S.W.A.T. December 2007 - McKeesport Police Department

A4CS
» BY TODD BURGREEN » PHOTOS BY KEITH KILMER
the natural pointing characteristics of
the scoped AR-10, and the Picatinny rail
allows for one of the sturdiest scope-torifl
e connections on the market. Proper
scope positioning for optimum eye relief
is made easier as well.
A muzzle brake on a .308 is not a necessity.
At fi rst I considered having it
removed. I then realized recoil is not
the only function of a brake. The brake
minimizes muzzle rise, allowing for
fast follow-up shots—important no
matter what role the AR-10 is fulfi lling.
An interesting sidenote for the muzzle
brake—ArmaLite calls it a recoil check
device—is that it diffuses the blast signature,
making it diffi cult to pinpoint one’s
fi ring position. Anecdotally, when I fi red
upon a group of deer 40 yards away,
some of the animals ran toward me, and
an unseen band of does broke cover
from a different position and almost ran
me over. ArmaLite engineers have done
a good job designing the brake relative
to the shooter, as muzzle blast is directed
forward and to the sides of the shooter,
but this is not good for anyone standing
beside the rifl e.
I decided I needed a CQB rifl e after
a few years using the AR-10A4CS as
a hunting rifl e. I changed out the front
handguards with ArmaLite’s Alostyr
handguards, which feature four-sided
Picatinny rails for mounting different accessories.
The Alostyr system comes in
two pieces and is easily installed with-
Leupold CQ/T mounted
with A.R.M.S. throw
lever along with other
optics used during
transformations of the
AR-10A4CS.
out gunsmithing. I mounted an Alostyr
forward pistol grip and GG&G offset
light mount with an X3 PentagonLight
and attached to it to the forearm rails. I
installed Alostyr fl ip up front and rear
sights.
For the main optic I chose a Leupold
Mk4 CQ/T scope. The Leupold CQ/
T sight is unique in what it offers. Its
etched circle and dot reticle is always
available in case Mr. Murphy decides to
deep six your batteries. The reticle can
be illuminated with different brightness
settings for low light conditions. The
Leupold Mark4 CQ/Ts circle and dot
reticle aids in both range estimation and
quick target engagement. At 100 yards,
set at 3X, the CQ/T’s circle reticle mea-
SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER 2007 79