ar-15

Scope Review: Hawke Optics 1×32 Multi-Purpose Scope

May 17, 2013 By Tom Leave a Comment

The Hawke Optics 1×32 Multi Purpose Scope plays well with others

Somewhat like Captain Jack Sparrow, the Hawke Optics 1×32 Multi-Purpose scope easily adapts to all sorts of situations. Originally designed as a crossbow optic, people quickly realized that it was fit for more combustible applications. As I’ll show in more detail, it has 3 easy-to acquire aiming points which you can use to identify both near and far zeros for your particular rifle, crossbow or shotgun.

The Hawke 1×32 Multi Purpose Scope plays well with others. Crossbows, AR-15′s and shotguns to name a few.

Just the facts about the Hawke Optics 1×32 Multi-Purpose scope…

	The left side-wheel operates the illuminated reticle. Both red and green illumination is available and each color offers five levels of brightness. The “crosses” illuminate – see the reticle image below for detail. The illumination feature is powered by a single CR2032 battery – available most anywhere. Just unscrew the reticle brightness control knob cap to replace the battery.
	As this is a 1x optic, you’re probably not going to use the windage and elevation controls while shooting. They’re more for adjusting your zero as you change rifles and ammunition types. You might even move this to a crossbow! Each click adjusts the point of impact by 1/2 MOA, or just a hair over a half an inch at 100 yards. I found this to be plenty of granularity to get my favorite .223 load on target. The turrets are finger adjustable, and once you get your settings right, just screw the protective caps back on.
	Clarity of the scope was really good, with no discernible loss of focus or brightness as you look to the edges of the scope. The photo here shows a view at a berm about 110 yards away. The long horizontal and vertical bars made targeting fast and easy. Also as this photo shows, the cross aiming points show as black when illumination is not turned on. There’s really no need to use the illumination feature unless you’re in early or end of day low light conditions. One more thing – the top of the vertical bar is another aiming point – we’ll talk more about that below.
	Lenses are multi-coated and I found visibility to be good. While the objective is 32mm, the tube is 1 inch in diameter.
	Keeping this an all Hawke Optics solution, I used the Hawke 1″ 2-Piece, Reach Forward mounts. As you can see in the photo, this left quite a bit of remaining adjustment play both on the rail and in the scope rings. The eye relief in the Hawke Optics 1×32 Multi-Purpose scope is very generous so you can put this scope pretty much anywhere on the receiver rail. The specs indicate that eye relief is 8 inches. It’s not intended to be a scout scope so you’ll get some shadowing if you try to put it on the front rail. While testing, I placed the scope so the rear lens was about an inch forward of the rear of the receiver. This provided great visibility and unhindered access to the charging handle.
	Hawke Optics offers free ballistics software for Mac, PC, iPhones and iPads and Android devices. The BRC software has the Hawke reticles and a bunch of cartridge profiles built-in, so you can quickly tell it you’re using the Hawke 1×32 Multi-Purpose scope with an AR-15. As I was using practice hand loads, I adjusted the actual velocity to 2,700 feet per second instead of the default 3,250. As this is a 1x optic, and I’m half blind, I chose a 200 yard zero. not to actually shoot at 200 yards, but because the “near” zero point for the primary aiming cross works out to 42.2 yards. You can see on the image here that the left columns shows near zero distances while the column on the right shows far zero distances. Using my specially calibrated tennis shoes, I paced off 42 yards and added a bit more. Sure enough, I was right on target with the primary (top) aiming point in the reticle.
	Here’s where it gets interesting. The Hawke BRC software tells me, that for this reticle, with my specific load and velocity, what the aiming points are for the lower cross and the top of the vertical post – 6.3 and 4.3 yards respectively. So I moved my target in to 6.3 yards, again using my Imperial system calibrated shoes and paced off 6.3 yards. Again, right on target. same with the top of the vertical post aim point at 4.3 yards. Depending on where you set your primary zero, and which load you use, you can develop a useful scenario where you know point of impact for both very short and very long-range. This is particularly handy with AR-15 applications. As the center of AR-15 optics is generally about 2.5 inches above the bore, you normally have to compensate for short-range shots. With the Hawke 1×32 Multi-Purpose scope, you simply use one of the lower two aiming points to put you right on target at “inside the home” distances.

The Hawke 1×32 Multi-Purpose BRC software comes preloaded with all of the Hawke Optics reticles so you can easily work out point of aim and impact solutions. Here’s the data we used for AR-15 testing with a 2,700 foot per second .223 Remington load.

Closing Arguments

The practical flexibility of this optic is just plain cool. I’ve been using it on an AR-15 with great success. My daughter just got a Barnett Jackal crossbow, so the weekend project will be to equip it with the Hawke 1×32 Multi-Purpose scope and see how that works. Our first step will be to configure the Hawke BRC software with the Jackal’s ballistic data. Here’s the initial report based on the bolt velocity of the Jackal. By the way, crossbow data is preloaded into Hawke BRC software and you can tweak variables like velocity.

