being cleaned anyway. They were even a couple of bucks cheaper for the set.

[nksmfamjp]

Q1: Break Free is good enough. I prefer Steel Shield. For me CLP is preferred for the AR as I don't believe in the blow it out with cleaner and then try to relube. I prefer to wipe it the best I can with CLP, let the CLP work and then add more CLP to lubrication points. About annually or so, I will do a complete blast with gunblaster or similar. I just don't want to let a spot be lube free for long.

Q2: I use the ARM's flip up and like it. For a real quick BUIS with a good main sight, I do like that one which mounts to the side and you rotate the gun like 30 degrees to shoot. Nothing faster to deploy. Still, the ARMs is fast as long as you can shoot through the optic. My optic has a detachable mount as it is not a shoot through.

[ToneSurfer]

Troy's are ****** and tough as nails. But they cost an arm and a leg. I have an M&P 15x (quad rail and fixed front sight). It came with a Troy flip up for the rear.

Magpul's are popular and reasonably priced. But I just don't dig plastic for sights.

A carry handle will do you no good at all if you want to keep your red dot. Decide on some flip up sights and go with those. That way you can keep your BACKUP sights on your rifle :).

I've been using Hoppes Oil for forever. But just this past cleaning I switched over to shooters choice grease for the bolt, cam ping, and carrier rails. These areas usually require liberal application of oil and I got tired of it running all over the place as I store my rifle upright. I'm hoping the grease stays put better.

[Rainman48314]

Troy's are ****** and tough as nails. But they cost an arm and a leg. I have an M&P 15x (quad rail and fixed front sight). It came with a Troy flip up for the rear.

Magpul's are popular and reasonably priced. But I just don't dig plastic for sights.

A carry handle will do you no good at all if you want to keep your red dot. Decide on some flip up sights and go with those. That way you can keep your BACKUP sights on your rifle :).

I've been using Hoppes Oil for forever. But just this past cleaning I switched over to shooters choice grease for the bolt, cam ping, and carrier rails. These areas usually require liberal application of oil and I got tired of it running all over the place as I store my rifle upright. I'm hoping the grease stays put better.I went with the Magpul, the dealer had a set for $86 bucks installed. I find it hard to see in dim ranges. I just painted the front tip with some fish lure white paint. Shooting tomorrow.

[johnh]

They should work fine for you. For a BUIS, they are as good as any in my experience. I tend to run some kind of dot sight on any of my carbines anyway.