Tag: tests

Heat is discussed fairly often on various internet forums, especially when two subjects come up: barrel profile and method of operation. We often see comments about how light barrels heat up too quickly. This is partially true - a lighter barrel will generally heat up faster than a heavy barrel. The "too" part is where the problem lies. Too fast for a machine gun barrel? Most likely. When you're putting out a sustained rate of fire that can reach several hundred rounds per minute, a light barrel is definitely unsatisfactory.… Read More

I've updated my earlier heat dissipation graphs with the KAC M4 RAS. This is the railed handguard used by the US military on Colt M4 carbines and similar weapons. I did not have rail covers on the handguard during this test, because I was also comparing it to some other railed handguards. Here are the handguard temps: And the barrel/gas block temps: Not only did the M4 RAS transmit less heat to the shooter's non-firing hand, it also allowed the barrel to cool faster than the plastic handguards. This is… Read More

This is an update to the earlier heat dissipation comparison between the single and double heat shield handguards. Today, I tested the Magpul MOE handguards using the same protocol: 28 rounds fired in a rapid manner, with temperature measurements at specific locations and time intervals. The MOE handguards have a single heat shield. By that, I mean a single heat shield. The "single heat shield" handguards have one heat shield in each of two handguard halves, and the double heat shield handguards have two heat shields in each of two… Read More

Heat shields. This is one of the items on "the chart" that a lot of people gloss over - especially if they want to replace the standard handguards with some sort of railed handguard. So, I don't expect this article to get a whole lot of attention. Also, please note that I am not a scientist and this is not meant to be a scientific test. However, I was frustrated with the progress of another project while at the range, and decided that a few mag dumps would raise my… Read More

I know of no one who personally puts more rounds down the barrel of AR-15/M4 type weapons each year than Mike Pannone. I've had the honor of shooting with him several times, and came away from those brief sessions a better shooter. I greatly respect his opinion and experience on all things AR-15/M4. He's recently completed an exhaustive test of a Bravo Company 14.5" M4 type upper receiver assembly. You can read the details here. In essence, he stripped away all lubrication, replaced critical items in the lower receiver, and… Read More

I'm not going to lie. Before I completed this test, I thought the AAC Blackout was all hype. I thought AAC had engaged in shady marketing practices in order to show that their flash suppressor was superior to the competition, namely, the Smith Enterprises Vortex. I figured that I'd be spending $50 to pick up a Blackout and that I'd lose $10 reselling it after I did the comparison (maybe more than $10, if I said really bad things about it). I was wrong. Now, if you've seen my previous… Read More

Last year, I purchased a set (front and rear) of Level IV plates from bulletproofme.com. They fit just fine in my Interceptor, but when other plate carriers were used, the rear, which was countoured differently than the front, would not fit. Even after I had owned them for 6 months, the company offered to swap out the rear for a front plate (for a 20% fee - very reasonable in my opinion, since they would have had to X-ray the plate before reselling it). However, I decided to test the… Read More

There are a number of muzzle devices available to the AR-15 shooter, ranging from a $5 A2 flash hider to exotic suppressor mounts in the $400 range. I've collected some of the more popular examples and taken video of their performance at night on two different rifles - one in 5.45x39 and one in 5.56x45. The video will do most of my talking. Within the week, I hope to complete a similar comparison during the day, which will focus on different attributes of the devices. I must apologize - several… Read More

Some people need the most rugged and reliable product they can find. Other people want the most rugged and reliable product they can afford. Still more people just want a product that looks cool and functions fairly well. I can't tell you what your needs are, or where you fall on this scale, but I can tell you what this product does, and what it might be good for. As always, in the interests of full disclosure, I was given this "Micro Dot" by Primary Arms for the specific purpose… Read More

As some folks have learned the hard way, A.R.M.S. throw levers sometimes fail at inopportune moments. LaRue mounts, on the other hand, are well known for their return to zero qualities and toughness. In this video, I demonstrate the difference between the two. The A.R.M.S. throw lever fails after four hits, while the LaRue is damaged, but still fully functional. The sad part is, a lot of companies get suckered in to using A.R.M.S. mounts for their products - such as the EOTech 553 and Elcan Specter DR - when… Read More