The Hawke BRC Software give us this projected aim point and range data for the Barnett Jackal crossbow.

So, looking at the right column of far aim point data, we see that the three default aim points correspond to ranges of 20, 40 and 50 yards.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on the value of this one. Retailing at $129.99, the Hawke 1×32 Multi-Purpose scope is a great option to consider if you’re on a tight budget. Add the benefit of moving it around from rifle to crossbow to shotgun and you’ve got a winner.


Available Here	Hawke 1×32 Multi-Purpose Scope

Check out other My Gun Culture product reviews here!

Blackhawk’s AR-15 Offset Safety Selector: Don’t Be All Thumbs

May 9, 2013 By Tom 1 Comment

If you’re right-handed, operating the safety lever on an AR-15 is a pain in the butt.

If you’re left-handed (using a standard AR-15), operating the safety lever on an AR-15 is a pain in the butt.

If you’re either right or left-handed, operating the safety lever on an AR-15 is a pain in the butt.

If you’re right-handed, you really have to alter your grip to work the lever with your thumb. Or you can work it with your left hand. Or you can phone a friend. If you’re left-handed, things get really interesting. You can de-joint your thumb and reach around the back of the grip. Maybe.

Now that topic is settled, let’s look at potential solutions.

You could try a self-imposed “assault weapon” ban. Be sure to email Dianne “Vengeful Hissing Cockroach” Feinstein. It will make her day.
You could duct tape a spent .223 cartridge onto the selector to provide more leverage. And slather the whole mess with WD-40 to slick up the action. You can fix anything with duct tape and WD-40 right?
You could avoid the problem altogether and switch to a double-barrel shotgun. Hey, if it’s good enough for Uncle Joe…
Or, you could try the new Blackhawk! AR-15 Safety Selector.

The last options brings us to the next step in the custom Blackhawk! AR-15 project.

Blackhawk! AR-15 Offset Selector

Blackhawk’s AR-15 Offset Safety Selector is one of the nifty AR-15 accessories introduced at the 2013 SHOT Show and they are now shipping. It’s a drop-in part that only requires a screwdriver to install.

It works well for two reasons:

The lever is offset 45 degrees so the range of motion is altered in a more favorable way.
The whole lever is not as flat to the receiver as the standard safety lever, so it’s easier to manipulate.

Blackhawk! AR-15 Offset Safety Selector Installation

Installation is easy. Just follow these steps:

	The Blackhawk! AR-15 Offset Selector kit is pretty straightforward. It consists of the new selector lever and the package card with instructions on the back. If you finish this upgrade with parts left over, please step away from the margarita…
	Go ahead and remove the upper from the lower by pushing the front and rear receiver pins from left to right.
	OK, here is one of two steps where you get to use actual tools! You want to loosen, not remove, the hand grip.
	Here’s why you want to just loosen it. See that little spring peeking out between the grip and the receiver? You want to take some pressure off that as it is the detent spring for the selector lever. You know this is a serious gunsmithing project when we’re using words like “detent.”
	If you loosen the grip enough, you’ll be able to pull the existing selector lever out. See that little detent pin? That’s what was holding it in place. Of course you can remove the grip entirely, but then that spring tends to launch into low earth orbit, facilitating a call to Brownells to order a new one. This will slow down your installation considerably.
	Just lift the existing selector lever out from the left side of the receiver.
	This is the BEST PART! Remember when I said this was a drop-in upgrade? Here’s where you literally drop in the new Blackhawk! AR-15 Offset Selector lever.
	You may need to push the detent pin down a bit with a small screwdriver or your favorite pocket knife to seat the new selector lever.
	Here’s part two that requires intimate knowledge of tools. Tighten that hand grip back up. Not too much though as over-tightening could interfere with operation of the selector lever. Remember that the grip houses the detent spring. If you crush it, things may not work too well.
	Voila! Take a break. Tell your significant other that you just completed a delicate and complicated machining project.

How it works

While moving a standard safety lever from SAFE to FIRE is fairly easy for righties, requiring a downward sweep of the thumb, the Blackhawk! AR-15 Offset Safety Selector makes it a bit easier. To move to fire, the offset lever moves from about a 1:30 to a 4:30 position. Your thumb does not have to stretch to push the lever all the way to 6:00.

Moving back to safe is even better. The “taller” lever and offset allow you to use the top of your thumb to move the selector back to SAFE.

The benefits apply to lefties as well. Your index / trigger finger can easily sweep the selector to FIRE and you can use the top of your trigger finger to move it back to SAFE.

All in all, a nifty little upgrade.

