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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Differences between Single, Two, and Three Point Slings

Anyone that does any serious rifle carrying and shooting knows how vital it can be to have the best sling for any given application. It’s not an easy choice because there are so many styles and there is no one right choice. Oftentimes different jobs will call for a different type and brand of sling. This determination must be made by the individual that will be using the gear because it is a unique and personal choice.

I’ll start this article with one point slings. This is a sling that is mostly useful when carrying an AR styled rifle or a shotgun with the proper attachments. The one point sling is made for quick and easy employment when your rifle is needed. It is made to keep the rifle at hand and easy to reach. There is a tradeoff to this, and it is that when you drop the rifle to go for a pistol or to use your hands for other things then the rifle will sometimes hang loose and can be in the way. There is often an easy solution because you can ensure minimal movement with a proper sling adjustment and it is also possible to fasten the barrel to something if you know you won’t need your rifle at a moment’s notice. I personally preferred a one point sling in Iraq because it was the easiest to fit over my body armor and was adjustable enough to get it set up just right for me. Troy Industries makes a good single point sling and most reviews I’ve seen on it are fairly positive. Another great option is the Blue Force Gear UDC slings. The adapter can be changed to allow for the same sling to be used on different weapons/sling mounts such as HK hooks, strap type mounts, or QD push button mounts. I would stress that these are probably not a good choice for a hunting rifle that is in the more traditional wooden stock shape as they are generally better supported with a traditional sling and are often too long to hang from your body the way a one point sling will be used.

Next up for discussion is the two point sling. This is the sling that I see son most hunting rifles and actually still on some combat long arms. It is mainly used as a way to hold the rifle when it’s not in use but can also be used to sturdy the weapon for a more stable shot. This sling is a very simple design and as the name states it makes 2 points of contact with the weapon. The first point is almost always the butt of the rifle or a sling swivel attached to the butt or rear of the receiver. The attachment point of the second piece varies and can be places right in front of the trigger or magazine well, or it can be placed near the front of the handguard towards the barrel. Two well-known manufacturers of good 2 point slings are Viking Tactics and Blue force gear Vicker's sling. They both offer quality craftsmanship and are both well designed for the needs of the average and even advanced rifleman. Either can be quickly loosened to allow for cross shoulder transitions or tightened keeping the weapon closer to the shooter during administrative duties, etc.

The 3 point sling is made to be used both for retention and for assistance with aiming. It helps with aiming by being adjustable to ensure a tight fit and a good, steady shooting position. This sling is good for use if you are not wearing body armor or load bearing equipment but my personal experience has shown that it will hang up and catch on any armor or equipment that you happen to have on. This sounds like a minor personal gripe but it is one shared by many that have needed the rifle to be available but also had to have body armor on. This is a big problem because it can keep the rifle from coming to aim when you need it most. If this is not the case with you, and you’re not going to be wearing armor, then a three point sling might prove to be the best of both worlds for you because it has the strengths of both one and two point slings but lacks the weaknesses. This means that it is instantly ready to employ like a one point sling but it can also be securely stored like the two point sling. As I’ve mentioned earlier in this article I preferred a one point sling in Iraq but had I not had to wear body armor I would have definitely preferred to use a 2 or 3 point sling.

In summary, there is no right sling for every person. As a matter of fact each person might still need 2 or 3 slings to meet various needs. This all comes down to two factors and they are personal choice and mission requirement. We might not all think of ourselves as the military type but we all have a mission when carrying a rifle. This mission can be as simple as a good safe time on a shooting range or as complicated as protecting your life and others in a war zone. When the time comes we should all be able to count on our handpicked sling to live up to the requirements we’ve placed on it.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Benefits of Red Dot Sights

Whether you are a new AR owner or have owned an AR for many years but have not added any optics to it, this is for you. You might ask, what are the benefits of adding optics such as red dot sights or aim points? Are they hard to install? How much do they cost? This article is aimed to inform all AR users of the benefits of red dot sights and optics.

There are different types of red dot sights, for example there are red dots that are contained within a tube, such as the Aimpoint Comp ML3, there are “Roll Bar” red dots, like the EOTech XPS2-0, and Reflex sights, which are smaller, less durable, flat lens red dot sights.

Red dots, aim points, and holographic sights, have a lot of benefits and almost no down side. They offer faster target acquisition, more precise shooting, increased aiming confidence, wider field of view, allows for fast follow up shots, and better target visualization.

Iron sights tend to block a big portion of the visible area in front of the shooter, because of this it is harder to acquire a target from longer distances, because the iron sights could possibly block the target. Because red dot sites are very low profile, streamlined, and clear, it allows the shooter to see clearly, and adjust aim for the acquisition of a target.

