Took the AR plunge

[rabiddawg]

I finally joined the AR club this weekend. I really don't know much about these so I did the least risky thing and bought one from my dear Dad

He had a Colt Match Target Competition HBARII. So, what does all that really mean?

I need some magazines. What brand works. Steel or composite?

The end of the barrel looks necked without the flash suppressor. How do those mount? I am assuming they are threaded?

If I want to take the carry handle off and mount a nice scope wont the front sight be in the way? Can the front sight be removed?

How often do these things need cleaning? The book said something about using dry lubricant; what do you use?

That's it for now. Thanks for helping a newb

 

[Bam Bam]

I finally joined the AR club this weekend. I really don't know much about these so I did the least risky thing and bought one from my dear Dad

He had a Colt Match Target Competition HBARII. So, what does all that really mean?

I need some magazines. What brand works. Steel or composite?

The end of the barrel looks necked without the flash suppressor. How do those mount? I am assuming they are threaded?

If I want to take the carry handle off and mount a nice scope wont the front sight be in the way? Can the front sight be removed?

How often do these things need cleaning? The book said something about using dry lubricant; what do you use?

That's it for now. Thanks for helping a newb

I"ll try and help with what little I know.

HBAR is the barrel profile: Heavy BARrel IIRC.

Most all USGI mags work fine, P-mags work great too and seem to be the favorite of the troops and civilians.

The end on the barrel should be threaded, just buy you any brand flash suppressor or muzzle brake you want and screw it on, you may have to index some types.

I can't help you with the sights as I don't have irons.

If you shot an AR you had better clean it no matter how many rounds you put thru it, they get dirty! Lubricate with a good quality oil that you like, others will tell you only use brand XXX, but I have found as long as you clean it well any quality brand oil is fine. I use Rem oil and Miltec-1 for my rifles.

Don't feel bad about the newbie questions as I was one too not long ago. I decided to build what I want in order to save money and get to know it better. Good luck with yours.




Bam Bam

 

[Sin-ster]

Your rifle (if the model you've stated is correct) should have a target crowned barrel-- no threads to accept a flash hider or break of any kind. As suggested by the title (Match Target Competition), it's designed for maximum accuracy in mind. Ironically, it's a 16" model with a 1:9 twist-- maybe some of our AR Match shooters can clarify why a rifle with such a name wouldn't have a 20" barrel and 1:7 or 1:8 twist.

AR mags are plentiful, and provided you steer clear of the WRONG polymer magazines, the vast majority of them will work. I own 95% PMAGs from Magpul, and do 95% of my shooting (3 rifles) through a single one in an effort to make it fail. I quit counting after 3k, which was a long time ago, and it simply won't die. When I buy metal mags, I try to go for GI contract, although there are plenty out there made to proper spec-- C-products comes to mind, for which you probably shouldn't pay more than $6 a mag, and that's almost a crime.

When it comes to mounting an optic on the flattop, you may or may not have issues with the standard A2 front sight. If you're going with a tube, risers and rings may very well eliminate the problem-- none of my ARs wear glass, so I can't say for sure. With a red dot, you will certainly have the front post in your field of view, but aside from being a minor obstruction, it's never given me a problem. That said, you can modify them (with some dremmel action) or replace them with a low profile gas block that will stay out of the way. There are countless versions on the market, from quad rail to adjustable, so you can get the perfect configuration for your needs. My favorite rifle wears one of these. Just remember, if you plan on using this particular AR for self-defense or SHTF, you will need BUIS (back up iron sights); optics will fail at the worst possible time, after all. The rear iron sight will mount behind your optic (high quality flip ups are my suggestion), but the front will require some planning on your part. Keep in mind that many railed gas blocks are NOT the same height as the upper receiver, and will require a special flip up front sight. MI, YHM and (recently) Troy all offer excellent options.

Although it's not exactly necessary, cleaning your rifle after every trip to the range is certainly worth the effort. While the AR can run very dirty (provided it stays wet), keeping it clean helps quite a bit. The tolerances are very tight on this rifle, so the less carbon fouling in the way, the better. On top of your usual cleaning kit, find yourself a chamber brush (cheap and plentiful) so you can get the throat, chamber and locking lugs nice and shiny. Pull the bolt carrier group, disassemble it, and go to town. Personally, I don't remove the extractor or work on the buffer tube every session, but certainly every 1k rounds.

Many manufacturers dry lube the upper receiver before shipping, and that's probably what you read in the manual. While this does provide extra lubrication and reduces wear, it is not enough to keep the rifle running consistently. Oil or grease (I prefer the latter, or a combination of the two) will keep it from choking. Don't be afraid to be liberal with it-- despite attracting crud, it will keep things working smoothly. Basically, anywhere that metal contacts metal deserves lubrication. IMHO, properly lubing an AR is something of an art form that you sort of pick up over time. Err on the side of "a lot" as opposed to "a little", and you'll figure it out for yourself soon enough.