Filed Under: Gun Maintenance & Customization, Shooting Tips Tagged With: accessories, ar-15, Ar-15 Selector, AR-15 upgrades, assault weapons, blackhawk, guns, gunsmithing, reviews, safety

How To Install The Blackhawk! Quad Rail On Your AR-15

May 3, 2013 By Tom 1 Comment

For Step 2 of the Blackhawk! AR-15 Upgrade Project, it’s time to get rid of that ugly round plastic standard hand guard. Not only is it as unattractive as Lindsay Lohan’s latest mug shot, you can’t hang things on it. Like a tactical light, back up sights or a vertical foregrip.

So I’m going to try out the Blackhawk! AR-15 Carbine Quad Rail Two Piece Forend. This accessory is also available in rifle length if your gun is longer than mine. No further comment on that topic.

Blackhawk! AR-15 Quad Rail Forend before

The DPMS Lite 16 A3 before – with the factory standard hand guard

The Blackhawk! AR-15 Quad Rail Forend is made of aluminum and features at least 3.17 boat loads of vent holes to help dissipate heat during prolonged or rapid fire. As you’ll see by the close-up photos below, the airflow is great and unrestricted.

The best part about this accessory? No tools required! Not even a hammer. Unless you stray really far from the simple instructions. Well, there is one small allen wrench, but that’s included in the box. The whole idea of the two piece quad rail is that it’s a drop in replacement for the standard two piece hand guards. No need to remove the sight block or hand guard cap – just install each half and bolt them together.

Let’s take a closer look at the installation process:

	The Blackhawk! Quad Rail Forend includes two aluminum rail halves that dovetail together, 4 hex screws for fastening them to each other securely, a hex wrench and a single page of installation instructions.
	The first step is to remove the existing hand guard. While the existing forend may appear to be a “tools required” removal, it’s not. Just pull down on the delta ring between the receiver and the forend. It may be tight, so apply a little muscle.
	When you pull the delta ring towards the receiver far enough, you’ll be able to remove each half of the existing hand guard as shown in the photo here.
	Piece of cake right? Now you’ve got an AR-15 that looks something like Skeletor. As tempting as it might be to use it like this, don’t. Not only will you bend the gas tube, you’ll burn the bejeepers out of your hand when the barrel heats up.
	While technically it does not matter which of the halves of the Blackhawk! Quad Rail go on the top and bottom, they are labeled accodingly. Blackhawk wisely labels both the top and bottom halves, but also each mounting groove. This makes it easy to remember exactly where you had a piece of gear mounted in the event you ever remove it. When you mounted that vertical fore grip in position B24 it fit just perfectly right? Now you can take it off for maintenance and make sure it will go back just where you liked it.
	The new hand guards install just like the old ones. Slide the top hand guard ledge under the existing hand guard cap as shown until it fits snugly.
	Just like before, pull that delta ring down towards the receiver until you can work in the ledge of the Blackhawk! Quad Rail.
	Repeat the process with the bottom half of the rail set. The two halves will dovetail together nicely.
	When you seat the bottom half of the quad rail under the delta ring, the whole assembly should feel pretty solid. Just the friction fit on ours was tight and secure.
	Now is the time to use the 4 included hex screws to fasten the two quad rail halves together. Do this using the included hex wrench.
	Blackhawk! includes a neat feature on this quad rail set. If you look at the exact center of this photo, you’ll see a hex screw that does not appear to do anything. This is a swivel attachment point. There are 4 on the front and 4 more on the back of the rail so you have plenty of potential sling points for your rifle. Where you attach the sling is entirely up to you.
	That’s it! Looks pretty sweet doesn’t it? No hammers and only about 5 minutes to install the whole thing.

The Blackhawk! Quad Rail Hand Guard is a really sweet upgrade. Just going from plastic to metal is a nice step. The feel is outstanding. While this is not a free floated hand guard solution (that would require tools) it’s really solid and improves the feel dramatically. The metal hand guards add a little heft to the rifle and of course you now have lot’s of attachment points for a sling and accessories.

The grip of this hand guard is aggressive – the texture is good and it makes for a non-slip surface. One of the other upgrades we will be adding in this series are rubber hand guard inserts. As they are trim to fit, I’ll do that towards the end when I’ve decided on the final rail accessory configuration.

Stay tuned!

The finished product!

Filed Under: Gun Maintenance & Customization, Shooting Tips Tagged With: Aluminum Rail, ar-15, AR-15 Accessories, AR-15 Customization, blackhawk, DPMS, Hand Guards, Quad Rail, rail, Rail Accessories

Cop a Feel with the Blackhawk AR-15 Ergonomic Grip

April 29, 2013 By Tom 1 Comment

One of the highlights of the 2013 SHOT Show was a tour of the Blackhawk! booth. Actually, it was more like three or four tours, with each covering a different segment of the very broad Blackhawk! product line. One day was holsters. Another day was rifle accessories. Then clothing and the new Blackhawk! watches. Those rate an 11 on the cool scale by the way. Anyway, thanks to the Blackhawk! staff for their infinite patience. They must have felt like Justin Bieber’s press secretary with the onslaught of questions.

