LBE Top 3s. (Soft Goods)

 I wanted to record some options for you to use for your LBE. Aside from buying your rifle, you also need to carry equipment to use with the rifle. Here are some quick lists of 3 I recommend, based on personal use.

Plate Carriers:

1. Ferro Concepts Slickster
2. HRT RAC
3. Haley Strategic Thorax

Belts:

1. Warrior Poet Society (Blue Alpha) Standard Double Belt Rig
2. Haley Strategic Disruptive Environments
3. Esstac Enhanced Shooters 1.75"
   

Placards:

1. Esstac Triple Daeodon
2. Haley Strategic D3 Micro Rig/Placard
3. HRT Maximus
   

Chest Rig Harnesses:

1. HRT H Harness
   
2. Haley Strategic D3 H Harness
   
3. Velocity Systems ULTRAcomp H Harness (be sure to get waist strap, too)
   

Magazine Pouches:

1. Esstac KYWI
2. HRT ARC
3. Ferro Concepts KTS
   

Medical Pouches:

1. Blue Force Gear Micro Trauma Now
2. Esstac DST Medical Pouch
3. High Speed Gear Reflex IFAK 

Hanger Pouches:

1. Haley Strategic Multi-Mission Hanger (choose your preferred insert)
2. HRT Sporran Hanger Pouch
3. Spiritus Systems OTB SACK Pouch MK2

Slings:

1. Blue Force Gear Vicker's Sling
2. Ferro Concepts Slingster
3. Haley Strategic D3 SLM Sling
   

 Misc:

1. Spiritus Systems The Thing 2
2. Spiritus Systems Micro Fight Chassis MK4
3. Crye Side-Pull Mag Pouch
4. HRT Air Pass Backer
5. Camelbak Crux Molle Pouch
   

Preferred parts list for all new builds, plus useful gear.

After years of testing builds, I have come to definitive conclusions about what parts are best and why. I want to share the parts I believe will make the best AR you can build, based on my subjective preferences. I have also been testing and researching some extra gear for range and self-defense purposes. I am kind of throwing them all together here as a shopping list, of sorts. This is the gear I feel works best for me and will likely give you some advantages over competitive options.

One thing I have found is that my ideal AR will weigh a little over 6lbs because you have to add some weight for improving zero retention on your kit mounted on the handguard, as well as super-durable BUIS. If you build a rifle with these exact components, it will function reliably, shoot good groups with match ammo, and give you an ideal platform to mount the kit you need for everything from home defense to night time carbine courses... for hundreds less than a Daniel Defense Rifle, but equivalent (or, even, superior) quality parts and better ergos. Another thing to consider is that you can get most of these parts in FDE. I would prefer to Cerakote all my guns in FDE. Since you can also just get the parts in FDE to start with, you may prefer that route.

NOTE: I usually link to the Manfacturer's sites to ensure you can properly identify the parts. I highly recommend checking around the internet for better prices.

Gun:

BCM Mod 0 Stock.
BCM Mod 3 Pistol Grip.
BCM Mod 3 Vertical Grip.
BCM Mod 4 Charging Handle.
BCM Trigger Guard.
BCM QD Endplate.
BCM H2 Buffer.
BCM Buffer Tube.
BCM Castle Nut.
BCM BCG.
Daniel Defense Lightweight Profile, Mid-Length Gas, 16" Barrel.
ALG QMS Trigger, with Purple Trigger Spring.
ALG LPK.
Damage Industries Enhanced Carbine Buffer Spring.  
Odin Works Low Profile .750" Melonited Gas Block. 
Aero Precision M4E1 Enhanced Upper Receiver.
Aero Precision M4 Lower Receiver.
Aero Precision Enhanced Free Float Handguard, 15".
Aero Precision A2 Birdcage, with Crush Washer.
Aero Precision Melonited, Mid-Length Gas Tube. 

Gun Gear:

Lancer 30rd Magazines.

Streamlight HL-X Pro-Tac Rail Light.

Eotech XPS3.

Midwest Industries Combat Rifle Front Sight and Rear Sights.

BCM QD Sling Swivel. 

Ferro Concepts Slingster.

