Show us your past Semi-Auto mistakes and learning experiences! Live & learn with pictures!

[elfster1234]

These are the AR rifles I started out with back in 2008 ish? Wow, talk about live and learn. Anyway, they are sold and are long gone.... Ahhhh memories! LOL

This was my very first AR! a DPMS LR-308! She was a heavy S.O.B! but it was rather accurate! She made my LMT MWS feel like a light barrel ar-15! Actually, if all you wanted was a bench entry level .308 for dirt cheap it wasn't too bad.

Not too bad for my LR-308 24'' bull barrel, I want to say this was 15shots @ 100yards with factory American eagle open tip match 168 ammo.

Honestly, don't ask me what the hell I was thinking with this .308 oracle back in 2009. It is full of fail and tacticool mistakes! LOL!! Lets see, where should I start LOL!!

Gas block size mounted front flip up sight = fail!
1x eotech mounted on a .308 carbine = fail!
non-free float cheap quad rail with grip pod = fail!
crappy sling = fail!
Good stuff. Soooo funny... It was great for deer hunting back in the Wisconsin woods tho minus the grip pod! LOL!

 

[edwin907]

Government profile barrel 20", just not sufficient for a semi auto in the accuracy department. Replaced it with a Compas Lake 14.5" SS and thrilled.

 

[<Flatliner>]

I'll play. This was my first rifle, back when I dreamed about owning bad ass AR-15's. The super taticool sniper SKS!

 

[elfster1234]

Thats awesome! Good stuff.

I'll play. This was my first rifle, back when I dreamed about owning bad ass AR-15's. The super taticool sniper SKS!

 

[SPDSNYPR]

That SKS kicks ass. It's got everything! Awesome bipod, extended mags, sweet-ass scope and mount, super-mega muzzle brake. That thing is the bomb.

 

[rchman]

How about a DPMS SASS 308 with a Magpul CTR stock to try and save weight. Wow that thing was unbalanced and unwieldy:

 

[gixxerk8]

What the ??. No bayonet on the SKS. That picture is priceless.

 

[<Flatliner>]

Some more funny rookie mistakes to go with the SKS. When I first mounted the scope I mounted it sideways, didn't know better. I was at the indoor range shooting steel core ammo. Shot after shot I couldn't figure out why my adjustments made no sense at all. After about 30 rounds and large chunks of metal flying back at my face I figure out the damn things on sideways. LOL. My next range visit with the scope mounted correctly I didn't use loctite on the scope base. Bang, bang, bang, swoosh, clank! Scope goes flying off and is almost out of reach. Thank god I could reach it. It would have been very humiliating to have to shut the range down to have the rangemaster fetch my scope. Anyways hope you got a kick out of that. I've since learned a thing our too about piecing together rifles. Here is the sks now



And just to show that I've learned from my mistakes here is my 3 gun rig

 

[CrossHare]

I dunno what's wrong with this one but like the old song goes, if that's wrong I don't wanna be right.

These are the AR rifles I started out with back in 2008 ish? Wow, talk about live and learn. Anyway, they are sold and are long gone.... Ahhhh memories! LOL

This was my very first AR! a DPMS LR-308! She was a heavy S.O.B! but it was rather accurate! She made my LMT MWS feel like a light barrel ar-15! Actually, if all you wanted was a bench entry level .308 for dirt cheap it wasn't too bad.

Not too bad for my LR-308 24'' bull barrel, I want to say this was 15shots @ 100yards with factory American eagle open tip match 168 ammo.

 

[bluto77]

That's what I was thinking. I had the exact same DPMS (in 2012 btw), and it didn't shoot near as well. If that's 15 shots at 100 yards, then it appears to be a sub moa rifle, and maybe even a .75 moa rifle. Mine had the magpul prs, a swfa 10x42, and no flip up sights.

 

[hlee]

The only thing wrong with the LR-308 is that it is heavy. Mine shoots at least as well but I really don't like carrying it around. (I justified the purchase with my wife as a "pig gun." It certainly is a porky pig.) As a hunter, where a really good day involves a lot of walking and one well placed shot, a heavy rifle is not great. But as Elfster said, if you want a range gun that shoots WAY above its price range, the LR-308 is a great rifle.

 

[BCP]

My biggest fail so far has been selling a 308 AR that I built up myself for 1500 with a bunch of pmags...sold it right before Newtown happened. I probably gave up a thousand dollars on that.

Right now I'm currently failing by trying to accurize an M1A.

