Deadly Encounters: Who Will You Be After SHTF 

I think the real enemy won’t be in The woods but in our front and back yards trying to scavenge Whatever they can find

Good presentation and advice. I’ve never had a set of iron sights quit on me because of a dead battery.

Primary weapon mishap while on a mass tactical airborne operation, night insertion, Honduras C.A. 1987. Best described as, while performing a parachute landing fall (PLF), despite the military issued M16A1 being properly stowed in a M1950 weapons case and attached to the parachute harness, I ended up landing on the weapon with my left hip and thigh, which "grossly" bent the barrel and broke the hand guards. I heard the breaking sound of the handguards and the immediate pain to my hip and thigh areas. The pain was beyond words, but it felt like I broke my left leg upon impact with the soft ground. Thank goodness I didn't. However, I did get a black/purple bruise from the hip bone down to about mid-thigh and limped for a few days. This incident rendered my weapon completely unserviceable as it was curved/bowed like a shallow "C". Reflecting on that moment on my life as a young paratrooper, I was combat ineffective to myself and the team, for a few days. A rather sobering feeling when as a soldier, you cannot do "soldier things", without a serviceable battle rifle. I will never forget the look on the armorer's face when I went in for servicing /replacement of said rifle. I ended up with an M-203, as pictured on my profile avatar. In summary, things certainly happen, and that Murphy guy is loud and proud, at the most inopportune of times. That's my experience. Airborne!

You are now one of most followed channels bc you’re talking the most real advice of nearly anyone else out there. Thank you for making these videos for all of us like minded folk

Thank you for getting back on the horse, Stoker. I know it hurts; been there. But people need you, brother.

Most breakdowns are from lack of maintenance. Appreciate your message and I am encouraged that I am not the only one who views shtf this way

In Alabama, for the most part, the only way we can even get 500+ yards is to clear cut a chunk of land. The bread and butter is the “0-300” range.

I think the best battle rifle that you can have is the one you have

After watching this video, im left with a hell of a lot of respect for your philosophy. I'm no bad ass, I'm armed to the teeth, but I'm into preservation of life and security. If you and I were in the same orbit, I'd have your 6 out of pure respect. So many tactical guys who think a rifle will solve all their problems. It's much more than that.

Jeff Cooper in The Art of the Rifle spoke of two principles of marksmanship If you can get steadier, get steadier. If you can get closer, get closer.

My battle rifle is an m1 carbine, many people who don't understand laugh at me. It is battle tested, it's good to 300 yards, ammo is easily loadable, and magazines are affordable. I have optics and lasers mounted on mine. It will work just great and I'm not afraid to use it.

Because of where I live (Northern Idaho) 0 to 400 yards for standard training, 600 yards for long range hunting. AR-10 .308 cal and CZ Bren 5.56. I shoot Daily

I wish I had your luck. Broken parts off the top of my head. FAL: firing pin, locking shoulder, the gas piston tube ripped out of the gas block M4: bolt broke at the cam pin hole, firing pin, upper receiver cracked from the front of the ejection port forward and around 2/3s of the receiver behind the barrel nut, charging handle pin making the handle come back a couple inches when it was fired AUG: bolt broke Glock: firing pin, extractor AK: firing pin Optics: 7 RMRs, 6 Holosuns, 2 Leatherwood scopes, 1 Burris scope, 1 EOTech 512

Here in western Maine, 100 yards is rare. What was a heavily wooded region in my youth has now been trashed through timber 'resource management'. Thick with young saplings and miserable bramble patches. Watching the drone-war developements in Ukraine, you can have those spacious western vistas.

Time frame: 1990s: a Norinco MAK 90 loaded with Chinese 7.62x39mm steel case steel jacket copper washed ammunition. A case head separated and it was impossible to remove the stuck case without a ruptured case extractor (also called a broken shell extractor, costs approximately $15) I've seen this happen only once, but it's cheap insurance. Buy one made for your caliber and keep it with the rifle at all times.

Psa now has more than dependable ar,s starting at 400bucks no reason not to have at least one in the closet

Agree about the failure issue. Where the only issues I have had was bolt issues and that was using an over gassed suppressed rifle. In contrast to that and kind of to your point The most weapons issues I’ve seen were “specialized” platforms and or rifles that were tuned out of reliability.

After years of this debate it’s Now a You do you boo kinda thing.

