FN SRP G2 Carbine aka FN 15

Day before Thanksgiving, I was on a mission to go shooting.  1) I had just picked up a new AR rifle & 2) Been waiting to test new 12rd magazine I bought for my carry pistol(Sig P365).

Where I go shooting, it was all rain with the exception of Wednesday.  Mission was successful.

Foggy on the way up there, but no problems.

Let me get this out of the way.  Trigger on this rifle sucks.  Whether talking about Glocks or AR-15s, I hear & read about swapping, upgrading triggers.  Never really understood it.  People are spending lot of money & effort to upgrade these triggers, so I'm sure they are really nice.  However, I'm okay with most standard factory triggers, and ones that came with my three AR's before(Bushmaster 308, M&P Sport 2 & PSA lower), I actually liked those.  

I just sold my Bushmaster 308, because I have nowhere to really take advantage of  its extended range.  Jumped on this FN 15 from Botach.com, because 1) It was on sale for $899(after shipping & background check $974 😬) 2) Been interested in FN, because along with Colt, they provide U.S. military with it's full-auto cousin M4 rifles & 3) I wanted to replace my backup AR with little bit more reputable lower(it was PSA before this)

There were other points too, like my backup AR upper(M&P Sport 2) had shorter handguard than I like.  I've also been wanting to upgrade backup sights to steel ones & they cost like $200 or more for the set?  I found that bit outrageous.  Just for that, it was like taking another $200 off this new rifle since it comes with a set.  Here's a pic of my outgoing backup rifle.  It's been stripped of nicer accessories & probably sold soon:

My backup AR-15 before the new FN15. Wanted more reputable lower + longer handguard, maybe free floating barrel.  Consists of M&P Sport 2 upper, PSA lower w/Magpul STR stock, MOE SL handguard & Burris AR 536 red dot/prism scope kit.

Back to FN 15.  My new backup AR-15:

Already swapped the cheap stock & grip with Magpul STR + rubberized grip.

It looked like this stock:

Sighted in the backup sights before installing the red dot/scope.  These FN backup flip sights are great.  I would say HUGE upgrade over the Magpul MBUS.  Especially the rear.  #USERFRIENDLY

Only thing that worries me about these flip sights are those nail-sticking-out-looking release button on the (left)side?  I'm afraid of that thing getting snagged by clothing, straps, etc.

You can flip the peep hole for large or small.  Much, much easier to use than the Magpul MBUS I've used before this.

Looks really good after installing the Burris AR-536 kit(kit has FastFire 3 red dot on top of the scope).  AR-536 is actually designed for .308/7.62x51.  I originally got it for my Bushmaster 308(image at bottom of the page), but I've been since using it on my ARs, because I can't afford ACOG. 😭

As for the rifle, I have found my outgoing M&P Sport 2 to be more accurate.  Maybe because the trigger sucks?  I was only shooting sub-100 yards though, rest-shooting on top of the table & backpack.  Maybe it was me, who knows.  Hard to say after just one round.  Overall, I think the rifle's good.  But again, terrible trigger pull.  Never realized AR trigger could be this unsmooth.  Maybe I'll try cleaning & lubing it, too.  

I carry all sorts of spare batteries in my shooting pack.

It was pretty cold up in the mountains.  My red dot battery died.  Shortly after, my ear muffs.  😤

Shot my carry pistol Sig Sauer P365 after that.  With the ammo price & availability not improving much, I only shot it with this new 12-round mag.  It performed flawlessly with the plinking Blazer brass ammo & also Hornady hollow point.  Spring's mad stiff & I could only fit 11 round in it so far.  Magazine's also little longer, prints little more than the stock 10rd magazine with the pinky extension, but not that bad.  It's my new carry mag.

Also shot some with Glock 19(my go-to) & HK USP.  Yep.  Still sucks with both.  Thanks for reading.  😭

Bonus: My first real rifle.  I'm gonna miss you bud.

Bushmaster 308

 

 

Dragon Ball Z: Frieza Final Form?(Probably)

Decent day.  Cloudy, but no showers.  :)

My AR went through a lot of changes since I blogged last:  First new item was the Strike Industries J-Comp muzzle brake/device.  2) Streamlight ProTac Weapon Light & finally 3) Palmetto State Armory lower with Magpul STR stock.  I owned two AR uppers & just one lower, so I've been wanting another lower to complete two AR rifles.  #JoeBidenStimulusCheck

Okay, it came with polymer pistol grip, so I am changing that one with the rubberized Magpul ASAP.  I am very interested in a magnifier for the EOTech red dot, but I almost never shoot long distance(have no place to) + they are very expensive, so it'll be a long while before I give that one a serious consideration.

