BigHat

Almost a lb though for the MOD 2. I'm thinking FFT will be releasing a rail shortly. Fingers crossed.

Used the same heat gun. Just keep at it. Thinking you might have gotten a healthy dose of loctite on yours. I had purchased a strap wrench for a bathroom drain project so it was handy. Being able to apply adequate torque could be the issue. Hundreds of these have been installed and while some twist off easily by hand, a strap wrench does make the tough ones easier to deal with. $10 tool makes life easy. No need to pay a gunsmith.

Alex, Clear your PMs. Can't get through until you delete some msgs.

Wilson Combat prescribes a "break-in process" for their pistols in the manual that comes with them. 500 rounds of ammo through it before the first disassembly and cleaning. This is to accomplish what's noted above. Even without specific directions to do so, it's rare that an auto pistol I've purchased runs as well in the first few hundred rounds as it does after them and that's with Wilson, Ed Brown, SIG, and FN models. I certainly would never dream of carrying something concealed for example or even use a shotgun planned for self-defense in that role right out of the box.

I have the Surefire fore-end on mine but no light. Can't see why it wouldn't meet the aims you have established though with the switch and light on the Surefire. Just slide the whole assembly off and on.

An old thread, but an important topic to those with a new M4 in their hands. Break-in is simple but important. A problem with light birdshot when new could, inadvertently, be deemed by some to be indicative of problems with the shotgun rather than just the need to get some "cycles" on it. Your new comments as well as the others are of value. Edit: Another point worth pondering is keeping it very well lubed during the break-in. I kept mine VERY wet initially and had zero issues.

Never came looking for allies in my dealings with Kip and no plans to start now. Nothing I can say to some of you that I've had disagreements with in the past would matter. It's just gonna stay that way I guess. So what's the scoop? Am I'm expected to stop by every now and then to trash Kip to keep you guys fired up? If a month goes by without a comment by me on CarrierComp, is Kip or someone else is going to "page me" to come back and argue by starting other threads like this one? And I'm the drunk, mean poster? I was asleep (and sober) for about four hours when the OP kicked this off and many of you chimed in. I respect that a lot of you choose to hang here a lot more than I do, but this isn't a social networking site for me, and having a few beers and reading/posting about a shotgun isn't at the top of my list of things to do. Kip, starting a thread asserting I have no "friends" could easily be missed as an attempt to extend an olive branch. C'mon, if you meant it you'd have probably called or emailed me. If you feel that you're so right about all this and I'm so wrong (kinda doubt you do) wouldn't you be pleased by my absence of posts on your business practices? Why would you want to respark this? You're the guy trying to sell a product, not me. I stand by what I've said on the topic. Funny, those of you claiming to know the truth, the entire story, have never asked me about it. Sounds like you've accepted Kip's version. That's cool, don't really care who aligns with whom. Never been a contest for me. Those that disagree are very much entitled to do so. There's really no new information for me to add to the subject.

I'd like a good, fully functioning rail. His or another's. Depends what comes to market.

Great. One would almost think I started this thread from your defense of him. Again, all the best to him. You should also know that comments about military service aren't really germane to this situation as I see it. I never said I had Vietnam era service by the way and you probably knew that based on my age anyway, but I did spend over 26 years in the Corps. You want to poke at me with "time with Charlie" that's fine. Both Kip and I served and we're both no longer serving. As a Marine though, i get irritated when I see him using his past service as mitigation for his failures to meet his promised deadlines. The entire Marine Corps is about one thing, do your job or get the f*ck out of the way. His string of excuses is eerily familiar to me, it's always an extraordinary personal tragedy, something beyond ones control, etc. Eventually though you understand it's what it is, total BS. The bottom line is actually quite simple. He's selling something and we're potential customers. As I have ALSO said many times, everyone can make up their own mind about how long they chose to wait to buy something from him. I'm not a competitor, you don't see me promoting the products of others either. He's lied to me over the phone and that soured me toward him. I freely wish all others to render their own judgements.