 

[997/2man]

My biggest fail so far has been selling a 308 AR that I built up myself for 1500 with a bunch of pmags...sold it right before Newtown happened. I probably gave up a thousand dollars on that.

Right now I'm currently failing by trying to accurize an M1A.

That Garand thread is probably not helping either.

 

[elfster1234]

I was not saying anything is wrong with the LR-308, I was just stating it is ultra heavy. It was more of a learning experience than any type of mistake as stated in the OP title. It was actually a really good rifle and very accurate. Even though my LMT is also heavy, it wasn't as heavy in comparison to the LR-308 with a 24'' bull barrel........ and my LMT has all of the bells & whistles. Also, Once in a blue moon I would get a jamb with my dpms lr-308 where my LMT never jambs no matter what I feed it. Like I said before, if you want a good starter .308 precision rifle for little money, then you can't go wrong with the DPMS LR-308.

I dunno what's wrong with this one but like the old song goes, if that's wrong I don't wanna be right.

 

[CrossHare]

Most of my AR's or all of my hunting rifles all don 24'' barrels with diameters up to .910 at the crown. I just can't lay off of that extreme velocity. My F-class and bench poles all utilize 30'' barrels.

 

[Blackjack988]

My biggest mistake had to be the JLD Enterprises PTR91 I picked up. It was my first semi-automatic rifle. The rifle itself was great, but since I was in college and not working at the time I went as cheap as possible with various "tactical" accessories including a UTG scope and UTG clone claw mount (which broke quickly), and a UTG rail system that was held on by a set screw that pressed directly onto the barrel. It was a good idea (and phenomenal deal) followed by a series of comically bad decisions.

Looking back, I would love to see how accurate that thing could have been. That rifle did some terrible stuff to brass though...

 

[USMAGator]

My biggest mistake was buying an OBR 7.62 and Nightforce for it, telling myself at the time that it'd be "my one nice rig"..........good luck with that. Before that I was completely satisfied with a Tasco 3-9x on the Remington Model 7 my dad got me as a kid. I can only begin to imagine how expensive this is gonna be in the long run.

 

[Redmanss]

Sorry, don't have any pictures of it at work but here's my biggest mistake. Drinking the Kool-Aid on a Para-USA TTR and asked my now ex-wife for it for an anniversary present. That thing came at a hefty price tag of just over $2k (she had no job so guess who paid for it), and right out of the box it failed to return to battery after each shot and was printing 6-8 moa groups with an ACOG and iron sights at 25 yards. Sent it back to Para, five months and fifteen emails later asking where my rifle was I finally get it back. Operates now, but still printing 5moa groups with any type of ammunition. Of course my stubborn ass will be fixing it this time with a new barrel because dammit, I'm going to get that thing to shoot one way or another...

 

[kraigWY]

My first Semi was an Vietnam bring back SKS, unfired still in the cosmoline. Cleaned it up, bought a box of bullets, fired it, couldn't chamber the next round. The friggin first case was stuck in the chamber. The chamber was so pitted it grabbed the case which had to be pounded out with a wooden dowel down the barrel. Gave that puppy away to some un-suspecting guy who thought it was great (until he tried to shoot it)

My next was my M1A, I bought new in 1977 or $295, started shooting for the Guard, and Gene Barnett (Barnett Barrels) was a NG Armor at the Wilson Matches, He converted it to a Heavy Match and it got me my DR Badge, It still shoots great today, only problem is I had to replace a couple shot out barrels and stretched out slings.

My next semi was a then DCM Garand, Springfield Armory, made in 1941. I got it in the early 80s for $112.70 delivered to my door in Anchorage AK. I was suppose to go to a rifle match on Friday, the Garand arrived on Thursday. I looked at the Garand, my M1A in the gun case, back to the Garand, figured why not, I switched the rifles. The first rounds I fired out of this Garand was at K-Bay Hawaii, my 200 yard standing sighters. Again I still shoot it today in CMP GSM Garand Matches. I've shot the crap out of it, when I ran Sniper Schools for the AK NG I'd shoot this puppy until sap boiled out of the stock. It's still capable of cleaning the 200 yard target used in the CMP Matches, it just wont do it when I'm standing on my hind legs. Probably my favorite of all my rifles.

Probably my most accurate Semi is my White Oak Upper service rifle, though I can't shoot it as well as I can my M1A, but I've got 30 years more time shooting the M1A. This photo is my Granddaughter shooting my White Oak in the back yard.

