Shooting impressions: The ACOG is suited better to ranges past 50 yards due to its 4X magnification. The ghost ring sights can be used for very close distances but they're not very precise due to the large rear aperture and using them requires you to break your stock weld as you have to look over the scope. The ACOG has very clear optics and is quite effective up to medium distances. The Aimpoint Comp M is great for CQB to medium ranges. It's an extremely fast sight to use, as both eyes are kept open and the red dot is superimposed on the target. One of its drawbacks is that it is battery powered and I've heard that they are not as durable as advertised, especially the switch. Electronics can fail, and they do. The Trijicon Reflex sight is nice and simple, needing no power source, but you have no control over the brightness of the dot, since it relies on ambient light and tritium. The Reflex dot can wash out if you are in a darkened area (indoors or shade) and you are looking at targets in bright sunlight. Same thing with the Tasco Optima. Try it and you'll see. For close-medium ranges, I've tried out the Eotech 551 and I think I prefer it to the Aimpoint. I'll need to take some time to evaluate it further under different shooting conditions.

Update: I've had a chance to shoot the Aimpoint Comp and the Eotech 551 side-by-side. I used the 551 in a carbine class, and it performed admirably. When I took it to the range to sight it in, the dot was more distinct than the Aimpoint's, much to my surprise. I like the circle/dot reticle as for close ranges, you just center the circle on COM and that's it. The dot is also good for anything up to 300 yds. One thing - the 551 sits a bit low on a flattop so I thought of swapping it over to my SIR. That didn't work as I couldn't co-witness the iron sights; the 551 sat too high on the SIR. It stays on the flattop, and the Aimpoint goes on the SIR.

MM quick-comparo (personal opinion)

• Size - the 552 is small and compact. Nothing protruding, very clean lines. I like it :-)
• Mounting system - None needed for the Eotech - it clamps right onto a pic rail. Aimpoint - you need a mount.
• Reticle - I like the circle/dot of the 551 better than the Aimpoint. The reticle was also clearer.
• Speed - Putting the 551's circle on COM was faster than the Aimpoint
• Height - The 551 sits a bit low on the flattop, so I thought I'd put it on the SIR. No go, as it won't co-witness with the iron sights - it's too high unless mounted on the front of the bi-level rail. The Aimpoint will co-witness on both RIS and SIR.
• Field of view - That's obvious - the 551's open window beats out any tube.
• Switch - The new 551 rubber buttons are great, but not as fast to turn on as the Aimpoint. With the Aimpoint, you just turn the knob. Not really much of an issue, but I wish the 551 'remembered' the last setting that it was at and turns on to the same setting. I'll probably get some flak for that. The 551 switch is also less likely to turn on accidently, something that the Aimpoint is notorious for.
• Auto-off - The 551 turns off at 4 or 8 hours. The Aimpoint doesn't have an auto-off feature, I've run a few batteries down.
• Reflection - The lens of the Aimpoint is very reflective, which is why the ARD has to be used. The 551 doesn't need one.
• Battery life - The Aimpoint has better battery life than the 551, but you can also get the 552 that takes AA batteries for longer battery life. But you give up a bit in compactness.

Overall, I'm convinced now - I'm an Eotech convert, after being an Aimpoint user for a few years.

The Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT) Monolithic Rail Platform (MRP) receiver differs from all previous ones for the AR15/M16 family in that it is monolithic - the rail platform and receiver are machine out of one piece of aluminum, instead of being separate (receiver and rail system). Why go this route? Some of the advantages to this system are that barrels can be switched in a minute with only a torx tip screwdriver/ratchet, the barrel is free floating, the top rail is continuous/uninterrupted, and the whole package can be made more compact. Back in January, Larry at Buffer Technologies kindly loaned me a carbine receiver with two barrels for T&E. A full-length/rifle upper is available and so are longer barrels. The first thing that hit me when I handled it was that it was more compact in person than in pictures. The workmanship and finish is just beautiful on this piece.
Receiver - The length of the receiver is about 16.25" long. Mil-std 1913 rails cover the entire length of the top of the receiver, sides and bottom of the rail portion, which is 2.0" wide without panels. This is the narrowest rail system I've measured. A KAC RAS is slightly less than 2.2" wide without panels and a slim line ARMS #50 is 3" wide (with side rails). The receiver without barrel is very light. I wish I had a scale, but I suspect the whole assembly is a bit lighter than a comparable conventional receiver/FF rail system/barrel assembly. The barrel is held into the receiver by two cross bolts, one of which engages a corresponding cutout in the bottom of the barrel/extension. The other tightens the receiver around the barrel extension - 'clamping it'. The bottom of the receiver under the barrel is slotted to allow the receiver to tighten around the barrel/extension when both bolts are torqued. Stainless steel threaded inserts on the other side of the receiver ensure durability of the threads. The barrels/receiver also come with M4 feed ramps.
Barrels - LMT currently offers chrome lined barrels in 10.5", 14.5" and 16" lengths (approx), and stainless steel barrels in 16" and 18" (approx). The chrome lined barrels are marked "5.56 NATO 1/7 CB". The gas tube is of standard diameter, but straight instead of kinked like the standard gas tube. A low profile gas block is protected by the handguard tube. The gas block is cross pinned to the barrel and the gas tube is held via a standard roll pin. The gas tube is supported at the receiver end by a bracket attached to the barrel.
Overall impressions - What more can I say - it's one of the coolest things for the M4 I've seen recently. It feels very lively - maybe because I'm used to all kinds of accessories hanging off my rail systems. Some may question the need for the interchangeable barrel system. Much of the comparisons have been based on cost (these are not cheap). You can buy two different length barreled uppers for the price of one MRP with two barrels. You can have dedicated optics on each of the two receivers whereas the MRP has to share optics. Repeatability and POI change concerns during barrel swaps have been voiced. I have not yet tested it myself but reliable sources have stated that repeatability in POI is good when a barrel is removed and replaced. Difference in bullet trajectory between 14.5 and 10.5 barrels are less of a concern (in my humble opinion). By definition, CQB distances will be short, and a tiny difference in trajectory over CQB distances will be unnoticeable. I'd sight in my optic with the long barrel, and leave it at that. Of course, I'd try to document the differences between POI between barrels if possible at known distances. The advantage I see to having this system instead of two separate upper is that a spare barrel is much lighter and compact to carry. If a soldier knows he is going to go door kicking, he can take that short CQB barrel out of his ruck/bag, and replace the longer barrel in a matter of minutes. There are advantages and disadvantages to every system, but I'll see you on the forums for that discussion :-) But keep an eye on LMT - I'm sure they've got more goodies up their sleeves.

MRP with 14.5" barrel installed, 10.5" on the side	Side view of the 2 cross bolts and barrel/gas tube	Bottom view of same. Note the slot in the bottom of the receiver	The cross bolts removed
Left side of the receiver showing SS threaded inserts	Views of low profile gas block	Inside of receiver showing M4 feed ramps	The business end
RAS, MRP and SIR slimline without rail panels (L) and with (R)

Now this one is set up with ARMS#40L rear BUIS and KAC front, Docter Optic, pre-production TD rail panels. The Docter sight is similar in idea to the Tasco Optima (now out of production). The Docter, however, is superior in almost every respect, being made out of stainless steel, brass and aluminum instead of plastic. The lens is made of two optical quality pieces of glass instead of plastic. There is no on-off switch; the sight turns on when exposed to light, and adjusts automatically for varying lighting conditions. This particular model has a 3.5 MOA dot. It's extremely light and small, and makes for a very streamlined setup. It's weather resistant, not waterproof, but a waterproof military model is available at twice the price. The top row of pics shows the Docter mounted on a GG&G mount, but I later changed this out to an ARMS #17DR throw lever mount (bottom row of pics). Also shown is the Yankee Hill offset mount, which makes a great light mount when combined with a 1" QD ring. It puts the light tailcap right under your thumb where it's activated easily.

Seen below is the M203 mounted on the top of an MRP. These pics were taken at the 2004 SHOT show by SULACO2.

MRP with '203 and Troy Ind. front sight

Top view of the M203 mount with SOPMOD stock and a block of aluminum that the MRP is machined out of

Closeup of the mount

Seen below is the rifle-length MRP with pre-production TD tan furniture and Vltor stock.