Griffin Armament M4SD K 5.56 Silencer. 

  

Extra Gear:

WPS Standard Double Belt Rig.

Safariland 6360RDS - Mide Ride ALS Holster.

Safariland QLS Kit 1

Esstac KYWI Shorty Mag Pouch, with 1.75" Belt Loops.

Esstac KYWI Tall Mag Pouch, with 1.75" Belt Loops. 

Esstac KYWI Double Pistol GAP Pouch, with 1.75" Belt Loops.

Ferro Concepts Slickster. 

Ferro Concepts Elastic Cummerbund. 

Esstac Triple Daeodon Front Panel. 

Blue Force Gear Micro Trauma Now IFAK..

Crye Precision Side-Pull Mag Pouch.

HRT  Sporran Hanger Pouch.

HRT PC Tourniquet Pouch.

Esstac Belt Mounted Elastic TQ Holder. 

Spartan Armor Composite Level IV SAPI Cut Armor.

Cheese Graters: The Quad Rail

Now, there are many who believe the quad-rail is the best system to attach your kit to. M-LOK, Keymod, etc... these are things emasculated men put on their AR/M4/m16-type rifle. Picatinny rails work the best! So what if they're heavier, bulkier, harder to grasp, and slower into action? If you're worried about any of that, you must need to lift weights and learn how to be tough... what a pathetic excuse for man!

Of course, that's a little bit of satire. Anyone who thinks Kyle Defoor or Travis Haley are little sissies is pretty much an idiot. But, many people actually do speak about people who use things like Keymod or M-LOK in those terms. Are they right? No. Not at all. They're idiots, like I said. If you're sitting there reading this and have a quad rail on your rifle, fear not! You see, it's not that Picatinny rails have no place or that your gun has become an obsolete piece of trash, destined for the scrap heap. It's certainly not to say you are an idiot if you use a quad-rail. But, if you think Defoor and Haley are sissies, you definitely made an error in judgement.

So, what's wrong with a quad-rail? Well, it's not so much "wrong" as it is "less than optimal." For starters, the weight is not optimal. Quad rails are heavier than these other mounting systems. So, some ask, why not just lift weights to get stronger to compensate? You see, a guy who uses Keymod can work out too and he's all the faster for it. Keymod attachment points are cut-outs in the handguard that actually reduce the weight of the handguard and allow you to add your attachments! This alone is reason to go with a Keymod or M-Lok rail. Also, I totally respect a man who can "embrace the suck" to endure pain and discomfort... even that of grabbing a cheese grater, or otherwise. But, you're deranged (more precisely, a masochist) if you think it's better to be enduring needless pain/discomfort, than to get more ergonomic equipment.  Having Quad rails puts you at a disadvantage because of their weight, uncomfortable grip, and bulk. It's as simple as that.

What about the detractors of systems like Keymod and M-LOK? What are their chief arguments? Basically, they complain about how weak those attachment types are. Personally, I've never jumped out of an APC in Fallujah, but I do use my guns... a lot. I can tell you that Keymod and M-LOK will hold up to any normal wear and tear. I can also tell you that you shouldn't be mounting an optic to your handguard... or pretty much anything else that is mission critical. I mean, it's not like your gun becomes inoperable if a "broomstick" or vertical grip comes loose. If real men lift weights to lift heavy rifles, can't those real men shoot a rifle without a mall-ninja-esque vertical grip? These are not exactly mission-critical pieces of kit. (Just in case you're wondering, I do use small vertical grips. Hot barrels and gas blocks make them pretty useful a times, plus they act as a hand stop. But, I would do just fine if mine fell off, especially if I'm wearing gloves, which is my point. I'm just poking fun at the internet commandos.) I can also tell you that the 12 o'clock picatinny rail on your handguard is there for any such attachments that are mission critical.

So, in short, Quad Rails are not needed and add extra weight. If you're looking at a new handguard for your AR15, I would look for a continuous 12 o'clock rail, enough length to allow you reach out near the muzzle to control the rifle better, and a weight of 11oz or less. Virtually all of those are going to be Keymod or M-LOK. If you have a quad rail and really like it for what it is, you don't have to go lighter just because I say so. But, I highly recommend trying out lighter weight options to see how you like it - I bet you don't go back.