Let’s get grippy with it and upgrade that hard plastic factory grip!

One of the 2013 products that really got my attention was a a $25.99 AR-15 accessory that completely changes the way you handle and shoot and AR-15 rifle. That was the Blackhawk! Rail Mount Thumb Rest. Nifty, nifty, nifty. A demonstration and trial of the thumb rest led to a discussion about all the Blackhawk! AR-15 accessories and what I could do to a basic AR-15 rifle.

One idea led to another and soon we decided to build a Blackhawk! custom AR-15. As I wrote about a few days ago, I’ve got a stock DPMS Lite 16 A3 AR-15 that is just screaming for a little TLC.

So I’m going to bling this rifle out with every piece of Blackhawk! AR-15 gear I can get my grubby mitts on. I’ll document the why’s and how-to’s along the way in hopes of sharing some do’s and dont’s about home accessorizing.

Step 1: Get a grip!

Standard AR-15 grips are OK I suppose. Most of them have a finger ridge to help place your middle finger along with some texturing molded into the plastic. Or should I say polymer? Meh.

There’s even a hole in the packaging so you can get a free test-feel before you buy.

Fortunately, Blackhawk! has added a new item in their 2013 catalog – the Blackhawk! Ergonomic Grip.

Blackhawk! has a history of partnering with best of breed companies to bring products to market and expand distribution. The Knoxx / Blackhawk! deal is a great example. In that case, the partnership went Full Monty and now Knoxx is a part of the Blackhawk! organization. We’re not sure of the future of Blackhawk! and Ergo Grips, but even if the deal is a private label branding, it’s still a good thing. It’s good because Blackhawk! brings massive distribution to the table and a well-known brand. Even my local Wal-Mart carries a pretty broad selection of Blackhawk! products. Whether or not you care to shop at Wally World, it’s great exposure for the shooting sports and will only help to promote that fact that black rifles are common, everyday tools.

So, back to Step 1. Replacing the pistol grip on an AR-15 is ridiculously simple and usually requires just a flat bead screwdriver and a large hammer. I’m just kidding about the hammer. If you need that, please re-read the instructions carefully! Some factory grips are mounted with a hex screw, but even still, it’s easy.

Here’s how you do it:

	The DPMS Lite 16 factory grip is installed with a simple flat head screw. Remove this screw and the grip will come right off. But before you do, read the next step.
	Remember when I said replacing the pistol grip was insanely easy? Well, I lied, but just a little bit. There is really only one thing you have to be careful of. The selector spring is installed halfway in the grip and halfway in the lower receiver. This is the spring that makes the No pew / Pew lever click into place. The chances of that little spring launching across the room when you remove the factory grip are about the same as Joe Biden renewing his membership at Hair Club for Men. Make sure not to lose the spring!
	The Blackhawk! Ergonomic Grip will slide right on. Just be sure to replace the selector spring as shown as you put it on.
	You’ll need to remove the rubber cap to screw the grip onto the lower receiver. Interestingly enough, there is a note inside the Blackhawk! Ergonomic Grip that says not to store anything in there as it may fall out! That made me laugh just a little. There is no reason you can’t store something in there, just be aware that the base cap mounts with pressure and friction and could come off with heavy activity. I’m probably going to rig up some way to keep it in place so I can store a couple of spare parts and some Orange Tic Tacs in there.
	Here’s a nice touch. As you can see, the No Pew / Pew switch can still move freely due to a cutout in the grip.
	When you finish installing the screw, be sure to put the base cap in place. Just because it has a cool logo. One other thing to note, don’t overtighten the grip to the receiver. As the grip houses the selector spring, it’s possible to interfere with selector switch operation. Be sure to function test the rifle when you finish. And be sure to test fire it at the range before engaging in any life-saving activity.
	All done! Nice huh?
	I measured the factory grip circumference and found it to be just about 4 1/4 inches. The new Blackhawk! Ergonomic Grip measured exactly 4 1/2 inches.
	My hands are men’s large size. Here’s a visual on how my hand fits on the new grip. The grip is rubberized all around and has a pebbly texture. It’s somewhat similar to rubberized skateboard tape. All in all, it’s a great improvement over the hard plastic factory grip.

For Step 2, I’m going to get really crazy and replace that round plastic hand guard with a Blackhawk! AR-15 Carbine Quad Rail Two-Piece Forend.
Stay tuned!

Filed Under: Gun Maintenance & Customization, Shooting Tips Tagged With: ar-15, AR-15 Customization, blackhawk, DPMS, Ergo Grips, Ergonomic Grip, M16 Rifle, Pistol Grip

How (Not) to Install an AR-15 Flat Top Gas Block and Front Sight Base

April 26, 2013 By Tom 3 Comments

Well, mostly this is an article about how to install an AR-15 flat-top front sight base and gas block. But we will share a few tips about how not to, learned the hard way, to save you aggravation should you choose to get adventurous with your own AR-15 rifle.

