Guns of Appleseed

I have seen this a lot on the internet: Appleseed folks, well-intentioned as they might be, erroneously passing along the false statement that Appleseed is a "run what you brung" event. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Appleseed teaches marksmanship - particularly as it would be used in sportive competitions like NRA Highpower. They teach "field positions" that increase accuracy. Appleseed does not teach sound training or gunfighting tactics or doctrine. In fact, many of the field positions rely on techniques that are counter-intuitive to orthodox self-defense-with-a-rifle concepts.

Back to the MYTH of "run what you brung" (Myth #2) - first, let's cover why this statement is false:
At Appleseed, the "AQT" is shot more often than any other training device or scenario. The AQT is an amalgam of US Marine Corps known-distance  (USMC-KD) shooting and NRA Highpower (NRA-HP) shooting with a few rules modifications. Both influential courses of fire (USMC-KD and NRA-HP) were originally designed around the M1 Garand rifle and later modified for the M14 and then the M16 rifles.

What guns to bring
The following is a list of guns that are perfect for Appleseed:
- M16A2 clone (also, the M16A4 clone would work similarly)
- M1A

Pretty close to perfect
The following is a list of guns that with minor modification can be run just fine or that just aren't quite ideal, but still a good choice:
- AR15 (See below for in-depth)
- Ruger 10/22 set up as an "LTR"
- Marlin 795 set up as an "LTR"
- M1 Garand (not ideal because of reloading)
- Mini-14

Can be made to work:
The following are guns that are OK. Not as good as the guns listed above:
- Marlin 60 set up as an "LTR" (only this far down because of tube issues)
- SKS (only this far down because it needs peep sights and is top loaded like an M1)
- Remington 597 (only this far down because of reliability issues)
- AK47 (short sight radius, plus mag changes bring the AK down a notch)
- Bullpup style semi-autos.
- M1 Carbine (sling attachment is the factor here)

Do not bring:
- Bolt action rifles.
- Pump action rifles.
- Lever action rifles.
- Tube fed rifles if you have one of the above.
- Single shot rifles.
- Shotguns
- Pistol caliber carbines (though there may be some that might work)

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More on the AR15
The AR15 comes in many variants, I will break down here and cover broad categories with suggestions to make them work better.

These suggestions are designed to help the person who has multiple AR15's or who has several types of sights (scope and irons, for example).

1. Carbine barrels
These suggestions are for 14.5" (pinned to 16"), 16", and 18" barrels. The main problem with these barrels will be the sight radius if you intend to use iron sights. The shorter sight radius is better designed for 300 yards and under. A couple of suggestions.
- Use a dissipator (rifle length sight radius) if you have it.
- Use a scope if you are stuck with carbine-length sight radius on irons.
- Mid-length gas systems are better, because they offer more space for your support hand, and they usually have a slightly longer iron sight radius.

2. Barrel free float
Use an AR15 with a free floated barrel if at all possible!
If it is not going to be possible, use a heavy-profile barrel!
If free float and HBAR options are not possible, then you must be very diligent - almost anal - about sling tension. You must mark your sling so that you get the same tension each and every time!!!

3. Stock type
The ideal stock type is a fully adjustable telescoping stock. If this is not an option either due to asinine state laws, or due to the fact that you only have a fixed stock, there are no worries. I'm just stating what is ideal for a wider majority of people.

4. Best overall AR15
Best overall AR15 for Appleseed would have the following characteristics:
- 20" barrel
- A2 (carry-handle) upper or flat top with irons (fully adjustable) / ACOG / scope
- Collapsible stock for some / fixed stock for others
- Free floated barrel
- HBAR (whether free-floated or not)

Why is that the best?
Simple - the AR15 consistently wins service-rifle matches in NRA-HP. It is the best platform for a number of reasons. Those service rifles have heavy barrels (20") that are free-floated, carry-handle iron sights (though an ACOG or scope is really good for Appleseed, and is permitted). Service rifles do have fixed stocks, as per the rules.

So what if I have a carbine that is not free-floated?
Yes, that would be the worst AR15 configuration, but it would still be better for Appleseed than an AK47. Just be mindful (OK - anal) of sling tension. Use a scope / ACOG if possible to overcome the limitations of sight radius. Enjoy your adjustable stock (where permitted by law - most states).

What about AR15 variants that shoot .22LR?
Great choice! Use them.


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