Why do I NEED an AR?

[Slugnutty]

May need to click on the image to expand. Don't know how it works here, but uploaded from PC pictures.

The rifle was put together by RPG Arms (now defunct company(I believe)) from Houston TX.
All AMERICAN made AK - (Almost)
Elk river tool and Die - Receiver - Belgrade, MT
Green Mountain Rifle barrel - Conway, New Hampshire
Magpul Furniture - Cheyenne WY
Geissele Automatics - Trigger group - North Wales PA
Krebs custom - retainer plates - Wauconda, IL
Ultimak gas tube/rail - Moscow, IDAHO!
Impact Weapons - SMC light mount - Timnath, CO
Surfire - G2X Tactical light - Fountain Valley, CA

And the only non-conus part -

Primary arms - red dot - Chena'





Yes, yes it DOES shoot darb well - I made a trade the year BHO won the presidency but before he took office, to get one GOOD -reliable - depend on with your life rifle - AR's we're a little too expensive for me and quite honestly I admired the 30 cal platform and know the AK was well regarded for a SHTF reliability.

My local gun store (for once not THE pawn shop - Right?) was willing to trade my SIG P229 plus about $150 or so for the AK - when I purchased it, it had Tapco furniture, trigger, stamped steel gas tube - I obviously added what I wanted, (who doesn't? when we can afford it)
I added the red dot this year as my eyes are going ( age and treachery) and needed the SHOOT HERE idiot assistance, and now wish I would have done it 10 years ago!


This year before Christmas I add a REAL AR to the safe also - I am in the decision process as we read this, I am leaning toward a Bravo Company - HSP Jack or the Daniel Defense DDM4V7 (M-Lok) or DDM4V11 (Keymod)
With a very distant third of Sig MCX, but shying away from the MCX as it has too may unique parts not replaceable from off the shelf AR parts.

I have a lot of feeling for both BCM and DD and have in interesting take on the decision process - but it's a weeeeee bit loony - tin foil hat type decision.
And not sure if it will hold water if brought out in the day light.

Any way, my choice with no regrets - even after I get an AR is the AK platform for robustness and reliability

[JohnR]

Dat ain't no real rifle, ain't got no wood on it nowhere.

[AIRret]

Bawanna, I'll even share my "income" of Ammo and Range time. I've NEVER had a bad time at the range!! Your judgement is good, that's why I accepted your cyber proposal several years back

Seriously, range time is a great break from everyday stress. You have to (and want to) REALLY concentrate! It's like a mini vacation, as well as an affirmation that you/me/and like minded, won't willingly be a victim. It empowers us, and makes us even with the bad guy (or terrorist). I know you have some mobility issues, and I have many orthopedic issues…….this levels the playing field. BUT STILL even though Hubby (my live in) and I train seriously, it still is a whole bunch of FUN!!

[Bawanna]

Orthopedic issues, hmmmm. I gotta look that up. That ain't like falsies or nuthin like that is it?

I really got no mobility issues, just can't stand up or walk.

I finally finished putting down that fake hardwood floor junk my live in made me put down.
8 or 9 hours wallering around on the floor like a mackerel out of water. Tuesday and I still feel like Foreman used me for a punching bag.

I won't be on the floor for awhile, I promise thee that.

[JohnR]

A few years ago I put down some "click lock" fake wood flooring, about 500 square feet of it, and it was hell on my knees. I had to spread out the work over a few days to make it bearable.

[Bawanna]

I've done about 1500 sq ft over the last few years. A few area's twice.
It's the hips and elbows on me, have to work with one hand and hold myself up with the other elbow. Knees get killed getting in and out of the chair. I try to have a box I drag around with every tool I might need but I still find myself scooting around to get something I left at the other end.

Sunday was the last section except for one bedroom that I haven't been told to do yet. But it was a little hallway area. Probably only a 120 sq ft but 5 doors and the hallway entrance. Tons of cutting and fitting and swearing. 8 or 9 hours in that tiny little area. Back in my construction days I would have been ashamed of myself for taking that long but I did the best I could and didn't waste many moves.

Used a different brand this time, quit carrying the stuff we used before and it actually went together a little nicer. I liked the darker color she picked this time too. But enough about fake wood flooring for quite a spell. I'm sitting up right and giving the old body a rest.
Probably split firewood this weekend.......maybe........or not.........hoping there's a gun show, have to check.

[SteveOak]

I never figured out how they thought the second amendment was about hunting. What animals would fit the part of the amendment "being necessary to the security of a free state"? Must be some big critters.

Actually they were talking to the people who weren't taught the constitution in school I guess.

They don't (necessarily) think that the 2nd Amendment is about hunting. It is a ploy. If you cannot win the argument you are in by reasonable means, you change the argument to one that you can win.

If they change the discussion from the Right to Keep and Bear Arms to something about hunting, then they can have an argument that they might win as in you can go to the grocery store and buy meat so you don't need to kill animals, etc.

[AIRret]

"Orthopedic issues, hmmmm. I gotta look that up. That ain't like falsies or nuthin like that is it?"
No, I'm all natural.
Orthopedic issues are a bad back, I jumped off of one too many towers when I was teaching water survival to future pilots.
Now that I think about it, I do have something artificial in my body…….My back is full of metal, two plates, 8 screws and a horizontal bar to stabilize everything.
But heck, I can still shoot a police qualifying score, so I'm good.
As you well know, you have to make do with the beat up body you have.

