Question on M4 stock weld

Striker1

New member
Professional trainers,

Maybe you could help me out? My guys are having trouble keeping the stock situated in their shoulders when rapidly mounting and firing the M4. Seems the shoulder strtaps from the LBE get in the way. Looking for good suggestions.

Thanks
 
Two words: skateboard tape. If the problem is the butt not getting a good hold due to the LBE strap this should help.

How fast are they having to aquire their sight picture? Are we talking CQB or targets at 100 meters (or more)?

This is not intended as a slam, but this seems like a training issue that should have been addressed in basic (if you're not talking about basic). Recoil is almost non-existent so it can't be beating them up shooting over an LBE strap.
 
Thanks for the reply,

It's a new course of fire incorporating firing at the typical 10" vital zone from 25M starting from thr ready position (muzzle down at 45deg). We are also transitioning to the M4. Basic was totally different using th M16A2.
 
Striker, because you have the luxury of adjusting the stock length, i'd take the stock in to the 2nd to the last notch to being fully closed. This would be the position you'd use when wearing armor. The shorter the stock/LOP, the easier to tuck it in, and control.
 
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Really appreciate all the info,

Unfortunately things being the way they are Regs prevent modifications to weapons so we may have to find a way to work it without add-on's. We are using the SPEAR ELCS and the shoulder straps are pretty fat. As Erick said, pushing the harness out of the way works for the range but is a no-go for most real world applications.
 
i wonder if this rubber butt pad would be considered an 'add-on:'

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=25&t=171960

SOG%20VLTOR%20PAD.jpg
 
Tough deal

OK,

Here what I would suggestion...get into the gym. :D

Just kidding, but seriously this is a problem that tends to go away when folks can pull the weapon system back into their shoulder pocket. What I find is that focusing more at pulling the weapon into the body tends to help keep the weapon system against the body.

Here are some other things to consider. Whenever possible start with the toe of the buttstocked staged in the shoulder pocket and then pivot into the pocket and pull back.

Next, look at placing the toe lower in the pocket. This will provide more surface area contact and require the shooter to lower their head.

Lastly, I doubt anyone is keeping you from modifying your kit. You can look at adding the Assualt Shoulder Pad, which is a piece of nylon with tacky rubber on it that velcros onto your armor. It works great and I really like them for maritime work when things are really slippery.

Get a hold of a new Diamondback Tactical catalog and look on page #46. Good luck.

Erick, thanks for the kind words and stay safe. Will pass you grid coordinates to my new position down the road so stay in touch.

Later,
 
Jeff,

Thanks for the advice

Some units are more concerned with being "uniform" and don't allow personal modification or any mods without approval of higher authority as I'm sure you know. Only the SOCOM types can get away with that. In order to get stuff approved we have to trounce through the "red Tape" which makes for a headache sometimes. That's why I wanted to know how to do it with just the issue equipment. Why they even have a specific layout for our web gear...pictures and all! In the name of standardization! That's what I have to work within and that's why I don't allow my instructors to wear anything except what the troops have issued.

We have a new course of fire and it is better than the old, but when I attended, the instructors said "just shoot as you would from the old style standing position" so as you can see, we have a long way to go
 
totally understand

Striker,

I feel for you and understand what you are going through. My first recommendation of bringing more focus to pulling straight back into the shoulder pocket would be the call of the day. No gear modifications, just a training issue. I tend to see that most issues are addressed through hardware solutions when software solutions work better. The flip side is that will take training and I know how hard it can be to deal with that issue as well. About the only other suggestion would be the grip tape mentioned earlier. It seems to be the best alternative given the circumstances.

If there is anything else I can do for you, don't hesitate to contact me directly. Take care and stay safe.

Later,
 
As every bird hunter knows, you push the gun all the way before you pull it into the shoulder. This eliminates snags on all the junk your wearing.

I'll bet a lot of rifle marksmanship training is done W/O lbe on.

Ultimately, I think every soldier will just have to work this out on his own.
 
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