Jp: As I mentioned, I carried a CAR-15 for a bit in the Army. I learned a nifty little trick that I want you to try next time you’re at the range.
If you’re right-handed (and this will work if you’re left-handed as well), you grip the forearm of the weapon with your left hand. Chances are, you cup the forearm, meaning you use your entire hand to grip it. Try this instead: Grip the forearm with your thumb slightly over the top of the forearm and your bottom three fingers cupping the bottom of the forearm. This will leave your forefinger/index finger free. Position your index finger along the barrel where it meets the forearm (just below the front sight) and in such a way that your forefinger/index finger is pointing straight, just like the barrel.
Now, instead of aimed fire from the shoulder, shoot with the butt tucked against your hip and under your elbow and you’ll find that, wherever you point with your left index finger, the bullets go. Extremely effective and also extremely simple. Removes having to aim, it’s literally “point and shoot”. Try it and see how well it works. In single fire, you’ll find that you can expend a 30rd magazine in just a few seconds, and you’ll be putting most of your ammo right into the center mass of your target (since that’s where your weapon is positioned on your own body).
Also, you should be changing out magazines periodically (unloading about every month or so and replacing with fresh; this will keep the magazine springs and followers in good working order) and don’t fully load the magazines (you should put about 27 rounds in a 30rd magazine to avoid overstressing the magazine spring). And, while the multiple magazine setup looks nifty (where you have two mags connected for easy reloading), it actually plays hell with the spring in the magazine well, which was only designed for one magazine at a time.
Simple stuff, but it will prevent malfunctions, which have a real bad habit of happening at the most inopportune times. Trust me on that one, too. One of Murphy’s Laws holds that, your weapon will undoubtedly jam just when you need it most.