Here’s a pretty basic AR-15 rifle. This one happens to be a DPMS Lite 16 A3 AR-15. As you can see, it has the standard front sight base and gas block installed. While this piece looks to be permanently affixed to the rifle, it’s not. It’s just stuck on there, albeit really tightly, with a couple of pins.

Here’s a DPMS Lite 16 A3 AR-15. We’re going to replace the integral front sight base / gas block with a flat top version. So we can do a bunch of cool customizations to this rifle.

There’s nothing wrong with keeping the standard AR-15 front sight base, especially if you use no or low-power optics on your rifle. With a very low-power scope or red dot sight, you won’t really see the front sight (too much) and it makes a nice backup should your optic fail.

However, there are a number of good reasons you may want to consider removing the standard AR-15 sight block and replacing it with a flat top gas block.

Top 5 reasons to remove that ungainly AR-15 fixed front sight:

While charging enemy positions, the wind resistance of the fixed AR-15 front sight slows you down.
While it appears to double as a handy, integral bottle opener, you’ve come to your senses and determined that’s a really bad idea.
Hardly any of Stickman’s rifles have one.
You can use those cool AR-15 flip-up backup sights. Magpul, the company who just told Colorado politicians to enthusiastically pound sand, makes them. Support the resistance!
If you use a scope, you can still kind of see the front sight getting in the way. It get’s really annoying with a higher-powered optic.

Whatever your reason, you can do this from the comfort of your home!

AR-15 JP Adjustable Gas Block System Installation

The JP Enterprise Adjustable Gas System

We have a number of reasons for embarking on this Dremel-free (hopefully) home-gunsmithing journey. You see, this rifle is going to be the starting point for a project we’re doing with the folks at Blackhawk!. As we wrote about earlier, Blackhawk! is making some really swell accessories for AR-15 style rifles, and putting a flat top gas block will give us a little more flexibility. Stay tuned!

After consulting the folks at Brownells.com, we decided to install the JP Enterprise Adjustable Gas System. We like the way it mounts with 3 solid hex screws and that it offers a quick-detach rail at standard height. This will allow us to mount a Blackhawk! backup sight system later. We also like the adjustable gas flow feature which allows you to tweak the amount of gas flowing back to the action. Adjust it so enough gas flows to ensure reliable operation with your favorite .223 or 5.56mm ammunition, but not so much that your rifle gets battered to bits over time.

Ready for some basic gunsmithing? Let’s go!

	Here’s our existing front sight base and gas block. It kinda looks permanent, but only because some parkerizing goop has been sloshed over the seams. It’ll come off with a little love and tenderness!
	First, remove the upper receiver from the lower. This will make things a lot easier.
	In order to remove the front sight base, you’ll need to remove the flash hider or muzzle brake on your rifle. This will be much easier if you have a vise. Since we don’t have a dedicated barrel vise, we’re doing some budget improvisation and using an old kevlar vest as padding between our AR-15 barrel and those toothy vise jaws. What? It works…
	On our DPMS rifle, the flash hider was plenty tight, but not ridiculously so. A proper fitting wrench, a little elbow grease and some caution allowed us to take it right off.
	Be sure not to lose the washer. And pay attention to its orientation as this will go back on after the new gas block is installed.
	Now the threaded end of your barrel is exposed. What a great time to brush the crud off!
	The next step is to punch out the two lower pins that hold the sight base to the barrel. This picture shows our highly-sophisticated system for supporting the barrel and sight base while allowing the pins to get knocked out the bottom.
	Better yet, get this AR-15 bench block from Brownells.com. It’s specifically designed to support the front sight and has cutout holes for pin removal. You’re far less likely to ding up your rifle trying to pound out stubborn pins. It’s well worth the money, especially if you’re going to use it more than once. We got impatient waiting for ours and used the budget method, with the expected results…
	If you have brass punches, use them. You’ll be far less likely to ding up your existing sight base and your barrel. While brass leaves marks, it can be scrubbed off. Also, use a punch pin that is as close as possible to the diameter of the pin, without being larger. Using too small of a pin will “mush out” the pin and make it harder to remove. These pins are going to be pretty tight, so you’ll have to support the barrel well and smack the crud out of it. One of ours was so stubborn, we had to drill it out. Hopefully you won’t have to resort to that!
	Now remove the upper pin that holds the gas tube in place. This one will come out pretty easily. Be careful not to bend the gas tube. Try not to notice the brass marks where we fought that second pin with very little elegance.
	Now the gas tube will pull out of the front sight base. And you have yet another great spring cleaning opportunity. Clean the interior and holes of the gas tube, but remember to leave it bone dry when finished.
	Here’s another one of those right tool for the job opportunities. You’ll need to whack the front sight base towards the muzzle a couple of times to break it loose. A plastic hammer like this one from Brownells will do the job.
	Once broken loose, the front sight assembly will slide forward and off the barrel. Here’s where you’ll get to see how much attention to detail was placed on your rifle’s manufacture. This barrel was not parkerized under the sight as you can see the bare steel.
	Yet another cleaning opportunity. If your rifle has been used, there will be some gas crud around the gas port. Clean it off and dry.
	Now we’re cookin’ with propane! Insert the gas regulator screw into the gas block just enough to hold it in place. Next, insert the gas tube, making sure to insert the right end.
	Be sure that the hole in the gas tube aligns properly with the gas block port before the next step.
	Slide the whole assembly into place, being careful not to bend the gas tube.
	You’ll see the holes where the gas tube enters the receiver. Line everything up.
	Once you’re confident that everything is in place, you can insert and tight the three hex screws that hold the gas block to the barrel. Now you can reinstall your flash hider or muzzle brake.
	That’s it for the installation portion of this upgrade. Just replace your hand guards and reattach the upper and lower receivers. The next step has to be done at the range, so be sure to read on!