Really digging the STR stock the PSA lower came with, but I love the UBR stock so much it's really a toss up:

Battery storage's handy.  Storage pocket cover's just removable rubber plugs though.  They should keep the rain out, but that's probably about it.  Now the Streamlight weapon light.......

Got mine from Primary Arms for REALLY good price.  They seem to typically go for $100~$110.  From what I've read, Streamlight is made in China.  For this reason, I tried really hard to shop for SureFire light, but there were couple of reasons why I ended up with Streamlight.  

One is the price.  I needed a light that took AA batteries, and got this one with remote switch for under $100.  Comparable SureFire was $250.  With remote switch sold separately.  Figured SureFire would be more durable with it being so much more expensive + made in America, but reviews I read on various sites indicated both lights are durable, but can still break.  

On top of that, you could use AA or CR123 batteries in Streamlight.  SureFire models are strictly one or the other.  As much as I didn't want Chinese product on my AR, I couldn't get myself to pay 2.5 times more for product that gives so much less.  :(  It also helped that Streamlight, while the lights are made in China, it's still an American company.

Zip ties are actually olive drab color. Looks almost fluorescent in this pic.

Remote switch unit's clipped onto the picatinny rail by rubbery mounting clips included with the kit.

Shot these three today: Glock 19, H&K USP and Sig Sauer P226.  Couple weeks ago, I shot them really well.  Not today.  Hit & miss, at best.

Ammo's so expensive right now, it was nice to find 25 rounds of loose Remington .45ACP in one of the ammo cans.  :D

Now that I have the PSA lower on my main AR-15, Smith & Wesson lower is back where it belongs(M&P Sport II with Magpul furniture).  I used to think this AR looked pretty darn good, but I'm not gonna lie.  Compared to my other AR, it kinda looks fugly.  :p

 

Magpul PMAG 15 GL9 Magazine Vs. Factory Glock 19 Magazine

Wanted to work on my new pistol grip today.  Have the rest of the week off(it's Tuesday), so headed up into the woods first thing this morning.  Nobody came up where I was, it was great.  93 mile drive at 23 miles to a gallon.  I overpay at $3 per gallon, so little over $12 round trip.  I did little bit more math, and closest shooting range I'd bother to visit would cost me about $18 for the visit + over $7 in gas.  I've heard all the crossover SUV jokes, but my Edge rules!

Anyhow, I decided to do this today, because it's supposed to be mostly raining all this week, except this morning.  I didn't get rained on, just light mist for a minute, so very happy with the weather as well.

I bought couple of these Magpul Glock magazines for my Glock 19(left).  I was buying a HK USP magazine from Botach(cheapest price anywhere), and when I saw these things for under $11 a piece, I wanted to try it.  

When I first got them, they had that cheap dollar store plastic feel to them?  Me & my coworker were not impressed.  I thought it didn't have those tiny indicator holes in the back either, to show you how many rounds you've loaded.  My other coworker noticed that they put little windows on the sides, so you can tell when you have full 15 rounds in them.  Okay.  I do like the orange followers.

As you can see, floor plate protrude little bit more compared to the stock magazines.  Glock PMAGs worked flawlessly for very little I shot.  What I disliked though was how much more friction were noticeable when loading.  Factory Glock mags loads smooth, and Magpul is the opposite.  I HATE LOADING AMMO, and I don't need that added to the chore.

If you are on budget, or are looking for cheap mags for training, plinking, etc., these are probably good.  I'm happy with the two I bought, but I still prefer factory mags, even at double the price.  Still love their everything for ARs though.

So finally on handgun training.  When I first got this gun, I couldn't hit anything with it.  I was shocked.  I'm just a casual plinker, so I got my other handguns out(Kimber + USP) & started testing them out.  This really got me interested in target shooting.  I adopted much tips, advice from all sorts of messageboards & youtube videos, and it started to improve.  After much experimenting, I think I finally found what works for me.  I believe this is actually the basic grip?  

I'm gripping the gun firmly with the both hands, right hand palm(green) pressing forward, left hand palm pressing back in the opposite direction(blue).  Highest purchase possible with the left hand, with thumb extended up.  Lock both wrists, straighten right arm & work the trigger independently to minimize movement of the pistol.  

I'm still training at 15 yards, because I don't think I'm ready to shoot 25 until I can leave something resembling grouping on the paper at 15.  Paper's roughly 8" square, circle roughly 7" & believe it or not, this is the best I've shot my Glock so far.  :(  I keep telling myself about the trigger control, but I still find myself jerking it.  Gah.

Remember to pick up all the trash & shells after plinking!