Finally got a chance to test fire the new toy.

Received an AR pistol upper kit from CDNN Sports for this past Father's day and finally got to put some rounds downrange. Not too many as those suckers are expensive! Think more than $1 a round for a 20 pack if I remember correctly so I was a bit conservative.

A couple observations:

1. The buffer from CDNN sports quality seemed off.

It would not flush with my lower so ended up using the previous buffer + spring. It also came with a replacement pistol grip which I may switch out in the future but I am one to observe the adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." so maybe not.

2. Using a one point sling will likely take some getting used to.

I am using the Picatinny rail adapter and kind of winged it with placement with what felt stable. For marksmanship, nothing beats a loop sling in my experience. I mentioned marking my sling in the video for the various shooting positions. In the Marines, we had 'em marked for prone, sitting and kneeling. The theory is that less variables we have the more precise the shot.

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Remembering my training

I am a 3rd Award Expert Rifle Qual but I am not perfect. I did UNQ (unqualify) once in a bad experience almost being a heat casualty surprisingly due to overhydration and, no, I didn't get the silver bullet (You don't want to know). Big takeaway from that is remember to not just pound water but get some electrolytes in your body for strenuous activity. You'll thank me later.

All that aside, think I am did OK with recalling my marksmanship fundamentals that I learned in the Marines such as proper sight alignment, proper sight picture, proper trigger control, natural respiratory pause, proper cheek weld etc. I just need to get more practice and hope I'll never have to use that practice in real life.

Why did I get an AR pistol?

Some of my fellow Leathernecks may think I lost my shit and, maybe I have, but I do like how easy it is to manage a 10.5 inch barrel versus an 18 and BELIEVE ME you can feel the difference.

If the ATF regulatory process for a Short Barrel Rifle was not such a financial burden (which I think is horseshit), I may have opted for a SBR because I would certainly be more accustomed to being able to shoulder it but I went for the pistol in part for the novelty of it and also economy.

The biggest reason that I am glad to have this upper as it will be my go-to tactical weapons system for home defense. My regular upper has basically a digital camera for a scope which takes a minute to boot up. Yes, my optics have an operating system. It's great if I have the time but not good in a pinch.

We always hope we are never in that sort of situation but you always want to have a contingency plan. Furthermore, I dry run of said plan wouldn't be a bad idea for you and your loved ones to practice and develop that muscle memory.

Hope you enjoyed reading about my experience. If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment.