M16A2
Standard infantry rifle. Fires 5.56mm NATO round. Weighs 8.79 lbs. loaded. Fire modes: safe, semi-automatic, and 3 round burst. Capacity: 30 round magazines. Max effective range: 1800 ft.
M203
40mm grenade launcher. Attaches to M16. Fires 40 x 46mm grenade. Weighs 3 lbs. Fire mode: single shot. Capacity: 1 round. Max effective range: 1150 ft.
AT-4
Unguided Anti-Tank Weapon. Fires 84mm High Explosive Rocket. Weight 14.8 lbs. Fire mode: single shot. Capacity: 1 round. Max effective range: 985 feet.
M249 (SAW)
Squad Automatic Weapon/Light Machine Gun. Fires 5.56mm NATO round. Weighs 22 lbs. loaded. Fire modes: safe, semi-automatic, and automatic. Capacity: 200 round belt. Max effective range: 3000 ft.
M240B
Machine Gun. Fires. 7.62mm NATO round. Weighs 26 lbs. loaded. Fire modes: safe and automatic. Capacity: belt fed. Max effective range: 5900 ft.
M67
Hand Grenade. Weighs 14oz. Maximum effective range: 45 ft.
Gear Reviews
Clothes don't make a man and gear doesn't make a soldier... but the right gear sure helps. I'll write about the gear I use, but if you want lots of more great gear reviews check out Kit Up and GearScout.
Gun Gear
DPMS AR-15- My personal rifle used for refining my marksmanship and tactical muscle memory.
Magpul MagLevel PMAG with Ranger Plates- The upgrade to these from the standard issue GI magazines is a no brainer. Constructed from polymer, these magazines incorporate design features that nearly eliminate the chances of a malfunction caused by a magazine. The biggest advantage over the USGI mags is the sight glass on the side that gives the shooter a quick indication of the remaining rounds left. They're lightweight, durable, and cost about $15. The Ranger Plates are an upgrade that assist with tactical reloads and give you a better surface to grab and index the magazine before inserting it into the mag well. They jury is still out on if I think they're that helpful or not, but so far I like having them.
Leatherman MUT-I'm extremely impressed with the versatility Leatherman designed into this one tool. There's no wasted space and the tool can be counted on downrange to keep your rifle working properly. Initially I didn't like the plastic components on the tool, but they're weight saving measures and look like they'll hold up fine as they're not structural parts. I also thought it was odd that they don't supply a Torx bit that can be used on the replaceable parts (the two Torx bits that come with the tool don't fit), but it looks like the proper size is supplied with the replacement parts kit so I guess it's a non-issue. Whether you serve in an infantry capacity or shoot AR's this is definitely a piece of kit you should own.
BCM Charging Handle (Mod 4)- This upgrade is designed to improve your ability to charge the weapon with your off hand. Quality build, made in the USA- you really can't go wrong with this upgrade. It does exactly what it's designed to do and makes charging, and clearing malfunctions much easier. This will definitely find its way on to a duty rifle that I carry. See also: militarytimes.com/gearscout/
BCM Extraction Spring- I was having some double-feed/failure to extract issues with my personal AR, so this spring looked like it would solve the problem. I'll report back after I've fired a sufficient amount of rounds with it installed.
Equipment
Casio G-Shock- Great watch, can be a little hard to read in low light but the auto-illuminate feature works well to compensate for that. I wanted a watch that could handle water, mud, and any other abuse my infantry carrer would throw at it. Features a world clock to make it easier to know what time it is back home when you're deployed and a 24 setting for the time display. I got mine for $88.00 at the PX.
WileyX Talon Eye Protection- I'm a sucker for freebies- but who isn't? Especially when its a pair of eye pro that normally costs $95. I got these for free from a facebook promo WileyX was running. The box comes with a hard case compatible with molle webbing, anti-fog, a clear and smoke lens, head strap, and cleaning cloth- not too shabby.
My first impressions of the kit are as follows: the glasses themselves might take a while to grow on me. The part that goes behind your ear is made from a hard, somewhat sharp plastic it's not that comfortable. The lenses greatly shift your natural vision- flipping them up and down in front of your line of sight will clearly show that the objects in front of you shift drastically. They are APEL approved meaning they're designed for combat and they'll protect your eyes from IED's, debris, and can even stop a .22 bullet (I think I read that somewhere). They also don't fit well under a low profile tactical cap (read: baseball hat). I'll update this after I've worn them a while longer.
ESS Crosshair Eye Protection- Thinking I had lost the free pair above, I bought this pair as a replacement. Released at the 2012 SHOT Show, these modular eye pro are designed with the budget conscious soldier in mind. The prices are very reasonable for a quality pair of sunglasses (ESS is a sister company of Oakley). The system is upgradable with the higher end lenses from the other two styles of eye pro in the series. Personally, I like the shape of the lenses in the Crosshair better than the more expensive ones. They're almost identical to the WileyX Talon's (that I found a few days after I got these) in shape and fit, but I do like the ESS better. Couldn't be happier with a $25 ($36 without military discount) pair of shades.
Uniform
Danner Desert TFX Boots- In a last second move I sprang for the Gore-Tex boots, not realizing they were temprate weather boots- not hot weather. Whoops. When choosing from the wide array of boots on the market I narrowed it down to Danner's after looking into other brands- especially the more popular Oakley and Blackhawk combat boots. The theme in the reviews for those was poor craftsmanship. Other boots didn't last very long and fell apart long before the should have. I really didn't see that complaint coming from people with Danner boots. I liked the waterproof aspect the Gore-Tex brings to my boots and I'm sure I'll be happy to have them on many occasions.
The boots are a little heavy, but not bad for a temperate boot. They're made in China (The ones made in the US were out of my price range). They're a little hot to wear in the Texas summer, and I've already changed out the insole because I didn't like the ones the came with the boot. I really like the boots and they're obviously a much higher quality than the standard issue boots. I'll definitely buy the hot weather boots when I need to replace my standard issue.
FoxRiver Military Boot Socks- All that needs to be said here is that these socks are the best I've ever owned. Spend the $9/pair and your feet will thank you. There's memory foam in the soles of the feet and where the boot laces are. How spiffy is that?
Gear Wishlist
SKD PIG Plate Carrier
Surefire M600C Scout Light
Mystery Ranch Tactiplane Pack
Triple Aught Design Ranger Hoodie LT
Massif Integrated Tactical Jacket
Surefire EP3 Sonic Defenders
Spartan Blades Enyo Knife
Gerber LHR Knife
