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Old November 22, 2009, 01:47 PM   #1
Bartholomew Roberts
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AR15 Accessory Review: Aimpoint T1 in Larue LT-724 Offset Mount, BCM Gunfighter, UBR

Recently had a chance to try out some of my recent purchases and thought I would share some of my observations and opinions on this gear since I know how hard it can be to get first hand experience with all the different AR gear out there.


Magpul UBR

Lots of reviews on this one and it has been on the market awhile, so I won't waste too much time on it. The Magpul UBR is basicallly an updated version of the Magpul M93 stock. If I was coming from a standard collapsible stock or fixed stock to the UBR, I would be overjoyed. Since I already had the M93 though, I wasn't as impressed. The UBR is an improvement to be sure; but not a dramatic one (at least from the user standpoint).

The main advantages are slightly better angle on the stock (compared to original M93, not the later M93B) and a much easier installation. It also appears the UBR is more rugged and better able to withstand abuse than the M93 where you could break the tail or break presets on occasion.

These have been out of stock practically everywhere I looked. I finally just bit the bullet and ordered one and waited. I'm glad I didn't pay some of the higher prices being asked for the in-stock stuff because I would have been really disappointed. Overall, great replacement for the standard stocks; but if you already have an M93 variant, you aren't going to see dramatic improvement for the extra investment.

New users should also keep in mind that both the UBR and M93 are heavier stocks. The UBR is around 1lb. 6oz with the tube and stock. I like this because it helps balance out the suppressor on the front end and I would prefer a well-balanced heavy rifle to a light, nose-heavy rifle; but it does add to the overall weight of the rifle.

BCM Gunfighter Mod 3 Charging Handle

In order to understand this charging handle, you need to understand the evolution of charging handles. The charging handle of an AR15 was originally designed to be grasped on both sides and pulled straight back. Eventually, someone discovered that if you just grab the left side, you can manipulate the weapon without changing your grip or giving more obvious indications that the weapon in down.

However, this led to two problems: One is that the charging handle latch wasn't designed for this and is difficult to grab like that. Two is that the charging handle wasn't designed to have force applied like that and in extreme conditions (clearing a stuck case), it could bend and bind the bolt carrier group. This was more commonly seen in kit ARs and certain budget manufacturers, since substituting cheaper charging handles (cast, lower grade aluminium, thinner in critical areas, or all of the above) was a common cost cutting practice.

In order to fix the first problem, manufacturers began offering extended charging latches to give users a better purchase on the handle as well as easier access with gloves or optics. However, by giving the user even greater leverage, this made the second problem even worse.

Some manufacturers started to address this by making forged steel charging handles to handle the increased force being applied. Sadly, all of these designs still relied on the original charging handle design and there was a weak point that remained hidden. This weak point was the charging handle roll pin. It was not designed to handle the leverage offered by the extended latches and it wasn't uncommon for this part to shear even on high-end charging handles.

BCM decided to address this problem by rebuilding the charging handle from the ground up to fit the more current manual of arms for charging the AR in a fighting situation. They offer two charging handles - the Mod 3 (about the size of the PRI Big Latch) and the Mod 4 (bigger than the Big Latch).

I have been running the PRI Gasbuster with Big Latch charging handle for several years; and while I was quite happy with it, I couldn't help wanting to give the BCM Gunfighter Mod 3 a try. There are basically three areas I wanted to evaluate the BCM Gunfighter on"

1. Ergonomics for charging the rifle with my off hand while keeping a firing grip/position.
2. Ability to mitigate gas blowback from the Ops Inc. 16th Model Suppressor I use.
3. Sturdiness.

1. The Gunfighter is a clear winner over the PRI with Big Latch on ergonomics. Not only is the new charging handle designed to handle the extra leverage placed on it, the new latch is well designed to be easily used with better purchase. I had held off getting the Mod 4 latch because of past experience seeing others running large latches getting them stuck in their gear; but after playing with the Mod 3, I think BCM has a winner of a design here and that the Mod 4 would be even easier to run.

2. I cannot tell any difference here. To me, there is no difference between the Gasbuster and the BCM Gunfighter Mod 3 in the ability to mitigate gas blockback. I do not use the RTV sealant mod on either charging handle, and even the Gasbuster allows enough blowback through the charging handle that I typiclaly have a little black smudge on my cheek after an extended session with the suppressor. The BCM does about the same thing, which surprised me because the BCM didn't have the channels or the extended lower portion of the charging handle that the PRI had. I know my receiver will appreciate not having that extended lower portion of the PRI grinding against it.

Overall, I would have to call this a tie; but I think both charging handles would benefit from the RTV sealant mod if this is a big issue for me. I used to shoot MP5SDs on indoor ranges, so this doesn't really bother me.

3. Well, I haven't broken the PRI (but I have seen broken PRI Gasbusters) and I haven't broken the BCM Gunfighter Mod 3 either.

Aimpoint T1 in Larue LT-724 Offset Mount

This is the one I was really excited about. The problem with optics on the AR15 has already been well reviewed by Zak Smith, so I won't rehash it again here. Suffice it to say that the Holy Grail is an optic that works like a red dot up close; but acts like a precision scope at a distance.