The 'beauty shot'

The LMT (Lewis Machine & Tool) submission for the SOPMOD2 program or enhanced M4 is shown below. Numerous changes were made to the bolt and bolt carrier, most significantly the dual extractor springs and re-shaped locking lugs. This modification is supposed to increase reliability under adverse conditions and improve extraction under fully automatic fire. Machining and finish are superior to the standard bolt and bolt carrier. Some of the differences are summarized in the photos below. Note that it's optimized for M4-length barrels - 14.5" or longer, not shorties. For more details on the bolt design, read the patent.

This Battlegrip battery storage system from TangoDown is ergonomically designed and for me, the most comfortable grip I've used. It's styled after the Stoner 63A grip, does away with the annoying finger groove of the standard M4 grip and has an extension in front to smooth out the sharp edge near the trigger guard (like the Duckbill, which I did NOT find comfortable). The grip can contain two AA, N or 123 series Lithium batteries, PLUS two DL-1 Aimpoint-type power cells, in a water and dust-proof compartment. Small foam spacers are provided to prevent rattling. Functional, and a great looking and well-made product!

Tangodown listened to user input, and the only suggestion was to add a bit more texture to the grip. All Battlegrips are now made with a textured surface, which I thought wouldn't make much difference as I liked the Battlegrip already, but after installing the new ones on my rifles, I DO feel a noticeable improvement in 'gription'.

New! The Battlegrip is now available with a textured surface

08/13/03 - Thank you to Jeff Cahill of Tangodown for this Military Morons exclusive. The TD vertical grip is made of ultra high-impact Nylon 66 with 33% glass fill. It's beefier than the KAC vertical and feels a lot more comfortable. It uses twin locking bars which are pulled down, then released to lock the grip to the rail which have a slight taper to them so that they wedge into the cross rails, preventing any fwd-aft movement. A 200 ft-depth watertight storage compartment holds batteries, spare parts (I was able to fit an M4 bolt, firing pin and cam pin with room to spare) and the cap is tetherd to the main body. A removable panel in the side (which can be stored inside the grip) enables a flashlight pressure switch to be installed in the dovetail. Weight of the grip is 3.6 oz.

Top pic shows removable panel for pressure pad	Grip can store an M4 bolt, firing pin, and cam pin. Cap is tethered to the grip and O-ring sealed	View of double locking bars and stainless 'leaf' spring	View mounted on rifle with pad panel inserted
Side view comparison to KAC vertical grip	Another comparison pic to KAC grip	Pad panel removed and Surefire pad installed		On KAC MRE (top) and ARMS #50 SIR. Note that alteration IS required for it to fit on the SIR and it will be loose on any other rail afterwards

5/29/04 - The TD vertical grips and Battlegrips, and rail panels are now available in green and earth brown. The colours match those of the Vltor stocks exactly.

4/29/04 - Here are Tango Down rail panels wihch are now out. They will come in one length only, and can be cut down and shortened. The full length panel is shown on the right side of the handguard below. I cut down two other panels (bottom and left side). I used a saw, then rounded off the corners and smoothed the cut with sandpaper. Came out nice and professional looking. The texture in the finger grooves is the same as that on the TD pistol grip. The panels will interface with all 1913 mil-std dimensioned rail systems and come in black, tan/coyote, and green. The plastic will match the colour of Vltor's stocks exactly. Also available (not shown) is a panel with a tape switch pocket, that will fit standard Surefire tactical light switches, and the PEQ/2 Insight switch. TD rail panels are also offered as OEM panels on LMT rifles - see the panel with the LMT logo on the tab (far right pic).

4/23/04 - Shown here are pre-production (in the case of the carbine rail - gen I) Modular Rifle Forend (MRF) rail made by Troy Industries. The MRF-C (carbine) and MRF-M (midlength) rails are free floating rail systems with removable lower sections. As of this writing, the attachment system is being refined to prevent rotation and ensure alignment with the upper receiver. At TroyInd's request, I have blurred out the clamp area as these pics do not reflect the production piece. Of note is Troy's CQB suppressor kit, which comprises of a new flash hider and mount. The suppressor mount slips over any M4 barrel, and is secured with their aggressive-looking flash hider. I pity the fool that gets a muzzle strike in the middle of his sternum with one of these. The suppressor screws onto the mount via left-hand fine threads. The rear of the suppressor is supported by the rear of the mount. When not in use, the fine threads are covered by a thread protector ring. This is just a preview to give you an idea of how the MRFs look on a rifle and will be updated with a full review once the production versions come out. At first impression, they seem very well made and finished, and will be simple to install without the need to remove the barrel nut and front sight.

