A Tale of Two Weapon Setups, by NC Scout

(NC Scout / American Partisan) They say all trains of thought are circular, with old ideas being revisited in time and made new with a fresh coat of paint. I tend to agree. When it comes to the thought process behind individual weapons that’s certainly true as well, and the cycle is, for many reasons, most interesting. Recently I was having a conversation with a friend and well accomplished shooter that we’ll refer to as Ragnar Danneskjöld, regarding the roles of different configurations of AR-15s. For those new to the platform or the types who’re looking for a better mousetrap, the sheer volume of information and option out there is bewildering, and like everything, the real question boils down to what you’re trying to accomplish with your specific weapon.

It feels strange to say it, but I was last operational a decade ago, even though it feels like it was yesterday. Going through old gear is always interesting – especially to dust off how we did things back then and compare it to just how far we’ve come, or in some cases, regressed. Regression is not always a bad thing, either. The old jungle warfare lessons are being dusted back off for a very good reason – the next conflict, should it come home, in many places will look much more like the fight in the Vietnam highlands, at least in the more densely populated regions of Appalachistan. Comparing that to my role today in training folks to be better trigger pullers, I get to see a wide variety of configurations that the students bring to class. And the best setups always boil down to what’s the lightest and the simplest. No bolt-on crap, no offsets, no bull. Keep it light, keep it tight, keep it simple and it’ll be effective. And I’ve found that once the shooters embrace that thinking, they end up way better off.

But you’ve heard all this before. Anyone, any length of time in the shooting community and in particular the AR-15 community is well aware of the current en-vogue trend, the latest one being the idea of a ‘Recce’ type weapon revisited…one that I had described years ago when writing about the SPR. Its important to keep in mind these trends are more meant to sell you something than anything, as with any other industry. And the thinking itself is based primarily on experiences in Afghanistan, which, for a large swath of the US population, may or may not be relevant in terms of equipment requirements.

Case in point – do you need eight power magnification if your line of sight is 200m at best? Can you justify the added weight to a weapon that an LPVO adds when a fixed three power prismatic would fill the same role at half the weight? There’s no right or wrong answer here, but a question the shooter needs to wrestle with, while recognizing that the simpler their weapon remains the more effective it’ll be. I love my Primary Arms 1-8×24 and of course my NightForce NXS-8, but both come with a weight penalty that might matter to you after carrying it on a patrol for 12 hours.

This leads us to the tale of two weapons. One, a swiss army knife of a carbine, expected to perform all roles from room clearing to 500m. The other, an ultra-light carbine topped with a red dot that you can throw behind the seat of a truck, prop by the door, and possibly press into service at longer ranges if needed. The first would be considered a ‘general purpose’ weapon by community standards, and something I’d definitely drop into the SPR / Recce rifle category. The second would be considered more in the vein of a ‘home defense – only’ setup, with many considering a red dot with no magnification being a tool for close range reflexive shooting.

The reality is that both are equally effective in their given roles. Lighter and simpler is always going to be better both from a capability standpoint as well as in robustness – and personally, I’d rather be the guy carrying a lightweight weapon that I could press into service at a longer range if necessary, but remaining within the operational envelope of my platform, than a longer range weapon I had to use up close. That is, if the conditions are not specific to requiring long range, the added complications, and most importantly, the weight. Within 300m, a trained rifleman should have little issue making center of mass hits on man-sized steel. Added magnification certainly helps, but there’s a threshold of how much is too much, and how much added weight can the rifleman justify, especially carrying it long distances over broken terrain with gear. I predict we’ll be seeing a big resurgence in prismatic optics like the ACOG on the horizon. But that’s just one man’s thoughts.

It may seem like a moot point to some, and if so, you’re certainly not wrong. The truth is that there’s no such thing as CQB-only, or Long Range-only when it comes to carbines and you’re a component of a larger guerrilla force. Keep it light, keep it tight, keep it simple and it’ll be effective.

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

About the Author: NC Scout

NC Scout is the nom de guerre of a former Infantry Scout and Sergeant in one of the Army’s best Reconnaissance Units. He has combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He teaches a series of courses focusing on small unit skills rarely if ever taught anywhere else in the prepping and survival field, including his RTO Course which focuses on small unit communications. In his free time he is an avid hunter, bushcrafter, writer, long range shooter, prepper, amateur radio operator and Libertarian activist. He can be contacted at brushbeater@tutanota.com or via his blog at brushbeater.wordpress.com .

19 Comments

  1. Tyler Durdan July 25, 2022 at 12:47

    Another option would be to purchase a second upper and build it into an SBR. Naturally, you would need to get a Class II permit for each piece but it would be cheaper than buying a second rifle. Years ago when I was Active Duty, we deployed we normally deployed with a second upper in our Pelican case. The first was a 12.5 with an Eotech with a Red dot tilt out magnifier, and a PEQ4 for CQC missions. The second upper was issued with the weapon and was mounted on the weapon 90% of the time. It was a 14.5 with PEQ and an ACOG. We were issued a Gemtech can to swap back and forth. It only took seconds to swap them out.

