Any real advantage of an A4 vs an M4?

**ST911** · 05-31-21, 11:12

Originally Posted by Firefly

I have way more fun with a 20” A1 than most anything else because of my long arms.

I like the 20" rifles, and long HGs on shorter, for the same reasons.

Funny how this comes full circle. Folks like the flexibility of the longer HG and impulse of the 20", so they attempt the same in the carbine but with the accompanying quirks of reliability as they mess with the gas.

**Firefly** · 05-31-21, 17:20

Originally Posted by ABNAK

I'm not in the Yao Ming category like you, but I'm not exactly short either! The 20" A1 AR still feels good in the hands. Hell, it was what I cut my teeth on in 1983 when I showed up at Ft. Benning.

As an aside, ever read the book written (maybe co-authored?) by Hiro Oonada? I recall reading it in early high school, maybe middle school. Late 70's, early 80's. It had diagrams and shit he had drawn in it. Pretty interesting.

I have read that book. He was not some Japanese Green Beret or whatever. He just made up in his mind that he was going to keep going.

Him keeping a working weapon which was the same he was issued was a feat within itself. 30 years of no help. No anything.

I won’t say a Carbine has no place but it’s still a compromise for long term use. The fact remains that a carbine gas will invariably be more violent than a midlength or a rifle.

The entire concept of the initial compact AR was to make it easier to tote. Originally it was just a cut down M16 with rifle gas and a fixed stock. But a lot of the modern adaptations were to fix contemporary problems. It’s still rather niche.

I am so tempted to go to a mid length but only keep carbine just for personal logistics and familial barrel design (Colt stuff with Colt stuff).

That said, folks I am not getting younger and I’m feeling my age. Some poor vocational choices incurred in my twenties and thirties are now catching up with me physically. I’m just not going to be 25 again physically where I can go through packs of Marlboro Reds, highball Red Bull and Code Red Mountain Dew, knock out a 16 hour shift, pleasure and satisfy college nymphos, and catch a cat nap and do it again for four more days then party super hard on my days off.

NO! I feel like if I baby sipped a Red Bull today that I would die.

I say all that to say this. I’m going to be comfortable. An SBR is a tool not a toy. They aren’t my first choice for fun (except a 300 blk maybe). Unless I am busting into a crack house then honestly I don’t want a shorty.

I can see my stuff matriculating to mid length gas. I only use a personal can for hunting.

My tastes have stayed the same to an extent but the finer details have definitely changed. Everything now is predicated on comfort, handiness, ease of use, convenience, and replicability.

I won’t say one shouldn’t have their toys if you want. But again I have matured to where I find more novelty in a Cowboy gun or a Garand or an M1 carbine than what SOCOM uses.

I thought Cold War guns were cool until I played gun pokemon and realized that they suck to clean and maintain and why go through that when I can plunk a scope on an AR-10.

Easy, Peasy Japanesey. Lean, Mean North Korean.

That’s where I am at in my life journey. And it gives me far more time to have a life.

**m4hk33** · 05-31-21, 23:11

From a practical standpoint, I think a mid length 14.5, with enhanced bolt is a really good option for most use cases. With that being said, they are incredibly smooth, low recoiling configurations that operate at lower pressures with higher bullet velocity and longer service life on extractors,springs and ejectors are longer than shorter configurations.

I think that as long as the majority of your shooting is not going to be done inside of cars or hallways, I really like the A4

**mark5pt56** · 06-01-21, 06:22

Run a middy with a rifle tube or if needing to bro doz-A5?

**Circle_10** · 06-01-21, 06:32

Originally Posted by mark5pt56

Run a middy with a rifle tube or if needing to bro doz-A5?

For many years one of my main ARs was a midlength with rifle receiver extension and an A1 stock. Ran quite well. I only finally switched back to a carbine RE like two months ago.
I’ve also dabbled in carbine-length guns with rifle stocks a few times over the years.

**17K** · 06-01-21, 10:11

I’m still running Colt 6920s. I have spare bolts and parts. I’m 40. They’ll be effective longer than I will.

**DG23** · 06-01-21, 19:19

Originally Posted by 17K

I’m still running Colt 6920s. I have spare bolts and parts. I’m 40. They’ll be effective longer than I will.

For some of us - It only took a single 6920 for us to figure out there was better stuff out there to be had...

**bamashooter** · 06-02-21, 06:40

Originally Posted by DG23

For some of us - It only took a single 6920 for us to figure out there was better stuff out there to be had...

Oh yeah; better stuff indeed. Like my little hybrid.

DPMS Hybrid Left-Hand A2 Upper Rcvr / Rear Sight / Deflector on non-ejection port right-hand side

Black Creek Precision Lower Rcvr

PSA / FN mid-length 16" barrel and assembly (fsb / delta assembly / A2 flash hider)

DPMS right-hand bolt carrier (Hybrid)

Stag left-hand complete bolt assembly / cam pin

Colt firing pin

RightToBear.com lower parts kit

Cavalry Manufacturing C-1 buttstock and innards

Geissele SSA-E trigger assembly

Smith & Wesson MP10 handguards (mid-length/skinny)

Colt charging handle

Brownells gas tube and roll pin

ALG/Geissele Go-Juice Lubricant where needed (imo)

AeroShell Grease 64 (formerly AeroShell 33MS) (barrel nut)

Sweet shooter

**Spooky1** · 06-02-21, 07:43

Originally Posted by bamashooter

Oh yeah; better stuff indeed. Like my little hybrid.

DPMS Hybrid Left-Hand A2 Upper Rcvr / Rear Sight / Deflector on non-ejection port right-hand side

Black Creek Precision Lower Rcvr

PSA / FN mid-length 16" barrel and assembly (fsb / delta assembly / A2 flash hider)

DPMS right-hand bolt carrier (Hybrid)

Stag left-hand complete bolt assembly / cam pin

Colt firing pin

RightToBear.com lower parts kit

Cavalry Manufacturing C-1 buttstock and innards

Geissele SSA-E trigger assembly

Smith & Wesson MP10 handguards (mid-length/skinny)

Colt charging handle

Brownells gas tube and roll pin

ALG/Geissele Go-Juice Lubricant where needed (imo)

AeroShell Grease 64 (formerly AeroShell 33MS) (barrel nut)

Sweet shooter

That is friggin sweet!!!!
Love that oldschool look!