There have been a couple of attempts to combine these qualities. One of the earliest was to mount the Docter Optic on top of a Trijicon ACOG. This gives both a red dot and a scope. Two problems crop up here:

1. Controls/changing the battery

Because the Docter sits on a tiny mount on top of the ACOG, the original models were difficult to change batteries on or adjust brightness. Later models used an automatic intensity setting and made battery changes easier; but still no manual controls.

2. Cheekweld

This is the big problem with this rig in my opinion. The Docter sits even higher above the ACOG. This means that you need a different cheekweld (more of a chinweld really) to pick up the red dot and it also means an increased offset in close-in shots.

The different cheekweld for each optic means you need to train two different cheekwelds. For me, two different cheekwelds is problematic. Under stress, I revert to the one I am more familiar with and end up looking through the ACOG anyway instead of the red dot. I also know that, for me, having to try and keep two different cheekwelds is not helpful in my consistency and accuracy.

The Larue LT-724 Offset mount seeks to address this problem a different way. It mounts the Aimpoint T1 mini-red dot at about a 28-33 degree angle next to the ACOG. This allows you to use the same cheekweld for both optics and you can access the T1 by just rolling the rifle inboard a tiny bit. I have posted some pictures to try and show how this works, though since I couldn't hold the camera with one hand and roll the rifle with the other, I had to move the camera instead of the rifle to show the T1 view.

Here is the view through the TA11 ACOG:


Now with the Aimpoint T1 (the red dot was turned up to 12, so there is some bloom) from the same position on the stock as the TA11:


Finally, here is a view of both from further back to get an idea of how slight a tilt we are discussing here (Note you can see the red dot of the ACOG and a slight hint of bloom from the T1 both at the same time):
]


This is a very, very fast and natural setup.

[to be continued]...
Attached Images
File Type: jpg TA11_View.jpg (98.5 KB, 3826 views)
File Type: jpg T1_View.jpg (92.2 KB, 4171 views)
File Type: jpg Combo_view.jpg (103.4 KB, 4386 views)

Last edited by Bartholomew Roberts; November 22, 2009 at 02:03 PM.
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Old November 22, 2009, 02:02 PM   #2
Bartholomew Roberts
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The LT-724 mount is designed so that everything can be mounted on the upper receiver. As long as you reverse either the LT-724 mount or the Larue ACOG mount, you can mount a Troy BUIS, an ACOG, and the Aimpoint T1 on an M4 upper receiver without needing a rail system. At least one mount needs to be reversed or otherwise the locking levers will overlap slightly and will not close.



However, because I use the TA11 ACOG (longer eye relief) and a nose-to-charging-handle cheekweld, I had the ACOG mounted all the way forward. Rather than remount, rezero, and learn a new cheekweld just to illustrate that point. I mounted my T1 on the back portion of my Daniel Defense quad rail handguard. However, the LT-724 mount will mount the T1 snugly next to the ACOG if you do not have that option.



The immediate downside of the LT-724 mount is that the red dot is unavailable for weak side shooting. This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone given that it is an offset mount after all; but it does highlight one advantage the "on top" mount has.

On the plus side, the LT-724 is faster to acquire and works very well. Doing some timed groups from standing at 25-50yds, I found that I actually shot not only faster with the T1; but more accurately as well. I couldn't begin to tell you why that is. I have long known that the red dots will beat the ACOG at 25yds and in on time & accuracy; but I had put the limit right about there. I was suprised to see a trend here where the Aimpoint continued to be slightly ahead of the TA11 on speed and accuracy even out to 50yds.

Another edge over a TA31DOC is that the offset for the T1/LT724 mount is the same as the offset for the ACOG at close range. This means you only have to learn a single offset for close-in shooting. From my observations, it looks like it would be possible with a different mount, to mount the T1 even closer to the bore and still be able to use it rapidly. This might make it a little more useful for 3-gun and other shooting sports; but the LT-724 was designed for the military and had a wide range of things to consider (gas mask use, etc.). While the LT724 doesn't mount as close to the bore as it could, having it at the same height as the ACOG and irons does simplify training and sight picture under 15yds. One other thing I noticed on my close-in shooting was that my groups were about 1/4-1/2" to the left - not sure if this was user error or a result of the offset mount. I'll have to do some more shooting on that one. In the limited time I had, I wasn't able to explore that.

The LT-724 Mount and Aimpoint T1 have a combined weight of 5.75oz - making the whole rig about the same weight as a Surefire G2 in 1" aluminium scope rings. This is nice, since this particular rifle already has plenty of weight. The TA11 in Larue ACOG mount however it slightly over 17oz... while the TA11 is a great stand alone optic; I think the TA31 or TA33 would be a better match for the Aimpoint T1 & LT724 combination. I used the TA11 because that is what I had and in its day (a whole 7 years ago now), it was very high-speed

We talked briefly about controls earlier and the T1 has a superb control layout. The adjustment caps have small nubs so they can be used to adjust the sight and the intensity dial is easy to reach (gloves or not) and fast to use. After having used the ACOG for so long, I was a little spoiled by the automatic brightness adjustment from the fiber optic. There were several times I found that I needed to tweak the Aimpoint because the lighting conditions on the indoor range had changed and the dot was either too dim or too bright for the type of precise group I was trying to get (sighting in and determining sight offset). For fast shooting though, I don't think it would have been an issue as I would have just accepted a little dot bloom and kept shooting.

