Some items I need for my RRA NM AR-15 . I have joined the service rifle group and need some
items. Can you please help me choose based on your experience ?
thank you, Nost.

Sling: (I think I want this one in black?)
Turner Saddlery Carlos Hathcock Sniper Sling Leather

front sight black?

front sight adjusting tool?

handguard removal tool?

The Turner sling will work just fine, but for a few dollars more, a Les Tam or Ron Brown are nicer.

Sight black is important to have.  Many people seem to be using the sight black in a spray can from Birchwood Casy, as it is easier to use than a traditional carbide lamp, but I think the old school cabide lamp gives a better result.

The front sight adjustment tool isn't a necessity (you can use a punch, scribe or a bullet to move the front sight) but it makes life a little easier.  I have one just for that reason.

If your NM AR has a free-float handguard, you really shouldn't have any reason to remove the handguards, so I'd say pass on the tool––unless you have other ARs that you plan on stripping down.


Some other things you might want to consider are a good shooting glove, shooting coat, shooting mat (all available from Creedmoore) and a scope and stand...and lots of dryfire practice.

as for the FSP tool,
a bullet is all you need but a tool makes thing easier...

this tool is nice but can be damaged easily if dropped...


the buffer technologies multi tool is way better and has a few nice features is one tool

ever try the turner biothane model. no stretch like leather.

I use a turner on my M1A. Some stretch and some cracks in the 7 years it has been on there.

Bichwood casey sight black. Carbide lamp will cause rust if not all removed.

Turner biothane sling.  

It's stable (no stretch), requires very little break-in and no maintenance besides keeping it clean.

Why not a good old candle to blacken the sights? The soot is the flattest, blackest you can get and won't hurt anything, while being easy to remove. If you try a candle, just be sure to get a cheap one, not the 'smokeless' kind.

Sir, yes leather stretches!  I've never liked the biothane slings, while they don't stretch like leather the down side of that truth is that sliding the keepers is difficult making putting the sling on and taking it off more tedious.  I personally have used Les Tam leather slings for seven or eight years.  Yes they stretch, as did my turner leather slings, but I generally replace them after three years of normal (for me) use.

I'll not dispute that you may have experienced some rust on your front sight, but not solely because it had carbide soot on it.  I've used carbide lamps for many years and occassionally I will use an old tooth brush to remove soot from my front sight but not with any regularity.  Dampness combined with carbide soot may cause some rust but given a properly cleaned rifle and properly stored the carbide by itself will not cause rust.  I use sight covers on all my M1As and ARs and I store my guns in a safe equipped with a dehumidifier.  I've never experienced any form of rust on any of my guns that were properly cleaned before I put them away in the safe.  FWIW, I've used a RayVinn carbide super smoker for at least ten years now.  I still have some of the old miners lamps but haven't used them since I got my super smoker.

Although I assume the handguard removal tool can be a handy tool to have you don't really need one for the purpose.  I've never had one for the many years I've competed with ARs.  I have taken the handguards on and off my rifles many times as I experiment with different combinations of weights inside the handguards.  I suppose having the handguard removal tool would make it a bit easier but it's not difficult as it is!  HTH, 7zero1.

JHW slings are the only way to go!

http://www.slingsbyjhw.com/

Carbide lamp gives the blackest sight black. Spend the dough and get the ray vin. I didnt want to but ultimately I did. Both sets of products are well worth it.



Erik

+1

Big fan of John Wellers slings...Les Tam is a good maker too

+2 on the carbide lamp.  I have 2 of Ray's.  The best design out there.

Marty

(Cut for an earlier post)

This is what I did.

$1,000 Rock River Arms National Match A2 AR15 (.223 is the easiest and cheapest to shoot)
$200 Konus 20x60x80 spotting scope (Kowa is better but 3 times more)
$200 Vin-Ray scope stand (buy once, cry once)
$50-75 Sling (I like Les Tam @ $75)
$25-60 Glove (I'm a open finger guy)
$100 Used shooting jacket off Ebay (bought my hawkeye 20 year old heavy leather jacket for $115)
$80 Shooting mat (mine is a Creedmoor with extra padding)
$65 Shooting stool (mine is a Creedmoor)
$25 Dewy cleaning rod
$20 Sinclair AR cleaning rod guide
$20 AR cleaning hold open
5 ~ $15 Mags (20 round straight body)
$25 NRA membership
$150 Ammunition (400 rounds Remington 55 grain) (I now reload on a Lee press)
$35 Ray-vin Super Smoker (the best)
$30 shell holder (20 round + 2 sighters)

There you go, 2K. Now go have fun.

If you shoot short courses, the ammo will be fine your first year. This year I bought a press and am making my own "match" ammo at the same cost.

I also bought a CLE 22.lr upper this year for training. Yes at 1k it’s a lot, but I have put 1300 rounds down the tube and at the ammo cost difference it will be paid for next year.

Remember, Dry fire as much as you can, focus on the front sight, forget about the last shot, don't worry about the next shot, and break this shot in the X ring.

Jim

ps; please don't show this post to my wife

inexpensive, and keeps biothane keepers moving smoothly

no need to drag it to the range
one application on Friday night is plenty good for a weekend

nothing against the guys who like to play with carbide and acetylene stuff

but this stuff is SO MUCH less hassle

Works fine; however, you have to clean it off after each daily use. It builds up and your front sight "grows". Carbide doesn't do that.

I clean it once every half-dozen or so outings.

It would require a buildup of 0.006" to change zero one MOA.

I'm not sure you could build-up 0.006" if you deliberately applied the entire can.

Cleaning it from the front sight takes all of 10 seconds with the tip of a dull screwdriver.

A little late on this reply, but, I have most of the things that you folks suggested, and have spent the summer shooting
my AR on the service rifle league. At 55 yo, my eyes just ain't what they used to be. It was a difficult summer to learn the
ropes in, the 2nd hottest in recorded history in Michigan. I have purchased the BC sight black, which is just fine for my
amateurish skills. I did, however, purchase both Turner slings, leather and synthetic, and pesonally I like the synthetic
the best. It seems to offer better support for some reason. The leather is easier to adjust, but once you learn what you
have to do, it's not a big deal. Some things I have learned that have helped my Service Rifle score are:
1) Load your own ammo, and sort your cases. My favorite load is 69 gr Sierra with 24.7g of Varget @ 2.255".
2) POA = Point of aim, it took me a while to learn this technique.
3) Proper clothing: comfortable footwear that give good balance and support.
4) Shooting Jacket: gives support to the body and secure hold on the rifle. (funny it hasn't really helped my "off hand" shooting, but has helped my 3 other positions?
5) Putting all the little techniques, positions, rules, into memory so they become instinct. Being as prepared and "fluent" as possible.
6) Not shooting somebody else's target !!!  It took my 5 or so matches to overcome this "terrible" tendency.
7) Very important, and maybe the most important besides safety, and that is to "HAVE FUN" !!!
It has taken me most of the year just to break 400, but I did it the last three matches.
Thanks for all your help, Service Rifle is a cool, fun, challenging hobby.
Nostradamus