Personally I’d rather avoid a fight if at all possible. But if I needed to I’d want an AR (rifle or pistol) in 300 blk with a suppressor. If I’m firing at someone I want more power than a 5.56 and I’d rather make it harder for them to know my position. But like I said I’d rather avoid a fight.

You fight with what you have not what you want. Oh.. And don't be the aggressor, ever.

The best weapon is the one you train with. My go to is a 7.62 NATO AR-10. I wanted something that could handle hunting where I live as well as tactical situations should the need arise. I'll keep that until I find something I like better. As far as weapons breaking, I've never had one outright fail. Even poorly maintained pos's, once they were cleaned and lubed, ran just fine. The only weapon I had jam on me was my AR-15 (.556) and that was caused by the trigger actuator being new.

Good clarifications brother, I'll grab whatever is near as I have the logistics and supply adequacy standardized for all the combat/ battle rifles I have-- what the group/ MAG is using matters too, if they're all AK platform stuff, or all 7.62 NATO/ .30hate stuff, then the standardization should fit as such across the whole party, but that's not always the case obviously, people are gonna like and use what they want, so long as they can sustain their preference of system is the bigger issue. No problems running my AR, AK, or FAL for my region and needs-- I would say 0 to 175 is the close range for my area, 200ish to 500 is intermediate, 550 to a grand or more is the longer range considerations.

I served for 27 years. I never had a weapon to stop working.

Average shooters with magnified optics MIGHT be able to hold an E-type silhouette at 550 meters from a rested position. If their firing position is any less stable - like the unsupported prone - or if they are under serious stress, they are likely to miss at least half the time and that is if their zero is good to begin with. You have an excellent channel and demeanor - thank you for putting these videos together.

Bought a BCM 11.5 inch upper after Sandy Hook. Could not find a bolt carrier group and got one from PSA. It was the $70 buck unmarked house brand. Fast forward a few years and at the point I had around 750-1000 rounds through the gun. Two lugs sheared off while shooting.

That's why the 5.56 mm was chosen,300 meters and in , for the most common contact distance. Knowing cartridges and the job they perform ballistically on target 🎯 at what distance for the job being done.

Set and Setting is everything! Thank you for bringing up What ifs?

Best German Shepherd I have had the joy to spend my life with came from kraftwerk kennels. FYI. They are proud of them though.

Could not agree more with this advice. I run a 5.56 Stag Arms AR. A 308 Savage for any long range that could come up. And a 12 ga.pump shot gun. My stag Arms did fail once , gas rings jammed up the bolt and would not let it cycle. Company replaced the bolt and havent had a problem in years.

Great advice! Hope someone is listening to what you have said!

another good thing about an inexpensive setup in 5.56 is a decent one can be aquired for under 600 bucks and tucked into the daily driver with some mags. hide it away good and itll serve you well if you are on the move a lot in that vehicle when shtf. one last thing i wanted to add is the bcg is the heart of the system, that's where I always put the money into. BCM does well and they are around 160. a psa rifle build is under 400 andwith a decent bolt youre still under 600. add up how much you waste on other "things" in your life and get it now before something dumb happens. spare gas rings a couple of bucks, spare firing pin 6 bux spare "oops" springs and pins kit a couple of bux. stay safe all!

Dam brother it feels sad watching your vid without your dog in the background 😢 RIP To him 🙏🏻

Great video, and concept. Thank you for sharing. Stay safe out there.🙏🏻❤️🇺🇸😎👍🏻

Great content, thank you for sharing. Big thanks from Sweden

I can honestly can say I don't know. You are right. I agree with everything you said. My two choices would be. And AR-15 where's a Red Dot or a Springfield M1A Scout with LPVO. I do think a 7.62x51 is a lot better overall round than a 556. 7.62x51 has less rounds. But it does not take as many to get the job done. But the choice comes down to which one fits the team better. I think both are excellent choices.

most of my equipment failures were the magazines usually issued to us. After we got a better mags or replaced the springs it was good to go!

M1A scout squad with a scout scope. Shoots .308 and is versatile (hunting, combat, ammo plentiful)

If the grid goes down and food is gone, anyone you meet would be a potential enemy! Protection is most important during SHTF! That and numbers! Find likeminded individuals and prepare to defend yourselves from desperate people!

