Here is my final configuration for my M16A2 that I converted into an M4 for OIF II.

Bushmaster M4 upper receiver, 14.5” barrel, 1/9 twist.
DPMS M16 bolt carrier assembly.
Cav Arms butt stock kit.
Spec-Ops Brand “Mamba” sling.
KAC RAS hand guard.
KAC “Tan” rail covers and vertical grip.
First Samco, Surefire light mount.
Surefire, G2 flashlight.
Tapco T168, 6X scope.
Aimpoint ML2, 4 MOA red dot scope.
Badger Tactical Latch.





My durocoated A2 grip after 2 months of daily use.



Tapco T168 scope I use daily on the perimeter.



Each and every item I used held up to some serious abuse in a combat environment as evident by all the wear marks on the weapon and furniture. I carried my M4 conversion daily for over 12 months climbing in and out of vehicles. It even took a 7' slam onto the concrete when I was pulling equipment out of a truck and it snagged my M4 and sent it airborne into a swan dive followed by a 4' slide across the pavement. (Cool points gone forever). It got so hot here last summer, I burnt the serial number on the lower into my hand once. Kevlar gloves are for year round use here.

I heartily endorse each and every item I used.

The Bushmaster upper had zero problems as I expected from BM products.

I started out with the whole Cav Arms, M4 furniture kit in Coyote Brown. I don’t like the shape of the grip as it feels narrow to me soI switched to a Duracoated A2 grip. I switched the M4 hand guard when a Special Forces guy gave me the KAC RAS hand guard. I like it but there are 3 rails I don’t use. The M4 HG with a rail on the bottom would have served me fine.

The Spec-Ops “Mamba” sling is great. I only wish it were a little wider. It digs into the shoulder a little if worn without wearing body armor. The bungy section on the sling helps to keep it from hanging up on other equipment has it has some give to it.

The KAC Ras HG and vertical grip are military issue items and I like them. I got the tan rail covers and grip cause no one else had them. I also wanted to see how close a match they were to the Cav Arms butt stock. Not even close. Probably a perfect match for the Cav Arms tan.

The First Samco light mount fits real tight to the rail but the screw holding the flashlight on, comes loose easily. I will epoxy or super glue my next G2 to the mount.


The G2 flashlight and the Tapco T168 scope are at the bottom of the rung as far as price goes but they paid for themselves over and over.

The Aimpoint is very fast on target. So fast you tend to use poor marksman fundamentals and just point and shoot. I used mine with a non-collapsible BUIS. By sighting through the BUIS and the ML2, I was able to get fast and accurate shoots. Worked well on over 20 dogs at range from 5’ to 175 yards.

The Badger Tactical Latch is worth its weight in gold. I can’t remember the last time I used my firing hand to charge the bolt.




Edited because I left off the last couple of sentences.

TangoChaser,

Thanks for the update and excellent review (and for your service).

I am seriously looking at the Tapco T168 scope you have used. Did this hold up OK to the abuse of daily life in the sandbox, hold zero, and generally hold together well? $69 seems like a very good price, but I wanted to be sure before I dropped the cash.

Thanks

Curious: what is Durocoat?

The only problem I encountered is the illumination knob comes loose easily but tights just as easy and the scope comes with lens covers that come off easy when rubbing against gear. I just left them off. I took the knob off and tighted the internal screw and it has remained tight ever since.

Very fast on target with very clear optics. It never fogged up when the wheather got bad. This is a rugged scope for any general purpose. There are two of us on the base that use this scope and they are worth the money. Not a cheap product as the price would indicate.

Zero is still good and no other issues at all. Very rugged.

Quoted: Curious: what is Durocoat?

CLICK ME

Curious: what is Durocoat?

I spelled it wrong. It's Duracoat and is a weapon coating made by Lauer Custom Weaponry. Their listed in the Industry section here on AR15.com.

Quoted: The only problem I encountered is the illumination knob comes loose easily but tights just as easy and the scope comes with lens covers that come off easy when rubbing against gear. I just left them off. I took the knob off and tighted the internal screw and it has remained tight ever since. Very fast on target with very clear optics. It never fogged up when the wheather got bad. This is a rugged scope for any general purpose. There are two of us on the base that use this scope and they are worth the money. Not a cheap product as the price would indicate. Zero is still good and no other issues at all. Very rugged.