6/16/04 - Following up on the above preview, here is the production model of the Troy Industries MRF (Modular Rail Forend) carbine length. Mid length and rifle versions are also available using the same attachment method. I'd have to say that the quality of the machining and finish is excellent. Cuts are crisp (these rails aren't tumbled, it looks like), and the finish is a deep, matte black. Any sheen in the pics is due to oil. It's constructed of 6061-T6 aluminum. The MRF's main components are a top rail, lower rail, and barrel nut clamp. The portion between the rails is longitudinally fluted/grooved - the additional surface area might serve to dissipate heat more quickly. The top rail lines up perfectly with the flattop receiver rail. Overall, a very attractive and well made piece. The MRF-C weighs 11.6oz. For comparison, a KAC FF carbine rail weighs 11.4oz, the RAS II is 13.8oz, DD 7.0 is 8.5oz and ARMS SIR #50 is 16.1oz.

The forend came with clear, illustrated instructions which were a breeze to follow. Installing the forend first requires removal of the delta ring components - delta ring, spring and c-ring. These can be cut off with a dremel or slid off after removing the front sight base. The top rail is then installed over the top half of the barrel nut, and the clamp installed on the lower half. The clamp has two anti-rotation tabs on either side which center it on the lower sides of the upper receiver. This prevents rotation of the upper rail or barrel nut (which it clamps to) relative to the receiver. The fit of the tabs to the receiver depends on which end of the tolerance the receiver was made at. Any play (if any) will be very small. Just as a secondary measure the ensure that the top rail was perfectly aligned to the flat top rail, I used a spare weaver rail mount to bridge the two rails and tightened it down, clamping them in line with each other. Before installing the lower clamp, a stainless steel detent and spring is placed into the detent hole, which later serves to lock the lower rail in place. 4 screws secure the lower clamp to the upper rail and when these are tightened, the rail system is locked on place. All parts went together without a hitch - this was a very simple installation. The lower rail/handguard has tabs that slide into corresponding slots in the top rail. The tabs are lined up, and the rail is slid back until the spring loaded detent locks it in place. I could feel absolutely no movement of the lower rail, either fore/aft, or side/side. To remove the rail, the detent is pressed and the lower rail slides forward and off. The forend does not touch the handguard cap, there is a very small gap there - it is completely free floating.

The upper and lower mil-std 1913 rails are clearly T-numbered in sharp, white characters. Width of the forend looks to be the same as the KAC RIS (approx 2.2" wide across rails). The top rail is the same height, of course, but the bottom one is approx .15" lower than the KAC.

The clamp area does pose an issue - since the bottoms of the side rails stop at the clamp, rail panels will go no farther aft. Even though there are cutouts for Knight's rail panel clips on the first and last slots, a full-length KAC rail panel's clip will not engage. The panel is too long for the clip to engage in the front, and unless the panel is relieved, the clamp does not provide the necessary clearance to engage the clip on the aft slot. Short KAC rail panels will only engage the front slots. The Tango Down rail panel clip will not engage in the front, but can be installed with the clip to the rear. The clamp area, however, will be bare (much like a delta ring or barrel nut on a free-floating forend. I decided to relieve my Tango Down rail panels to cover that area, as I sometimes use a mag well hold instead of the vertical grip. I used a dremel to relieve the necessary amount (first pic, below). The panel now insulates my hand from the clamp area, which is likely to get hot. The Tango Down vertical grip was a solid fit - no side-side movement whatsoever.

Other than that rail panel fitting issue which I promptly fixed - I'm very pleased with the MRF-C. I replaced the KAC RIS that I had on this upper (which now resides on my MARPAT carbine), and it looks good.

