This is a guest post by Andrew Betts
If you own an AR15 rifle or are thinking about buying one, AR15.com is an indispensable resource. It contains a mountain of useful information and quite a few knowledgeable folks post there regularly. Did you know that the home of the black rifle also sells AR15 parts and complete rifles labeled, though? Let’s take a look at a .300 Blackout upper from ARFCOM – the AR15.com store.
While the configuration is somewhat standard, there are no apologies to make for this upper. The fit and finish is perfect and the features are precisely what you should expect from a top quality manufacturer. There are a lot of players in the AR industry today and some of them skimp in places. It is unfortunate that it even bears mentioning but this upper is, indeed assembled correctly, with a properly staked gas key and the bolt and barrel are MPI tested. The receiver and barrel extension feature M4 feed ramps. The barrel is a 1:8” twist, nitride coated inside and out, and is medium profile.This is fast becoming my favorite barrel profile. I own rifles with almost every profile, from pencil to HBAR, and they each have their place, but the medium contour is especially useful in such a short barrel. It is lighter than an HBAR but is stiffer than a pencil barrel and handles heat better. While it is somewhat subjective, in my not so humble opinion, this is the perfect barrel for this sort of rifle. A rifle like this is likely not your Red Dawn, commies are invading, go to war rifle. It is a home defense rifle or a PDW for the back country. As such, light weight and maneuverability are priorities but, as Townsend Whelen quipped, only accurate rifles are interesting. The medium contour profile adds a little weight and a lot of stiffness.
What is the perfect home defense .300 Blackout ammunition for the ARFCOM rifle? Why, 125 gr REAPR, of course, which is also available in the AR15.com store. REAPR employs a solid copper polymer tipped bullet from Maker.
Tested in gelatin, the 125 gr T-Rex bullet performs as perfectly as anyone could possibly hope. It expanded almost instantly, causing a colossal temporary stretch cavity, seen in the high speed video. The width and depth of that temporary cavity was phenomenal, especially considering the short barrel. The solid copper construction means no lead contamination of your food in a hunting application and is required by law in a rifle carried in the back country in some jurisdictions.
There are a lot of choices out there for range toys and home defense tools and it is incumbent upon you to perform the research and identify the product that best fits your needs. If you are considering an AR, you may be pleasantly surprised by the quality and price point of ARFCOM rifles.
Andrew Betts served with the Arizona National Guard for over 12 years, including a tour to Afghanistan. Visit his YouTube Channel for more great shooting information.
Photo credit – Andrew Betts
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