[Bawanna]

Terminator huh? I have two 12"? stainless steel rods wired to my lower spine. Looks wicked cool in an xray.

I'll have to check into one of them horizontal stabilizer bars, might help out on the corners..........

I remember when I was a boy scout we had a (army I think) scout master for awhile. He had a super cute daughter he tried to fix me up with but I didn't know about such things at that tender age. Bad for me. We got to camp out on military training fields and ride in the big trucks sometimes.
He took us to a military base not far away with a big pool and they had one of them cockpits like they had in Officer and a Gentleman where it runs down the track and tips over in the water.

I don't remember any military guys around but they let us actually do that. In hindsight I can't believe they let us, that was downright dangerous. I only did it 5 or 6 times and I don't much care for getting wet usually.

Right before we were gonna leave I dived off the edge of the pool and apparently dove too deep, hit my head and blinked out for a bit. Drug me out, got me together and all was ok. Scoutmaster had a whisper talk with my dad and as we were leaving he pushed me back into the pool.
When I asked what the heck he did that for, he said to make sure I wasn't afraid. Told him I was glad I wasn't since I didn't really have much of choice getting pushed...........................tough love, that's what you call that.

[AIRret]

Now I know where your Marine son gets if from……I alway knew you were tough. Seriously, for a person that is active, and does a physically demanding job it must be hard as hell to lose that, and you don't feel sorry for yourself and that is admirable.
I don't have it that bad,I have medical issues but I can still walk well, and I am thankful.

[Bawanna]

Bringing the thread back to why "I" need an AR, you've struck it on the nail head.

The most frustrating thing for me is waiting for someone to do what is difficult or not worth me figuring out how to do who then doesn't want to do it the way I ask them to do it and watch them not do it as well as I'd do it if I could do it myself.
Say that 10 times really fast.
My oldest son does this a lot to me. I had to swap out a dryer, went kaput. I got it drug out a bit need to unhook the vent hose. He tells me he has it, he'll get a nut driver, it's one of them hex nuts but has a cross place for a straight screwdriver.
I whipped out my leatherman and said use this. No go, he goes to the shop in search of the nut driver. Apparently gets a call.
After about 5 minutes, the maximum time my patience allows I remove the hose with my leather man. Drag the dryer out towards the back door (dryers are really not that heavy). Would have had it outside cept I had to make a 90 degree turn on a ramp and it kind of messed me up.

My son and my brother in law were or are both boat mechanics and both have the curse of saying I'll help with that, I'll bring my fancy wazoo whizdangit tool over next Thursday and we'll get r dun.
What they don't understand is I'm getting it done today, right now, not this evening, not tomorrow.

Break out the sawzall, hot wrench, whatever it takes to get this underway. No patience in me, that's the toughest part.

Seems as time goes by I live more and more in a world of good enough or that'll have to do. I've been fighting it lately, not settling for mediocre.

Also why I was a better worker than a foreman or superintendent when I did real work. Rather do it myself. Hated telling people what to do and then waiting for them to do it.
My record was firing 4 new guys in one week. It was a tough week and I still feel badly about it.

So maybe an AR on sight would act as persuasion for good quality control. I'll try that on the missus and see how that hot air balloon flies.

As far as feeling sorry for oneself, don't do much good. I went down the day before Christopher Reeves fell off his horse. I never really felt sorry for myself but anytime the thought entered my infinitely small mind I just thought of him and realized that I was close to normal compared to what he was going through. Can't imagine.

Hey, I can still shoot AR's, what more does a person need.

[CJB]

Orthopedic issues, hmmmm. I gotta look that up. That ain't like falsies or nuthin like that is it?

I really got no mobility issues, just can't stand up or walk.

I finally finished putting down that fake hardwood floor junk my live in made me put down.
8 or 9 hours wallering around on the floor like a mackerel out of water. Tuesday and I still feel like Foreman used me for a punching bag.

I won't be on the floor for awhile, I promise thee that.

Few years back, I got the "can we paint the bedroom" question. That turned into... rip out all the wood molding, paint, new pocket doors, new laminate floor, and all new wood molding, with matching wall sockets and switch plates.

The laminate was in her garage for over ten years and had absorbed moisture, so I had to go out and buy a router and router table, and trim both sides of the male "tongue" to fit the female "groove", and it was precise cuts of only .006 on one side and .008 on the other. Real pain in the butt. Then.... I had to route the molding curves myself, as she wanted old school fat baseboards and slim door trim with fat tops, to look "old and homey". That all had to get stained, and she demanded the walk in closet be done the same. Then came the matching ceiling fan. And I had to rework the pocket doors to look old. Now she wants me to run another 20 amp service for some sort of in the wall AC thing she got used, but free. And cut a hole in the concrete wall for it. I seriously don't think so

Took me months of Saturdays.

[b4uqzme]

^^^ yeah. We got a new microwave that turned into a whole new kitchen. That's when I finally gave up saving for retirement and started buying guns. What's good for the goose...

[b4uqzme]

I recommend you build an AR. It's fun and, if you get stuck, CJB will bail you out.

[Bawanna]

I gave up retirement years ago. With the constant snowball effect mentioned there's no money for even AR parts.

It's Top Ramen and 45 bullets and few of those now days.