Without question the book is a rip roaring
read covering everything from the origins of
the AR-15 platform, its subsequent
maturation into a robust and reliable
weapon, and on to its unique modular design
- all written with a decidedly Conservative
bent. Sprinkled liberally (small “l”, not
capital “L”) throughout the text are
interesting asides where the author
discusses many of the historical, military,
social, and political issues which have
impacted the AR platform over the years. He
addresses these in rather direct, un-PC
fashion, and this makes for a most
interesting read of what would otherwise be
dry, technical type information. Don’t get
me wrong, I’m not being critical of
Boatman’s position on things political or
social. As a staunch, freedom loving
Conservative myself, with more than a
passing knowledge of history, I share most
of his positions.
To begin Boatman traces the origins of the
revolutionary AR design back to late WWII,
and work by the Germans and the Russians to
field lightweight “assault rifles” chambered
for relatively lighter, intermediate powered
cartridges. This as opposed to fielding
larger, heavier battle rifles with their
correspondingly larger, more powerful
cartridges. From that point onward, the
arms designers’ Holy Grail was to give the
infantry soldier a rifle embodying the
optimum balance between firepower,
lethality, and portability, for use in
shorter range engagements hypothesized as
being the norm in future combat. A bit
later on in the post-war period Eugene
Stoner, here in the U.S., began work on his
AR design which would attempt to satisfy
these basic criteria.
From there, the author discusses the
eventual adoption in the mid 1960’s by the
U.S. Department of Defense of Stoner’s
innovative rifle design. The DoD designated
it as the M-16, chambered in 5.56mm. When
the M-16 was adopted it superseded the
then-standard issue rifle, the M-14
chambered in 7.62mm. Boatman contends that
the M-16 prevailed over the M-14 due to the
M-14 being outdated, obsolete, and
“clunky”. I would argue that this
contention is somewhat erroneous in that the
M-14 has remained in the active inventory
since it’s adoption, and is currently being
deployed, in appreciable numbers, in combat
use worldwide - particularly in Iraq and
Afghanistan where the need for the 7.62mm’s
range and punch are required over the
relatively underpowered 5.56mm round in
these two respective areas. Not trying to
ignite a 5.56 M-16 vs. 7.62 M-14 debate; I
just want to ensure that the record on this
subject is correct. For balance, it is
appropriate to note that a 7.62mm version of
the AR design has recently been adopted by
U.S. armed forces for use in long range
sniper rifle roles.
From this initial discussion of the AR
platform’s military origins, the book’s
successive chapters delve into the specifics
of why the AR-15 (in it’s over-the-counter
designation) is imminently suited to
civilian usage. Civilians have been able to
own the semi-automatic version of the AR-15
over the same time period that the U.S.
military has been relying on the M-16
platform as our nation’s official infantry
rifle. Throughout that time private sector
and military improvements to the rifle have
been embraced by both groups of users.
Boatman focuses on the applicability of the
rifle for a range of civilian applications
(which have direct military/LE
correlation): Self-defense, training,
competition, plinking, and hunting. He
makes persuasive arguments as to the merits
of using the AR platform for each type of
shooting.
By the 1990’s civilian usage of the AR-15
rifle was starting to grow rapidly. In part
this was in regard to refinements to the
AR’s design, operating system, and
individual components. Additionally it was
due to the rifle’s highly innovative modular
design which allows the user to change upper
receiver/barrel/sight configurations quickly
and easily in order to set the rifle up for
a range of uses. From short-barreled, red
dot sight, close-quarters-battle (CQB)
applications, standard configuration for
basic plinking, larger-caliber conversions
for hunting, accurized versions for
competition, and on up to large-caliber
conversions for long-range precision
applications, civilians have appreciated the
fact that essentially one basic AR lower
receiver assembly will fit the bill for all
duties. The author comprehensively
addresses these wide ranging uses over
successive chapters.
As of this writing one of the last major
enhancements to the platform’s operating
system is being addressed. The use of an
operating rod in the rifle’s re-designed gas
system, in order to power the action, is now
being fielded on the civilian and military
fronts. An active S.F. trooper friend
advises that the op-rod driven uppers are in
high demand amongst the SOCCOM community
members. Heretofore the direct-impingement
set up of the gas system somewhat
necessitated extra care to be taken when
selecting ammunition, and by way of keeping
the breech area relatively clean. Hard
chroming of the bolt assembly and the
inclusion of the upper receiver’s
forward-assist mechanism were eventual
measures incorporated to mitigate the
effects of the original gas system design.
The op-rod driven gas system now fully
matures the excellent Stoner design,
especially when combined with the outright
versatility of its modular design in
relation to the plethora of upper assembly
configurations and accessories on the market
today.
In closing, Boatman gives sound advice to
those citizens, whether they wish to acquire
an AR, or enhance theirs. In a nutshell it
is: Practice, practice, practice. Train
realistically, and train/shoot often. Seek
out knowledgeable, experienced instruction,
in a variety of forms, and repetitively
drill the basic tenets of said instruction.
Through routine usage gain intimate
familiarity with your AR in order to handle
it both safely and confidently as well as to
understand its capabilities.
Often times you read books such as this and
they stop at the water’s edge focusing on
the “hardware”, and not discussing the
“software” of what’s required of the
operator to be successful in employing his
weapon with utmost effectiveness. In this
regard, Boatman’s book is refreshing in that
it drives home the free citizen’s
responsibilities when it comes to what it
takes to effectively exercise their
God-given and constitutional rights of
self-defense and firearms ownership.
Living with the AR-15 (The Complete Guide to
the World’s Most Versatile Rifle for
Civilians) is not your average dry,
just-the-facts ma’am, compendium of AR15
designs and gadgets. Boatman presents his
thesis on “why” the AR is ideally suited to
civilian use, as well as his overview of all
of one’s AR options, in an acerbic,
thought-provoking style that definitely
holds your attention.
Check out Living with the AR-15 (The
Complete Guide to the World’s Most Versatile
Rifle for Civilians) at Robert and
Morgan Boatman’s new website:
www.boatmanbooks.com. Additional
information, reader testimonials, and photos
of the book can be found there.
Biographical information on the father-son
team of authors can also be found, in
addition to information on their other
firearm-related books. You can purchase a
copy of the book in this review directly
from the website. |