Dwell Time - What it is and Why it Matters

Dwell Time - the amount of time the BCG is receiving gas pressure. It is also expressed by the length of barrel between the gas port and the muzzle.

In more simple terms: the length between the hole (gas port) in the top of the barrel where the gas vents out and the end (muzzle) of the barrel.

So, why is it important? If you don't have the right amount of Dwell Time, your gun won't reliably cycle, if it cycles at all. This is literally the thing that makes the gun automatically cycle, so that you don't have to run the action manually after each shot. If you don't have enough Dwell time, it won't cycle weaker loads and may lead to failure to extract or failure to load issues. If you have way too much, the gun may cycle too quickly and cause different feeding issues or extraction issues. Too much Dwell Time will also wear down the parts much faster because the action will cycle more violently, which also has a negative effect on your follow up shots. If the gun is cycling more violently, you won't be able to hold it on target as well - no matter how strong you are. Also, I want to make it clear: when speaking of recoil here, it is not a matter of 5.56 hurting your shoulder - it's a matter of lining up your next shot as fast as possible. I mean, it's 5.56...

How do you find out your Dwell Time? Reference the following list and subtract the length listed for your gas system from the length of barrel

Pistol: 5"
Carbine: 7"
Mid-Length: 9"
Rifle: 13"

So, a Mid-Length gas system on a 16" barrel gives approximately 7" of Dwell Time (16" - 9" = 7"). A Pistol gas system on a 12" barrel also gives 7" of Dwell Time. Your typical Colt LE6920 (16" barrel and Carbine gas system) gives about 9" of Dwell time. The AR platform, when originally adopted, was a 20" barrel with a Rifle gas length, so 7" Dwell Time. An M4 is a 14" barrel with a Carbine gas system, so 7".

So, how do you know if you have the right amount? I can tell you from personal experience, 7" to 9" will reliably cycle a 5.56-chambered AR with most ammo. I prefer 7" DT (Dwell Time) as it provides me the best recoil management and reliability for my rifles. It's 100% reliable and noticeably lower recoil than a 9" DT, like you'll find in the Colt LE6920. (Bear in mind, I use brass-cased ammo exclusively.) If you are going to use steel-case ammo, I would recommend the 9" DT for reliability. But, then you're using steel-cased ammo, so clearly reliability isn't your biggest concern... ZING! One way people combat muzzle rise and recoil, particularly on 9" DT rifles, is to use a Compensator. Compensators are Muzzle Devices intended to control the movement of the rifle by using the gas exiting the barrel, but they are loud, tend to do a poor job of hiding flash, and are less than kind to anyone sitting next to you at a range. And, using one in your house for self-defense will more negatively impact your hearing. (And, your family's hearing!) They can help a lot, but they don't save the internals of your rifle from abuse and are worse for your hearing. Overall, I would prefer to just get the right DT and use a flash hider.

So, to put a bow on it, try to stay between 7" to 9" DT and you should be just fine, in terms of reliability, but 7" DT is preferred.

What Length of Barrel Should I Buy?

What is the "best" length of barrel for an AR?

This is a question many first-time AR buyers have, but there are very few solid answers on the web. Many more, in my experience, don't comprehend the significance of this choice until they've had the chance to shoot more and try other people's guns. (And, come to understand the laws concerning barrel length in the US.) Many don't understand, or even know they should consider, the Dwell Time that a particular barrel offers or the effects of barrel length on velocity or lethality. I know from personal experience and seeing my friends go through stages of understanding of the rifle's system that you won't know what you really like or what works best for you until you get enough experience to form an opinion. I hope to speed up that process for my readers.

The first aspect to consider is the law. Legally, a Centerfire Rifle Barrel must be at least 16" long. The only ways to circumvent that are:
1. You pin and weld a flash suppressor, or other muzzle device, to the barrel, such that the total length is at least 16" after the addition of this device. (Highly recommended that you have a professional do this.)
or
2. You fill out an NFA form, submit to the much stricter background check (which includes fingerprints), spend $200 on a tax stamp, and wait 6 months for approval to exercise your natural-born right to keep and bear arms that the US Government is expressly forbidden from infringing upon.

