My Go-To Carbine Setup

So we’re finding ourselves once more with a whole lotta new gun owners. And that evil black rifle-the AR-15- won’t stay on the shelves long enough to pick up any dust. While having one and knowing how to use one are two very different things, knowing how to use one and actually knowing how to set up a purpose-built weapon is another animal entirely.

Here’s the bottom line up front: what are you planning on doing? A so-called home defense weapon is worlds apart from what I’m discussing here. ‘Home defense’ implies that I’m back on my heels, in my so-called retreat, just trying to live my life until ‘they’ leave me alone. Well, they’re not going to leave you alone. You need to wake up to the reality that there’s no magical retreat to skip off to where you’re out of the reach of someone who wants you gone. You’re no longer living in a civil society and the fantasy of the so-called rule of law is null in void. Do you understand that?

So with that disclaimer out of the way, let’s go over my go-to weapon setup. This is a general purpose carbine; a jack of all trades that can perform a wide variety of tasks in my environment based on my combat experience.It is an offensive weapon, capable of killing from zero to six hundred meters.

The barrel is a 1/7 twist FN M4 barrel with a mid-length gas system and a standard A2 birdcage. I run a 1/7 because 77gr OTM does its job. The A2 birdcage works well enough at mitigating muzzle flash at night, which is a major consideration for a patrolling weapon. On night raids we would often simply shoot at the muzzle flashes we saw if we took contact and, as anyone who’s been there and done that knows, the AK can put out an impressive fireball with either no muzzle device or simply the slant break. But the AR does as well, especially if you’re running some type of muzzle break that’s competition oriented rather than combat oriented. In my carbine course we observe the different muzzle flashes that everyone puts out of their weapons at dusk to take note of just how much flash they’re putting out. The A2 does a good job of breaking it up, as does the Smith Vortex, which I had on my M24 and we ran on the M240s as well. The late, great Peter Kokalis noted from his advising of the Atlacatl Battalion during the El Salvadoran civil war that that the Vortex became mandatory due to its effectiveness on night ambushes in the Central American jungle. I share his opinion, having ran it on an AK in the southeastern woodlands for many years now.

My go-to AR wears a rifle-length MLOK floated handguard from Palmetto State Armory. This type of handguard serves a number of functions. It keeps the barrel from shifting zero when I rest the handguard on objects in my environment as well as preventing a point of impact shift from shooting using the sling as a support. It also squeezes every bit of accuracy capability out of my barrel, which is always critical. I use a Magpul RSA for a sling mounting point and it gives me a physical reference point to place my hand when shooting- consistency is the key to accuracy. The sling is my same old tried and true VTAC sling I carried in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nothing fancy, it just works. In front of that sling mount is my Steiner DBAL I2 IR laser to interface with my PVS-14 when I’m wearing that on my head at night. The lower is nothing special, and the rest of the weapon is pretty much bone stock, even having a – gasp – mil-spec trigger. You don’t need a fancy trigger, you just need trigger time to break it in.

Now let’s talk about optics. Its 2020, you should have an optic on a weapon you plan on fighting with. I run an ACOG. There’s not a more bombproof optic out there. And for the people who’ve been in class they know exactly how bombproof mine is. Its a standard 4×32, not the fastest optic if I’m concerned with CQB type stuff, but for rural patrolling and, most importantly, positive identification (PID), the ACOG shines. Its lightweight and effective. There’s other prismatic optics out there that are really good also, including the optics from Primary Arms. But if you want a one n’ done, the ACOG is the one.

The other reason I run the ACOG is for another type of interface with my PVS-14. When I’m wearing them on my head, the laser in necessary for aiming. If I’m in a hide site or final firing position after I’ve stalked to make a kill, my PVS-14 is mounted in front of the ACOG. Lasers point both ways at night, but with a picatinny mount I’m ambushing with little signature.

