Posted on Feb 2, 2017
Is an AR-15 upper receiver authorized while on deployment?
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I have heard stories of people bringing personal ar15 uppers for use in Iraq and Afghanistan, but have seen no proof that this is allowed. Where could I find the answer or does anyone have an answer for this, its not technically a "modification" to the weapon itself.
Deployment
Weapons
Firearms and Guns
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 21
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SGT (Join to see)
Any decent quality or better AR15 barrel is infinitely more accurate than a borderline shot out and poorly maintained by previous owners m4/16 barrel.
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MSG Steve Wiersgalla
SGT (Join to see) - Does your MOS put you in situations that you would require a superior grade weapon.
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Did not see the whole question at first - hmmm. Not something I ever saw... What would be the reason for this?
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SGT (Join to see)
LTC (Join to see) - I have to respectfully disagree with 4moa vs 1moa at center mass, in distances less than 150 yards 4moa is absolutely effective. 4 moa at center mass is 8 inches (could be in any direction) at 200 yards and 12 at 300, there are loads of soldiers that can group and zero perfectly on the 25m range, but as soon as they shoot at the further targets they are missing by a foot. Granted the 25m zero without 100m verification is not the most reliable method, it still goes to show that the 4 moa can easily cause a miss without any error from a shooter. I'm not saying that every m4/16 is only 4moa, I'm just stating that they allow up to that spread to be shipped and issued.
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COL (Join to see)
I can't fault any Soldier in our forces for wanting to shoot better! For the Army, arming 1.1 million Soldiers is going to require a contract with certain delivery standards, no doubt. Maybe these are too low? I don't know - but this would be a good topic perhaps for young NCOs to submit to their CSMs/SGMs and to get some visibility at top-level NCO forums and with the SMA. If you are that sure that this is a serious flaw, I'd pursue those channels! Also - contact the Infantry; err, Maneuver School... submit any actual AARs or TTP from deployments, and data, if possible! There would also be in the Pentagon (or TRADOC), a Program Manager for this acquisition program, that could probably speak directly to how the 4 moa standard was chosen and why.
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SGM Erik Marquez
I always got a kick out of the New soldier that is a "gun guy" "the M4 is junk, its inaccurate, My XYZ is much better, I Should be allowed to use it I could score better".
At which point I laid down next to them, borrowed their rifle, shot three sighting rounds, then asked the tower to run the Qual course, and shot 40 out of 40 and asked the soldier,,,.."Yours may shoot better, but all Im asking you to do is hit a target at 50~300 meters and clearly the rifle is capable... are you?"
At which point I laid down next to them, borrowed their rifle, shot three sighting rounds, then asked the tower to run the Qual course, and shot 40 out of 40 and asked the soldier,,,.."Yours may shoot better, but all Im asking you to do is hit a target at 50~300 meters and clearly the rifle is capable... are you?"
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MSG Steve Wiersgalla
I have never found an M-16 or M-4 that I could not shoot 40 out of 40 with on the qual range in almost 22 years. And I am a gun guy, a long distance shooter and handloader. There is nothing wrong with the service weapons provided by the military. You need to focus on and learn the marksmanship fundamentals, and quit looking for an easy way to look like an hero. I don't even know why you would think bringing your own upper would be a good idea. The military weapons are specifically designed and made to operate in a battlefield environment. I guarantee your civilian version is not.
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Stories are just stories.
Only one I know personally was a friend of mine who's son was sent to Afghanistan fairly early on in our efforts there as a civil affairs soldier stationed at a forward base with lots of SF folks. He was issued an M4 with no optics. Dad was a former Marine Corps Force Recon officer and sent him over a very nice optic. He had the optics on his rifle for a few months until things calmed down enough for the brass to start showing up. He was told to remove the optics because it made him look like a sniper. He packed it up and sent it home.
Anything you aren't issued isn't allowed on your weapon. Or it is allowed until you get caught.
Only one I know personally was a friend of mine who's son was sent to Afghanistan fairly early on in our efforts there as a civil affairs soldier stationed at a forward base with lots of SF folks. He was issued an M4 with no optics. Dad was a former Marine Corps Force Recon officer and sent him over a very nice optic. He had the optics on his rifle for a few months until things calmed down enough for the brass to start showing up. He was told to remove the optics because it made him look like a sniper. He packed it up and sent it home.
Anything you aren't issued isn't allowed on your weapon. Or it is allowed until you get caught.
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Sgt Marcus Anderson
I did the similar thing I changed out the optics on both of my weapons when I finished swapped back mailbox it home in 2002
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It is an unauthorised modification. Any changes to the serial number item is an modification. If it came to my shop for repair you would receive it came in original issue configuration minus any unauthorised part.
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I would rather use and wear-out the government's equipment than stuff I spent my hard earned pay check on.
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Sounds like an easy way to get arrested.....does not sound smart to me. The Army provides you a weapon use that one.
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Under that modification argument if anyone ever used tape to secure the straps on their ruck instead of the rubber bungee keepers that it comes with is guilty of violating this. I think it's important to keep common sense in play. I've seen numerous 'modifications' to rifles over the course of my deployments. This seems one of those don't ask don't tell kind of things and is on a case by case basis. I wouldn't let one of my special cases change anything.
As long as one isn't dead set on bringing the upper home (as it's not technically a firearm so who knows what customs will do) then the worst case is you lose a few hundred bucks. That being said, I'd not advise changing things drastically as yours and your teammates lives could depend on that rifle.
That being all said also, if anyone ever handed me a 20" M16 that I had to carry for a 15+ month deployment, I'd be quite tempted to swap that upper for a 14.5" one.
As long as one isn't dead set on bringing the upper home (as it's not technically a firearm so who knows what customs will do) then the worst case is you lose a few hundred bucks. That being said, I'd not advise changing things drastically as yours and your teammates lives could depend on that rifle.
That being all said also, if anyone ever handed me a 20" M16 that I had to carry for a 15+ month deployment, I'd be quite tempted to swap that upper for a 14.5" one.
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This was specifically addressed as a "NO GO" by policy letter prior to our deployment rotation in 05-07
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Being an armorer this was one of the questions we brought up in class. There are certain things we are allowed to improve on and make modifications. We cant mess with receivers, firing pins, bolts as a whole really. All the modifications are at the Units Commanders call but those ones are the big ones. We can play around with optics, foregrips, heatshields and buttstocks (mainly anything external but nothing that affects the actual functioning of the rifles). Even still were supposed to put MWO in to show record that it was altered at some point. I definitely don't recommend trying to do anything crazy.
If wrong I'm hoping someone would correct me but that's the last I heard of anything on that subject.
If wrong I'm hoping someone would correct me but that's the last I heard of anything on that subject.
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Absolutely not. Something about ice cubes and hell comes to mind. Even personal accessories are of a limited variety. Nothing could change the internals, the hand guards, or the primary/backup sights. I have seen conventional soldiers get away with personal pistol grips, buttstocks, slings, forward grips, and flashlights. But no special firing pins, uppers, sights, triggers etc.
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My dd214, she keeps me so happy. Oh...wait... i re upped... MOTHER FUDGE!?! WHAT THE BLUE BLAZES WAS I THINKING FUUUUDGE
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