Posted: 4/29/2017 5:53:27 AM EDT
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So I bought a Colt M4 and I'm looking for ideas on how to set it up. No pics yet becuase its still in the store.
Its a 14.5" barrel, with magpul furniture. caliber is 222rem (because Spain  )
I'm having a JP Enterprises Adjustable Gas Block with A2 Front Sight installed and Magpul Gen 2 MBUS Rear Flip Sight. Most of all I'm loooking for suggestions in terms of red dot or holo sight. Thinking more short and medium range here. Yes, I know Trijicon, Eotech and Aimpoint are the best, but I dont feel like dropping +700 bucks on a red dot or holo sight, which is the starting price they go for around here. Vortex has been suggested, and maybe a 1x Vortex is what I'm looking for. Also need a sling and to put a flashlight in that magpul foregrip. Suggestions or pics would b great. And yes, I'm getting a FAL too in short order but given location and ammo availability this was objectively the first gun to buy  ).
FerFAL |
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Get yourself a 5.56 chamber reamer in the event you need to pick up some "surplus" govt ammo!
http://www.m-guns.com/tools.php |
| There's a plethora of red dots available, but if you want a holographic sight below EOTech prices, your only option is the Steiner MRS ($460, but can be had close to $360 if you watch for sales). Everything else is either not holographic, or in EOTech's price range. |
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You might look at the Vortex Spitfire 1x or 3x prism scopes.
The 1x, l believe, is more of a red dot scope but l haven't seen one. I do have the 3x and it's reticle is etched on the very clear glass. It has daylight red and green options. I bought it for my 6920 but moved it to my A4gery. I'm very happy with it there and have an Aimpoint something or other older low speed model l picked up on sale years ago on the M4 now. The 3x Spitfire is around $350 in the states. I think the 1x is a bit cheaper. |
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as above... I have a Vortex SPARC II and a Spitfire 1x on my AR9s...the Spitfire has the reticle etched on the prism, so is visible as a dark line at all times, and has red or green option when illuminated ... it has an adjustable eye piece to focus if you have any vision requirements... I don't really like the concentric circles on the reticle (one would be plenty, and the center dot is pretty small) around $200 USD... the SPARC is a single red dot of variable brightness... I have a pretty bad astigmatism and the dot is very round for me... there are a couple of versions, mine uses a 2032 coin cell and there is a more streamlined version using a AA battery (SPARC AR) around $200 USD
my 5.56 ARs are set up for 3 gun, and have full float front ends, and vertical hand grips I use as monopods....my competition ARs have Rock River NM triggers...Miculek comps..one is rifle stock and other is carbine... I prefer the rifle length (A1 VietNam era)... if you save for a used ACOG, you will be happy ... regards this is the RRA upper on an Armalite lower... the carbine is similar with collapsible stock 
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| Primary arms and holosun make great quality red dots at affordable prices. The bushnell trs25 is also a dependable red dot under $100usd. The sig Romeo optics are also very good and come with lifetime warranty. I prefer a simple rig, certainly nothing more the a optic, compact light and sling. I've tried the forward grips and all that and found them to not feel natural and just get in the way. But have fun with your new rifle, like others said mags and ammo should be the next thing to stock up on. Replacement parts too when you can. |
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trying to wrap my mind around why this is in the survival forum. anywhoo i'm going to assume were setting this up as a SHTF gun?