Room clearing is a tactic only for security forces and what they don’t tell you is that the casualty rate is very, very high. For a skilled guerrilla, this is easy killings. Running lights like this in a building with exterior windows is asking for a nasty surprise. Been there, done that.

So why don’t I have a weapon light??? Because I don’t need one on this weapon, that’s why. If I happen to need a tac light for some reason, I can mount one. Let’s go back to our mission. If its rural patrolling, why the hell do I want a light on my weapon that might accidentally activate and compromise my patrol? Nothing says ‘hey come shoot me!’ like a weapon light on a guerrilla’s weapon. Even in an urban fight, if the next building over has guys clearing it with lights, I don’t even need NODs to accurately engage them. Just aim at the lights where I see them through the windows (fatal funnels), force more of their people in, then bring the building down on top of them. Its a different mindset, definitely not one for the “I’m armed, but nonviolent” crowd.

Last, your weapon is not for show. It is a tool. One that requires constant training for proficiency. It is only drawn when it is to be used. Anything else is an empty threat.

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By Published On: July 31, 2020Categories: NC Scout, Weapons41 Comments on My Go-To Carbine Setup

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About the Author: NC Scout

NC Scout is the nom de guerre of a former Infantry Scout and Sergeant in one of the Army’s best Reconnaissance Units. He has combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He teaches a series of courses focusing on small unit skills rarely if ever taught anywhere else in the prepping and survival field, including his RTO Course which focuses on small unit communications. In his free time he is an avid hunter, bushcrafter, writer, long range shooter, prepper, amateur radio operator and Libertarian activist. He can be contacted at [email protected] or via his blog at brushbeater.wordpress.com .

41 Comments

  1. Matt Bracken July 31, 2020 at 09:45

    I’d like to throw in that I’m very happy with my 3X Burris 332, so much so I mounted them on both of my go-to ARs. They have etched BDC reticles, so even with a dead battery it will be usable in daylight. The coin-size CR-2032s have a very long shelf life, you can stuff extras in the carbine’s pistol grip just in case. The battery can be swapped in under a minute.

    In one respect the Burris outperforms the ACOG, at least IMHO, and that is it has an extremely generous eye-relief margin. From eyeball close to far, you can still use the reticle, whereas to me, the ACOG requires a tighter conformity of eyeball to sight. If I can’t get a perfect cheek weld while swinging the barrel or taking a rapid firing position, I can still put the Burris reticle on target. This is just my opinion.

    And for the cost of one ACOG on one carbine, I have Burris 332s on two carbines with money left over for 500 rounds of ammo. Yes, I know, it uses a battery….

    Also, please spend a lot of time and thought on your sling. Being able to carry your carbine comfortably while also able to move bushes and branches or open doors with your off-hand is critical. Also being able to slide the carbine to a barrel-down no-hands carry position on your back is important when attending to 2-handed tasks, around camp, etc. The sling is super critical, and for many, it’s an afterthought.

    All the crap and buckles and adjustment catches on many slings are going to catch on your other gear while you are moving your carbine from ready in front to slung in back, or when taking your carbine on and off your body. Work the kinks out of your sling now, it’s just super important to get this simple aspect right. Often I see folks who obviously have not worked this out, and their afterthought sling becomes a major hassle and impediment to their efficiently running their carbine and carrying it for long periods of time.

  2. Berglander July 31, 2020 at 10:46

    I’ve got an ACOG as well. Recently, some people built a hangout cabin on some Forest Service land near me. When I was scouting it, I ended up stowing my 16X Bushnell binos (got them free) and just using the 4X ACOG. The difference in clarity was better than having extra magnification…by a long shot.
    I used to have a Vortex 1-6, and I don’t miss it at all. I know that a lot of people swear by them and they have an excellent reputation; for me the ACOG was a better choice. My wallet disagrees though.
    Oh, shameless plug for a business I buy from often: http://www.chasetactical.com. 15% off right now with the coupon code JULYXMAS15

  3. Centurion_Cornelius July 31, 2020 at 11:28

    MUCH wisdom here. Much obliged.

    the NV ahead of the ACOG–sweet!

    and here I thought that I was the only guy running a mil-spec trigger!