Welcome to the addiction! I advise you to shoot your own rifle and as many others as you can get your hands on. You'll soon realize that being such a modular platform provides almost endless customization-- internally, externally and in terms of accessories. Before you go off spending ghastly sums of money, it's best to narrow down the options through trial and error and go from there. Nothing is quite as rewarding as piecing together your personal "dream AR".

 

[dmiculek]

The end of the barrel looks necked without the flash suppressor. How do those mount? I am assuming they are threaded?



You have a rifle that was meant to be in compliance of one of the "assualt rifle" bans. To install a flash suppressor it will have to be threaded.

 

[rabiddawg]

Thanks guys, I knew I was in the right place.

Yes, my barrel is not threaded. Is there any drawback or advantage to adding the flash suppresor?

Talk about an addiction, I have never seen my 13 yo son so fired up about something we can enjoy together. That alone is worth the purchase price.

 

[goteron]

I need some magazines. What brand works. Steel or composite?

The end of the barrel looks necked without the flash suppressor. How do those mount? I am assuming they are threaded?

If I want to take the carry handle off and mount a nice scope wont the front sight be in the way? Can the front sight be removed?

How often do these things need cleaning? The book said something about using dry lubricant; what do you use?

I prefer PMAGS, and use them exclusively, i cannot see any reason not to use them for the price / value / reliability.

I think someone already answered the necked barrel question for you.

You can remove the front sight, or switch to a low profile gas block, but it probably will not be required. Anything 2x or more and you will not see it.

For Lube I use nothing but Slip 2000 EWL. You dont need to clean the gun at all, the only benefit I see in cleaning it is inspecting for worn / broken / about to break parts. How often do you think you will be shooting it (Rounds per year). If and when you do clean it, there is no need to use anything past a nylon bristle brush, I would not use a steel brush at all... There is some excellent information on cleaning around, but I would stay away from the carbon scrapers and harsh cleaning techniques. Congratulations and enjoy it, shoot the heck out of it and let us know how it performs.

 

[Sin-ster]

Yes, my barrel is not threaded. Is there any drawback or advantage to adding the flash suppresor?

If you're just going to be plinking, there's no need for a flash hider or any other hardware. For pretty much every other purpose, they are very advantageous.

At night, a target crowned barrel will throw quite a fireball. This not only clearly indicates your position, but will likely rob you of your natural night vision. During the day, it's going to kick up quite a dust cloud when shooting closer to the ground-- a problem very well addressed by the A2 style birdcage, and pretty much every other break/hider on the market.

There are plenty of custom jobs that will reduce muzzle flip, cut back on gas and flash signature, increase or reduce your back pressure, or even accept a suppressor (via lugs or threads, depending). It's all about your preferences and end purpose, but personally, I stick with the standard A2-- I shouldn't need anything else.

It's not something I would concern myself with on my first AR, as it will be used mostly for range work and familiarizing yourself with the manual of arms. While threading the barrel to accept a muzzle device is always an option, you can just as easily swap out the barrel itself, or better yet-- the entire upper half. An A2 stocked, target crowned, HBBL, Match Grade rifle is typically not the one you'll want to be lugging around in "combat", so upgrades towards that end (while never harmful) are not entirely necessary, either.

 

[rabiddawg]

If you're just going to be plinking, there's no need for a flash hider or any other hardware. For pretty much every other purpose, they are very advantageous.

At night, a target crowned barrel will throw quite a fireball. This not only clearly indicates your position, but will likely rob you of your natural night vision. During the day, it's going to kick up quite a dust cloud when shooting closer to the ground-- a problem very well addressed by the A2 style birdcage, and pretty much every other break/hider on the market.

There are plenty of custom jobs that will reduce muzzle flip, cut back on gas and flash signature, increase or reduce your back pressure, or even accept a suppressor (via lugs or threads, depending). It's all about your preferences and end purpose, but personally, I stick with the standard A2-- I shouldn't need anything else.

It's not something I would concern myself with on my first AR, as it will be used mostly for range work and familiarizing yourself with the manual of arms. While threading the barrel to accept a muzzle device is always an option, you can just as easily swap out the barrel itself, or better yet-- the entire upper half. An A2 stocked, target crowned, HBBL, Match Grade rifle is typically not the one you'll want to be lugging around in "combat", so upgrades towards that end (while never harmful) are not entirely necessary, either.

Yep, my bathroom scale weighs it at 8.6 lb.

A couple years ago I saw a show on tv where the guy suggested spraying lube into the bolt/chamber area periodically. He hosed his down and then emptied the mag. Is this something you guys recommend?