5.56

Why do Navy SEALs hate the SCAR?

For many of us from the conventional side of the military (or who never served at all) the FN Scar tends to carry with it a certain appeal. As a rifle designed specifically for Special Operations troops (SCAR actually stands for Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle), it’s hard not to look at the jagged angles of the rifle and bulky 7.62×51 magazines with a sense of envy. There we were carrying around our M4s (or often in my era, M16 A4s) chambered solely in 5.56, baby faced and feeling awfully standard issue, when a group of Special Operations bubbas came strolling by with slung SCARs and the sort of beards that could intimidate a bear. In our minds, everything about that life just seemed better. Better training, better grooming standards, and of course, better guns.

But maybe that’s not the case after all. If you’ve spent some time rolling rounds through a SCAR, you might have responded like I did my first few times firing one: by assuming your issues with the platform must have been operator error. Try as I might, I just couldn’t get to liking the SCAR chambered in 7.62 or 5.56, but because I’d seen it in the hands of so many prolific war fighters, I figured any issues I had with the platform must have been a result on my lack of familiarity with it. Sure, it occasionally misfeeds, it’s loud enough to hurt your ears through cheap ear protection at an indoor range, and I would hate to try to clear a house with such a long weapon (standard barrel)… but it’s hard to shake the assumption that it’s not the rifle that’s the problem, it’s got to be the shooter.

Over the years, I’ve spoken to a fair number of special operations veterans that shared my distaste for the SCAR (but with operational experience to pull from, rather than just being a range cowboy with it like I was), and I came to appreciate that despite lacking in the high speed training allotted to SOCOM’s best, a bad feed is still a bad feed, and provided you’re not putting pressure on the magazine or otherwise mishandling the weapon, the fault tends to fall squarely on the platform, not the shooter, when it tries to cram two rounds into the chamber at once.

So, maybe that’s why I enjoyed this video from Vigilance Elite so much — because it features shooters more qualified than myself nit picking the SCAR in much the same way I have in the past. In the video, former SEALs Shawn Ryan and Jeff Reid put a SCAR through its paces, discuss some of its strengths, and then break down exactly why they do not like the platform. Reid goes into detail about his experiences on deployment with the SCAR and how he (as well as many other SEALs) suffered through repeated malfunctions until he finally decided to switch back to the M4 despite often finding himself in 1,000 meter engagements. In his mind, the added range and accuracy of the 7.62 chambered SCAR simply wasn’t worth the headaches.

Check out the video below:

Feature image courtesy of WikiMedia Commons

Suppressing the AR-15: The Good and Bad

I pulled the trigger on my MK18 with a surefire suppressor mounted and looked back at Jason, an active duty military police officer, “That’s actually still kind of loud” he exclaimed while replacing his Peltor headset onto his ears. And it was. An AR-15 chambered in 5.56 is never particularly quiet due to a variety of factors. However, if you are considering a suppressor for your AR-15 we should be candid about what it entails and what to look for.

There are three main sound sources made by an AR-15 when a round is discharged; the muzzle blast, the sound of the supersonic slug breaking the sound barrier and the mechanical noise of the weapon cycling after each shot. A suppressor aims to quiet the sound of the muzzle blast by trapping the expanding gasses from the end of the muzzle and allowing them to cool and decelerate in a series of chambers. In this way, the decibel level is reduced. However, regardless of this the 5.56×45 is a loud round even when suppressed because the round is breaking the sound barrier which creates a sonic boom.

So how quiet can you expect your AR-15 to be with a suppressor? It’s a hard question to answer and depends on barrel length, ammunition and the suppressor being used. In general, a 16 inch AR-15 firing standard M193 produces a decibel level of around 167 dB give or take depending on environmental conditions. Averaging out a couple of the leading suppressors in the industry you see an average noise level of around 136 db with a suppressor attached. Which is a significant reduction. For comparison’s sake an unsuppressed 22lr rifle typically falls in the 130 dB range.

