Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Built for the Apocalyptic future - are non-metal parts a concern?

The standard M4 handguards, grips and other OEM equipment made by Colt/FN have been working for decades in actual use. People get bombarded by advertisements about "upgraded this and upgraded that" but the fact is that the standard equipment works and works well.

Just like Glocks. When I was working at the embassy outposts whenever someone would bring me a gun with a problem the first thing I would do is detail strip it and see if they had put any aftermarket/unauthorized parts in it. Then I would replace those parts with standard factory parts. Normally that fixed the problem right off the bat.

M16/M4 series were the same way. The more you stay true to mil-spec, the better they run. The more aftermarket crap guys would put in them, the more problems they would have. Putting extra power this and upgraded that was usually just a recipe for unreliability. Believe it or not, the engineers who designed produced and support the weapons systems for militaries that are in use all over the world actually know what they are doing.

I have worked on literally thousands and thousands of M4s, among other weapons systems.











In my personal guns I stick with bone stock Colt factory bolt carrier group parts and springs to ensure reliability, and my personal guns run, and run and run.

When someone who asks for a recommendation for an out of the box, simple solution rifle, I tell them to pick up either a Colt 6920, or 6720 (the skinny barrel version) or an FN model of the same thing. Both Colt and FN have been supplying our military with weapons for decades and know what they are doing. Skip the bushmasters, DPMS, and other bargain basement stuff.

That's cool.


This might end up costing me money after all!

I have a Colt SP1 made in 1964 and all the plastics stuff is still fine.

Thanks man. Just noticed your post.


What then are the availabile equivalent buttstocks and grips? I'll search a bit.... Don't really follow the GI stuff.

I see zero influencing advertising by the way.... My FN was a downgrade variety with Magpul MOE. A guy in the know poopooed it for being melty! I still think of it. Mainly just wondering if the materials are a concern. Apparently not. 👍

Again, thanks.

Apolyptic future? Step One - survive! Whole technique just to share here! Learned in fifties era as school kid. When the Nuclear Alert siren sounds, all you have to do is crawl calmly under your desk. Curl up and never forget... Hold your ears!

Nowadays, what to do without those old metal school desks... Unsure. But "Hold your ears!"

Guns are like, post survival stuff. Maybe build it yourself school desk... With a sling!

For every question, there's an... Idiot!



Best!

That is throughly useless input. Carry on.

I don't eff around.

Oh heck yah! Your years of couch have totally paid off bro! 😁

For a decent quality, American made front and rear flat top set of sights, Midwest Industries has a couple reasonable options. They have both fixed and folding versions. I have used both and they are solid built quality products. You can spend hundreds of dollars for a Knights Armament set of sights but really they don't do anything more than a good set of MI sights do.



https://midwestindustriesinc.com/gun-type/ar-15-accessories/ar-front-rear-sights/


GG&G is another outfit that I have used their iron sights on my guns and have no complaints. They are a bit more expensive, but are very well built. Both companies make a very well built product.

BTW,

There is nothing at all wrong with Magpul buttstocks/grips. They have been in use overseas for some time with various groups and are a proven design. I would caution against the Magpul handguards unless they had built in metal heat shields if you intend to do some high volume shooting, but other than that, their buttstocks and grips are good to go. In reality most won't ever shoot their guns enough for that to be a concern, but based on the what you are wanting, I would suggest a traditional handguard with shields.

You got me while editing, but, 100% answered my questions.

Now makes sense, it was the plastic handguard of concern. I think ya'll went to the same theater.... Much appreciated! I'll take this input forward... I have a few Midwest Industries items. Sounds good to me on the sights.



Thanks all. I need to get to Billings for Dale's aluminum foiling course....

Is this where I say F Yo Couch? Forewarning, tuition's a bish!

I've got a few of the Magpul handguards, rifle, mid, and carbine. They all came with metal heat shields under polymer.

Thats good to know then Montana Marine.

In that case, for the OP, there should be zero issue with them for his project. Their buttstocks are pretty darn good and I would not worry in the least about them in terms of long term durability.

Yep, my PSA MOE pistol too. Surely that addresses heat from sustained fire, which was originally not my intent to discuss here, although glad we did.

So full circle, simple answer seems to be no, we're not concerned about the non-metalic parts regardless of made up scenarios where metal would potentially perform better, because, in reality it's a non-issue. So, we'd be best to concern ourselves with the internal parts known most to matter. That's a wrap.


Thanks again all for killing the time, got some good ideas...

Meanwhile Kirk contemplates the impending defoililation...

If you are outside long enough for your plastic stock to disintegrate....you have long since died from skin cancer.

You don't really own guns, you are just their caretaker for a while.

I fully expect my guns to be capable of functioning 200 years from now. If they don't, they are junk.

So much iron in the words of this post.

The source.
The explanation.
The outcome.

Been thinkin about it for a couple days.