This started out as a ‘budget’ build. It didn’t shoot like I wanted it to so I gradually sold off the budget parts and replaced them with what I should have bought in the first place.
The handguard is the last part that needs to go. Considering the Seekins with the flat bottom or an AP customs carbon fiber.
Magpul PRS
JP Silent Captured Spring
JP LMOS Carrier
JP Adj gas block
Geissele SSA trigger
BAD lever (I was dubious about these at first but now I wouldn’t want an AR without one.)
DPMS lower
BCM blem upper
CMT MPI bolt
hogue handguard
DPMS MK12 barrel 18in rifle gas 1-8 twist (I was dubious about this barrel at first but it shoots very well)
Nordic Corvette Comp (I was actually getting a little bit too much downforce from this and my muzzle was dipping slightly. Tapped the top jet port, threaded in a machine bolt and slowly drilled out the center of it until the rifle stopped moving.)
When I started three-gun eight years ago the go-to hand guard was the aluminum tube similar to what you have. I have progressed from those to the Troy TRX’s and recently to a Samson. They were/are all nice but I re-did my 14.5" (run an 18" usually for gaming) for smaller, bay shooting and put a Midwest Industries Gen 2 SS in 12" and it’s the chit. It balanced the rifle just right, feels good in the hand being 1.5" diameter, and is easy on the wallet…
Works well. I had a JP before on a limited rifle. I’m not saying that the Nordic is better than the JP, but it isn’t worse. And it’s smaller, shorter, and less expensive.
A top notch shooter could use a 100$ barrel and still probably place well. 3gun isnt hardcore accuracy target shooting, nor is it combat shooting. Skill will heavily outweigh parts imo with 3 gun. All these gamer specific parts etc are a little over the top and imo more for the elite where the gap between skill is so little, that parts can help.
I’ve seen people rocking standard front hand guards, stock a2 stock and grip, and a stock barrel place well in 3 gun. Unless your a top quality pro, all the gimmicky stuff and hardcore parts will have no impact on placing and rank imo.
It depends on what parts you’re talking about. Low mass carriers? Yeah, it’ll probably take a really good shooter to see a difference. Rifle gas instead of carbine or a dedicated comp instead of a birdcage? New shooters will benefit tremendously. I’ve shot with a 16" carbine gas stock S&W, a 16" LW Middy and a heavy 18" rifle gas. I can see a measurable difference between the three. Can a really good shooter overcome using less than ideal gear? Sure. But that doesn’t mean a lesser shooter won’t benefit, often tremendously, from SOME gear changes.
And the notion that someone can “place well” can be misleading. Of course they can…depending on the course, the ability of other competitors, and their own ability and competition experience.
Our monthly matches have shots to 500 yards, so ammo and barrels matter more here than other places. The guy with 3 MOA ammo and a $100 barrel will struggle, regardless of his ability. Some matches I’ve been to had “long” shots at around 80 yards. Barrels and ammo matter less there. A lot of what is needed in 3 Gun is very regional.
Know how I can tell you’ve never shot a properly tuned gun?
But by all means, come out and show me how it is done. :ph34r:
In the rifle especially, there is a tremendous difference. But you seemed to have missed the point, bringing up stocks and handguards. It’s the comp, gas block, bolt carrier, and SCS that make the difference.
I’m no 3-gun nation pro but I’m good enough to make use of the advantage. I generally replace equipment when I find it holding me back in matches, hence the swap from the ACOG to the Vortex.
I’ll recant all my opinions if you post your scores from a match in the last two years where you placed ahead of me, with all my gimmicky parts.
That’s a pretty generous offer because I had an atrocious showing at the pro-am last year.
Haha… we all have those matches from time to time, when nothing goes right. I got absolutely spanked on the ATV stage, that was the final straw that made me pull the trigger on a 1-6x.
Remember that 16" A1 carbine I was shooting at my first matches at Wildcat? I can’t imagine taking that to a match anymore. Great rifle, but not for this game, and it’s got a different role now.
It’s no secret that Keith Garcia could smoke me with a stock rifle. But it kind of pissed me off that some schmo wants to shit on my ‘gimmicky’ parts.
I’m prepared to eat crow if that’s some stud 3-gunner’s account, but something tells me that is not the case.
No you can’t buy a higher match placement but if you shoot enough matches you will start to notice when a piece of gear is a hindrance.
Have you had any issues with the Silent Capture spring and rifle length gas? I’m about to do a review/evaluation of one in my 3-gun rifle with rifle gas, and hopefully the standard spring that comes in the SCS will cycle the rifle ok. I have the extra springs but really don’t want to go through the T&E process of switching them out to make the rifle cycle reliably.
None whatsoever. I had a standard rifle buffer with weights removed and delrin spacers put in to get it down to the JP LMOS buffer weight.
Dropped in the SCS (removed the buffer retaining pin while I was at it), and the rifle ran perfectly with no adjustment of gas setting. The SCS is most noticeable on quick strings of fire. My perception of the overall recoil impulse of the gun is that it was much faster/softer. It cycles so quickly that you don’t feel it. Less sight disruption and faster splits on fast paper, and you can watch/call your shots on long steel easier.
Keep in mind, I don’t think the SCS alone would do this. But paired with the LMOS it is very nice. I am curious to see how the SCS would feel in a standard gun. I will give it a try one of these days.
The SCS is like the next step of refinement of the rest of the JP parts.
In order of importance for a soft shooting rifle I would make this assertion, and it is just my opinion:
