First AR

My wife's "Muddy Girl" S&W 'Sport' model is a cutey and she shoots it very well. There's one on the EE for $775, IIRC.

I've offered to load it up with after market add ons (already added ambi cocking handle, safety, mag release) and was told in no uncertain terms - "Back off!" She likes it as it is and doesn't need all the 'tacticool' goodies men seem to.

Invest the money saved on a good red dot and then just get the hell out of her way!
 
So this rifle has a 5.56 Nato chamber and 1:7 twist. What is the best size bullet to load for the beast? I know my CZ527 with a 1:12 twist prefers 55gr and am assuming the 1:7 will expect a heavier bullet and may prefer a specific weight. Also whats the deal with Norinco brass? I get a lot of it when I collect brass from the club to recycle but nobody wants to buy 5.56 Norc brass. Whats up with that? I get lots of it and was going to load it for the AR.
 
bogie said:
So this rifle has a 5.56 Nato chamber and 1:7 twist. What is the best size bullet to load for the beast? I know my CZ527 with a 1:12 twist prefers 55gr and am assuming the 1:7 will expect a heavier bullet and may prefer a specific weight. Also whats the deal with Norinco brass? I get a lot of it when I collect brass from the club to recycle but nobody wants to buy 5.56 Norc brass. Whats up with that? I get lots of it and was going to load it for the AR.
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With a 1:7 pipe you will find it'll handle 55gr. FMJ up to 77gr. OTM without too much trouble. In fact, it'll put money on it really liking Hornady 75gr. 5.56 NATO HPBT Match fo the tightest groups. If you're looking to do courses and blatt away on a budget though, look into Norinco 55gr. .223/5.56 NATO (if there's any around), PMC 55gr. .223/5.56NATO and American Eagle 55gr. .223 and XM193 will do you just fine. To do some good accuracy work the cost of the ammo goes up FAST.

Also, when you get the rifle, make sure the gas key is properly staked. If that puppy comes out while operating, you're in for a bad day.

-S.
 
I do the recycling for a large club and have access to LOTS of 223/5.56 cases. Since I am a member its ok for me to take what I will be loading out of the collection. I am not expecting much accruacy from a 16.5in barrelled semiautomatic. My bolt gun has that covered. I have several guns that have never shot factory ammo from new. Looking for a 223 set of dies for my Lee Turret press which should make for faster loading. Single stage presses are great but slow. The Lee seems to be good enough. Already loaded nearly 1000 9mm for my CZ85. I just received notice that its been shipped and expected delivery is the 7th. Looks like the aluminum backup site set is going to be weeks later. Sigh. Never ends does it?
I am making note of all this valuable info guys. Does anyone know that the 1:7 twist has a favorite weight bullet? Just curious as I will likely load the heaviest it will stabilise anyways. I have lots of 55gr for my CZ527 and some FMJBT stock. Couple hun if I remember. Got case gauges on the way and the armorers wrench too. This is going to be fun. Now for some Magpul furniture.
 
bogie said:
I do the recycling for a large club and have access to LOTS of 223/5.56 cases. Since I am a member its ok for me to take what I will be loading out of the collection. I am not expecting much accruacy from a 16.5in barrelled semiautomatic. My bolt gun has that covered. I have several guns that have never shot factory ammo from new. Looking for a 223 set of dies for my Lee Turret press which should make for faster loading. Single stage presses are great but slow. The Lee seems to be good enough. Already loaded nearly 1000 9mm for my CZ85. I just received notice that its been shipped and expected delivery is the 7th. Looks like the aluminum backup site set is going to be weeks later. Sigh. Never ends does it?
I am making note of all this valuable info guys. Does anyone know that the 1:7 twist has a favorite weight bullet? Just curious as I will likely load the heaviest it will stabilise anyways. I have lots of 55gr for my CZ527 and some FMJBT stock. Couple hun if I remember. Got case gauges on the way and the armorers wrench too. This is going to be fun. Now for some Magpul furniture.
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1:7 will stabilize round weights so high that they won't fit the magazine. As for a favourite for your rifle, I can't really say anything. I can just tell you the results I've got with OTM rounds are pretty good. Nothing XYZ MOA blah blah blah, just that I hit what I'm aiming at.

-S.
 