Adjusting the JP Enterprise Gas Block

Earlier we mentioned that you can tweak the gas flow using this particular JP Enterprises gas block. The process is a lot easier than it sounds.

Bring your normal .223 and/or 5.56mm ammo to the range.
Be SURE to bring the included hex wrench that fits the gas adjustment screw!
Turn the gas adjustment screw (the silver one) all the way in to completely close off the gas port.
Now back it out a couple of turns.
Load and fire one shot.
If the bolt of your rifle stays open, you’re likely done. If it does not, then you’re not getting enough gas. That sounds kind of wrong doesn’t it?
If your bolt is not locking open on the last shot, keep opening the gas screw until the bolt locks back consistently on the last shot.
When you get it set, you may want to use a little LocTite to keep it from moving around. Be sure to use low or medium strength so you can break the screw loose later if you need to!
Just remember, if you change ammunition, you may need to readjust.

Next up, the Blackhawk! AR-15 upgrade project. Each article, we’ll document one part of the upgrade process.

Stay tuned!

Filed Under: Gun Maintenance & Customization, Shooting Tips Tagged With: 15 Flat, ar-15, AR-15 Customization, blackhawk, brownells, Front Sight, Front Sight Block, Gas Block, Gun Customization, JP Enterprises, optics, Sight Block

Review: Bushnell Zoom Dot Red Dot Sight

November 7, 2011 By Tom Leave a Comment

The Good

Our aging eyes had no trouble at all picking up the very bright 10 MOA dot.

The Bad

A minor nit with the Zoom Dot was the placement of the windage adjustment. It’s partially blocked by the scope mount in its ‘factory shipped’ condition. This was a minor inconvenience at the range.

The Ugly

While the Zoom Dot claims water resistance, we did not have any 200 foot free dives planned during the evaluation period to test it out. Maybe next time..

Our Rating

Three Nuns!

Bushnell Zoom Dot Red Dot Sight

Suggested Retail Price: $423.95

Approximate Street Price: $235.00

www.bushnell.com

Zoom. Zoom. Zoom. That’s Bushnell’s approach to balancing rapid sighting capability with precision aiming in the same optic. Some optics makers elect to use a single red dot, an arrow, or a small MOA dot surrounded by a larger circle for close in and fast sighting. The Bushnell Zoom Dot approach is just like the name says – a variable zoom control knob increases the red dot size from 1 MOA all the way up to 10 MOA. Just for scale, that would mean the largest dot setting dot would just about completely cover a paper plate at 100 yards. Zoom is controlled by a large control knob on the right side of the tube. This control knob also serves as a battery disconnect for long storage periods of inactivity and houses the units battery.

Sensory Perception

The Bushnell Zoom Dot comes with rubber flip-up lens covers, and in addition to keeping dirt, grit, slime, and meddling politicians away from the glass when not in use, the covers serve a secondary purpose. The Zoom Dot is equipped with an automatic brightness adjustment. An onboard sensor detects light conditions and intensifies the dot accordingly. Outdoors, the dot gets brighter. Indoors, the dot gets dimmer. Best of all, when the lens covers are closed, the dot turns off altogether, thereby extending the battery life to thousands of hours. We’re leaving the unit turned on at about the 5 MOA setting just to see how long it will run. If the battery outlasts our patience with presidential election primaries, we’ll consider it a victory for all mankind.

Oops – Placement Counts

The Zoom Dot has a rock-solid six screw mount. However, when we went to make our very first windage adjustments at the range, we found that the factory default mounting position was too close to the windage adjustment and the adjusting hex wrench was not able to fit. So we had to loosen the mount, move the mounting ring further from the control area and re-seat the mount before we could make windage adjustments. Not a deal breaker, but it was unusual that you’re not able to make sight adjustments with the out of the box configuration. So your options are to move the tube permanently in the mount, allowing for future windage adjustments, or move the tube, adjust for windage, and move it back.