    …those who have ears…LISTEN…those who have eyes…SEE!

  4. bert saxby (@bertsaxb) July 31, 2020 at 12:45

    I assume 16″ barrel?

    • NC Scout July 31, 2020 at 12:57

      14.7 with a pinned A2 flash hider.

    • h0neyc0mb July 31, 2020 at 13:53

      I run this exactly but in 18″ .. personally I feel we will not need to clear rooms when the shooting starts.

      Plus .. my PVS-14 will never ride on a weapon .. not the right tool .. to fragile to recoil (filmed or un-filmed).

      • Johnny Paratrooper August 8, 2020 at 22:38

        Unless you are trying to rescue the love of your life, your kin or need an HVT, You should set fire to the building and kill anything that tries to live.

        And then you should run for your life.

        Clearing rooms is for Hollywood Heroes and the Police. Who are a life-saving, not a life-taking organization.

        I’m not trying to save any J-Com trash.

        Have you tried Max-Threat CQB? It works Ok. I tried Max Threat CQB with Cincinnati and Baltimore SWAT. It’s certainly better than charging in. Remember though, the guys clearing rooms have two Ambulances with 6 medics parked around the corner. We do not. Also, If you have ever shot a deer in the leg by accident, you’ll notice they only live about 20 seconds. Maybe. The same thing happens to people hit with a 5.56. Or any other High Velocity round.

        They die a very deadly death.

        P.S.

        You can trust your PVS-14. It was designed for that. I have taken apart many, many PVS-14’s. Those things are as solid as a hockey puck. Literally.Have faith in your equipment my friend. We just spend a combined total of 40 years in the Middle East trashing this equipment. It WORKS. If the PVS-14’s were not up to the task, we would tell you.

        I have PVS-7’s and PVS-14’s. The 7’s are heavy, but they offer Binocular vision. Which helps you find camouflage patterns better. The PVS-14’s were designed to be mounted to a weapon or scope. They can handle it. Maybe avoid cranking your FAL up to 11 if you have one. Heavy recoil weapons are pretty unforgiving on all optical platforms. Especially if they weren’t designed for optics mounting to begin with. FALs are notorious for beating the reticle out of many a scope. And cracking the epoxy in Red Dots. Or knocking the Prism out of an Eotech.

        If anything is gonna break in the field, it’ll be a finger, toe, ligament, or your spirits first.

        I would worry about what happens if you tear an ACL or MCL. Or become emotionally pained and distressed due to loneliness or fear. Which will eventually hit you. I have been hospitalized twice because my resting heart rate will sit at 155 BPM for a couple hours. It’s an awful feeling. You should have a plan for that. Your PVS-14s will be fine.

  5. Atlas Shrug July 31, 2020 at 13:08

    I agree with what Matt Bracken says above on slings. I’ve used many and still do (VTAC, Ching, Magpul, 1907, etc.), but for simple, functional, and versatile I’ve settled on the Frank Proctor sling. It has similar adjustment capabilities to the VTAC and Magpul, but has NO external extra dangling bits, is lighter, and has super flexible mounting options. It is FAST to adjust and is very intuitive.

    Any serious rifle has a good sling on it, and any serious operator knows how to utilize it.

    Keep your power dry (and your rifle slung),
    Atlas Shrug

    • h0neyc0mb July 31, 2020 at 13:51

      Great sling choice (re Frank Proctor).

  6. Reluctant Millenial July 31, 2020 at 14:09

    Thank you for this post! It is extremely helpful to see what the guys who’ve “been there/done that” use versus the random bloggers or forum posters who load their guns up with crap, shoot 100 rounds, and declare them “combat ready.”

    • NC Scout July 31, 2020 at 17:10

      Thanks brother. I’m a millennial too. We’re gonna save this Republic.

