What is MilSpec - and should I care...
- Thread starter KevinB
- Start date
Correct.
Another issue to note - as folks have brought up bolts. A lot of people think if you do not use Carpenter 158 steel than your bolt is a miserable POS. Well all Carpenter 158 is, is a tool steel that was developed in 1958, since then many steel alloys have been developed that are more effective than that. For instance if someone was to use 158 in a Bolt for a piston gun, I would say that was foolish. The Hk416 bolt is not US MilSpec - but it is MilSpec for certain countries.
Current MilSpec for the buffer tube is 6 positions for the M16/M4
Currently MilSpec for the M110/Mk11 Mod2 Carbine is 10 position (and its longer than the M4).
Another issue to note - as folks have brought up bolts. A lot of people think if you do not use Carpenter 158 steel than your bolt is a miserable POS. Well all Carpenter 158 is, is a tool steel that was developed in 1958, since then many steel alloys have been developed that are more effective than that. For instance if someone was to use 158 in a Bolt for a piston gun, I would say that was foolish. The Hk416 bolt is not US MilSpec - but it is MilSpec for certain countries.
Current MilSpec for the buffer tube is 6 positions for the M16/M4
Currently MilSpec for the M110/Mk11 Mod2 Carbine is 10 position (and its longer than the M4).
The general "milspec" only describes what the items need to do (without specifying how it is made), what it looks like and other "milspec" the item needs to be in compliance with regarding manufacturing, quality control and packaging - and finally the drawings themselves.
See, if you don't test fire your rifle with M855 that is not made according to its own "milspec" using the testing protocol specified it is not US milspec.......some of the "MILSPEC" are not very useful or applicable to the commercial market.
Another example, the most common thing that got beaten to death is the staking of the gas key. There is a commonly used staking method used by Colt, but the milspec only said something about the "displayed" materials could not be squeezed over by so much vertically by the staking. In this case, you probably want to trust Colt because it has been doing this for 50 years but it is probably not "milspec" - just a common practice adopted by someone who has the most experience.
See, if you don't test fire your rifle with M855 that is not made according to its own "milspec" using the testing protocol specified it is not US milspec.......some of the "MILSPEC" are not very useful or applicable to the commercial market.
Another example, the most common thing that got beaten to death is the staking of the gas key. There is a commonly used staking method used by Colt, but the milspec only said something about the "displayed" materials could not be squeezed over by so much vertically by the staking. In this case, you probably want to trust Colt because it has been doing this for 50 years but it is probably not "milspec" - just a common practice adopted by someone who has the most experience.