Flip Up Covers

The included lens caps are made of a rubber material. The optic has ‘nubs’ that will hold the lens cap in the open position. A firm push flexes the rubber cap back over the nub to close the cover. Nice touch. The rubber lens caps are mounted on a ring that can be rotated around the tube, so the covers can be positioned to open up, down, sideways, or diagonally if you’re feeling particular rebellious.

It’s Rugged

Judging by the cornucopia (a ‘cornucopia’ is about two and a half boatloads by the way) of gun, ammo, and accessory products hitting the market, zombies are everywhere. This is a good thing as we thought a reasonable durability test would be to red-dot whip a few dozen of the undead to make sure the Zoom Dot lived up to its sturdy appearance. Unfortunately there were no undead to be found in our area. Nor could we find any rapists at local Occupy events as a substitute target. No matter – Bushnell claims that Zoom Dots are in active duty use in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have been unable to verify whether the Zoom Dot is featured in Modern Warfare 3.

The Zoom Dot is also fully waterproof to an unspecified depth. We were going to take up high-performance free diving and bring this puppy down to a couple hundred feet, but the water was a bit chilly, so we postponed that. Maybe later.

Witnessing

The Bushnell Zoom Dot is intended to work with back up iron sights in the event the fudge hits the fan and your battery dies at an inopportune time. Our test platform was a DPMS Panther A3 Lite with a Magpul Back-Up Rear Sight and integral front sight. The height of the optic with included mount was a bit lower than we would have preferred as the optical sights lined up in the upper half of the tubes visible area. With the integral front sight of the A3 platform, we found the front sight to be too much in the field of view when using the optic. Of course, this would not be an issue with a fold-down back-up front sight setup. And if you’ve resorted to iron sight use, the height is irrelevant as you can see clearly through the glass. if the mount height really bothers you, the tube is a standard 30mm diameter so the mount can be replaced with one a bit higher.

Shooty-ness

We did most of our shooting at ranges between 10 and 100 yards. At 100 yards, the smaller MOA settings (1-3 range) were perfectly adequate to consistently hit clay targets and other small objects. For 25 yards and closer, we liked the higher settings, maybe in the 5-8 MOA range. Going with a larger dot size in bright sunlight was also helpful. While the dot intensity automatically increases in bright light, the optical illusion of even greater brightness with larger dot sizes was helpful.

Closing Arguments

The stand out feature of this optic was its feeling of solid. No, we didn’t drive nails with it, mainly because Paul at Bushnell might have used it on us if we beat the heck out of his red-dot. Nor did we have the opportunity to AR-whip any zombies with it, but it just feels substantial. We’re going to keep it on for a while and run it through the paces of several high school shooting club outings. 25 or so teenagers using it at the range should be roughly equivalent to a year or so in a combat zone. That ought to provide some real world perspective and we’ll post updates as appropriate.

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Filed Under: Optics and Sights Reviews, Reviews Tagged With: ar-15, MSR, optics, red-dot, reviews

Review: Aimpoint Micro H-1 Red Dot Sight

October 11, 2011 By Tom 2 Comments

The Good

This is a really well engineered piece of equipment. Versatile with thoughtful design.

The Bad

If I had to be really picky, I would prefer flip up lens covers instead of the connected rubber covers. They are designed to quickly pull down and rest around the sight base however so they don’t get lost.

The Ugly

I have to somehow convince her that we need one of these more than we need to do other things – like feed the kids or make car payments.

Our Rating

Four Nuns!

Aimpoint Micro-H1 Red Dot Sight

Approximate Street Price: $565.00 (as configured with mounts)

www.aimpoint.com

Note the optics co-witness height with back up iron sights

We met Kristi, Aimpoint’s Marketing Director, at this year’s POMA Conference Media Day at the Range in Ogden, Utah and had the opportunity to try the Micro H-1 Red Dot sight. We were impressed with the size, weight, and clarity of the H-1 and worked out a more in-depth evaluation opportunity. The H-1 seemed like a great option for an AR platform so we planned an in-depth test on a DPMS Panther A3 Lite 16.

The Skinny on the Micro H-1

The Micro H-1 and its slightly more tacticool sibling the Micro T-1 (night vision compatible) are, in fact, skinny. Just 1.6″ wide compared to the classic Aimpoint Comp M4′s 2.1″ width, the Micro H-1 (not counting the brightness adjustment wheel) was skinnier than the DPMS receiver it was mounted on. The Micro H-1 has a lens diameter of just about 3/4″.

Weight is also dramatically reduced over the Comp M4 unit. The Micro weighs in at 3oz while the Comp M4 weighs 9.3oz. As an additional comparison, the Eotech XPS2 weighs about 8oz, so the Aimpoint unit is light. Really light.

As light as it is, the Micro H-1 feels substantial. Made of aluminum with an anodized semi-matte finish, both the sight and it’s base were rock solid. No feeling of cheapness here.

It keeps going. And going. And going.

