For some backstory, check here:
https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....ong-gun-sorrow
and here:
https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?29251-The-One
So what was worth selling 2 ACOG’s, a Colt 6920 lower, and a Benelli M1?
These:
What:
The black one is the exact same rifle as before. (Colt 6920, barrel swapped for 14.5” SOCOM, AAC brake pinned/welded, Geissele MK4 MLOK 13” handguard, Geissele SD-E trigger). The big change here was the optic: Nightforce NX8 1-8, Mil reticle, capped Mil turrets in a Geissele Super Precision 1.54” mount.
The tan one is also basically the same rifle as before, but with the barrel cut to 10.3”, gas port opened to .070”, and 13” black MLOK MK4 swapped for 9.5” DDC MLOK MK4. Optic is Aimpoint T1 (2moa) in Larue LT660 (lower 1/3) and offset irons swapped for KAC M4 sights.
Why?
While my setups were solid, there was this always this nagging thing of the optic. The TA11H ACOG is by far the best ACOG and probably still one of the most solid all-around optics on the market. However, it needed bandaids. Bombproof and bandaids don’t mix. As an outside, field-use rifle, the TA11 excels. It’s never on the wrong power, has generous eyebox and FOV, is short, is light, and is rugged. However, I still had these nagging issues and the more I tried to make it work and think of bandaids, the more I reached the conclusion that if I was needing to apply that many bandaids, I should probably try something else. One of the issues was close range (15yds and in). On a single target, I could “fake” a sight picture enough to get A-zone hits, but where’s the line between that and point shooting? I would have to slow down to make head shots. Try shooting something like El Prez, though with target transitions and it was game over for guaranteed hits at speed. I just couldn’t see fast enough through the 3X magnification. On a silhouette? Sure. A-zone or headbox? Forget it. The first thing I tried was offset irons. Still not fast enough, and other issues (fixed vs folding, lighting issues, only works for strong side unless you also put a set on your weak side.) If you’re running double-offset backup irons…that’s called a bandaid and you should evaluate your setup. The next stop was the idea of a piggy-back red dot. I actually liked this idea quite a bit. The heads up shooting position was natural, fast, and ambidextrous. Then I realized I had a 5” holdover and that puts me floating in outerspace on a headshot holdover unless I’m shooting Bert from Sesame Street. The lack of adjustable brightness for reticle illumination was another issue. It’s 2018 and tape, Velcro, or a straw is still the best we can come up with to make sure our reticle doesn’t bloom into oblivion? I’ll say it again: bandaids and bombproof don’t work.
Then earlier this year Nightforce released their new 1-8’s. They were immediately touted as the hot fuzz. So what, every year something is blown up as the next best thing. Very few last much past initial shipping. I’ll give it to the Vortex Razor 1-6. It’s had the longest staying power of any LPV since the original Short Dot. However, it has some things I don’t like. Yeah, it’s heavy, but most importantly, the damn thing is useless as a CQB scope without working illumination. You’re basically looking at a semi-fine crosshair. I’ve shot at length with a buddy’s for the 6 or so years he’s had it and have never loved it. As the year went on, I kept an eye on the NX8, watched reviews, read forum posts, and then I got to handle one. I determined that a step-change had been made in the LPV market. My criteria for an LPV optic (and the reason I went away from them back to the ACOG previously) has included durability (NF is known for), True 1X, and a reticle that is bold enough at 1X to use effectively without illumination. The NX8 checks these boxes while also being relatively short and light. The perfect fit for a do-all carbine.
So, why not two of them?
Well, I’m not made of money for one thing. Also, I have transitioned into a great stage of life; truly the most secure, well-paid, well-balanced place I’ve ever been. However, the one thing this stage of life lacks is daylight time on an outdoor range (see my indoor range thread). With that being the case, I could not justify identical NX8 setups, even if I could manage to afford them. Short of a carbine class or something, I’m probably at the point of shooting 500 rounds annually through a carbine. That’s not enough wear and tear that I need a dedicated training gun. I’m a certified armorer with plenty of spare parts on hand and I can change gas rings, springs, and even a barrel if it comes to that.
Being relieved of the necessity of cloning the gun for training/backup, I decided to put the other one back into one of my favorite configurations: MK18/CQBR. I actually purchased the gun back in 2012 as a factory Form 4 Daniel Defense MK18. After a few years I got tired of the heavy RIS II rail and over-gassed factory barrel, so I moved that off and have changed things a few times. This time, I went with tried and true parts that I know I love. Despite having a shorter barrel and a T1 instead of an NX8, this thing is no slouch. I’ve trained a bunch with this setup and have used it in 3gn matches as well to get some good work done. I have 100% confidence through experience with this setup 0-200 yds. Plus, let’s be honest: it’s sexy as hell! The T1 and KAC sights as well as the 12 O’clock X300 proved themselves to me beginning in 2011 at a Vickers Carbine class (link to my AAR with some funny old pics: https://www.lightfighter.net/topic/a...-6-carthage-nc)
At this point, I’ve explained my rifle layouts and thoughts behind them pretty well I think. Some of you are saying, “but what about the shotgun?” Ah, I thought you’d never ask. Well, you see, the Benelli M1 I sold was a 21” Field model 12GA, which is my very favorite configuration, but it was camo, which I never could get past. I managed to score a great deal on a 21” M2 12ga with almost all the 3gn mods I already wanted plus factory box and chokes. All I did was swap in a TTI lifter, mod the carrier for ghost loading, and swap the FO sight out. It runs great and is probably my favorite gun to shoot.
So there you have it, the sadness has ended and the joy of new firearms bliss is in full effect.
Thanks for your time,
ASH
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Originally Posted by DanM