My mom dont have a basement, but I do, so I keep most of my gear there. All of my guns are AR platform, but not all chambered in 556. My truck gun is a shorter barrel AR pistol chambered in 7.62x39. This gun is used to get back home. I have it laid out just like my other ARs. I bought it from PSA, its a KS-47, paid about 500 for it a few years back. What I would call my battle rifle is a 16" barrel that started out life as a M&P15 and has since been changed over time.

Always the best stuff. Carl and Coach drop knowledge, every time.

My part time gig is at a gun shop/range. 2020 during the height of covid insanity and crazed buying to did as a Ruger 556 come apart on the range. Was brand new out of the box. Century arms makes a trash AK that always breaks at the stock (at least at our range). My AR10 built out to be my battle rifle. I did add a 20” barrel just cuz but that’s built for that purpose. You’re absolutely right though you can’t plan the situation when it comes but having at least a plan is the best start

You asked a question about engagement and If one person could benefit from this real life example then I believe it’s worth sharing. I used to live on a farm and I had to confront two guys on the property I chose to grab a shotgun because they seemed to be hiding from me. (Yes the whole situation was stupid but let me tell it as it happened) I confronted them and my takeaway was “They had to trust me that I wasn’t going to shoot them” (this is an important lesson that a father son duo in Georgia could have benefited from a few years back) One of the guys was calm because it wasn’t his first rodeo but the other guy was younger and dumber than me and he was scared enough to do something stupid. I never pointed the gun at them but I could tell his mind was racing with bad decisions. “He clearly didn’t trust me not to shoot him” luckily the other guy calmed him down and the police sorted it all out. They were surveyors but they admitted their actions were suspicious. My takeaway was in real life you cannot control the reptilian brain of a stranger, so ask yourself what would you do if you were them. If your answer is fight for your life then maybe you should choose an approach that YOU would not feel the need to fight for your life. The next group I had to deal with on my property was a Jeep full of drunks that stopped in my front yard. I walked out with my mag light 🔦 and asked what they were doing. They replied we were looking for dead bodies (earlier that day a car lost control on the gravel road nearly hitting my wife in the yard and crashed into a tree. The young driver’s abandoned it there for a couple of days before a tow truck showed up to get it out of the yard) The drunks saw the vehicle and decided to drive up to it and see if anyone was inside. They inquired about the flashlight 🔦 and I said “I figured it was less threatening than my shotgun”😁 we all had a laugh and I confirmed where they were heading and they went on their way. Some people may think I could have been out gunned in that situation but those people haven’t seen my wife shoot an M1 Garand, Just like those guys never seen her that night 👍 The point of me sharing this isn’t to say what’s right and what’s wrong it’s to get people to think about how their actions can potentially create the outcome they do not want. Always know what your preferred outcome is and ask if you were them would you respond to your actions in the way you want them to respond… If NO then change your approach 👊 These are the shortest versions of these two incidents so some quick facts. Police response time was 30-45 minutes in that area. In the first incident I found the truck before finding them and called the number and the secretary said she had no idea why it was there or who was on my property 🤦🏻‍♂️ For the second incident drunk farm boys in a Jeep was like drunk people on ATVs different time different place 🤷🏻‍♂️ I approached them because I felt that they were going to approach my home and I preferred to engage them in the yard than on my porch. They were being very loud and something they said made me think they were going to approach the house next. My personal takeaway was I was more confident of a positive outcome on the second engagement than I was on the first because my own actions hadn’t raised the threat to an undesirable level.

Great topic!

My go to is a GPR 5.56 carbine. 16”. I also have a 20” mossberg 590. I have a belt set up, and a Tether similar to what breachers ran in GWOT. I’m still working on a plan, or my plan as a go to.

I'm your neighbor in lowest Alabama. My go to is my AR 15 5.56 with 16 in barrel. Iron sights with the M16 handle. I have another without the handle with flipup sights but I'm old school. Out to 350 yrds or a bit more , the target goes down. Farther than that i use a Mossburg bolt action in 30.06 out to 800 its mine with my 3x12 40mm scope. And I'm almost 67

I was in a carbine class and one of the other guys in the class had a drop in cassette type trigger (I don’t know what brand) in his AR-15 that had a catastrophic failure. He had only brought one rifle to the class so he was done. Thankfully someone else had brought a spare rifle and they were kind enough to lend it to him so he could continue with the class.

Maybe im splitting hairs on terminology, but I always understood a battle rifle, by definition, was .308 or larger caliber.

