I was wrong about “X” - a misconceptions thread

[StainlessSlide]

Many of us have had strongly held beliefs about our favorite machine, that turned out to be way wrong.

I thought it might be fun to have a thread were folks confess their misconceptions. Of course, this is against everything the Internet stands for.

I’ll start:

1. I really thought that a chrome lining meant NO corrosion

2. I thought black was a GREAT color for a rifle

3. I thought nickel boron was the very best BCG coating

Then

1. I saw some very slight pitting in a chamber (with a bore scope)

2. A few walks away from the range, and I saw that black stands out a bit almost anywhere

3. I got the freezing-up effect of the BCG on an uncleaned, cold carbine

Anyone else want to confess?

[MSW]

My dad had chrome-plated auto bumpers back in the 1960s & they corroded, so i never thought hard chrome would prevent all problems.

I DID originally buy into the “shits where it eats” as my brother, who joined the US Army repeated that nonsense after training with an M16A1 & how the M14 & FAL were “superior” to the M16A1. I bought a Mini14 at my brother’s suggestion & some BS about how it “was the better choice for Nam…” but vertical stringing and the A-Team accuracy made me sell it. After shooting a friend’s AR & hearing his opposing view vs my brother’s “learned” opinion, I bought an AR (a Bushie, back in the late 1980s) & realized my brother was only smart enough to be a tanker—so, his opinion on ARs was the proverbial “everybody has an….opinion” moment.

I was never a fan of black rifles as a color—even in the mid-Atlantic states, the sun gets hot in Summer & those black rifles got pretty toasty without firing on a really sunny day.

Never looked back with the AR—great gun! Yes, I upgraded to BCM & DD when I learned more here. My Bushie was an HBar & was one of the first times I shot a 1” group with 5 shots. I’m not saying it was an sub-MOA rifle—but compared to the Mini14, i could hit clay pigeons resting on the 100 yard berm at the range with more frequency than with a Mini14! Ah pity da fool!

[Hank6046]

This could be a good thread, lots of lessons learned on here I imagine.

1.) Cleaning my rifle, when to clean it, what is considered dirty, if I'm not running 10 patches through the barrel to get ever last bit of carbon... needless to say that Marine Corps didn't prepare me for how dirty a rifle can be and continue to fire just fine.

2.) I need this because X,Y,Z instructor uses it. When I got out of the service I remember watching Magpul's Art of the Carbine and thinking to myself that "here are two guys who have it all figured out, and that prior cadre who had been in Ramadi and the mountains of Afghanistan didn't know what they were talking about", all I needed was the entire 5.11/Blackhawk catalog of gear and Magpul up my rifle I would practice firing from my back and I too would equivalent to a Delta/Ranger/Recon/Seal/Sniper. Turns our, I suck because I don't train.

3.)High price over high value, I have a lot of really nice, expensive rifles, I also have some piecemeal beaters, my piecemeal beater BCM upper/ Aero lower with a 1-6x Primary arms scope has a lot of capability that my high end DD, ADM, etc. does and weighs less, and for the price difference I could afford an extra 1k rounds and a carbine class to train on. Now I'm lucky enough to get to a point where I can have both, but if I really wanted dual tube night vision, or the time and money to get down to TUSC, then that high end rifle(s) don't look as appealing as they once did.

[Sidneyious]

Spending a little more has diminishing returns but the cheaper stuff will usually never fit the bill and I wasted money.

[docsherm]

Thinking Colt ARs were the best.

[Hammer_Man]

I bought into the nickel boron hype, and found it wasn’t any easier to clean than good ole phosphate.

I used to think if it was mil spec then it was the best.

[Budget]

I thought heavy barrels and mid lengths were the pinnacle of technology. "This spikes must be better than a 6920"

Youtube is entertainment, not real world experience.

Ive learned that many BTDT types are terrible firearms instructors.

I should have bought 2 ARs, 2 Glocks, and spared myself all the milsurp, 1911s, and other BS. I could have had PVS 31s with all the money I've spent.

[MA2_Navy_Veteran]

I actually once believed that Libertards couldn't become any dumber...

But with each passing day, I'm repeatedly proven to be ever more wrong.

MA2

[Stickman]

I thought I was too good to shoot steel ammo... then ammo prices became obscene, and I didn't want to waste "the precious" good stuff, the next thing you know I was buying steel cased ammo. I still cry myself to sleep over this, but at least I don't do it with an empty wallet.

[MA2_Navy_Veteran]

I thought I was too good to shoot steel ammo... then ammo prices became obscene, and I didn't want to waste "the precious" good stuff, the next thing you know I was buying steel cased ammo. I still cry myself to sleep over this, but at least I don't do it with an empty wallet.

This made me laugh soo hard. Thanks for that Stickman!

Really wish sometimes that M4C had a like button for post like yours.