Category: AR-15

A few weeks back I bought a few Anderson lowers from AIM Surplus for $40. The anodizing and machining look very nice. However the grip screw hole wasn't threaded nearly far enough, even for the shortest grip screw I had. Fastest solution was to tap that hole with a 1/4-28 tap. Okay, so I don't have the most expensive tap and die set in the world, but for my low volume needs, it works fine. I also noticed that the bolt catch detent hole wasn't deep enough prior to anodize, but… Read More

Back in June, I was asked to review the Faxon ARAK-21 upper by the company. I received it in August and just finished up the review. After a phone call with the owner, I made a followup video discussing some of the features of the upper.

Following up on the gargantuan first post of this comparison is a relatively short yet no less important portion. Especially to civilian shooters, the sound and blast of a muzzle device can be a huge turnoff. Yeah, that new brake keeps the muzzle on target, but if the noise rattles your friends every time you shoot the rifle, and other shooters on the firing line give you dirty looks and move away? Chagrin might give you second thoughts about your purchase. For this portion of the test, 2209 Impulse Precision… Read More

Note: While I work to verify my recoil data, I have decided to release the first part of this comparison, which covers muzzle flash. One of the most popular accessories for today's AR15 owner is a muzzle device. Want less muzzle flash? There's a device for that. Want less recoil? There's a device for that, too. Want less muzzle flash AND less recoil? Some devices even claim to perform multiple functions. I have been closely studying how various muzzle devices perform for years, and this summer, with the assistance of… Read More

A few nights back, I disappeared into my gun room, a jumbled mess of ARs and parts in my arms. After some sweating, grunting, and cursing, this is what came out of the room. It's the perfect AR-15 (for me), and here's why. - The heart of any AR is the barrel. This rifle has a Centurion Arms 16" lightweight midlength barrel. It's not as light as an A1 profile barrel, but it is lighter than "government" or standard profile barrels. More important, it shoots groups that are highly competitive… Read More

A while back I did some preliminary twist rate testing as a spinoff of the .223 vs. 5.56 article. It morphed into a separate article which is sort of summarized here on Google+ (which is apparently a real website).

I have utilized several motion picture devices and a personal computer to construct the greatest video you have ever seen* *involving an iPhone and sandwiches.

It's about AR-15s, and fire, and there is a photo of the delightful Ms. Viscusi shooting from the prone.

After several years with various Nickel Boron-plated AR-15 components, I am of the opinion that they should still be lubricated just like any other bolt carrier group. It is important to note that I held this opinion even when I had relatively little experience with nickel boron. Nickel boron is a coating used by FailZero on bolt carrier groups and is purported to reduce lubrication requirements - eliminate them, actually, but I'll stop lubricating my weapons when the owners of FailZero plate the internal components of their cars' engines with… Read More

One common topic of discussion relating to AR-15s is weight. Frequently, someone will want to know what a certain accessory will weigh, or how much difference there is between a heavy barrel and a light barrel, and so on. I have created a very simple calculator - with links to resources from other websites - that will assist those who are looking for the total weight of their weapon. I cannot guarantee that it will be perfectly accurate, given variables relating to manufacturing processes and scale calibration, but it should… Read More