Per weapons reliability… I’ve personally never had an AR break on me that I owned. However They are not budget brands. I’ve seen over 50 budget builds break in person in classes and on the range. By break, I mean “catastrophic” in the sense they were not simple or complex malfunctions. They required tools or parts to fix. These were all budget brands, complete and home builds. Generally low round count. These ranged from stuck casings unable to removed by mortaring, hydrolocking, broken bolts, extractors, buffers coming apart, charging handles breaking, optics mounts breaking, optics flying off the gun, gas blocks coming lose, gas blocks falling off the gun, amongst others. Included in the numbers are guns that had habitual and repeated malfunctions that the person couldn’t finish the class or range day. I’ve had 2 SRO’s fail around 15,000 rounds each and an optic plate or two. I’ve had an AR10 build break a trigger, which was my own fault for not upgrading the lower parts kit from an Aero LPK. I’ve shot out 3 AR barrels. Training pace: 1k pistol minimum a month, 8k rifle a year, 3-4K precision rifle. 40+ classes. Amongst other stuff.

My bug out gun is a 9mm PCC, for many of your reasons. Good video.

You will be the sum total of the people around you. Very few people live in a bubble without friends and family who rely on them and who they rely on. So good luck.

Had a GAU(CAR15) from 1972 vintage, the buffer retaining pin shattered the lower receiver during recoil, irreparable (Yes, was my issued weapon). This was in 1992 so that tells the age of the weapon. Worked at a gun store and saw lots of weapons that were down. Mostly from guys that built them and built them incorrectly. Have seen factory guns break. It happens, nothing really field repairable. My personal firearms have not had issues, knock on wood now that I have called on Murphy. Great vid, keep them coming.

This is down right refreshing.. and solid advice should we need these skills I have been struggling with this for a while what is my effective range and plan for that. Thank you. KISS Subscribed

Most odd parts I've seen come apart have been the trigger pins walking out, extractor cracking or chipping. I've had my firing pin retaining pin break while in the bolt carrier and get the carrier lodged in the receiver as it reciprocated in a training class. Same for buffer retainer pin work its way out from the buffer tube ... and the rubber end of the buffer get chewed by the buffer spring. Buy extra small parts. You're going to have to buy 10 of them because the shipping costs more than the parts. Thanks Stoker for the videos.

Yup I've had a gun break while firing. Had a Kimber 1911 that had the tip of the extractor break while at the range on a date. Is now upgraded with an Ed Brown tool steel extractor. And no longer my carry piece.

I’ve always said that if things got that bad, my number 1 goal is to protect and provide for my loved ones. Combat is the fastest way for me to fail that goal. If I could only have 1 weapon it would probably be a concealed handgun because the best way to not die is for nobody to think you are a threat, and besides that I would be avoiding combat contact as much as possible so a handgun is compact enough to not impede my getting away from danger but I am still proficient enough with it to engage within yelling distance if absolutely necessary. The only time I would be engaging at the further end of what you called close range is if I absolutely had to or if it was a known enemy that my group had been already planning on taking out. Hopefully this stuff never happens, I would like to finish my life without ever having blood on my hands.

Good stuff, my go to is a suppressed 13.7 with an lpvo and some nv capabilities aswell, its been a hell of a rig for me. Great thing about ar's too is if you decide to upgrade or tune them a bit more for your liking tou can always do it later down the road. Ive got a decent bit in this rig but its been my obsession love child for about 5 years. Alot of tinkering and tuning and making it exactly what i want in a rifle. Now its basically just an extension of my body, muscle memory and when i have it, it just feels right. Like my home or my happy place lol, ive even been able to put some meat in the freezer with it the past few years and dealt with some pests like beavers and coyotes on the property. She just runs, a great thing too about usin you rifle like this aswell is just more reps in and you get some real world data of how it performs. Anyways ive rambled long enough, i would like to hear more about this rig in the video though. See whst you got there, but god bless from ole Carolina.

Great wisdom I will apply. 👍👍👍

This. This right here. Best honest to goodness truth out there. Buncha people need to hear this. Stay safe. Stay free. ☦️☦️☦️

I witnessed an SKS that still had cosmolin in the bolt and firing pin channel go full auto when the firing pin jammed. That was exciting.

Good stuff man. My go to is my suppressed 13.7 ar with a 1-6x lpvo. That being said a basic 16in with a red dot gets me 90% there if need be. In regards to taking a long range shot 100% am not going to shot at something i can’t identify. I think having a good spotting scope and binos is more valuable that a huge scope on your dMr sNiper riFle.