An AR-15 can be made quieter by firing sub-sonic ammunition however, the AR-15 will not cycle properly. There are several great calibers out there available for the AR-15 platform that allows the use of sub-sonic ammunition along with reliable functioning. Many choose to stick with 5.56×45 for ammo availability, familiarity and commonality among several other weapons that they may own. For the purpose of this article, we will primarily concern ourselves with suppressing the AR-15 in 5.56.

Chasing Those Decibels

Some try to buy suppressors based soley on the decibel level produced. However, there are several other things to consider when it comes to sound. Tone is the relative pitch and strength of the sound that the suppressor produces. I’ve found that tone can make a suppressor with a higher decibel level sound quieter. The Surefire SOCOM556 RC gives on average a decibel level of 139 dB. This is louder than many competitors on the market however I’ve found the tone to be deep and pleasing. If you have the chance listen to different suppressors at local matches or shoots. If this is not possible, try searching on many of the dedicated suppressor forums that dot the internet. Many people will be able to comment on the tone of a certain suppressor and whether they like it or not. Understand that it is the internet however.

Daniel Defense MK18 with Surefire SOCOM556-RC suppressor mounted.

Length and Weight

Size matters. Add a 6-inch suppressor to the end of your 16-inch barrel and you now have a 20 inch plus barrel. Although these suppressors typically weigh in at 1 pound, it is a pound at the very end of your rifle and that weight will quickly add up. The shorter your suppressor becomes the less effective it becomes at sound suppression. The lighter it becomes the less it can handle heat. There are trade-offs to made everywhere. You need to determine what type of shooting you’re going to be doing and precisely what you need from your suppressor.

Gas blowback

A suppressor traps a lot of gas. It also increases the dwell time at your gas port. All of this leads to an excess amount of gas coming your way and exiting around the charging handle to sting your eyes. There are several fixes available. An adjustable gas block will allow you to adjust the amount of gas being tapped off from the barrel thus eliminating much of the excess gas. Gemtech makes a suppressed bolt carrier group which can vent the excess gas out the side of the carrier. Finally, there is charging handles that are made to deal with excess gas from suppressors or conversely you can use Permatex RTV (a silicon sealant) to close the gap between the charging handle and the upper receiver to disallow the excess gas from reaching your face. Some suppressor manufacturers add an expansion chamber or an internal venting system to help reduce back pressure and when used in combination with the above products can make for a pleasurable shooting experience.

Them suppressors get hot

Each successive shot is going to raise the temperature of the suppressor fairly quickly. There are a variety of factors that come into play but some information puts that number at around 7-10 degrees Fahrenheit each round fired. A 30 round magazine would then increase the temperature by over 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Suppressors can get hot enough during a course of fire that if you transition to your sidearm and let your rifle hang down and it touches your pants, it could burn a hole straight through them. Many companies tell you to limit your strings of fire. If my memory serves me correct several different suppressor manuals state that strings of fire of over 90 rounds should not be attempted. If you use a suppressor, I’d recommend a good pair of heat resistant gloves. If your aim is long-range shooting be aware that as the suppressor gets hot those waves of heat will rise and could distort the view of your target through the optic. This can be mitigated to some extent by the use of a suppressor cover.

A good mount is vital. Also, automotive anti-seize on the threads helps quite a bit as well.

Mount it

One of the often overlooked aspects of a suppressor is the mount. Why is a mount important? It could be the difference between a good day of shooting or a terrible day in which a poorly aligned suppressor leads to a 5.56 slug striking a suppressor baffle or the endcap of the silencer. It could also be the difference between your suppressor freezing hard to your muzzle device or coming off easily. There are many mounting options out there. Make sure you do your research and pick one which has a reputation for strength and ease of use. A quick word of advice, no matter how good the mount is I would advise putting a small amount of automotive anti-seize lubricant on the threads or lock up location.

Increased bolt carrier velocity

If you don’t manage your excess gas you’re going to have an increase in the velocity of the bolt carrier group. Many individuals control this by added a heavier buffer to their rifle in order to slow it down. A popular option is to utilize the Vltor A5 recoil system which in a nutshell uses a rifle length spring along with a special buffer. On most rifles, the standard weight buffer (A5H0) will work fine, although you can toy with a slightly heavier buffer in order to fine tune your rifle. On over-gassed rifles, such as the Daniel Defense Mk18, I’ve opted for a specialty heavyweight 6.8 oz buffer to calm the vicious speed that occurs when a suppressor is mounted to an already over-gassed system.