The Aimpoint Micro H-1 is powered by a CR2032 3 volt Lithium battery. The significance of all those numbers and letters is that the batteries are available in your local grocery or drug store. Very common they are. Not that it matters, because the Micro H-1 runs continuously on a single battery for about 5 years. That’s almost as long as the last State of the Union speech. Almost. Our evaluation period was 60 days, and we left it on. Just because we could. (It was still running just fine when we sent it back by the way.)

Attention to Detail

One handy detail is that the windage and elevation caps double as adjustment tools

At BUDS Training, prospective United States Navy Seals are tested and drilled to internalize attention to detail. Apparently someone at Aimpoint took this concept to heart. We found numerous examples of really thoughtful design and engineering with the Aimpoint Micro H-1.

The Micro H-1 includes a multi-purpose tool that serves a variety of functions. One end has two nubs (our word) for adjusting the windage and elevation controls. The opposite end has a Torx bit sized to the base mounting bolts. The sides of the tool are wide, flat plastic blades sized to the battery cover. To top it off, the direction of rotation for right windage and upward elevation adjustments are imprinted on the multi-tool. This is a particularly helpful feature for those of us who tend to toss the instruction book. The tool also serves as a nearly lethal shuriken assuming one has the proper Shaolin training.

Another stand out feature is that the screw caps for the units windage and elevation adjustments are also shaped with nubs that allow the caps to be reversed and used as a tool to adjust the dials. So that neat nearly-ninja multi-tool is not technically required to be kept in the range bag. That’s just a nice touch.

Mounting Up

Aimpoint Micro H-1 with LRP Mount and Micro Spacer High Mount

Our evaluation model came with a two part mounting system as it was to be used on a flat-top AR platform. First was the Micro LRP. This is a quick attach and detach system with a lever to clamp the unit on a Mil-Std Picatinny rail. The spring loaded clamp lever includes a notch that locks the lever in place when tightened. It’s not going anywhere. The neat part of the system is that zero is maintained when the sight is removed and re-attached in the same place. Translation: You hit the same dang thing you aim at no matter how much you take the sight on and off. Our unit also included the Micro Spacer High mount which is attached between the Micro LRP mount and the Micro H-1 optic itself. This combination of components places the H-1 at perfect height for co-witnessing with iron sights on a flat top AR system. On our DPMS, a Magpul flip up rear sight and integral front sight lined up just below the vertical half-way mark through the Aimpoint optic.

While we tested the Aimpoint Micro H-1 on an AR platform, it was designed with a multitude of uses in mind. Optional mounting accessories allow the H-1 to be used with 11mm dovetail systems, Glock pistols, Ruger 10/22′s, Ruger Mark III’s, bows, revolvers with Weaver mounts, and Merkel Double Rifles. Safari anyone?

Subjective Shooty Stuff

When we first opened the box of the Micro H-1, we were a little concerned about the diameter of the optic. It looks narrow. Measured with our precision wooden ruler, the lens appeared to be about 3/4″ in diameter. We thought it would be slow to aim given the relative small diameter of the glass. Not the case. If anything, the narrow dimensions of the Micro H-1 improved overall vision as the other eye field of view was not obstructed by ‘optic junk.’

There was an additional benefit to the small tube of the H-1. It provided a reasonable ‘fast and close up‘ sighting method on its own, without need to pick up the red dot itself. For short range shooting, the tube itself provided a decent ‘minute of evil d00d‘ sighting system.

The Micro H-1 has a 4 MOA (minute of angle) dot size, so it’s designed for tactical, competitive speed shooting, or hunting applications. The unit has 12 degrees of brightness adjustment for a variety of lighting conditions. We found that settings 7 and below provided an exceptionally crisp sight picture while brighter settings were useful in heavy sunlight conditions.

The Micro H-1 includes a nearly-ninja and handy multi-tool

Because the specs said we could, we mounted the Micro H-1 and zeroed it at 50 yards, shot a bunch of stuff, then removed the optic and did some back up sight shooting. Remounting the Micro H-1 with the LRP quick mount system did in fact maintain the original zero. That’s a handy feature for folks like us that like to tinker with stuff, whether it needs tinkering or not.

Net-Net

We were a little skeptical about two things with the Micro H-1. First was the small diameter of the optic. Would that slow down target acquisition? Second was the specific mounting system for a flat top AR being made of three distinct parts. Would it be solid?

Both concerns turned out to be non-issues. Kind of like Justin Bieber becoming a threat in the world of Ultimate Fighting. Sighting with both eyes open was actually improved as it allowed better peripheral vision with the non-sighting eye. And the Aimpoint Micro H-1 was solid, well fitted, and well constructed. our test unit came with the sight, spacer, and LRP mount pre-assembled, and one wouldn’t know that they were three separate pieces without reading the documentation.

Four Nuns on this one – it’s a really impressive optic.

BUY NOW: Aimpoint Micro Series Optical Sights Micro H-1

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