Red dot sights, aim points and holographic sights all do the same thing, they offer the shooter a red dot that appears to be projected further out on top of the target, but the red dot stays on the optic. This allows the shooter to keep both eyes open, and visualize the red dot on the target with both eyes fully concentrated down range. The brain will automatically superimpose the red dot image coming from the dominant eye, giving the shooter full depth perception. This gives the shooter a wider field of view because one eye is not shut. A major benefit of a red dot is that it can be held at any distance from the shooter, and at almost any angle, and it will not distort the image of the target or reticle.

Red dots are simple to install, and can be attached to your AR within minutes. Red dot sights such as the EOTech 553 attach right to your top receiver, on the rail. Tube style red dots require a mount that holds the tube sight and that mount attaches to the rail on your top receiver. After that, you can zero the red dot sight like you would any other optic. You can keep your iron sights as a “Co-witness” to the red dot, you can remove them or you can install back up iron sights (BUIS) that flip up, that way you can have them out of the way while using a red dot. If for some reason your red dot sight malfunctions or runs out of batteries, you can flip up the BUIS’s and use them.

Red dot sights are generally powered by standard batteries, but some use other technology like Tritium, a self glowing particle. Red dot battery life ranges from 1,000 hours to 10,000 hours, depending on the sight and battery type. Alkaline batteries are on the 1,000 hour end of the spectrum while Lithium batteries tend to last up to 10,000 hours.

Cost is the next issue when considering a red dot sight. Some AR shooters purchase the cheapest red dot available and are instantly disappointed when it breaks from rough use, or when it does not hold a zero. If you are using your AR for self defense, or recreational use putting a quality reticle on it is crucial. It is not logical to purchase an expensive AR and then equip it with a cheap reticle. The reticle is the only interface between you and your target. You want it to be durable, dependable and working when you need it to. A quality red dot will cost between $400-$800.

So if you are an experienced AR user or a brand new AR owner, purchase the accessory that matters the most, your red dot optic.

Monday, December 13, 2010

The difference between AR-15 free floated and non-free floated handguards

In this article I will be describing two different types of AR-15 handguards. I will be examining the differences between free floated and non-free floated handguards. I’ll be describing the pros and cons of each setup and will try to assist the reader in choosing the setup that works best for them.



A non-free floated handguard is characterized by direct contact with the barrel. This in effect puts any pressure applied to the handguard onto the barrel as well. This pressure can come from attachments such as bipods, vertical grips, or even added tension on the sling. This can have the effect of changing the point of impact even for the same point of aim. This is done because even though your rear sight will not change position your front sight, if mounted to the barrel, will change slightly due to the pressure. This is not a huge deal at short distances but it becomes more pronounced when you go to the further ranges. For a person shooting only close range and not in need of pin-point lifesaving accuracy then this is a very viable option and can cut down on the price of an AR if you’re looking at your initial purchase. This is some companies consider free floated handguards a special item or an upgrade and will price accordingly.




The other option you have in the debate is the free floated handguard. This is done by installing a free floating barrel nut that should come with your free floating handguard. This will break the contact from the barrel and will in turn ensure that the pressure on the handguard does not transfer through to your barrel. This lends an immediate increase in accuracy to any rifle that was originally built with, or changed to non-free floated handguard. This is not always necessary in the case of the casual shooter but for extreme, long range accuracy it is an almost vital and certainly effective way to increase accuracy.


Daniel Defense AR15 Omega Two Piece Free Floated Railed Handguard

There are different kinds of handguards to choose from in the free floated category and the two main choices are one piece and split handguards. The one piece guards are going to be more difficult to install because the installer must remove the front sight post and any other muzzle break or flash hider that is installed. If you’re having it installed by another person this can add to the installation time and therefore add to the price. If choosing to do it yourself it will just add to your work and you will need to purchase some specialty tools. One advantage that the one piece system has is that it doesn’t have multiple parts to move around and rattle. There are also no connecting screws to come loose and mess you up at the worst possible moment. The second option is the two piece or split handguard. This option is often easier to install as it takes less overall work. To start with it is not always necessary to remove the front sight post when doing a split guard install. It might still be required if removing a single guard to start with unless salvaging it is not in your plans. The second and more obvious advantage to this setup is that it’s easier to do by yourself, and involves fewer tools. This can drastically cut down on your cost out of pocket because you’re really only paying for the cost of materials and there is no labor to shell out your money for.

In summary, both of these solutions will work for most casual shooters and the non-free floated guard will be the most cost effective way for a beginner that might be on a tighter budget. If you do end up deciding to use a free floated handguard then you can rest assured that if you get a good product from the manufacturer then it is money very well spent. That goes for those casuals shooting readers and the ones with more ambitious shots in mind.


Operation Parts is a leading supplier of parts and accessories for the AR-15 platform. For more info. please see our web site http://www.operationparts.com