A variety of warbelt setups. All outfitted with our new dump pouch. Orion belts and a couple Ronin Senshis.
All entries by Lucas Botkin
13.7 SCAR 17 Build
One of my more unique firearms is my 13.7 SCAR 17. Chopped and pin and welded by Parker Mountain Machine and Tool in NH. It features the Midwest Industries extended rail and a Geissele two stage Super SCAR trigger. While I’m not a HUGE fan of the SCAR platform, it’s my primary .308 gun right now. I run the Aimpoint T2 on this one since it’s more for running and gunning. I have another SCAR 17 I’ll detail in another post which is setup as a DMR with a Leupold MK8 CQBSS.
The T2 is on an absolute co-witness Scalarworks mount since the receiver on the SCAR is a bit taller than a standard AR.
It’s suppressed with a Surefire RC2 7.62 Mini. Which is the same size as a the 5.56 RC2. So not… super mini. I’ll be hanging onto this rifle for a while.
Suppressed USP 9
Looks a lot like a video game doesn’t it? HK USPs have definitely been glorified in a number of stealth-shooter video games from the late 90s and early 2000s. I’m currently trying out this particular setup and will probably produce a YouTube video on it in the near future.
USP 9 with Surefire Ryder 9 in the short configuration, GGG rail adapter, Surefire X300U, DG switch. I’m running the stock DA/SA trigger. Probably won’t upgrade to a LEM.
Rear Sight in Front or Behind RMR?
People ask me all the time: “Irons in front or behind the optic?” In my opinion… it doesn’t matter. I believe both have enough pros and cons that neither is majorly superior over the other. When I shoot either of these pistols I have never once thought “wow, something is off… I can’t shoot this as well as the other because of the rear sight placement.”
Concern yourself with developing actual skill. Because THAT is what matters.
13.7 SCAR 16 PEQ-15 Setup
One of the main issues with the SCAR series of rifles, is setting them up with lasers. The folding front sight always seems to get in the way. This particular setup works very well however. A Kinetic Development or Midwest Industries extended rail allows the laser unit to be mounted out near the muzzle and lower in relation to the optic.
The problem with running a shorter extended rail is that you can’t have the front sight stowed AND the laser mounted. So the front sight has to be in the upright position, or… simply folded onto the PEQ. I shot this configuration for a few hours and the front sight never popped up. It’s a pretty slick setup. Although it triggers a lot of people’s OCD. haha

Range Day With Suppressed MCX
Last week I took my 11.5 gen 1 MCX for a spin. Since it’s outfitted with a Surefire Closed Tine flash hider, I ran my new 556 RC2.
While the MCX has an adjustable piston, I left it on the default setting and went to town. The rifle ran fine, but spat the brass very forward of the ejection port. Since this gun isn’t always suppressed, I’m leaving it on the default un-suppressed setting. I was curious to see how it would perform once a suppressor was on without changing anything.
I ran some shooting on the move reps at a decent pace. Single IPSC target at 10 yards. Moving in width firing 5-6 rounds per movement. The weapon barely recoils, so it’s pretty easy to keep everything in the A zone.
I then polished the day off with some barricade work. Shooting multiple C zone steel targets from each port to get some target transitioning done. Target transitioning while standing perfectly upright with no cover/barricade is pretty easy. Once you throw in some ports, awkward shooting positions, and wide target placement… it gets much more challenging.
Parker Mountain Machine and Tool BCD
If you’re into speeding up how fast you can manipulate your rifles, you’ve probably seen the Magpul BAD levers and similar devices. If you’re running a SCAR or MCX rifle, you can get ambi bolt releases from Parker Mountain Machine and Tool. It’s built like a tank (as far as ambi bolt locks go), and is a welcome addition to my SCARs.