Love this guy, thank you sir!!!

In West Virginia get 100m to 200 m max ranges in the sticks here in the hills

Have to agree with everything you said. And I have a 308 with a nice scope in my safe but only because there is no range near me that allows me to exercise that skill. However I have shot at 500 several times using irons so I’m hoping that skill will return to me with some practice when needed. Course I trust 308 to stop a vehicle then 5.56.

Yes, a custom Colt 1911. Of all issues, the sear broke. I had never ever heard of one breaking in the past. Wear issues, yes but not breaking. Obviously, the pistol was down. Went to an issue S&W 66 revolver. I preferred the 1911 for serious social situations -- and still do. Things happens.

Mini 14 preferred one of the newer ones with the tapered barrel.

Excellent presentation Top. You brought up a point that I've kept in mind for a while now. Target identification. Col. Cooper once wrote that if you took a shot over 200 you should have to write an essay explaining why you couldn't get closer. Took that to heart when I was a teenager. As to systems, I differ because of circumstances. Stuck in NY (Western, Alleghenies) so the AR system is a non starter. There is no team, just me and maybe some neighbors. So I'm the evaders not OpFor. Scout in other words. So for me it's A MVP Patrol in 7.62. I'll sacrifice rounds for barrier penetration with any old ammo. My old broke down ass be running away asap anyway lol

I want to be someone that nobody wants or needs to kill.

you made some very good and yes necessary points target ID is very important even in shtf.. still stand by the most used and practiced with is best

Spittin facts my dude. I was a sniper in the Army and yeah most engagments 300-400 max. My go to is a SBR 300 blackout that is specifically configured for that close range/CQB/urban combat. Out more in the open is a standard 16" 5.56 with a 1-10 LPVO and thats just for PID.

Got a 10.5 inch AR from palmetto state. Took to the range and ran a ton of ammo through it. Took it home and let it sit. Went back a month later and after 1 magazine it wouldn’t cycle more than. 2 rounds at a time. I was told it’s the cheap range ammo I was using? Idk. I cleaned it and will be taking it back this week. Didn’t think they needed cleaned like that.

I've had a few Young Manufacturing bolts break at the cam pin hole, several extractors and springs, a Grendel bolt. I've had gas blocks that weren't pinned slide down the barrel during a high round count(400 in 5 stages) 3 gun event.

Glennfield Model 60 .22 LR. After years and years of use the spring that brought the next round to the chamber from the magazine. This happened after 20+ years of use. Never had any military weapon go offline. We kept them up.

For me it's my M-1 Garand. But I'm old. (Getting cataracts out next month.)

Good stuff man

Just had my Aero AR15 (upper&lower) have the buffer retaining pin blow out. Probably put somewhere between 1500 and 2000 rounds through it. Fixed it, and its fine, but that was a sobering moment that hasn't happened in my 20+ years shooting ARs. Glad it didn't happen in a fight 😅

I totally agree with everything you have said. AR-15 will always be my go to. Yes, I own a 12 gauge shotgun. VR80 with several 9 shell mags all loaded with slugs, but if it comes down to having to choose one gun to grab as I run out the door it is still gonna be my AR-15 with 16" barrel.

I drill with an old m1 carbine, because thats what iv'e got...thanks Stoker...woods

Thank you

Ive got quite a few rifles and other weapons, however i live in the swamp with some farm fields interspersed with few more than 500yrds. My go-to around my house is Mossberg 590A1 and if i have to leave my house its carbine length AR with 2.5x prism scope.

Well stated opinions. Thx

Had a DPMS AR, with large set-screw style gas block. Gas block came loose, and became a single shot bolt action due to gas bleed off. Was not repairable in the field. Needed tiny set screws to secure gas block back in place. In all fairness, it was operator error. I was screwing with the gas block trying to install one of those fancy new drop-in pistons when those were cool back in the early 2000's. If I had left it the way the manufacturer made it, it probably would have worked just fine. That's a good lesson. Don't screw with the internals, or critical operating systems of your rifle, unless you are a trained armorer. At least, not on a gun you plan to trust your life to.

I have had out of spec lowers from PSA cause continual malfunctions with pins walking and buffer chatter. But after moving off their lowers have never had anything other than a firing pin break after 10k rounds.