3. You use a Pistol Brace, bearing in mind the possible repercussions of the wrong person getting elected and the Pistol braces no longer being legally allowed without a Stamp. You also have to know the legal requirements of a pistol. For example, you can't use a forward vert grip on a pistol without submitting some kind of NFA paperwork, which defeats the entire purpose of making a pistol instead of an SBR, as in point 2 above.

In case you can't tell, I'm not a fan of the NFA of 1934, Gun Control Act of 1968, or the Hughes Amendment of 1986. However, unless you want to be (unconstitutionally) arrested and possibly charged or convicted of a Felony, then you need to follow the law, regardless of what length you choose.

The second point to consider is effectiveness of the projectiles leaving the barrel. A 20" barrel will provide additional velocity and, therefore, distance over a 16" barrel that is the same in all other ways, besides length. That velocity also provides more lethality - as mass or velocity increase, all other things being equal, the kinetic (aka muzzle) energy increases. The key down side of having a longer barrel is how easy/hard it is to maneuver in tight spaces, such as within a hallway in your home. You also have to think about weight of the gun because the barrel is typically the heaviest part of the gun. The longer the barrel, the more heavy the gun is. (More front heavy, at that!)

The third point is just as crucial. Dwell Time is something many people don't understand, but it is absolutely critical to the reliable function of the gun and smoothness of the action. Dwell time is how long the bullet spends in the barrel after passing the gas block. (More precisely, the port under the gas block that funnels gas back into the gun and causes the action to cycle automatically.) Another way of figuring this is to measure from the gas port to the crown/tip of the barrel to ensure there is enough distance there to send enough gas, through the gas tube, back in the receiver to cycle the action reliably. In order to get the dwell time needed on shorter barrels, you have pistol and carbine-length gas systems that shorten the distance between the gas port and the receiver. Bear in mind that the closer the gas port is to the receiver, the more carbon fouling you will encounter in the receiver. Generally speaking, shorter barrel = dirtier gun. The more Dwell Time you have, the more violently the gun will cycle. (Harder on the parts and the shooter, as well as worse for follow-up shots.) Too much Dwell Time can cause malfunctions, but having more than is needed also helps to cycle cheap ammo with low amounts of gunpowder or steel casings. Too little Dwell Time and you end up with a rifle that can't push the bolt carrier back far enough to chamber the next round. This is something you want to match to your gun because you have to balance various combinations of Bolt Carriers, Buffers, Buffer Springs, Barrel lengths, and Gas System lengths - balance it so that the BCG cycles at the right rate and correct force.

In general, for an AR15, I find that a mid-length gas, 16" barrel provides adequate dwell time to cycle the gun, adequate velocity leaving the barrel, and is not so long as to be cumbersome in a hallway. I would only buy a longer barrel for a purpose-built rifle intended to be a 500+ yard target shooter or Designated Marksman Rifle. And, I don't see such a major need for a shorter barrel that I would invest $200 in a tax stamp. If laws changed in our favor, I would prefer an 11 or 12 inch barrel for a purpose-built home defense rifle. As it is, if you could only afford one AR15, I wouldn't waste money on a tax stamp or spend the money on a pin and weld job. And, one can reliably reach out to 500 yards with a 16" barrel, so I wouldn't spend the extra weight to get a longer barrel and 50, or so, yards of effective range.

So, what do I recommend?  For me and for most people, I would highly recommend 16" barrels with mid-length gas ports for any general purpose AR15. This combination produces, possibly, the most reliable and some of the softest shooting ARs one can make. This length of Gas System, combined with that length of barrel, is a great combination that is proven and will work better than most (if not all) combinations of factors. Save yourself the money and the weight and get a 16" barrel with a Mid-Length gas. You'll really appreciate it after comparing it to a friend's carbine-length "milspec" rifle. As a rule, if you do go for a Short Barreled Rifle or a Pistol build, I would recommend not going below 10.5" for 5.56 chambered ARs. I would also want pistol or carbine length gas systems on shorter barrels, specifically to improve dwell time.