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View Full Version : Other ARs I've shot recently...



fred
08-02-07, 00:56
It was brought to my attention that not everyone gets a chance to shoot exotic ARs at work, so I thought I'd write a few words about it. Nothing scientific, but I always appreciate it when other people do, such as the gentleman who had trigger time with the Tavor.

M16A2/M4A1: not exotic, but my first issued ARs, therefore the standards by which all others are judged, to me. Lightweight, reliable with good mags, more accurate than I am. The M4, IMO, is far more forgiving of abuse and neglect than the M16.

M-1/M-14: Sweet. 'Nuff said. Full-auto with the M-14 was expensive and wasteful. Too bad they won't let us carry 7.62, the extra weight would be worth it.

AKM: tough as nails, crude but effective. I like the front sight, but hate the safety. It was a SAR-1 version, with the wood VFG, a feature I like. Very fun to shoot.

HK-91: this one was marked G3FS[Fleming Sear?]. A "blast" to shoot, it felt like I couldn't miss on semi. I believe it had some trigger work done though. Full-auto was near impossible to control. Several double-feeds on full-auto. Had a SAR 8 knockoff, which was very reliable, though not exactly pleasant to shoot.

Galil ARM: trick bipod with bottle opener and wire cutter, but I'd jettison this to save weight. It's a heavy one, but based on my limited experience with this one I'd just love a SAR semi-auto w/light and dot sight, like the ones photographed in the Shotgun News recently. Sturdy mags and dead-nuts reliable, even on full-auto.

HK-416: this was a honey. A little front-heavy, but it's worth it. I liked the controls, I liked the way it handled, and I liked the way I shot with it on our admittedly gentle qualification course. Up close, I used the large peep, and put the rounded front sight ears inside it with good results. It still got hot, it still got dirty, and that's okay. Sadly, I do not have five or six grand to spend on an upper. Word is that my agency will adopt them, but with thousands of M4A1s in storage, I doubt it.

UMP-40: cool looking, but just crap when compared to the MP-5. I shoot better with it, though I can't explain why. It beats your face, burns your hands (plastic automatic weapons seem contraindicated), inflames arthritic shoulders, but it's pretty accurate for what it is. Also has a bolt hold-open feature, not something the Germans usually bother with. I wish I could try an MP-5 in 40, that would be nice.

MP-5: perhaps overrated, definitely overweight. It's fun to shoot and shoots well. The ones I've shot were well worn and not well taken care of, but never quit. This is clearly a nice SMG, but no substitute for a rifle caliber carbine. I don't really know why SMGs exist anymore, with short barrelled ARs available. Any ideas?

Steyr AUG: really, really cool looking and feeling. Great optical sight, I love the double doughnut. Was accurate and reliable for a couple of mags before the delicate cover for the left-side ejection port snapped off and was fed into the chamber area. Sigh... I heard they were so good, but this one was not.

I'm no "gun expert" (maybe someday), and I admit bias, but the more different ARs I try out, the more I like the M4 in semi-auto. It's not as "cool" as some of these others, but it's light, it's accurate, and it works. I don't baby mine at all, but when I need it, it will be ready. With a compact ACOG (mounted on the carry handle for easy access to the irons) and a light, there's nothing better for my purposes. My opinions are just those. I'm not looking for an argument, just interested in other opinions. Fire away!