What good is my suppressor then?

Almost complete reduction of flash for night shooting. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to fire a rifle at night you can appreciate the amount of flash that is made. A suppressor (depending on make and model) will eliminate most of that. This makes shooting with night vision goggles an absolute pleasure as they are not getting washed out constantly by the muzzle blast. It obviously has it’s uses in a tactical environment as well. An enemy unable to pinpoint your location due to the reduced flash could, in some cases, be the difference between life and death.

Further, a suppressor helps reduce felt recoil due to the added weight at the muzzle as well as the reduction in speed of the propellant gasses. I’ve also found that the quiet report and lack of muzzle flash aids in rapid strings of fire or target transition. On average my timed drills are somewhat faster than without a suppressor even though my rifle weighs more and feels unwieldy.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, when a suppressor is paired with ear pro you protect your hearing even better. Hearing damage is cumulative gentlemen, and investing in a suppressor when you’re younger could perhaps help mitigate hearing damage later in life. For those who already engage in shouting matches due to loss of hearing, a suppressor could help preserve what you have left.

What motivates many to buy a suppressor is the combination of noise reduction, muzzle flash reduction, recoil reduction and protection of their hearing long-term. There are drawbacks when suppressing the AR-15 however I strongly feel that the pros outweigh the cons. A suppressor is an investment. Buy once, cry once has never been truer.

Choosing between the AR-15 and the AK-47

The debate between AK-47s and AR-15s is perhaps a bit more civil than the digital spats between the likes of Glock fanboys and 1911 historians in your Facebook newsfeed, but there are certainly some similarities. Arguments about stopping power, reliability, and accuracy get touted about by both sides in such generalized and exaggerated ways that one could be forgiven for thinking no AK platform in the world has ever malfunctioned and every AR-15 is a sniper rifle. Of course, the fact of the matter is, both platforms are made by a variety of manufacturers and in a variety of different set ups; some more reliable, more accurate, or more affordable than others.

I’ve gone on record in the past as saying the warring factions of the firearm world, like the automotive one, miss the forest for the trees when ranting at one another in forums and on Twitter. There are lots of great, budget friendly 1911 platforms available out there, and there are lots of solid shooting Glocks out there too. There’s nothing wrong with having a preference, but in our modern upvote/downvote culture, we seem to think liking one thing means having to hate the other… as though the solid reliability of your Glock in some way diminishes the accuracy of its competition in the 1911 camp. In truth, they can both be great guns, and if you’re not able to see that… you may be being guided by the team dynamic, rather than the facts.

I bought my AR-15 years ago at Wal-Mart along with a six pack of beer and a few hundred rounds of ammunition. At the time, it bore a striking resemblance the rifle my father carried in Vietnam, but there was no denying the familiar comfort that set in as a slung it over my shoulder and found my hands settling on the pistol grip in the same way I spent so many hours standing around in uniform. It was like visiting my old home town and finding everything just where it had been.

To this day, I still get that same sense of coming home when I hang that rifle over my shoulders. It’s changed a bit since that day years ago, and now looks and acts a lot more like the rifle Uncle Sam loaned me. Each time I remove it from the safe and do my usual tinkering or maintenance, I feel a connection to a younger me – one that saw a rifle as a companion as much as a tool.

Still seems like a totally normal way to spend an afternoon to me.

My AK-47, however, was the product of a chance meeting and a good deal. I had fired a few AK-47 platforms before, but not extensively, and in contrast to the AR I bought years ago, it was my unfamiliarity, rather than history with the platform, that prompted me to buy it. I looked forward to the challenge of learning how it functions, how to care for it, and of course, how to mess with it until it was uniquely my own. A new project, I told myself, and nothing more.

I was wrong. I love the damn thing.

While I left to serve in the Marine Corps, my older brother continued working in racing, eventually finding himself behind the wheel in a number of races before starting his own business. His budgets are bigger and interests are different, but his approach to cars is very much like my approach to guns: tailor each to a purpose, and you could always use one more. I spent some time driving and then shooting with him recently, and I realized that the AK and AR platforms are similar to two of his cars: the Dodge Charger Hellcat and the Dodge Viper SRT-10.