Very good.

Good to know you don't have to drop 4 bills just to get a 6X that works. I just threw away a leapers 4X that wouldn't hold Zero, was worthless. I use irons and an ML2 mostly but just want some magnification for work at longer ranges without spending a fortune on a Leupold or ACOG.
I'll order the T168 and give it a shot on my 20" A2.

Thanks again.

Please yell out a hearty w00t! to Iraq for all of us lard ass wannabees!

So you never had to mount a PEQ-2?  You said you didn't need to use three of the rails, so I'm assuming you only used the bottom one.

TC,
Great post, thanks for sharing your observations.  

May I make one of my own?

Quoted: The First Samco light mount fits real tight to the rail but the screw holding the flashlight on, comes loose easily. I will epoxy or super glue my next G2 to the mount.

I'd suggest ditching the First Samco and get a TDI light mount (From Brightflashlights).

They come in tan (specify when ordering).  They fit properly on M1913 rails, have twice the latching power (two buttons instead of one), and I find they hold the light better and dont' come loose.

I've replaced all my Fobus's with the TDIs and have not looked back.

Quoted: I'd suggest ditching the First Samco and get a TDI light mount

I bought one of these on Forest's recommendation, and they are nice!

great review TANGOCHASER

Your  real SHTF set up is awesome and thanks for the insight. I am particularly impressed with BM reliability and thoughts on the optics.

Great to see how durable all was and stood up to the punishment

will look for your posts stateside outside the war-zone for a while.

i take it you interchanged the aimpoint and and T168. did the T168 return to zero after unmounting and remounting it?

Great post.  I'm also interested in the Tapco sight.  I don't have 1K for an ACOG.  Have you used the ACOG?  How would you compare them?

-KW

he is probably wacking some tangos right now :)

So you never had to mount a PEQ-2? You said you didn't need to use three of the rails, so I'm assuming you only used the bottom one.

I have a PEQ-2 but it is mission specific and only mount it when I need it. You'll notice the top rail cover is missing on my HG so I can mount the PEQ-2 in a hurry if I need to. You'll also notice the velcro for the PEQ-2 tape switch on the magwell in the photo.

i take it you interchanged the aimpoint and and T168. did the T168 return to zero after unmounting and remounting it?

I haven't checked it at the range but it doesn't seem to make a difference on dogs. Out to 175 yards I saw no difference it point of impact after swapping optics. I obviously use the same mounting location and push the optic forward as I tighten it. No noticeable shift in point of aim/point of impact.

I'd suggest ditching the First Samco and get a TDI light mount (From Brightflashlights). They come in tan (specify when ordering). They fit properly on M1913 rails, have twice the latching power (two buttons instead of one), and I find they hold the light better and dont' come loose. I've replaced all my Fobus's with the TDIs and have not looked back.

I'll check it out but what I like about the First Samco mount is there are no protuding buttons or levers when installed. The mount is very tight on the rails it just comes loose on the flashlight. I've tried the lights mounted on the 3 o'clock rail and I have trouble reaching the button with my thumb. I've tried tape switches but I keep having negligent white light discharges. I also whacked the light on a door post once while entering a room.

TANGOCHASER,
Thanks for the report.Very helpful.
Just curious,what brand of weapons lubricant have you been using over there that withstands the environment and the heat you describe?

TANGOCHASER, Thanks for the report.Very helpful. Just curious,what brand of weapons lubricant have you been using over there that withstands the environment and the heat you describe?

I use Remington dry lube in the dusty summer months. Very slick stuff. I once went about 2 weeks without lubing my weapon just to see how long it would last. Still chambered every round after 2 weeks. Now thaqt it's cold and rainy, I went back to BreakFree.


Just checked the TDi mount and it is better than the First Samco. It tightens around the flashlight as it tightens on the rail. I will get one, thanks.

Quoted: TANGOCHASER, Thanks for the report.Very helpful. Just curious,what brand of weapons lubricant have you been using over there that withstands the environment and the heat you describe? I use Remington dry lube in the dusty summer months. Very slick stuff. I once went about 2 weeks without lubing my weapon just to see how long it would last. Still chambered every round after 2 weeks. Now thaqt it's cold and rainy, I went back to BreakFree. Just checked the TDi mount and it is better than the First Samco. It tightens around the flashlight as it tightens on the rail. I will get one, thanks.

