Firingline

Your decision to run articles on older guns is great. I'm sure you hear about what you do wrong, but I wanted to cheer you on in this area. I just renewed my subscription because of it. I couldn't care less about the latest AK-whatever, although I support your right to have whatever you like. The writers of the Second Amendment meant for you to have any gun the government owned, since its purpose was to protect you from the government, but that's another story.

I am in the market for an AR-15. I haven't shot an M16 since boot camp in Fort Polk, Louisiana, in 1974. I've been a cop for 25 years and never really wanted, or needed, a rifle during that time. Now that I'm semi-retired, I am looking and I need some straight talk and help. I want a good weapon, but there are so many manufacturers and options, I'm confused as hell. Because I was never in the war, I never experienced malfunctions. We always cleaned and over-lubed our Colts. My choice so far is a chrome-lined barrel, bore and bolt. Am I correct?

I am in the market for an AR-15. I haven't shot an M16 since boot camp in Fort Polk, Louisiana, in 1974. I've been a cop for 25 years and never really wanted, or needed, a rifle during that time. Now that I'm semi-retired, I am looking and I need some straight talk and help. I want a good weapon, but there are so many manufacturers and options, I'm confused as hell. Because I was never in the war, I never experienced malfunctions. We always cleaned and over-lubed our Colts. My choice so far is a chrome-lined barrel, bore and bolt. Am I correct?

Let me start by asking, why not compare Olympic's 10mm AR conversion instead of a 5.7x28 upper? When you ask, 'Is a $700 5.7x28 Upper a Good AR Buy?', I think, 'Is the 5.7x28 better at anything than a 223 or 22 Hornet?' My own answer is a resounding 'Nope!' If I want a small-caliber rifle bullet with lots of speed or penetration, the 223/5.56 seems more than adequate. If I need a smaller caliber than the 223, I can buy a complete 77-22 Hornet for less than the AR upper and feed it less expensive 22 Hornet ammo. The 5.7x28 may be of some value in a handgun, I've never found myself in a situation to ponder that question and would speculate that I never will. If I were looking for a personal-defense rifle less powerful than the 223, I think the 10mm is a good start, as I've determined that the 9mm makes a fine pocket-pistol caliber but a poor rifle.

Let me start by asking, why not compare Olympic's 10mm AR conversion instead of a 5.7x28 upper? When you ask, 'Is a $700 5.7x28 Upper a Good AR Buy?', I think, 'Is the 5.7x28 better at anything than a 223 or 22 Hornet?' My own answer is a resounding 'Nope!' If I want a small-caliber rifle bullet with lots of speed or penetration, the 223/5.56 seems more than adequate. If I need a smaller caliber than the 223, I can buy a complete 77-22 Hornet for less than the AR upper and feed it less expensive 22 Hornet ammo. The 5.7x28 may be of some value in a handgun, I've never found myself in a situation to ponder that question and would speculate that I never will. If I were looking for a personal-defense rifle less powerful than the 223, I think the 10mm is a good start, as I've determined that the 9mm makes a fine pocket-pistol caliber but a poor rifle.

I look forward to reading your magazine cover-to-cover. Over the years I have learned a lot, not just about the guns but also about choices of ammunition and potential hazards in both gun and ammunition choices. That is why I paid particular attention to Ray Ordorica's response to a Firing Line on feeding 308 Win ammo into an M14 variant. I can't argue with the statements that 7.62 is the right ammo for the M14 and that it should not be used with standard 308 ammo. However, Ray went further than that and stated: '…it ought not be a gas-driven semiauto such as the M14 variants.' The 'such as' led me to think in terms of other 'gas-driven semiautos.'

I look forward to reading your magazine cover-to-cover. Over the years I have learned a lot, not just about the guns but also about choices of ammunition and potential hazards in both gun and ammunition choices. That is why I paid particular attention to Ray Ordorica's response to a Firing Line on feeding 308 Win ammo into an M14 variant. I can't argue with the statements that 7.62 is the right ammo for the M14 and that it should not be used with standard 308 ammo. However, Ray went further than that and stated: '…it ought not be a gas-driven semiauto such as the M14 variants.' The 'such as' led me to think in terms of other 'gas-driven semiautos.'

I have recently acquired a 1911 pistol with shoulder stock and correct mainspring housing, so I found your test on shoulder-stocked pistols to be quite timely. My understanding is that attaching a shoulder stock to a handgun changes a legal firearm into an illegal short barrel rifle. A police officer/friend I talked to agreed. I ordered a 16-inch barrel, so I should be legal. My stock has no markings on it, and the only info that I can find stated that it was made in the 1970s for covert operations. There may be some nuances in the law that I am not aware of. Perhaps Gun Tests could clarify this for future buyers/owners of such accessories.

I have recently acquired a 1911 pistol with shoulder stock and correct mainspring housing, so I found your test on shoulder-stocked pistols to be quite timely. My understanding is that attaching a shoulder stock to a handgun changes a legal firearm into an illegal short barrel rifle. A police officer/friend I talked to agreed. I ordered a 16-inch barrel, so I should be legal. My stock has no markings on it, and the only info that I can find stated that it was made in the 1970s for covert operations. There may be some nuances in the law that I am not aware of. Perhaps Gun Tests could clarify this for future buyers/owners of such accessories.

I gathered from your article on M14s that the Springfield M1A functioned fine with either 168-gr Federal Gold Medal Match or 150-gr Magtech. I checked their owners manuals and the M1A is chambered for 7.62. My M1A will not function correctly with Remington Core-Lokt ammunition. I found some Winchester 7.62 and was hoping that it would function correctly with it. Your thoughts?

I gathered from your article on M14s that the Springfield M1A functioned fine with either 168-gr Federal Gold Medal Match or 150-gr Magtech. I checked their owners manuals and the M1A is chambered for 7.62. My M1A will not function correctly with Remington Core-Lokt ammunition. I found some Winchester 7.62 and was hoping that it would function correctly with it. Your thoughts?

In response to Bob Campbell’s reply in the November issue concerning the availability of the 380 Hornady Critical Defense load for testing, as a new reader to Gun Tests I am a little confused. I was under the impression that Gun Tests evaluated products to inform its readers of the best product on the market at the time of that particular testing. If so, how could you evaluate 380 ammo without including the Hornady Critical Defense load? With the popularly of the 380 for concealed carry, should not the test of the 380 be postponed until you had the best ammo to evaluate?