FROM OUR CO TO OUR TROOPS
The Colonel is our "Commanding Officer" (CO) here at Continental Arms, LLC. He's "been there, done that" on just about every combat topic you can imagine and with his combat experience, he knows what he's talking about.
You will find links to tips and advice from the Colonel throughout this site. Most have been compiled here for your convenience.
Tip #1
Handling your rifle safely
An M16/M4/AR 15 is a Rifle, it is never referred to as a gun and the first thing you have to learn about a rifle is how to handle it safely. Don't want any of you shooting your foot off or your buddy's foot for that matter.
Always assume that your rifle is loaded at all times and treat it that way.
Never point your rifle at anyone unless you are prepared to shoot them.
Most accidental shootings occur with a rifle that isn't loaded. (Think about that one for a bit.)
Always keep your rifle clean (and I mean spotless Troops!) and properly lubricated.
Clean and lube your rifle every time you finish fireing it. No Exceptions!
Know your weapon. Study it inside and out. Inspect it every time you pick it up.
Learn how to break your rifle down and practice breaking it down on a regular basis.
Before you hand your rifle to anyone for inspection, remove the magazine and open the breach so you and the person you are handing it to will know that it is not loaded.
Never believe it when someone tells you a weapon isn't loaded, always check it yourself.
Be careful to never "sweep" any part of your body or another person. A sweep occurs when you momentarily bring the barrel to bear on yourself or another during the course of normal handling. With a rifle you would most likely sweep your own lower leg or foot, so unless you want to lose it, don't point your rifle at it even for a split second.
Read the above again and again then give me a HOOOHAAAA!
Tip #2
What's a MOA?
MOA stands for Minute Of Angle.
Most people define minute of angle as one inch at 100 yards. To be more precise it's 1.0471996 inches at 100 yards.
The MOA is useful for shooting because it varies in direct proportion to distance. For Example, rounded off to 1" at 100 yards it becomes;
- 1/2 " at 50 yards
- 1" at 100 yards
- 2" at 200 yards
- 3" at 300 yards etc.
So for a rifle shooting 1/2 MOA, if you take a shot at 300 yards you are going to hit your target within 1.5 inches of your aiming point, assuming you get your windage and elevation right.
The MOA unit of measurement makes it possible to calibrate adjustments for range and windage on iron sights and optical sights in standardized increments of a fraction of a MOA or whole MOA.
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Most scopes will have click stop adjustment dials marked at minor intervals of 1/4 MOA or 1/8 MOA for your more precision oriented scopes, with larger calibration marks at 1 MOA intervals. Some red dot and lesser quality scopes may have 1/2 MOA click stops, might want to stay away from those!
Tip# 3
Good Advice
When I joined the military my father gave me two pieces of advice based on experience he had in WW2. The first was "Never volunteer." and the second was "If they ask you if you can drive a truck, say no."
Now I'm sure this was great advice in WW2 but being young and feeling a bit like John Wayne, I tossed the first bit of advice aside while I was still in basic training. On the second piece of advice I did just fine. No one ever asked me if I could drive a truck!
So what did I volunteer for? I volunteered to take a position of authority and leadership within my training class. It was a good decision, although I admit I had no idea if I could lead those men or not all I could do was give it my best try and see if anyone listened to me. They did.
After that I volunteered for just about everything that presented a challenge for me. Made things interesting boys!
So when your NCO or CO asks for volunteers for a challenging position, mission or operation, don't be one of those troops who looks at his feet and shoves some sand around with his toe. Rise to the call and make a difference. Soldier up troops!
Tip# 4
Emergency barrel cleaning
If you find yourself in the field and in an emergency situation with a fouled barrel and no cleaning kit, break down the rifle by removing the upper assembly. Remove the bolt and charging handle and stuff a rag tightly into the chamber against the barrel throat. Now for the fun part... hold the assembly vertically by the barrel and carefully urinate down the barrel... yes, I said urinate. Let the acid in your urine work on the barrel for a few minutes and then give it a good sloshing around. Flush the barrel with a little water and let it dry. You can also use your bootlace with a small patch tied to the end of it to remove any water and residue. Remove the lace from the boot and drop the end without the patch down the barrel from the chamber and pull it through when it comes out the other end. If the laces are thick just tie a knot in one end and follow the above instructions. Do this several times. Reassemble, (visually check the barrel for obstructions) and start shooting.
Tip # 5
Scopes
Always buy the best quality scope you can afford. The cheaper scopes may look good while sighting but usually have poor measurement qualities when it comes to how much is it's "click stop" actually measuring for each click. If it claims a 1/4 inch per click and delivers 3/8" per click or the clicks just aren't precise and uniform, the scope is basically useless.
The cheaper scopes also tend to not hold zero well and can actually fall apart as a result of recoil. I've seen this happen at the range more than once. Most of my personal rifles have scopes that cost as much and often more than the rifle itself. That said, I have found some less expensive scopes to have excellent quality like the Nikon Buckmaster and Monarch series and the Bushnell Elite series.