Just to see if the T1 lived up to its predecessors, I took the detached T1 into a dark room and cranked up the dot intensity. Despite being less than an arms length in front of my face, there was no muzzle-side signature from the sight (and it was close enough that had it been mounted, I would have known a rifle was there because the muzzle would have been poking out the back of my skull).

Overall, I remain cautiously optimistic about the T1. It still has a lot of shooting to do before I will feel I know it 100%; but I really like how smooth the transition is between the two sights. I think the big challenge will be to find the ranges where the line is between the T1 and ACOG in terms of performance. The other issue is that the TA11 was designed to do a lot of jobs well - and it does; but it is a bit heavy and big. Now that the 5.75oz T1 does many of those jobs better, I am strongly tempted to go with a smaller ACOG that is better optimized for distance (like the 4x32 TA31RCO) or a smaller version of the TA11 (like the TA33). However, right now I have ditched the Grippod to try the forward grip demonstrated in the Magpul Dynamics videos, so I actually lightened the rifle by 1.25oz (and moved the weight back towards the barrel nut for a better balance).
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Front_view.jpg (76.6 KB, 3822 views)
File Type: jpg Top_View.jpg (84.1 KB, 3847 views)

Last edited by Bartholomew Roberts; November 22, 2009 at 04:59 PM.
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Old January 8, 2010, 07:24 PM   #3
Bartholomew Roberts
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I was taking some pictures for my review of the Magpul MS2 sling and thought I would take a few pictures of the Bravo Company Gunfighter Mod 3 Charging Handle in order to update this post.
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File Type: jpg BCM3 side.jpg (56.2 KB, 163 views)
File Type: jpg BCM3 top.jpg (54.9 KB, 131 views)
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Old January 8, 2010, 09:27 PM   #4
Ridge_Runner_5
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I do like that charging handle, but it is priceyy!!
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Old January 9, 2010, 07:27 AM   #5
Bartholomew Roberts
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I guess the price is relative, at $45 it is about 2x-3x the price of a normal charging handle; but it is half the price of the PRI Gasbuster it replaced on that rifle. Overall, I am really liking the trend in AR gear. A lot of the stuff coming out now is twice the quality of the best stuff from a few years ago and half the price. The manufacturers that used to be considered the "best" are now "second tier"; and not because their quality has slipped; but because so many new people are stepping into the game with better offerings.

By the way, the two scrape marks on the upper in the topside view are from the lower "shelf" of the Gasbuster and not from the Gunfighter. The Gunfighter in this picture has the Mod 3 (smaller) latch.
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Old January 9, 2010, 08:24 AM   #6
SR420
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Thank you for posting your review of the T1/LT724 mount.


I have the LT-724/T-1 combo mounted in front of the Leupold Mark 4 3.5-10x40mm LR/T with M2
dials and Illuminated TMR on my M21A5 Crazy Horse EBR, but I have not been able to try it out yet.

The LT-724 replaced the TNVC-3PS/T-1 combo pictured below.

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Old January 9, 2010, 08:49 AM   #7
Bartholomew Roberts
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You are welcome. I hope you'll do a post on the LT-724 and T1 combo on the Crazy Horse when you do get a chance to play with it. It is possible one of us may figure out something that the other one didn't know One thing I have already figured out is that you can use the LT724 offset mount weakside, you can even use it weakside moving. You end up sacrificing anything resembling a decent cheek weld to do it; but for close-in shooting it works better for me than trying to sight my non-dominant eye through a scope while moving and bouncing around.

I am really liking the current setup. It is just dead simple to use and now that I don't get as much range time as I used to, I really appreciate dead simple.
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Old January 9, 2010, 09:24 AM   #8
PetahW
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An AR accessory from PSE - the TAC-15



.
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Old January 9, 2010, 11:19 AM   #9
RT
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That is a "Ferrari" AR. Very very nice. I had convinced myself not to replace my Gasbuster with a BCM, but now I want a BCM charging handle again.
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Old January 9, 2010, 02:30 PM   #10
Bartholomew Roberts
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Quote:
That is a "Ferrari" AR.
More like one of those kit cars that somebody builds in their garage over 10 years. I started that one by buying the lower in 1993 when I was in the Navy. I just added a little bit at a time when I could afford it and after 16 years, it has some nice gear on it. It is also on its fourth barrel (one shot out, two that didn't work and the current 16" Lilja SS).

However, I also don't have 20 different rifles like some guys, so that makes it easier to afford a nice rifle. I have a couple of spares and my "special" AR that I built entirely out of leftover parts from other ARs I had sitting in my closet.
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