It arrived a day early. Woo Hoo. No rear sight but came with a mag so now I have two. Got to work up some ammo for it to shoot. Looking to put some of the green Magpul furniture o it but wondering if someone else makes a better choice? Pretty much seems to be Magpul all the way from my reading. The front sight is like an M16 version and is quite high. Will the regular flipups work with that or will I have to change the front sight? Apparently its part of the gas block so I would have to change that too. Frontier and SFRC both list this on sale for about $750. Looking forward to playing with it and have an armorers wrench in my hot little hands.... Big thanks to Chris at Frontier. Excellent service.
 
You are 100 % correct. I handled my 14.5" build for nearly 8 long rainy hours during a 1000 full load 5.56 NATO round TDSA course and half way through I began to strip her down. First the forward grip, then the bolt on rails followed by rails on my Burris optics. Once home my buttstock was change to a new ATI mil-spec Strickforce piece. To lighten it more I purchased a number of IMI magazines. My optics and changing out the m16 BCG will be next to shed a few more ounces.

I didn't realize that all that bolt on bling is not suited for tactical shooting at all and that a light rifle is the way the AR was meant to be.
 
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Most of the vids I see of people that actually shoot them have a standard handgrip rather than a quadrail and a pile of stuff. Makes sense. Mine has just a front site and a flat top receiver. I have sights on the way for it and may not opt for fancy sights. Its a battle rifle and open reliable sights would be the norm. Im going to change the colour away from nasty black but thats about it. Its like an all black car. Its a black blob. I like to see a difference so even drab is pretty dark. May go for the lighter green or dark earth. The things I wanted were all internal stuff and that is all in place. Now to take it apart and clean it to get it ready to rock. Too bad I cant get a 30 round mag for it. Sigh.
 
Geez that stock is awkward to shoot with. It is NOT comfy at all. So I want to change the basic black furniture eventually and have the Armorers wrench too so will I need to have the upper and lower receiver vise blocks? Also a little confused as to how sighting in at 25yds makes it right on at 300yds?? Makes my brain hurt. I zeroed the sights per several youtube vids and have it now sighted in at 25yd as instructed. I ran out of ammo so could not take a shot at the 200 and 300yd gongs. Guess I better get some loads done up. So for a 1:9 twist do most of you shoot 55gr loads or do you load bigger? Should take up to 70 or 80gr but is that necessary??
 
bogie said:
Most of the vids I see of people that actually shoot them have a standard handgrip rather than a quadrail and a pile of stuff. Makes sense. Mine has just a front site and a flat top receiver. I have sights on the way for it and may not opt for fancy sights. Its a battle rifle and open reliable sights would be the norm. Im going to change the colour away from nasty black but thats about it. Its like an all black car. Its a black blob. I like to see a difference so even drab is pretty dark. May go for the lighter green or dark earth. The things I wanted were all internal stuff and that is all in place. Now to take it apart and clean it to get it ready to rock. Too bad I cant get a 30 round mag for it. Sigh.
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Irons are just fine if you can see your target (and actually it's good to learn how to use them before proceeding to "upgrade" to some optics). I don't care for the rails at all since I'm only using the receiver rail. Much easier to clean the barrel under the handguard than any rail. You'll be better off upgrading the trigger instead of putting some rails on your AR.
 
Awkward in that I cant see thru the sights unless I put my cheek on the end of the stock. Nowhere I can use with my cheek up on top of the stock. Its WAY too high. Keep in mind I have shot various rifles since 1965 but this one is massively uncomfortable. I did manage to find a spot but its not comfortable.
 
bogie said:
Awkward in that I cant see thru the sights unless I put my cheek on the end of the stock. Nowhere I can use with my cheek up on top of the stock. Its WAY too high. Keep in mind I have shot various rifles since 1965 but this one is massively uncomfortable. I did manage to find a spot but its not comfortable.
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change the stock then, it takes ohhhh about 53 seconds.
 
I suppose the tactical guys have so much armor on them that the stock will not make it to the shoulder anyways. I will just shoot it at its shortest setting. That seems better.
I am planning to put a scope on it and am looking at the 2 Nikon P223 scopes. If I put the 3-9 on it looks like I will have to remove the rear popup sight. What kind of scope would be best? I like the P223 3x. Excellent glass and nice and short. Im guessing that the scope mount will be a fair bit higher than the mount on my 223 bolt action. Would I be better to swap out the front sight? Its part of the gas block and is M16ish..
 
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