Thanks again for the information TANGOCHASER.Look foward to reading your future posts.

The First Samco light mount fits real tight to the rail but the screw holding the flashlight on, comes loose easily. I will epoxy or super glue my next G2 to the mount.

Have the same problem. I took my first Fobus/First Samco back to the retailer because it was coming loose; they replaced it. On my second one I saw what was happening: The light retaining screw is mounted to a rather soft plastic plate that pushes the light against the inside wall of the mount as a means of securing. After each shot, my light would tend to "walk" a bit forward. After slow fire of 30 rounds, my light (Surefire 6P) has almost "walked" out the front of the mount. The screw never came loose, but I think a better design would have called for maybe more rigid plastic or a true clamping system where two plates squeeze together on the light. All in all, a good idea but needs improvement. Ditched the Fobus mount and went with a KAC. MUCH better!

TangoChaser, a few friends are using the Viking Tactics light mount. It's offset, and allows you to use your offhand thumb to activate your light. It should be more than durable enough. It's my favorite legacy light mount, and it's only $20!

www.vikingtactics.com

-Cap'n

That scope's next on my list.  Thanks!

anyone have a shot of the reticule in the tapco scope?

It is a mildot type retcile. I'll take some pictures and post them this evening.

Outstanding info, as always, TC.

I ordered a T168 based on your review.  My 20" needs a 6x, and like many others here, I didn't want to dish out the Benjamins for one.  It's nice to know that the optic I'm getting has been tested... and held up.  NOT that I'm going to do anything like youhave been (I was in the first Gulf War when I was a young buck), but it's nice to know it'll handle the bangs on the endge of the safe when I take 'em out and go to the range.

Thanks again, and Semper Fi from an old Jarhead!  

Oh man that's great news!  I was looking at the T168 a long time ago, but the 70 bucks just made me feel like it would be a cheap optic, barely able to work at the range!  This is excellent news, I'll be buying a T168 soon.  So many reviews and opinions on this site say Lupy or die... glad to know I can spend 70 bucks on an optic and still be effective.

Nikkels

EDIT:  Does anyone know if that scope interferes with a BUIS... a YHM one to be exact.

TC?

Did you make a practice of setting your rig set to Auto (or burst- I didnt check the version you have) when on station/duty? Or did you and others tend to set to semi or safe until 'necessary'?

what is the SOP on this?

and were you able to maintain a reliable zero when swapping optics in/out?

Thanks.

TC,

 Good to hear that you're well and kicking.  Thanks for your posts, as you can see its very informitive.  Stay safe and good luck again on your next assignment.  At least you won't have to worry about anymore tangos!

CD

PS Did you do a comparison with M855 and Mk 262 on the dogs?

edited to add to RedFisher:
Most units (including mine) that the weapon is always on safe.  I train my teams/sections to manipulate the safety as they bring the gun up.  There's way too many ADs in the rear.

Quoted: Oh man that's great news!  I was looking at the T168 a long time ago, but the 70 bucks just made me feel like it would be a cheap optic, barely able to work at the range!  This is excellent news, I'll be buying a T168 soon.  So many reviews and opinions on this site say Lupy or ACOG or die... glad to know I can spend 70 bucks on an optic and still be effective. Nikkels EDIT:  Does anyone know if that scope interferes with a BUIS... a YHM one to be exact.

Fixed

when you say dogs do you mean 4 legged dogs or bad guys?  are there shit loads of feral dogs around or something?

EDIT: Does anyone know if that scope interferes with a BUIS... a YHM one to be exact.

The scope has about a 3" eye relief. You would have to mount it a couple of notches farther forward as the rear of the scope is almost even with the back of the upper receiver. A flip up site might work ok as the are relatively narrow when in the up position.

TC? Did you make a practice of setting your rig set to Auto (or burst- I didnt check the version you have) when on station/duty? Or did you and others tend to set to semi or safe until 'necessary'? what is the SOP on this? and were you able to maintain a reliable zero when swapping optics in/out?