 

[The Lawn Ranger]

Nice looking M1a Kraig. Outstanding AR as well.

My contribution to this shit show is my FNAR.

Although a 1 MOA shooter, forget about disassembly/reassembly for cleaning.

I shoot a JP now.

 

[gunfreak101]

My biggest mistake was selling some of my semiautos during the panic for crazy money and now wanting to replace them to find out it will be over a year wait. I guess that is not as bad and guys who paid 4500.00 for a Lwrc spr when you can get them now for 2500.00 (ouch).

 

[Birddog1911]

My craptastic Bushy. Hey, it went bang every time! From that, to BCM, and I've never looked back.

 

[Pat M]

dropping the bolt with a chamber flag still in, had to bag butt on the ground and pull charger to get round and flag un-fucked

 

[bigmatt17073]

dropping the bolt with a chamber flag still in, had to bag butt on the ground and pull charger to get round and flag un-fucked

I was even thinking about your post yesterday at the range to make sure I didn't do it. But, I did. I immediately knew I screwed up as soon as I released the bolt. I dropped the full mag so it wouldn't try and load another on top. Pulled the charging handle back and lost grip so it went forward again. This time I thought I was even more screwed. I pulled the charging back and it extracted the round!!! I guess I got lucky and it ended up coming out easily. It is a fitting double fail since it was in my DPMS LR308 as well which seems to be a common item in this thread.

 

[Kilmore]

A Larue QD scope mount on a LMT 7.62 rifle. Would shoot very well then slowly lose the zero. The mount would loosen and walk off the zero every time I shot it. Best bet is to use said mount on a 5.56 and use a different mount on a heavier caliber rifle.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Pretty much all of them before I started buying LMT's and KAC's.

 

[elfster1234]

This is the arsenal SLR-101 milled receiver AK-47 that I used to own & was stupid enough to sell. One of my biggest mistakes and I still kick myself to this very day for selling it as it was a fun little rifle and prob average about 2 to 2.5moa @ 100yards with it's little 1-4 swift scope set up that it had. Was one of my first "tactical type" rifles short of owning a SKS first and foremost. Not only was it a fun rifle to shoot, but was a super light weight brush rifle for deer hunting. I killed more WI white tails with that AK-47 that any other rifle in my collection and it was stupid of me to sell it. I think I paid about $490 for a milled receiver AK-47 back in 2005!!! One of these days I would like to pick up another if the price is right. I ended up selling it for $850 after I shot the ever living shit out of it a couple years ago. Aren't tactical rifles a good investment! hell yeah!

it made a great TP holder while taking a crap out in the woods while wiping my D.F. also.

 

[samnev]

dropping the bolt with a chamber flag still in, had to bag butt on the ground and pull charger to get round and flag un-fucked

I've done that 2X once on a SIG 516 and once on a Armalite AR10A4. It was a real PIA to get out on the AR10A4. Had to have a buddy help. To make matters worse I almost did it a few times after that. Getting old is not fun.

 

[SD26]

This is...

Great hunting mask...

 

[thegrayham]

She was a purty gun to look at and could stack them in the same hole at 100, but for only being 16"s long she was almost 15lbs. Kind of defeats the whole REECE idea to me. Anyway, now I rock a 16" lightweight mid-length build and a light weight 18" SPRish build. They both work better for their intended purposes and both weigh a heck of a lot less than this tank...

 

[Bennybone]

I tried to make a tacticool VZ2008 (top one).



It was a mess, the handguards flexed when you held the gun. I took the receiver to a "gunsmith" locally to drill and tap and after 10 rounds the screws backed out. Everything wobbled on this gun.

I went through a diligent search for "match grade accuracy" through reloading and could never get below 2 MOA at 100 yards.



Now I am rocking a 6x45mm AR15 and I try not to think back or dwell on my past mistakes/lessons



BB

 

[elfster1234]

Good stuff and good information. Thanks for sharing!

I tried to make a tacticool VZ2008 (top one).



It was a mess, the handguards flexed when you held the gun. I took the receiver to a "gunsmith" locally to drill and tap and after 10 rounds the screws backed out. Everything wobbled on this gun.

I went through a diligent search for "match grade accuracy" through reloading and could never get below 2 MOA at 100 yards.



Now I am rocking a 6x45mm AR15 and I try not to think back or dwell on my past mistakes/lessons



BB

 

[biner626]

Overgassing my Maten. FTF & FTE out the wazoo. I'm trying a load that will cycle properly in a node until I can get an adjustable GB.