    • Flat Cabbage July 25, 2022 at 14:34

      Why not just do a Form 1 or buy a pistol brace? No need to have an SOT for a single SBR.

  2. The Old Freedom Fighter July 25, 2022 at 13:22

    The last sentence says it all! Also applies to your physical condition. At 6’0 155 lbs. with a light weight weapon, I’ll be able move quickly & out of harm’s way. Good info & keep cranking ’em out.

  3. Mike VonSteuben July 25, 2022 at 15:05

    Well said. I’m currently swapping out my MK47 for an AK-104 for less weight and more simplified maintenance. And I 100% agree on fixed power prism optics, I have always loved the Primary Arms 3x and continue to run it on most of my weapons.

    • NC Scout July 25, 2022 at 16:27

      You’re going to be very happy with the 104.

  4. RP July 25, 2022 at 17:24

    It’s not just Appalachistan, around here I’ve hunted this area for decades and most of the year you are lucky to see over 250 yds, lots of coulee’s, lots of dense woods, winter – lots of snow, and you should not be in the open out in that alf-alfa or soybean field or that picked corn field.

  5. Brad July 25, 2022 at 17:46

    The new generation Red Dots with the 2 MOA Dot are surprisingly accurate out a ways. The days of co witnessing are long gone. Besides, in close gaining the site pic as fast as you can holds a big advantage, You can’t beat them for a truck gun.

  6. PoliticalFleaBites July 25, 2022 at 18:47

    After 50 years I still find the CAR-15 to be my choice for a home defense/truck/bush rifle.

  7. Yankee July 25, 2022 at 19:18

    Couldn’t you have picked a reference from the better of her two big novels? Fountainhead gets no love, even though it’s much better written. And I do wish Trijicon would drop the price on their ACOGs, and PA would offer lower mounts for use with their prisms, because the tip-of-chin weld sucks

    • NC Scout July 25, 2022 at 20:01

      No, I couldn’t have, because the name fits the person in question. He literally would be Rangnar D from Atlas Shrugged.

    • Mike VonSteuben July 26, 2022 at 06:41

      PA prism mounts can be lowered, read the manual.

      • wwes July 26, 2022 at 07:24

        I believe they will work with any standard ACOG mount won’t they?

        • NC Scout July 26, 2022 at 09:18

          Yes. Larue makes a great one for low mounting. The new PA prismatic micro optics also allow for a near flush-fit on an AK, so they can ride pretty low.

  8. Chris July 25, 2022 at 22:56

    Yes Sir.
    Amen!!

    I own a few, that are Thick Girls, and lord knows I love’em. But I wouldn’t wanna hump’em🧐🧐 on mountain sides.😂

  9. Boar’s Nest Patron July 26, 2022 at 00:15

    The semi-open terrain in the rural/suburban mix of the West, engagements of 300-500m suite the 1-8x optic on an AR-15. (Which is still considerably lighter than the alternative of an AR-10.) It may not be the one rifle quiver, but it does pair well with a red dot on a AR-15.

    Some situational overlap and as much standardization as possible is good for your quiver. When switching from rifle to rifle, having a similar feel (furniture, scope height, trigger, sling, etc..) will allow a smoother transition, giving you more consistency. The situational overlap is key when circumstances aren’t as forecasted.

  10. Big Mike July 26, 2022 at 00:57

    I took a great class with Badlands Fieldcraft in wide open eastern Montana last weekend. I brought an AR 10 with 20 inch barrel in .308 with Primary arms 2.5-10 glx griffin mil reticle. It was weight but I didn’t pack it far. Hitting a target at 520 yards 15-20 times a minute was a good time. You could hear the energy difference between the .308 and .556. However being a civilian I realize I don’t know what I don’t know.

  11. VAdeputy July 26, 2022 at 09:15

    I have a 3X prism on a flattop 16″ middy, and its stupid easy to hit 200+ yards with it (the furthest my gun club range extends). However, my Aimpoint PRO equipped carbine is no slouch either, and I wouldn’t necessarily feel undergunned with it at 2-300 yards. Haven’t hit at longer than 215y yet with either, but I’ll let NCS teach me up in October…..

  12. Ghostmann July 26, 2022 at 09:55

    Just get a 4x ACOG and be happy. I have a LPVO and you know what? It’s in the spare parts bin looking for a buyer. The ACOG sits on my go to.

    You know, it’s probably a good idea to clone your go to as much as possible.

    • Big Mike July 26, 2022 at 10:50

      Did your LPVO break? What brand and model?

Comments are closed.

GUNS N GEAR

Categories

Archives