I’m reasonably proficient with handguns, but have never gotten into long guns. Now that I own a home, I’m thinking it’s time I have something. I’m buying with general self/home defense in mind.
What’s the go-to setup for carbines? Not the cheapest, not the best. Just where I should start. The “Glock 19” of carbines. Hoping to understand specifics… Make, model? Barrel length? Optic?
Presumably it’ll be something AR-pattern. Maybe BCM? S&W? Colt?
I’ve always thought the M&P 15 was a good buy. Buy this one and drop a vortex or a Holosun dot on it and you’d be good to go for $12-1300.
https://palmettostatearmory.com/s-w-...ack-13507.html
But, you could also buy a Beretta A300 Patrol or a 1301 instead. A lot to be said for a good 12 gauge.
Formerly known as xpd54.
The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions or policies of my employer.
www.gunsnobbery.wordpress.com
A basic Colt AR, add an Aimpoint Pro, and a light.
https://armsunlimited.com/colt-m4-ca...moe-furniture/
https://armsunlimited.com/aimpoint-p...red-dot-sight/
2012 called, it wants it carbine back. That’s like the Gen 2 Glock 19, maybe early Gen 3. It’ll work, but the Gen 5 has been out and doing well for a minute.Originally Posted by DamonL
BCM is a great brand and always my go to recommendation. An ELW 14.5 with MCMR is a solid general purpose upper.
A few themes that I’d recommend following:
1. Government profile barrels are stupid.
2. Midlength gas > carbine gas.
3. 14.5” pinned > 16” despite the hassle of pinning and pin removal if you choose to do so.
4. Barrel and bolt are the heart of the rifle so if you need to save money, go cheaper on the lower. Despite it being the serialized part, it’s harder to build incorrectly.
There are probably more, but those are the most generalized ones.
Optics can be even more lengthy to cover, but the first/only AR should have a red dot in most cases, again IMO. I’ve liked my Vortex Sparc Solars enough that I replaced my T-2 with one.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
A S&W Sport II and a Magpul handguard is a good entry-level carbine. PSA had them on sale for $700 the other day.
BCM RECCE-16 or -14.
Done.
"The victor is not victorious if the vanquished does not consider himself so."
― Ennius
A well-dimensioned 16" barrel (including gas system length and diameter), chambered in 223 Wylde or 5.56mm paired with both a BCG of equal dimensional-material quality and a free-float handguard will get you most all of the way there. Making sure everything is staked-pinned-screwed down correctly is a part of that.
Old-style carbine buttstocks, A2 flash hiders, single-sided 90 degree safeties, mil-spec FCGs, and traditional charging handles have all gotten the job done, but it's hard to go back after living with comfy well-adjusted stocks, short-throw ambi safties, Giessele triggers, and ambi charging handles.
The guns get heavy quick- I didn't go 100% nuts for lightweighting my two 14.5" guns, but I am very glad I used some lighter parts when and where I did.
I would lean towards stuff like a FN-15, a Colt OEM2, or a BCM Mid16 Mod2, and I'd also consider killing the budget and buying a LMT.
Good ammo & mags- there are different results to be gained from Wolf & tired aluminum mags versus M193/MK262 & PMags.
Per the PF Code of Conduct, I have a commercial interest in the StreakTM product as sold by Ammo, Inc.
The affordable buy once, cry once is BCM. Buy one, put a red dot on it, put a surefire light on it, a sling, and buy a chest rig. Done.
The Colt 6960 is a pretty good turnkey solution, pair it with an Aimpoint PRO, a Streamlight HL-X, and a decent 2 point sling, and you'll have a solid basic set-up. With the Colt name, it'll also be relatively easy to flip, I'd imagine, should you decide you don't want it anymore.
However, if you do feel like getting further into the weeds, the various flavors that BCM, Sionics, and Sons of Liberty provides are other mid-tier rifles (in terms of price point) that could also do the trick.
For generalities, I think a 14.5" or 13.9" P&W is nice if you know you won't ever tinker with the handguard, or know a smith that can remove the muzzle device if needed; being that it's your first rifle, perhaps a 16" would be wiser if you know you plan to start swapping furniture down the line (or plan to get a can and don't want to be limited in what you get). I agree that a midlength is a better choice than carbine for 16" and 14.5", but a carbine is still perfectly serviceable. For an optic, a decent RDS is more than fine for home defense or self defense, unless you really live out in the sticks and may need to stretch the distance, in which you could still do just fine with a magnifier, though an LPVO can come into play there, though that's honestly quite a niche application if we're being totally practical. For a WML, the push has been toward more throw these days, and there are many decent lights that can provide that, but again, if it's for home defense, I don't think it's as huge a deal, given the sheer amount of lumens that modern lights can push out, which can translate into higher candela than the old days, and a Streamlight will be a fair bit cheaper than a SureFire Turbo, CD Rein, or Modlite.
Last edited by Default.mp3; 10-08-2023 at 09:45 PM.
Just curious about this. What makes a pinned 14.5" better than a 16"? I'm assuming the 16" is ~1.5" longer...?
Reply With Quote