  7. FlyBy July 31, 2020 at 15:48

    That’s a sweet setup!
    Did the rifle come camouflaged or is that a home treatment?

    • NC Scout July 31, 2020 at 17:09

      Krylon brother. ?

  8. Him July 31, 2020 at 15:57

    Is there such a thing as low flash ammo? PMC claims that their 55gr. fmj is low flash.

    • NC Scout July 31, 2020 at 17:09

      There is. PMC is good for that. RL15 powder is as well.

  9. Veritas July 31, 2020 at 17:37

    If you aren’t sure why you should have a flash hider instead of a muzzle brake all you need to do is to go take one low light training course. Suppressors help even more.

    Also be honest with yourself, is that little baby .223 bullet in a 6lb rifle really so uncontrollable as to need a brake?

    • h0neyc0mb July 31, 2020 at 21:10

      Agreed.

      I run suppressors and it’s a great low flash option.

      The more frequent magazine cleaning sucks though.

      • johnyMac July 31, 2020 at 21:39

        h0neyc0mb, add to that your eye glasses if you wear ’em.

        73 & God Bless Brother

        • h0neyc0mb July 31, 2020 at 21:45

          I had to (start to) use bi-focals starting at 49 .. as in .. HAD.TO .. I always have a pair with me ..

          It’s the price of age and experience.

          • johnyMac August 1, 2020 at 06:32

            Just remember, we are like a fine wine or well aged scotch. \”/

            73 & God Bless H0neyc0mb

  10. Anonymous July 31, 2020 at 18:26

    5

  11. Skeets Jefferson, esq. July 31, 2020 at 19:33

    Excellent article, but you transposed the communist term- rule of law- (see lawfare), for the intended term- rule of constitutional law. RoCL has a we the people base component. RoL does NOT have ANY we the people component. Example- Afghanistan has a fully functional rule of law government. The U.S. has a disfunctional rule of CONSTITUTIONAL law government. Which onedo you want to live under?

  12. Richard July 31, 2020 at 19:35

    How much magnification is too much on a “go-to-carbine (14.5-16)”? I’ve seen plenty of LPVO’s in use, and most of the time users crank it up to max magnification for any distance shooting past 100 yards. Your setup is quite good and lightweight, and I wonder if having a full adjustable scope is too much. Always good to hear from folks like yourself Scout.

    • Patriotman July 31, 2020 at 19:56

      I will let Scout weigh in as well, but I have taken many classes with him. In my opinion, you could get away with up to a 4-14x. My personal preference is the 3X fixed prism ACSS or a 1-6x or 1-8x LPVO. I have taken the 2.5x prism ACSS out to 450yards with ease. I think it is personal preference TBH. I have a gun with a 3x, a gun with 2.5x, and my other DMR AR will have a 1-8x LPVO.

  13. Steve Johnson July 31, 2020 at 19:36

    If you mount the NV in front of the acog, the acog magnifies the graininess of the NV. Mount the NV behind the acog, and your image is 3x clearer.

    • NC Scout July 31, 2020 at 20:45

      That’s why I have the aviation grade 14.

    • h0neyc0mb July 31, 2020 at 21:09

      I believe that would be bad for the PVS-14 (i.e. nvg behind an ACOG) for starters ..

      And a PVS-14 is the wrong tool for a weapon mounted system .. filmed or un-filmed .. from my experience .. ymmv.

      I run a dedicated nvg or thermal .. never my PVS-14.

  14. Artie Fufkin July 31, 2020 at 20:44

    and no extended trigger guard nor backup iron sights and no beaver-tail on the pistol grip … I love it !!

    (what brand grip is that ?)

    Love the simplicity of your rig NC Scout. In the right hands I’m sure it’s a killer :-P

    • NC Scout July 31, 2020 at 20:54

      Thanks brother. It’s a Tango Down.