We keep it on safe until the weapon is almost at eye level and ready to fire. Always on semi. Burst is a waist of ammo. I wish I had auto cause it can be a intimidator when used at the right time. On a good day, I can put 30 rounds in a 6" circle at 25 meters on full auto.  
I saw no noticeable shift in my zeros when switching optics, but I only hit targets out to 175 yards or so.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TC, Good to hear that you're well and kicking. Thanks for your posts, as you can see its very informitive. Stay safe and good luck again on your next assignment. At least you won't have to worry about anymore tangos! CD PS Did you do a comparison with M855 and Mk 262 on the dogs?

Is a liberal college professor a Tango?

The Mk 262 (77gr HP) usually dropped the dogs with one shot. I was unable to find and entrance or exit wound. All I saw was some bleeding from the mouth and that's it. Very effective round. I used up about a mag of the Mk 262. I F'd up and shipped the remainder of the rounds home already. Went back to the issue M855 (62gr FMJ) and it's back to 2-3 shot per dog with large entrance and exit wounds. Complete penetration. Have to shot em in the shoulder to slow em down then run up and shoot them in the head. Pisses me off when I have to run 100 meters to shoot em again.

Quoted: Went back to the issue M855 (62gr FMJ) and it's back to 2-3 shot per dog with large entrance and exit wounds. Complete penetration. Have to shot em in the shoulder to slow em down then run up and shoot them in the head. Pisses me off when I have to run 100 meters to shoot em again.

Can you get some issue 55gr ammo to try on the dogs?  I'd be interesed to know how it performs vs the 62gr green tip your using.

I have not seen any since I've been in country but I'll keep my eye out.

Great review TC, and a very nice setup. Interesting about the T168, may have to have one of those sent to the house. It kind of drives home the point that accessories don't have to be expensive or pretty to work.

I was just thinking today how alot of the M4/M16 setups I've seen over here would be laughed off this board by the gearophiles

Take it easy and be safe.


Oh, and Bogomil, I'd imagine TC is refering to feral dogs, there are as you say "shit loads" of 'em. A few months ago one of my buddies got surrounded by a pack of them (he was unarmed) at night. He just backed away from and didn't get hurt, but said it was pretty freaky.

53Vortec


ETA: TC, have you seen the "T.O.P." slings at your PX? Ours has them in stock but they don't have a pic on the box and I can't find anyone that has used one. Feel free to IM me. Thanks.

I've killed 27 wild dogs in the last year. 35 is the talley for the entire base. There is another pack of 8 dogs near one of our gates. Here puppy, puppy.

Quoted: So you never had to mount a PEQ-2? You said you didn't need to use three of the rails, so I'm assuming you only used the bottom one. I have a PEQ-2 but it is mission specific and only mount it when I need it. You'll notice the top rail cover is missing on my HG so I can mount the PEQ-2 in a hurry if I need to. You'll also notice the velcro for the PEQ-2 tape switch on the magwell in the photo. i take it you interchanged the aimpoint and and T168. did the T168 return to zero after unmounting and remounting it? I haven't checked it at the range but it doesn't seem to make a difference on dogs. Out to 175 yards I saw no difference it point of impact after swapping optics. I obviously use the same mounting location and push the optic forward as I tighten it. No noticeable shift in point of aim/point of impact. I'd suggest ditching the First Samco and get a TDI light mount (From Brightflashlights). They come in tan (specify when ordering). They fit properly on M1913 rails, have twice the latching power (two buttons instead of one), and I find they hold the light better and dont' come loose. I've replaced all my Fobus's with the TDIs and have not looked back. I'll check it out but what I like about the First Samco mount is there are no protuding buttons or levers when installed. The mount is very tight on the rails it just comes loose on the flashlight. I've tried the lights mounted on the 3 o'clock rail and I have trouble reaching the button with my thumb. I've tried tape switches but I keep having negligent white light discharges. I also whacked the light on a door post once while entering a room.

Have you tried one o these yet?
I haven't gotten one yet but I found that I liked the light mounted a 3 O'clock much better when one of these was used. It made it much easier to get to the light with the thumb to activate it when I checked out FMD's carbine at out DE class in Oct.