[quote=Unobtanium; We have a guy who is dedicating time and resources that he doesn't have to to something we enjoy. Lets STFU, thank him, and pay our money and wait our turn. The boys across the pond need his stuff more than the boys in the back yard. You of all people should agree with that, given your glowing service-record and all that time you spent out there with Charlie, right Bighat? Just my .02 Well, I'm a weird one I guess for not having any "friends" on the site. Couldn't be the guy reading my public profile on a shotgun info site at almost three in the morning? As far as STFU, I doubt I'd have been around here this week at all if it hadn't been prompted by emails to check PMs, let alone making disparaging remarks toward anyone. Great if he's doing work for the gov't etc and not just another excuse from his long list. Last I checked by the way, there's nothing one needs to conceal about being a government contractor. If I cared (I don't) it's public record if true. So Un, if you're so close to him, just ask him. By the way, he's told me as much in a PM. Last I left it, I said let's see what happens on the rails etc. So let's just see what happens. As I have said at least ten times here, I hope he gets his sh*t together. Thanks to those that offered to sincerely "befriend" me, but as I have conveyed in PMs to you, I think we can act as friends w/o the silly web site connections.

I think your time would be better spent thinking up more excuses about why you never meet a deadline or, better yet, actually meeting a deadline. But feel free to play around all you want. Surprised to see this though, I guess the truth must be eating at you a tad. Thought your request might be an "olive branch", but no, just more childish BS. ANOTHER alcohol related event Gunny?

You certainly are blazing the trail in reviews of M4 stuff. Thank you for that.

Same. But only about 100 rds. Of course, the non-existent one will be better. Yea right.

The Ti charging handle is a good piece of work. Have one too.

Agree CLPs are all you should need. Got a small bottle of Slip 2000 EWL CLP with an LWRC M6A2 awhile back and that's the best I've used to date. I must have tried 20 CLPs in the last 10 years and I use this now for all applications not better treated with grease. You might want to look into it and see what you think.

Note the date. We'll see what happens. Of course, everyone's entitled to be as patient as they care to be.

If I thought I had said anything that wasn't 100% factual I'd feel bad. As always, hope you get a handle/muzzle brake /rail, etc in production that were "any day now" 15 months ago. Of course, sorry for your personal losses. Also good to hear from you after a very long break with zero information. Sounds promising, if it's better than the other hollow promises.

Of course, the concept is light emitted outside the unaided visible spectrum (IR) that's visual through the use of a night vision device. A light intensifying device like the ANPVS line would let you "see" that IR laser, but when you start talking good quality tubes (Gen 3 and 4) that don't bloom excessively in the presence of traditional light, the price is crazy for someone without a real tactical need. Most good IR lasers (Insight) aren't even available to John Q Public. Even then available, much of the NVD stuff you can buy may meet MilSpec, but has a slight flaw in the tube etc and the manufacturer opted not to ship it to the military or LE customer. Go to one of the big weapons sites like AR-15.com or just do a search on night vision devices and you'll learn much more about it. To your last question. In a environment with zero or very little light an light amplifying NVD won't help at well. In fact, up until 10 years ago we "chased the moon"because unless ambient light levels were .0022 lux or better the visual acuity wasn't good enough to fly and sometimes the moon rises at in the middle of the night, etc. Ambient light has to excite the focal plane that is then amplified. You don't see THROUGH a night vision goggle, your watch the "TV screens" that show what's in front of it in an amplified state. Thus the benefits of IR chem lights and illuminators. Of course, Ohio is right. You can "see in the dark" via two technologies. 1) A FLIR: reads infrared signatures- heat not light. 2) Light amplifying devices as noted above. In early generations of devices, a segment of the green/blue light spectrum wouldn't shut down googles. In fact, aircraft cockpit lighting while on googles is in this range. Flying at night (unaided) uses lot of red light as it does harm adapted night vision but you go to greens for goggles.

I've been around here awhile, I understand where he's at, just not why he's there. Nothing other than the nice Ti tube that ships about as often as comets are sighted has EVER been sold to the public in the 13 months since I ordered my tube. You'd think it was the f-ng F-22 or something. Could he possibly be making any money? You make it sound like his approach is the only one that yields quality. Of course that's total BS. Look at LaRue, ARMs, Surefire etc. Bottom line is he's a tinkerer not a business. He should pray that some high school shop teacher doesn't get interested in making M4 parts as he'd be a distant memory. Let's imagine LaRue made a P-rail for the M4. You willing to wait a year..or more for Kips? I have talked with Kip. A really nice guy and a fellow Marine, but he ain't hacking it. Someone pulled this thread from early last year and ZERO progress in the interim. I'm not upset with him, it's just the fanboy crap is unwarranted. Small shops make $50k watches in less time then this guy threads a tube and coats it.