At first glance, I don’t see why you’d need both. At 505 and 707 horsepower respectively, they’re both scary fast, plenty loud, draw a crowd and rarely turn up on the losing side of a race. To the uninitiated, one certainly seems enough… but when you look more closely, you see that each is designed for variations within that “go fast” purpose. The Viper will tear the Hellcat to pieces in the twisties, the Hellcat will roar to victory in a drag race.

It’s all about picking the right tool for the job, but if the job is just going out to have some fun, it’s all about picking the one that best suits your preferences.

My AR-15 feels like a precision weapon. It’s crisp, light enough, it talks to me through its behavior and, if I’m honest, occasionally gets in moods. The rifle exudes the confidence we’ve developed together: I know I can hit a target at 500 yards with iron sights with my AR because I’ve done it plenty of times. It’s hard not to develop an attachment to something like that.

In contrast to the AR, my American made RAS-47 feels like a tractor. It clunks and clinks as it releases rounds with little more recoil, but a noticeable difference in tone from the barrel, as it’s simple mechanics lumber away inside the pressed steel body. When I run and gun with the AR, I feel like a precision instrument. When I do the same with the AK, I feel like I’m throwing hammers at the target – and I freakin’ love it.

These two rifles, while similar in purpose, vary widely when it comes to execution. The AR, like a Viper, gives you a sense of confidence and poise. The AK, like a Hellcat, gives you this sense of primordial power: like that concrete wall doesn’t mean shit to me, I’ll just go straight through it.

One could argue that there are distinct advantages to each platform, and by and large, there are – but with so much variety on the market, your reliability and accuracy (often the two biggest talking points involved in this debate) are really just a matter of your budget. Both platforms are capable of being incredibly accurate as well as reliable.

Picking a favorite, then, really comes down to shooter’s preference. Some will be drawn to the comfort of the familiar, others will succumb to the allure of simplicity and cheap ammo… but the fact of the matter is, neither is a bad choice.

My recommendation? Get them both if you can. You never know when you might be in the mood to throw some hammers..

Images courtesy of the author

Ultradyne Announces Tunable X1 Muzzle Brake Available in .223 Rem / 5.56mm

Ultradyne, an American designer and manufacturer of advanced shooting accessories, has officially released the innovative X1 tunable muzzle brake specifically calibrated for .223 /5.56. The X1 enables the user to optimize barrel movement regardless of shooting technique, individual stature, or ammunition.

The X1’s patent-pending Dual-Axis Door System is adjustable to accurately meter out the right amount of gas for ultimate muzzle control. This enables the shooter to remain on target through the shot, witness impact, and more quickly deliver follow-up shots. The X1 is the only adjustable muzzle brake that can be retuned finely and simply with sliding port doors.

The X1 tunable compensator is the best way to create perfect muzzle control for each possible combination of factors.

The X1 is compatible with Ultradyne’s Dynamount Barrel-Mounted Front Sight. Simply replace the collar with the Dynamount Front Sight to add the best front sight on the planet to your set up. This sight option takes advantage of the superior dual aperture system, eliminates sight deflection associated with hand guard mounting along with offering an increased sight radius.

X1 223 | 5.56 technical specifications:

CALIBER .223 | 5.56 or smaller
BARREL THREAD 1/2-28 UNEF-2B
MATERIAL 416 Stainless Steel Salt Bath Nitride Finish
MOUNTING Shrouded Timing Nut
MASS Brake Only 150 grams | 5.3 ounces
Total 173 grams | 6.1 ounces
DIMENSIONSLength 75mm | 2.94 inches
OD 24.8 mm | 0.975 inches
WRENCH FLATS 7/8 inch
ADJUSTABLE PORT SCREW IP-15 Torx Plus
MSRP $169.00

The Ultradyne Family of Muzzle Brakes

The X1 is part of Ultradyne’s family of performance muzzle devices, each representing a different combination of recoil reduction and sonic characteristics.