Yet another entry into the already-flooded rail system market. Earlier in 2003, when I saw an early model of Surefire's new rail system for the MP5, I was pretty impressed with the workmanship and machining. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the production version of the M73 for the M4 carbine. Compared to their MP5 rail and excellent tactical lights, the M73 isn't on par in quality. For a more in-depth review, please visit TNRonin's writeup here. He pretty much covers all bases in his well-written review. To sum up my own observations, the rail slots had flash/excess material in them and the heat shields had overspray. Initially advertised as a 'free-floating' handguard, it most definitely is NOT. The bottom rail bears on the barrel nut while the top rail has setscrews that push against the rear of the handguard cap, effectively lengthening the rail system and wedging it in between the handguard cap and barrel nut. It's sturdy when attached, yes, but I personally don't like the mode of attachment. The rail covers/ladders that come with it are virtually the same as the ones offered by another company. Why the top rail isn't at the same level as the flat top is a mystery to me. The price of this system (under $180) is the big attraction, for those who don't want/need a free floating handguard/rail and don't want the 'higher end' systems. Considering the sky-high price tag of Surefire's tactical lights (stick a $500 Surefire M900 vertical grip/light on their $180 rail system - how ironic), and beautiful quality of their machined lights, their M73 didn't live up to the high expectations they had set for me. It's definitely better than the plastic handguards with rails molded into them, but just not on the same level as a KAC or ARMS system, and it's reflected in the affordable price. I guess I can't rag on it too much because of that - but you get what you pay for (see update below).

1/8/05 - Someone whose opinion I trust brought it to my attention that he had different observations with his M73, which had none of the QC issues I brought up in the above writeup, and liked the rail. This is from someone who has BTDT. I did that writeup when the first run of M73's came out, and since then I have examined later production pieces (I just neglected to update the writeup), and have to agree that the quality of manufacturing HAS improved and they look much better than the sample that I had. I won't retract my previous observations (as they still stand for that sample), but wanted to update the writeup to reflect that the production rail has improved since I did my writeup, and the finish and quality of manufacturing is as good as any of the other mil-std rails on the market. I'm still not fond of the way it attaches, but that's nitpicking from an engineering standpoint and probably has no practical consequence. That being said, the M73 does look to be a better value than I had originally thought, and a good alternative to the more expensive RIS/RAS.

10/16/04 - I've been using the Badger Ordnance Tactical Latch on my AR's for probably a couple of years now, and it's an accessory that (in my opinion) is an enhancement to the AR/M16 family of weapons. Badger Ordnance is well known for their bomb-proof sniper rifle rings and bases, plus other weapons accessories.

The Tactical Latch is a direct replacement for the standard latch on the charging handle, and replacement is a 5-minute job at most, with the right tools. It consists of a skeletonized square of 8620 ordnance steel, with a mil spec parkerized finish. It allows easier manipulation of the charging handle by providing a larger latch to both unlock the handle, and draw it to the rear. Instead of the normal method of pulling the charging handle to the rear by using the index and middle fingers on both sides of the handle, it is possible to pull it to the rear with only the Tactical Latch, using the side of the hand, palm, index finger etc. This is a necessary addition to scoped rifles, where the rear of the scope overhangs the rear of the receiver, making it difficult to access both sides of the charging handle. With the Tactical Latch, charging is made much easier.

Badger Ordnance now has the Gen II Tactical Latch, which is a lower profile latch, for those who don't have a scope that limits access to the charging handle, but would still like quicker and easier manipulation of the charging handle. Instead of the skeletonized square, the Gen II has a serrated/grooved from surface for better purchase, and rounded edges. Both Tactical Latches are useful when doing 'press checks' to ensure a round is chambered. I'm a leftie, so my SOP for manipulation of the charging handle is different than right handed shooters. I find the larger Tactical Latch invaluable for malfunction drills, as I have to reach over with my right hand to rack the charging handle while rotating the weapon to the right with ejection port down. That'd be very difficult with a standard latch. I like 'em.

These neat little trigger guards caught my eye at a Buffer Technologies table. They're made in Germany by Oberland Arms, out of aluminum. They're a direct replacement for the standard trigger guard for the AR15/M16 series of rifles. They're beautifully shaped and are very aesthetically pleasing they follow the lines of the gap between the mag well and the pistol grip much better than the standard guard. All edges are rounded which is nice as I've sometimes found the standard guard to have sharp edges. For those who need to fold down the guard for use with heavy gloves, two detents hold it in place, eliminating the need for a sharp instrument to fold it down. Note that it will not fold down with pistol grips that have a 'duckbill' or if you're using the 'gapper'. Instead of a roll pin, the guard is attached to the receiver with a stainless pin, held in place with two O-rings. No tools are needed for installation (just punch out your old roll pin to remove the old guard). I just love the way this thing looks and have replaced all the standard guards on my rifles. Give Larry a yell if you want one.