Back in the days of the Cold War, when we young Marines were issued woodland camo uniforms, I learned that the core unit of the Marine Corps infantry wasn’t the battalion or company or even the platoon. No, the core unit was the Fire Team.
When I went through the School of the Infantry in the summer of 1987, the four-man Fire Team consisted of the Fire Team Leader, armed with an M16A2/M203 combination, the Automatic Rifleman, who was also second-in-command of the team, was armed with an M249 SAW, the Assistant Automatic Rifleman, was armed with an M16A2, and the most junior man, the Rifleman, was also armed with an M16A2.
Recently we shared an article here where we discussed the importance of training together and working as a team when considering the importance of neighborhood protection during civil disorder and unrest. About ten years ago, after having fielded numerous questions regarding community/neighborhood protection and teamwork, I decided to put those answers and more into book form.
The result was the Patriot Fire Team Manual. The book’s topics include: Individual and Team Training, Equipment and Gear Selection, Mental and Physical Preparedness, Leadership, Team Tactics, Communication and Signaling and much more. A natural response to the book and the team concept were inquiries about certain kinds of hardware. While gear is far less important than mindset, tactics, and realistic training, it’s not a subject to be ignored.
PFT Team Leader Gun
You already looked at all of the photos before you started reading, so let’s consider what went into assembling the Team Leader’s gun you see here. Like a lot of members of the gun culture, I have assembled more than one AR-15 style rifle on my workbench. The thought process was that I wanted a firearm that would closely mimic the capabilities of the Fire Team Leader’s gun back when I was active duty. But I wanted to avoid the price tag of Class III items and Destructive Device licenses and paperwork.
The base for this gun is a Stag Arms lower. Onto that, I installed an Ergo rubberized pistol grip. All of the controls are standard milspec AR design.
This “rifle would technically become an AR pistol as I ordered a 10.5-inch barreled complete upper kit with the A2 front sight housing and milspec polymer handguards. Planning to mount accessories on the gun, I ordered a two-piece aluminum rail kit from Samson Manufacturing. On the buffer tube I added an SBA3 adjustable stabilizing brace from our friends at SB Tactical.
PS: if you enjoy owning firearms with stabilizing braces on them, you owe a debt of gratitude to the folks at SB Tactical and FRAC. They put millions of dollars and countless hours into fighting government overreach and the tyranny of the Biden AFT.
An A2 milspec flash-hider came attached to the barrel, but for a shorty like this, I wanted a muzzle device that would do a better job of pushing the expanding gases/noise away from my face. The Barking Spider muzzle device from Spike’s Tactical is a fantastic option for directing the gas/noise away from your face and dampening any flash during lowlight shooting.
Continuing to shop on the Spike Tactical website, I picked up their Havoc 37mm smoke/flare launcher. They have 12-inch and 9-inch versions of the Havoc. I chose the 9-inch “sideloading” version. Being 37mm, it’s not a “destructive device” and it doesn’t require special permission slips from the AFT. It’s also not a “firearm” so it can ship directly to your front door.
Also, 37mm ammunition is a non-controlled item, no different than purchasing a box of 5.56mm. There are several companies out there making smoke, flares, and illumination rounds.
In addition to the 37mm ammunition, Spike’s has an adapter for the imported Czech 26.5mm smoke/flares as well as an adapter to allow the use of 12 gauge marine flares. The USCG-approved marine flares can be found in any dedicated marine/boating supply store.
As for an optic, I mounted the EOTech holographic weapon sight. Back during the Cold War we didn’t have the benefit of such things, having to make do with only iron sights. However, the experience we gained during the twenty-year period of GWoT solidified the value of putting 1X optics on fighting rifles, carbines, etc.
While I generally default to a standard two-point sling, for this project I decided a single-point version would be a good choice. The universal sling adapter that I installed at the junction of the buffer tube and lower receiver came from a company called “I Kick Hippies.” Yes, I’m still jealous that I don’t own that domain name.
Finally, to make all of the pieces and parts match, I decided to add a Duracoat Firearms Finishes “WWII OD green” to all the metal parts.
Range Work
Naturally, this AR-style firearm will accept all milspec STANAG pattern 5.56 mm magazines. Last year I purchased a few Ultimag G2 polymer AR mags from F.A.B. Defense, the solid body version with no windows, to test them out. Windows in magazines present a structural failure point and are completely unnecessary for the serious use of arms.
Speaking of polymer magazines, many years ago during a rifle training course, the instructor (a nationally recognized expert I trust) mentioned that the process of adding colors to polymer created a level of weakness and that, when it came to polymer magazines, the most durable versions were the solid black models. Also, the UV integrity or resistance to UV light has been listed as better for all black magazines.
To bolster that statement, I have added an explanation directly from a plastics manufacturer.
Plastic production is more detailed than most people believe. Whenever colors or material substance is added to polymers, bonds of the polymer become weakened. Certain colors and matter have a greater molecular bond with polymers than others. Understanding the connection between the two substances requires a mastery of science and technology. It’s why only plastics manufacturers are able to handle these compounds and how they work together to create colored polymers.
The logical response or question would be, “Just how much weaker are colored polymer magazines?” The answer to that question will vary from maker to maker. A colored mag might be 5% structurally weaker than a black one, perhaps more. A simple moral to the story would be, if you want the most durable magazines that will last longer, just buy all black, solid bodied magazines. If you want to customize them you can do so later with Duracoat or Krylon or stick them in your laser-engraving machine. Or, if you want to be old school, you can just use the aluminum GI pattern magazines.
Chambered in true 5.56mm, I used a number of different loads in this gun, to include those from Black Hills ammo, Federal Cartridge, Winchester, as well as milspec M855 “green-tip”. As the Team Leader gun is not a select-fire version, I had less of a concern regarding the short, direct impingement gas system.
Parting Shots
Could a Patriot Fire Team leader just use a stock AR as their primary weapon? Of course they could. When I was in the infantry, I specialized in anti-tank/anti-structure rocket launchers such as the M47 Dragon, the SMAW, the LAW, and the AT-4. Although I trained with the M203, I was never issued one as my personal weapon.
The Team Leader’s gun on display here is just an example of something that a citizen residing in free America can assemble in their own workshop, using parts that are readily available. The fact that the mere sight of such a firearm would make soy-fed pencil-necks pee in their silk panties is just a little icing on the cake.
Paul G. Markel is a combat decorated United States Marine veteran. He is also the founder of Student the Gun University and has been teaching Small Arms & Tactics to military personnel, police officers, and citizens for over three decades.