Ultradyne’s X1 is available directly from Ultradyne

The 20 Dollar Pistol Brace – The Breach Brace

Pistol braces are absolutely amazing. They produce an outstanding degree of control for pistols that are just way too big to be easy to fire. With the popularity of AR, AK, Scorpion, MP5, and other huge pistols a brace is almost a necessity. These days there are tons of different braces. We have models from Gear Head Works, SB Tactical, KAK, and even more. These braces aren’t necessarily expensive. Most of the better models can be had for around 120 bucks. However, for some that is a little pricey and for those people I think I’ve found a budget solution. The Breach Brace by Trinity Force is quite the option. I found this brace for 20 bucks at a website call Extreemtactical.com.

I’ve never heard of this brace of this website but Gun Deals hooked me up. I didn’t expect much, so I was pleasantly surprised.

The Breach Brace

The Breach Brace is simple, its a lot like the Shockwave blade. It’s thin and rests against the arm and acts as a brace against the forearm and bicep. The Breach Brace is one solid piece of polymer and attaches to a standard AR pistol tube up to 1.25 inches in diameter. It’s a simple design, but it is effective for lower recoil weapons. The sharp nature of the blade will really dig in with higher recoil weapons. I attached it to my Kidon kit with the CZ P09 9mm installed. (Speaking of Kidon just released a Polymer 80 Glock plate.)

The Breach Brace is tightened down with two screws near the end of the tube. To get the brace extremely tight you have to crank down on it like a beast. I mean I nearly stripped the screws to get it to a point where it won’t move. Be careful, use good tools and good luck.

That’s the only bad thing I have to say about the Breach Brace. It is a pretty solid brace. I don’t know much about Trinity Force or the Breach Brace but it works. It’s hard to mess up a piece of injection molded polymer.

Getting Braced

The Trinity Force Breach Brace is quite comfortable with SMG wannabes. The brace will fit inside the arm well and made it possible to easily aim with the peep sights on my Kidon kit. The brace rests inside the arm and gives you that extra level of stabilization for longer range shooting.

If you choose to use the brace as designed it works great. However, if you choose to shoulder it the brace, and you legally can, the design also works well. It stabilizes the gun like a champ and provides an excellent cheek weld. Because it is a blade design it will strike your shoulder with some force and anything bigger than a pistol caliber will likely be quite uncomfortable. Once installed I hope it’s at the right distance because loosening it up and repositioning it is a real pain.

The Breach Brace is a very simple design, but it an effective way to stabilize those oversized pistols. This 20 dollar brace has me colored impressed. 20 bucks is hardly anything, and it is certainly well spent.

Photo of the day: A Contractors go-to Carbine

Spikes tactical lower, BCM 14.5 upper, blah blah blah… What’s on this build isn’t as important as why it’s on here. This is my “I had no prep time and I gotta fight” carbine.

I could go with a shorter barrel and suppress it, but in my research and experience, 5.56 comes out of a short barrel barely faster than fragmentation/expansion threshold so I’ll just deal with some ringing ears in exchange for better terminal ballistics.

I could go with a low power variable optic but a red dot is faster for me in a CQB environment and I’m not expecting to need to take headshots at 400 here anytime soon. And if I do, I’ll grab my RECCE rifle or M24 for that.

I could deck it out with all the IR lasers and 50,000-lumen lights and stuff but putting on night vision takes time and this old scout light works just fine in my experience. Again this is a fight right NOW, no prep time rifle. I do have an IR laser and NVGs around if that situation presents itself.

The double mag ensures I have at least one reload in case some limited fire and maneuver tactics are needed. The paint is for nostalgia and aesthetics. It has a 2 point sling so I can easily secure it to my person after the shooting stops. Who knows what kind of work will be needed next.

Looking at swapping the compensator out for something like an AFAB. More flash suppression would be nice.

It’s a fighting rifle. It has the things you need and nothing extra. And I’ll bet my life on it.

Author – Seth joined the Army in 2006 and went to Iraq a couple times doing LRRP work for the 82nd Airborne. After that, he played the Private Military Contractor game for a while until he decided to pursue a degree in economics. He now works as a data analyst and firearms instructor.