My idea of a practical carbine
This is a carbine that evolved over 4 years, from when I first started taking formalized firearms training until now. I’m sure that it will continue to evolve as new products are introduced to the market and as my ongoing training may take me in different directions.
I wanted to explain the different features of this set up and why I chose them. This is a weapon that would fit almost anyone’s definition of a “Frankengun”, it is made up of a variety of parts from multiple manufacturers and installed over a period of years but it works…
Starting from the muzzle:
A2 Flash Hider- I needed this gun to fit in a 36″ Contico gun case and found that anything longer than this wouldn’t fit.
A2 Front Sight Base- I wanted the durability of a pinned in gas block and the ruggedness of a fixed front sight. I added a tritium front sight post in case my optic fails and I still have to be able to acquire a sight picture in low light.
Colt 1/9 twist barrel- This came as part of previous upper that had an A2 carry handle upper receiver, I had Steve at ADCO firearms turn the barrel down from the original HBAR profile to .750 under the free float tube.
JP/VTAC free float tube- After using other rail systems I found the only things I needed mounted to the tube were a light and a sling attachment. For a carbine length rail system that works out to about 5 inches of rail being utilized out of 28 inches of rail available. I chose the VTAC because the bolt on rails are modular allowing you to position them where you need them without having the cheese grater effect common to other rail systems. It also saves you from having to buy rail covers for those rails that you are not using.
Because the JP tube is round and doesn’t have all those rails it makes it extremely comfortable to hold on to even without gloves. The Front Sight Pocket extension was added because it allows me to reach further out on the weapon for greater control as well as to push the weapon mounted lights past the Front Sight Assembly.
The Surefire G2′s and VTAC light mounts-These were selected because it was the cheapest light mount combo that I could find and still trust for durability. I have two on there because I have seen G2′s fail almost out of the box so an “extra” light on board the weapon adds only a little bit of weight but gives you a 100% redundant system. The 2nd light also helps when transitioning from strong side to weak side, this allows my hand placement to mirror each other regardless of which side I’m shooting from.
M4 upper receiver- I chose to swap out the original A2 upper since the picatinny rail on the M4 upper would make it easier to mount optics. I’ve since added a Badger Ordinance Gen I tactical latch for my charging handle, I first saw one when attending a carbine course at Gunsite years ago on an M4 from an SOTG Marine who recommended it.
Aimpoint M2- Battery life was the critical decider since I wanted a system that could be left on for years if necessary. The 4 MOA dot is beneficial since I believe that almost any justifiable shooting case would be at close range and the bigger dot helps with that. Aimpoint’s reputation for reliability and customer service is excellent and gives me confidence that this system will be viable for the forseeable future. The mount is a Larue Tactical LT-150 which I like because it has a Quick Detach (QD) feature and return to zero capability. Customer service from Larue Tactical is likewise excellent.
Larue Tactical LT-103 Back Up Iron Sight (BUIS)- A fixed rear sight saves me from having to manually flip it up as well as having simpler and more rugged construction.
Lower receiver- Built on a pre-ban Olympic Arms lower I added the ambi-safety so that I could mirror my firing grip when shooting from either side. The Ergo Suregrip was chosen after I tried another student’s carbine while attending Paul Howe’s Advanced Hostage Rescue class and the Ergo grip fit me like a glove.
Redi-Mag- To have a spare magazine pre-loaded on board the weapon is a huge step forward in efficiency for speed reloads. The Bolt Catch Extension (BCE) makes it easier to lock the bolt to the rear as well as sending the bolt carrier group forward.
Vltor Carbine Modstock- A collapsible stock makes it easier for transport as well as customizable for different shooters. The Vltor also has battery compartments that can be attached to the stock and a Quick Detach socket for a sling. The Vltor Modstock is comfortable to use and is small enough to fit in to my Contico tool box.
Viking Tactics 2 pt. Padded Sling- I’ve tried several different slings and this is the one that feels the most natural to me. I recommend the padded over the non-padded since it is more comfortable, especially if slung for hours on end.
Sling is attached at rear of stock on firing side (outboard) rather than inside
The sling is attached to the rear of Vltor stock on the firing side so that I don’t choke myself when transitioning from strong side to support side. The front end is attached to the tube using a basic sling connection so that I didn’t have to add on an additional piece of rail plus another sling attachment.
This is a brief summary of why I chose this configuration, your configuration may change as you evolve.
