How tough is your AR?

[762.DEFENSE]

makes me want to get a DD ar

I second that.

[robert101]

This reply is not a response to any one else's post. Growing up, I was taught to respect and treat my firearms with care. I can't see abusing them for the heck of it. If in the way of usage a scratch is made then so be it. Another analogy would be as follows: I have framing hammers that can take a lot of pounding. Would I use my framing hammer to break up concrete blocks? Heck no. That is what a big slegde hammer is for. Would I thow a gun to the ground and into the dirt? No, that is what an empty beer can is for!

[chead]

I don't get when people don't put rounds through their rifles. Most of the guns I've owned see thousands and thousands, and I'm not a competition or "pro" shooter. I just shoot'em. That DD video is bonkers, but the things I've seen fail most often are the things hung on the rifle: Bad grips, rails, optics. Quality stuff has a higher chance of coming through it, and that includes a quality rifle.

All my guns get dropped, it's sort of a welcome to the family/superstition thing. The habbit carried over from MX racing, it's better to drop your new bike in practice than during a race, same with helmets. All my new helmets get dropped in the pits. Stupid? Yes, but I haven't had a major crash during a race in over 10 years.

I like this

[sharxbyte]

Most people, after spending $1000 - $1500 on an AR, will by nature want to "baby" their investment. Especially after spending another $500 plus for an Eotech or Aimpoint.

They don't see it as "hardware" like the way servicemen or operators see the rifle as. To most people "hardware" is that cheap cordless drill they bought at Harbor Freight or Home Depot.

I have AKs. I don't abuse them or baby them. Heck, I don't even worry about cleaning them.

I do have a new AR and I will be handling that with some care. For example, I have to break-in my new AR per the mfg suggested break-in procedure. I was told if I don't do it, I'll chance getting it copper fouled which could affect accuracy. Did I need to do that with my AK? Absolutely not.

when people spend more then they can really afford they'll tend to baby an item. Car, tv, shoes, etc.

then there are the people who just really like a shiny new firearm and can't stand even the slightest blemish.

I agree. I don't have an armory to go to to have my rifle fixed as part of my job. Also I am not a manufacture of ARs so I don't have a endless supply of them. I wont fell bad babying my AR and EoTech once I have it all together because the project would be a culmination of many years of wanting and saving for an AR. Scratches here and there are fine but I am not purposefully going to trash my rifle to prove a point. Any damage that needs to be fixed comes out of my pockets, which only gets in the way of another AR build.

Exactly... I have 1 gun right now, and I want it to work when I need it. If it gets dirty, no big deal, but I'm not going to put it in the mud. I worked hard to finish it, and invested more than half what i have into my car. My car wasn't expensive either, but I'm not going to abuse it because again, I want it to be there when I actually need it.

[soopafly]

How tough is your AR?

Mine is so tough, I once left it in the safe an entire year...an ENTIRE YEAR(!)...without any desiccants or de-humidifiers.

True story bro.

[Jason_2111]

I stopped being quite so harsh to my main battle rifle when I put a $500 optic on it. But generally, the AR platform is fairly rugged, and mine get thrashed a fair bit.

I was an armorer at the Depot Armory at MCRD San Diego for a number of years, and saw what happens when recruits totally thrash M16-A2's.

If you try using them for the bayonet course, they snap into parts... the aluminum receivers just can't handle buttstroking anything. (we tried issuing demill'd A1's for this, and got back a trash can full of bits).
Other than that, the main damage from dropping/etc was bent/broken front sight posts, front sight wings, screwed up ejection port covers, jammed up rear sights (too much sand stuck in the guts under the knobs), broken front sling swivels, and of course, cracked / popped off and gone skidding away hand-guards.
Once in a blue moon, some drill instructor would go ape-**** and throw some turds rifle down the squadbay, and it would end up with a bent barrel... but that's about it.
All of the other damage I saw every day was from extreme wear, not getting slammed about.

[TheExiled]

I stopped being quite so harsh to my main battle rifle when I put a $500 optic on it. But generally, the AR platform is fairly rugged, and mine get thrashed a fair bit.

I was an armorer at the Depot Armory at MCRD San Diego for a number of years, and saw what happens when recruits totally thrash M16-A2's.

If you try using them for the bayonet course, they snap into parts... the aluminum receivers just can't handle buttstroking anything. (we tried issuing demill'd A1's for this, and got back a trash can full of bits).
Other than that, the main damage from dropping/etc was bent/broken front sight posts, front sight wings, screwed up ejection port covers, jammed up rear sights (too much sand stuck in the guts under the knobs), broken front sling swivels, and of course, cracked / popped off and gone skidding away hand-guards.
Once in a blue moon, some drill instructor would go ape-**** and throw some turds rifle down the squadbay, and it would end up with a bent barrel... but that's about it.
All of the other damage I saw every day was from extreme wear, not getting slammed about.

That's what I was looking for, I knew it had to be out there. I don't doubt my rifle is tough, but I know everything has its limits

[a1c]

To me ARs are meant to take some abuse. Unless you have a collector's item (maybe an XM that saw combat), I see it as a tool. I'll take good care of it, I'll clean and lube it after each use, and I won't just throw them in the back of the truck, but I'm not going to cry when it gets scratched.

I have other guns like that - a Sig, a Kahr, a few shotguns - that I expect to see wear and even dings on at some point because I use them quite a bit.

Others are collector's pieces, which I won't go out of my way damaging.

[the86d]

I usually just throw mine in my trunk with ammo cans and whatever, without a case (soft of hard), but come the 1st of the year I am going to have to baby it in some protective cover because of Jerry Brown and all the other whiny bee-cheese...

[Calibernier]

I know my AR is tough but I do my best to not abuse it. Take care of your tools and they will take care of you. My favorite AR already came dinged up with a poor anodizing job from the factory.

[Xtracrispy]

I don't intentionally trash my AR, but I certainly don't spend any time mourning when I put a scratch in it.

[Calibernier]

I don't intentionally trash my AR, but I certainly don't spend any time mourning when I put a scratch in it.

Thats why I have one of these


edit- your avatar is making me hungry

[bambam8d1]

I used to baby the hell out of every weapon I own. I would put a towel down on my table when Id go shooting. Freak out if it had a nick or scratch.. Lol. After being in the military, now I am way rougher on my guns haha. Seeing what we do to the weapons we have I realized my personal ones could really take a beating.

[yokstar]

My AR is so tough, one time It swung around and karate chopped some dude in the neck with the B stock. Knocked that dudes head clean off!

[Xtracrispy]

Thats why I have one of these


edit- your avatar is making me hungry

Yeah, but scratches add character!

edit- your avatar is making me hungry

Me too, time for lunch!