I've been around here awhile, I understand where he's at, just not why he's there. Nothing other than the nice Ti tube that ships about as often as comets are sighted has EVER been sold to the public in the 16 months since I ordered my tube. You'd think it was the f-ng F-22 or something. Could he possibly be making any money? You make it sound like his approach is the only one that yields quality. Of course that's total BS. Looks at LaRue, ARMs, Surefire etc. Bottom line is he's a tinkerer not a business. He should pray that some high school shop teacher doesn't get interested in making M4 parts as he'd be a distant memory.

The best handle ever dreamed up by man would be a more apt description. More Kip vaporware. He should hire someone that knows how to run a business at the 5 yr old lemonade stand level, it would be a big improvement. I'd wish he'd focus on these P-rails that should have shipped a year ago. This thread is 16 months old (almost 10,000 views) and nada, zip, dash sh*t on the market. It's a piece of metal!! Yes, he makes a great tube, but that's all we've seen and even those ship at an embarrassing slow rate. Go back a year or more and see rails, chokes etc -- nothing has ever materialized. Let's not generate an iota of expectation in the minds of newbies here.

Well it's your shotgun, you'll have to decide what's best. Everyone here is well intentioned and has a personal opinion. I don't think life as we know it end IF you don't clean it prior to use, but it's a simple precaution to execute. I'll return to my basic point(s). You can't properly lube it with modern fluids unless it's clean. Otherwise there wouldn't be the clear instruction to apply it to clean surfaces... INITIAL TREATMENT: Applying MILITEC-1 to a firearm for the first time is a two-step process: (1) Application and (2) Firing. STEP ONE: APPLICATION. Now that the firearm is clean and dry, apply a light film of MILITEC-1 to all surfaces, including the bore. Burnish/polish MILITEC-1 into exterior surfaces by rubbing rapidly using a cloth lightly dampened with MILITEC-1. Sparingly apply drops into the action, concentrating on springs, moving parts and metal-to-metal contact areas. If your firearm has a magazine, be sure to apply MILITEC-1 both inside and out. Leave a very light film of MILITEC-1 on all surfaces during reassembly. Now proceed to Step Two. STEP TWO: FIRING. Once you fire your weapon enough times to reach operating temperatures, the heat and friction will activate MILITEC-1, strengthening the bonding process that was started in Step One. While firing, MILITEC-1 creates a self-lubricating, water-repelling, dry compound within the gunmetal.

I'd be less concerned about the mag tube etc but if the manual describes how to get to them easily it wouldn't hurt. I rarely clean and lube a buffer spring on an AR and never have any problems. I'd just be sure your barrel is totally clean and the receiver/bolt area too. Then lube the heck out of it and fire a few boxes of shells through it to break it in a bit.

Personally I would thoroughly clean it first. In addition to learning about it prior to shooting it you put the proper lube on the friction points, etc. Packing grease is anti-rust not weapons lube. Additionally, if you use something like SLIP 2000 or one of the other high-tech lubes it requires a clean surface to get down into the pores where it will then make the gun much easier to clean later on. So you'll be better served starting with a clean weapon. Just my opinion, but have bought a number of rifles and pistols to include an M4 and almost all of them reference the need to remove the packing grease before shooting. Here's what FN says and I saw no major differences in the way my 5.7 or PS90 arrived and my Benelli M4. It is mandatory to clean your Five-seveN® before using it for the first time, and after every subsequent use. ❖ Carry out the cleaning procedure of § 5.4.1 ‘Cleaning and lubrication before firing’ in order to remove any preservation lubricant. My Dad always made me clean weapons after shooting, even when it was just a few rounds. The Marines made me obsessive about it. I now believe we cleaned weapons too much in the Corps, but I suggest you get off to a good start with this shotgun.

Great tube to be sure. I have one installed. Just a shame though how much money this guy leaves on the table from an inability to produce product. Got my tube about this time last year and the rails, charging handles and chokes were JUST AROUND THE CORNER-- and still are.