for starters how available is .222rem ammo in spain? is .223/5.56 legal to own and shoot in spain? if it is I would agree getting a 5.56 barrel or having yours reamed out would be #1 on the list. every weapon I own that I would trust my life to will have a weapon mounted light, and a sling bare min. optic selection is a sensitive subject. I agree with the buy once, cry once philosophy in this department.(so i'd rock irons till your ready to purchase an optic) I personally have grown to like the low power variable's more so that I live in a rural area and my closest neighbor is a 1/4 mile away. so having that 4-5x magnification for target ID is important to me. and I find the 1.1-1.5x at lower power to be a non issue when shooting on the move and it's no slower than a red dot in my opinion. the only handicap is weight. (which again in my experience can help balance the rifle better thus feeling lighter than a muzzle heavy rifle) i'm actually saving up to try a ta44 acog for my sbr which is a 1.5x thinking it will help enough with target ID given the limitations of the platform yet be just as fast as a red dot yet with crystal clear sight picture. and on to that balance. knowing that you still have young ones keeping the rifle balanced and the weight down could be a very valuable asset as it could free an arm/hand for you that may be needed in the event of an emergency yet you could still shoot the gun one handed with reasonable results. (I personally like a slight rear bias so going to a stock that has a nicer cheek weld and storage can be a nice thing for many reasons, the magpul STR is my current favorite, love the cheek weld, and I keep a few extra cr123's and a sample pouch of oil in the rear tubes) if your putting a adjustable FSB on it remember to get a F marked FSB since it will be the correct height for buis. the A2 will be off. |
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Quoted:
trying to wrap my mind around why this is in the survival forum. anywhoo i'm going to assume were setting this up as a SHTF gun? for starters how available is .222rem ammo in spain? is .223/5.56 legal to own and shoot in spain? if it is I would agree getting a 5.56 barrel or having yours reamed out would be #1 on the list. every weapon I own that I would trust my life to will have a weapon mounted light, and a sling bare min. optic selection is a sensitive subject. I agree with the buy once, cry once philosophy in this department.(so i'd rock irons till your ready to purchase an optic) I personally have grown to like the low power variable's more so that I live in a rural area and my closest neighbor is a 1/4 mile away. so having that 4-5x magnification for target ID is important to me. and I find the 1.1-1.5x at lower power to be a non issue when shooting on the move and it's no slower than a red dot in my opinion. the only handicap is weight. (which again in my experience can help balance the rifle better thus feeling lighter than a muzzle heavy rifle) i'm actually saving up to try a ta44 acog for my sbr which is a 1.5x thinking it will help enough with target ID given the limitations of the platform yet be just as fast as a red dot yet with crystal clear sight picture. and on to that balance. knowing that you still have young ones keeping the rifle balanced and the weight down could be a very valuable asset as it could free an arm/hand for you that may be needed in the event of an emergency yet you could still shoot the gun one handed with reasonable results. (I personally like a slight rear bias so going to a stock that has a nicer cheek weld and storage can be a nice thing for many reasons, the magpul STR is my current favorite, love the cheek weld, and I keep a few extra cr123's and a sample pouch of oil in the rear tubes) if your putting a adjustable FSB on it remember to get a F marked FSB since it will be the correct height for buis. the A2 will be off. Eventually I'm getting another gun in 300blackout. That was the original idea but the Colt came up and its the best AR available here, only one left in the hands of the importer. FerFAL |
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Well yes, the idea is to set it up as a SHTF gun. The reason for 222 is that 223 isnt legal for semi autos so 222 is pretty common for ARs here, and 222 is easily found pretty much in all small town stores so as bad as it may be, its still a pretty good round and at least here it is very common. Eventually I'm getting another gun in 300blackout. That was the original idea but the Colt came up and its the best AR available here, only one left in the hands of the importer. FerFAL |
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Quoted:
Well yes, the idea is to set it up as a SHTF gun. The reason for 222 is that 223 isnt legal for semi autos so 222 is pretty common for ARs here, and 222 is easily found pretty much in all small town stores so as bad as it may be, its still a pretty good round and at least here it is very common. Eventually I'm getting another gun in 300blackout. That was the original idea but the Colt came up and its the best AR available here, only one left in the hands of the importer. FerFAL do you guys have barrel length restrictions? suppressors legal? a suppressed sbr in 300blk would make for a very handy tool. if sbr's and suppressors are a no-no why not look to something like a 6.5 grendel. because if you lose those features the novelty of the 300blk wears off. the 7.62x40WT would be a better option but it does require modified magazines and is more of a handloaders cartridge. you could always start with a spare upper and work on it becoming a second rifle in time. |
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Thats interesting. looks like it's only a few 100 ft/sec behind .223, not sure if handloading is an option or what barrel twist you have but you could ultimately take advantage of the shorter case by running a bullet like the 75gr eld-m which is just a hair to long for the .223/5.56 case. again this is assuming you have a 1:8-1:7 twist? do you guys have barrel length restrictions? suppressors legal? a suppressed sbr in 300blk would make for a very handy tool. if sbr's and suppressors are a no-no why not look to something like a 6.5 grendel. because if you lose those features the novelty of the 300blk wears off. the 7.62x40WT would be a better option but it does require modified magazines and is more of a handloaders cartridge. you could always start with a spare upper and work on it becoming a second rifle in time. 6.5 is available here, but I wanted common 223 mags which the 222 uses as well. It's also a lot harder to find than 222, which is verycommon around here. 222 seems to have a longer neck, so in theory it should be easier to load heavier projectiles. No clue in the barrel twist yet, gotta ask. It's probably another couple weeks until the gun store gets that jp front sight, installs it and sends me the gun. FerFAL |
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My advice would be to bite the bullet and go with an Aimpoint T1, but if you're not willing to shell out that kind of money for an optic a good facsimile would be the Primary Arms Microdot or Holosun lines of RDS. I've got a Microdot on one of my custom .22LRs that has been fantastic. Holds zero just fine with recoil; they are designed to take recoil of larger calibers as well. It's a T1 clone that's fairly ruggedly built, although battery life is not nearly as good as a real T1. For the money they're great RDS and cost significantly less than Aimpoints.
You can land the newer version of the Microdot with riser for under $200. Primary Arms Red Dots |
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Think I'm set on a Vortex, which model would be best for this gun? I see both the Spark II and Strikefire II getting good reviews but not sure which one is best.
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My advice would be to bite the bullet and go with an Aimpoint T1, but if you're not willing to shell out that kind of money for an optic a good facsimile would be the Primary Arms Microdot or Holosun lines of RDS. I've got a Microdot on one of my custom .22LRs that has been fantastic. Holds zero just fine with recoil; they are designed to take recoil of larger calibers as well. It's a T1 clone that's fairly ruggedly built, although battery life is not nearly as good as a real T1. For the money they're great RDS and cost significantly less than Aimpoints. You can land the newer version of the Microdot with riser for under $200. Primary Arms Red Dots FerFAL |
The light is dated, but clone life 
I think I can get a brighter led bulb Aimpoint M2 285$ used Attached File |
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Think I'm set on a Vortex, which model would be best for this gun? I see both the Spark II and Strikefire II getting good reviews but not sure which one is best. You think Holosun is a better option than vortex? FerFAL So pluses to me for the PA would be more precise dot (2 MOA vs. 4 MOA) and significantly lower weight. Cost is roughly similar from what I can tell. Personally I don;t see why you'd prefer the larger, heavier Vortex unless you simply want that form factor, but it's all personal preference, I guess. |
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Look at Vortex Spark II red-dot sights and a Vortex VMX-3T 3x magnifier. The magnifier can be flipped sideways when not needed. It comes with a side-flip mount. This will give you short and mid range optics.
I love Vortex. Vortex optics are very clear and just about as good as the premium glass that costs 5 times as much. Also look at installing a Magpul MOE grip with a cover on the bottom. You can store a barrel cleanup "pull string" inside the grip and maybe a spare battery for your red dot. I store a "Ripcord" cleaner in mine. |
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I've only used the Microdot, but the Holosun is basically the same thing with a different reticle. I haven't used the Vortex, but it appears to get good reviews. I'd say the difference would be your preference in form factor, although I'd point out that the Microdot/Holosun is nearly half the weight and has a more precise dot at 2 MOA. Personally I dislike 4 MOA dots, but YMMV. The Microdot/Holosun has a Aimpoint T1 Micro form factor, while the Vortex seems to more closely resemble the larger Aimpoints. I have a T1 on one of my guns and a Comp M3 on another (which appears to be similar to the Vortex in form factor), and I prefer the T1 gun by a wide margin due to the low weight and low profile of the optic. So pluses to me for the PA would be more precise dot (2 MOA vs. 4 MOA) and significantly lower weight. Cost is roughly similar from what I can tell. Personally I don;t see why you'd prefer the larger, heavier Vortex unless you simply want that form factor, but it's all personal preference, I guess. Vortex or Holosun, which one to get? The 2MOA dot + circle would be a good combination. |
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Ok, now I see lots of great comments about Holosun. They look well made and that solar model seems like a great way to go for a SHTF gun. Vortex or Holosun, which one to get? The 2MOA dot + circle would be a good combination. As a "survival" rifle, I still think a 1-4x (or 5/6x) is a better option. It would make your rifle heavier, but for precision shooting, hunting, etc. it is a better choice IMHO. You can still do regular drills, it just won't be as light and with etched reticles, you don't have to worry about batteries. Just another consideration as you can find some quality variable optics for ARs in the $300-450 range. As a dedicated combat rifle, I would recommend a RDS, but if you're thinking is more "survival" and the various scenarios that encompass that need, a variable powered optic is a better advantage. I have a few setup this way: 
ROCK6 |
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On the .300 Blackout that just joined the herd I'm trying out a Leupold 1-4 VX-HOG scope and so far I'm really liking it. Very quick sight picture, fairly light and not horribly expensive. This rifle is intended for all around farm duty, Basically popping coyotes and other varmints eying little livestock with bad intent. The scope seems to be perfect for that role.
1-4X Hog scope |