  15. D3 July 31, 2020 at 21:31

    Makes sense… If you’re dumb enough to think the Chinese are getting ready to invade, you may be dumb enough to not put a white light on every rifle. If you’re worried about accidentally activating it, you probably shouldn’t be allowed to own firearms.

    • johnyMac July 31, 2020 at 21:43

      Keep your booger finger off the light switch!

      73 & God Bless D3

    • NC Scout August 3, 2020 at 20:36

      Nice disneyland commercials there, David.

  16. Anonymous July 31, 2020 at 22:24

    2

  17. Alan Burquist August 1, 2020 at 09:38

    LOL, I have lots of guns, all kinds.. And building ARs is like eating Pringles, betcha can’t have just one.. I walk my property line every morning, don’t always carry the same rifle.. Just for kicks sometimes I carry something “uncommon”, like an M1 Garand, or an FAL Congo Carbine.. Every one is clean oiled and zeroed, so it doesn’t really matter which one I choose.. They all shoot well enuf to get the job done if I have unwanted visitors, of the 4 or 2 legged kind..

    At my desk, here where I type on the computer, and diddle with guns and equipment.. I have a vertical rifle rack on the wall, within easy arms reach.. #1 is a 16in heavy barrel Olympic flat top carbine, with a 1-6x scope in a QD mount.. This carbine also has a dedicated 4x NV scope zeroed to it for a quick swap if needed.. #2 is a Smith and Wesson M&P10, OD Magpul edition, with a 1-8x scope mounted.. #3 is a VEPR12 shotgun, with 10rd mags, and modded appropriately..

    After so many years, discussing what kind of mods and accessories I use has become rather tedious.. I trust everyone uses what works for them, and suits their personal preferences.. And I avoid the customary ego driven “mine is better” routine that I have heard SO MANY TIMES BEFORE.. And usually devolves into some kind of elementary school level pissing contest..

    I don’t spray paint my guns, but I have a couple cases of the Rustoleum camo assortment if needed..
    I prefer the 2 tone, black/od green look, unless of course the weapon has traditional wood furniture..

  18. Anonymous August 1, 2020 at 10:36

    4.5

  19. wyogrunt August 3, 2020 at 17:47

    Good read. Currently using a 16 inch Colt Ar, Geiselle trigger, ACOG TAO1, VTAC sling, Surefire white light, Noveske flash suppressor, Noveske ambi safety this is the same rifle I carried for 20 years as a sheriffs deputy/narc officer. Retired 11B so very comfortable with AR series rifles as well as being a Colt armorer. Spend a lot of time horseback working cattle, checking fence etc, carry the rifle slung across my back muzzle down,dont like leaving it on the horse. Have shot this same rifle a lot in 3 gun matches but still runs well, has been re barreled with a M4 contour Colt barrel 1/9 twist, shoot mostly M193 with it.

  20. […] at work today and in a different way than you’ve probably understood them. Next I discuss the Go-To Carbine theory of use concerning the guerrilla. Last I discuss the state of the training industry and why […]

  21. Badlands Rifleman August 12, 2020 at 20:57

    I like this “alternative” view on setting up a carbine. You nailed the most important question to answer: what are you planning on doing with your rifle? I say “alternative” because it is different than your typical set up based off of some high speed dude’s raid gun from “back in the day”. Figure out what you need and Keep It Simple Stupid!

    • NC Scout August 12, 2020 at 20:58

      I mean I was that high speed raid dude in Iraq back in the day. Then I went to Afghanistan where the fight was a hell of a lot different.

      • Badlands Rifleman August 13, 2020 at 09:24

        There you go, old dogs can learn new tricks haha. The gear industry has everyone back home convinced that it takes lots of “stuff” to do anything. Was there a steep learning curve when you got to Afghanistan as far as your equipment and the types of missions you were conducting?

        • NC Scout August 13, 2020 at 09:29

          It was, especially concerning our TTPs.

          Be the hunter, not the prey.

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