27 January 2012, 09:14
MOA TACTICALAR Platform rifles in Alaska
When I worked in Barrow we had HK MP-40 3 round burst carbines for my job and I had a Remington M700 in 338 for hunting.
Not interested in the paperwork to own that type of a firearm anymore, but I have quite an affinity for Eugene Stoners AR.
How do you find ARs working in Alaska, especially in the Glennallen and North regions.
27 January 2012, 09:41
N E 450 No2I have found that an AR, properly lubed, keeping the ejection port door closed, and well maintained is very reliable.
The danger areas are in heavy rain, and in heavy freezing rain. No matter what you do water will get inside the barrel and action of any gun, bolt, semiauto, even a double or a single shot.
You must not let water freeze in the barrel of any rifle...
Or in the case of an AR freeze in the gas tube, or in the gas system of any semiauto...
All that being said, I would not hesitate to use an AR type rifle in Alaska.
But again, all of the above is amoung the reasons why I like the H&K 91, best of all.
27 January 2012, 14:17
MOA TACTICALThanks,
I have ran thousands of rounds through an AR at 8000-12,000 feet in Afghanistan. I know cold weather isn't an issue if you clean well.
What I want to know his specifically in Alaska, what issues have you had?
Zhurh posted some photos the other day of his kills, I'd love to see more of that.
27 January 2012, 19:40
waterratNE 450
I don't know of any gun in the world that is affected by freezing rain?
Jim
27 January 2012, 22:11
ZhurhWe have 5 ARs, hunt with three of them. Mostly with 6.8 & 338 fed in the fall, off 4 wheelers. I really like the 2 point slings with gun across my chest when back in on trails.
I hardly ever go out hunting on snowmachine when its colder than minus 10, never had cold weather problems with clean gun. Ya got to watch that you don't knock your teeth out on snowmachine. Ya always tend to get going too fast cross country when up on summit or on the river and that's when you can lose some teeth with a 2 point sling. That's my biggest problem about ARs in the winter.
28 January 2012, 09:16
N E 450 No2waterrat
I agree. I have often thought that if I spent a lot of time in freezing rain or even high dust and was carrying/transporting a rifle a water proof tight fitting action cover like the US Army had for the Springfield 30/06 would be a good idea for those times you did not need to immediately shoot your rifle.
28 January 2012, 10:22
MOA TACTICALWe ran thousands of 40 S&W through those MP40s, even in January and Feb outside for qualifications, but a HK is a different weapon than a AR is.
28 January 2012, 13:40
gumboot458A friend of mine built a Very accurate AR some years ago . He got in range of a huge pack of wolves down by Chitna . . His goal was to lumit out .. It was around 40 below . He shot the last wolf in the line it went down , he swung in lead of the next one and nithing . The rifle failed to eject . He attributed it to the small extractor and the cold wx. He is an execellent rifle builder who knows his rifles . He has since gone to a model 700 .. . I myself dont think his action choice was the corect one . Should have gone with a none rotating extractor .