My AR (Bushmaster) had a firing pin break. Definite fluke, but it happened.. It had a few other quirks that my other ARs never had. the main one was with UMC ammo. Back pressure would blow out the primer and it would cause the FCG to jam. Only UMC ammo and only that rifle. Btw.... Great video !!!

First off great video. You bring up good points. I'm confused on the Murphys law, and then said do you really need spare parts. If shit always goes awry in moments of need, wouldn't it behoove you to plan for that. I say at least an extra bolt. I had extractors break. My ar15 is an armalite had since 2010. One extractor so far. So yeah not a common problem yet still happened. I agree with you on what kind of person do you want to be. One that helps not hurts by preparing so I'm not a burden.

I have rifles for different theaters of combat. 9mm carbine with medium zoom capable optic with suppressor capable barrel to shoot sub sonic in the woods in selected engagements. A PTR91 for more distant target acquisition with good take down power and widely available nato round compatible. And a short mag fed shotgun to clear rooms. Pistols are 9mm, 357, and 10mm.

I agree with your situation and environment, I live in the big sky country the great plains of Montana lots of prairie or rolling hills and can see for miles. Most of our rifles are set up for mid to long range shooting and most are budget builds. Most rifles have a 6-24 optic. ar15 is set up to shoot to 600 with 62 grain bullets. Shot a few coyotes in that 4-600 yard range. So for here I believe a ar with a 18” barrel with a good 4-16 or 6-24 optic with a 45 offset red dot or pop up open sights for really close shots and aftermarket trigger would be the optimal all around hunting/battle rifle for this type of terrain.

Thank you for the video.

More people need to understand these concepts. Thank you for the video.

I broke a bolt at the cam pin on a ar15 at about 4500 rounds of M193/M855. On the other hand I have another ar15 with twice the round count that I dedicate to steel case ammo because it was never very accurate and it still runs fine.

My go to rifle that I take with me the rare times I actually travel is a 16 inch dissipator AR 15. Ammo and parts are everywhere. I can make quick hits out to 200 meters and if I have time to make a careful shot, 300 meters. After that the front sight is bigger than a man so it becomes an area weapon with iron sights. Yes I run it with irons to reduce weight and they don't fail unless they break which is unlikely. It can take a Socom suppressor which I don't have yet but I plan on getting one after I save up some money.

On the nose with the knowledge shared M400 is a real good choice in my opinion. Value, accuracy and reliability is really good with a M400. Has extras others do not, has relief port if chamber is over pressured so no damage to you or your tool. Very well machined and can hold sum pretty small groups.

Great video sir

Your survival video here, is the ONLY video I've seen so far on this subject matter asking, "what kind of person are you going to be?" This is a defining moment, where the viewer asks himself, "am I good, or evil?" My response is Psalms 144:1, & Psalms 30:1. I shall let God guide my heart, mind & hands should I ever find myself in this type if scenario. I pray it never happens, again!

Good points. Good video. Not sure why some guys think that they can hump a hangin, carbine & long range rifle, the ammo & other necessary kit. Not happening.

I run a 14.5 sop mod block 2, it’s a nail driver up to 450 yards and it’s small enough if I have to do cqc I can do so. It’s also battle tested by marines, seals, delta, rangers, ect.

I have several items that would be useful in a SHTF event.

You have to be the kind of soldier to adapt to the battlefield that you engage in. Open flat terrain is a chess match, the woods is a ninja fight, and city is both ninja and high speed chess match. Tactics need to be able to evolve. Like Bruce Lee on e said, "Be like water"

Weapon "breakage".... never really had one. Closest thing. I took a rifle that was starting to get a little long in the tooth that for close to two decades had had a free float quad rail, and folding front sight gas block on it. I switched it out for a low profile gas block, and mlok hand guard.... long story short, it 9 rounds in had a failure to feed. I chambered a round, one shot, failure to feed. I broke it down and it had loosened the screws in the gas key. Took out the Allen wrenches and tightened them back down. 6 rounds in, same thing. Easy fix. A dab of red loctite between the key and bolt carrier, blue loctite on the threads....tightened the key down. Used what I had available to re-stake the bolts. Fired 3 magazines through it. No hiccups. I then took it home, and properly staked it. I later took it out and put another twenty 30rd mags through it under 10 minutes, and it was still holding up. It's now for all intent and purpose a wall hangar now.

Having the rifle, ability and skills to take shots over 300 yds is definitely a real possibility in some AOs.