ETA: for you guys interested in the T168 I found it at clearview investments for 39.99 If anyone is interested I'll do the same thing to one of these as I am doing with my tacpoint. Abuse the hell out of it. I know nothing I can do to it will compare to what tangochaser has done with his, but it would be more data on just how reliable/rugged these optics are, another sample to add to the data already available.

Tango,

Do you use the reticle light?  How long do you leave it on for?  Where do you get the batteries and how often do you change them?

Was thinking about giving one of my inventory T168's to my Nephew who's deploying with his Marine Reserve unit soon.  Wanted to know if he would be able to use it.

Keep up the good work and come home when your job's done.

Quoted: I've killed 27 wild dogs in the last year. 35 is the talley for the entire base. There is another pack of 8 dogs near one of our gates. Here puppy, puppy.

You can be a PD consultant on how to best kill doggies with all that experiance PD's should be breaking down your door

What do I call it?

Tactical Canine Eradication Course.

Puppy Popper Class (for the squeemish).

Tango, Do you use the reticle light? How long do you leave it on for? Where do you get the batteries and how often do you change them? Was thinking about giving one of my inventory T168's to my Nephew who's deploying with his Marine Reserve unit soon. Wanted to know if he would be able to use it. Keep up the good work and come home when your job's done.

I have not used the reticle light to shoot anything. I don't really like it but it might work on a dim setting at dusk. In the Dark, the reticle is really red and tends to make you look at the reticle instead of the target. I don't know what the battery life is yet. It takes CR2032, 3V lithium batteries and the scope came with 4 batteries. It takes 2 to operate.

The scope is made/sold by www.leapers.com.

The tube and integral mount are made from 6061 T6 aluminum. That's the same as the material for lower receivers.

As soon as i recharge my camera batteries, I'll take a photo of the reticle and the lit retcile.

Quoted: What do I call it? Tactical Canine Eradication Course. Puppy Popper Class (for the squeemish).

Thats got a nice ring to it

The T168 has a lifetime warranty according to the LEAPERS web page.

Amazing that something so inexpensive has performed so well.


ETA:  Tango, scope looks like it sits pretty high.  Does that bother you at all?

great review, keep up the good work

ETA: Tango, scope looks like it sits pretty high. Does that bother you at all?

It is a perfect site picture. If it is higher than my iron site line of sight, it is not noticeable at all. The front site post is not visible in the scope. The scope is designed to sit inside the carry handle of an AR15 but it comes with 2 mounts to attach it to a weaver or picatinny rail.

Quoted: great review, keep up the good work

+1

Thank you for your service.  Stay Safe

I made a mistake on the size of the mildots. It appears they are 1 moa not 2 moa like I thought. Just like most men, read the instructions after you use the product.

Tango . hi I would like to ask you a question , how are the Benneli M4's doing , are there any Bennlli M-1s , choke , and loads if you can ?  Have they been usefull ?  STAY SAFE , not sure who you're with , doesnt matter semper fi . Thanks R L   (edited in "like" duhh)

Quoted: I made a mistake on the size of the mildots. It appears they are 1 moa not 2 moa like I thought. Just like most men, read the instructions after you use the product.

So true

Hey, keep up the good work over there and keep your head down.

WIZZO

Tango . hi I would like to ask you a question , how are the Benneli M4's doing , are there any Bennlli M-1s , choke , and loads if you can ? Have they been usefull ? STAY SAFE , not sure who you're with , doesnt matter semper fi . Thanks R L (edited in "like" duhh)

Haven't seen any Benneli shotguns here. We are using a mix of Mossberg 590s and remington 870s. We were lucky to find those. We raided a wharehouse in germany and found the shotguns we now have. We've been usin standard 00 buckshot and some funky communist slugs.

I showed our guys how to do a "cut down" round. You score the case just above the wad and when you fire it, the shell breaks off at the score mark and the 00 takes off like a slug. When it hits a car door or other material, it penetrates like a slug then breaks up like a regular shotgun load. I've penetrated car doors using #9 birdshot using this technique. The round then slpattered the target in a tight shotgun pattern inside the car. Way cool and very effective.

AWWW MAN! What's the dilly on the pics?? I WANNA SEEEEEE!