Phew ! that's a relief ; we were starting to believe that MAC was freed of his curse to receive lemons. Really happy to see that the tradition is alive and well !
I have FM-15 13.9 pin&weld. I'll say this, yeah there are some pro's and cons. I don't have that issue with the cam pin and my charging handle sits farther forward. I did find adding a magpul bad lever to assist with bolt hold open beneficial. To date I have over 6k rounds in the year and a half I've had it. It did have a break in period with 3 jams in the first 500 rounds but none since. I've only cleaned it once after the first 1k, but wipe it down and lube it after use. I'm a CRSO and Firearms instructor and use it in classes I teach. It's reliable, lighter and flatter shooting than similar conventional ARs. I only changed the extractor pin once, but if you email FM they will send you a set for free, so I stocked up in case I need them. Im pleased with the rifle, it's handy and accurate. It does need slightly different care than a conventional rifle. Some may not care that it folds, but I like it for transport back and forth to work. Just stock up on some of the high wear small parts and you'll be fine, they are there when you need them. FM has excellent customer service. My muzzle device pin and weld came loose. They sent me a label and after sending the upper back they sent me a brand new one with a video showing they were checking it out before sending me the new unit. I thought that was awesome. Hey, things will break sometimes.
Heck I've had a Colt extractor on break on me, the gun still worked and I didn't Even know it until it was taken apart. MAC has good points but this platform needs refining and expecting this to be the final iteration is absurd. I get the feeling he's condemning from bias.
You were being very diplomatic when you pointed out the issues with this gun. You made people aware of the numerous problems without making it sound like a piece of garbage. Well done video. Thanks.
as an owner of an upper my self i can tell you they are trash. The big problem is dont let you know about any of the bs up front. You dont get any info about this untill you get the firearm or upper. All of the original reviews samples clearly hid this becasue not a single one of them bring it up. they claim in ther own videos how reliable things are but if someting fails after a 1000 rounds and when it deals with the firing pin, thats not relaible thats a safety issue.
@@MrJacobjj84 Agreed! In my opinion and based on my experience with my FM15 upper, there are things a buyer needs to know up front that, again, in my opinion, aren't openly disclosed.
Can confirm that the extractor pin will function as intended even broken. I have an FM-15 that, after the initial break in period of about 210 rounds, was disassembled for an thorough cleaning. Upon disassembly i found the pin was in fact broken. Functioned flawlessly with exception to one failure to feed related to a bent lip on the magazine. Rifle is fine, would still recommend.
Would have been a unique gun if Remington didn't botch it. I like the looks but I can also say from experience that it's a jam-o-matic and the mags sucks
Remember that BCM AR 15 you shot over 8,000 rounds through without any lubrication or cleaning? Makes you wonder why anyone would put up with this kind of hassle. Variety and innovation can be fun, but not with these kinds of trade-offs.
It amazes me how companies can come up with design to make something more complicated, expensive, and less reliable than the original design and pawn it off to people as BETTER!! lol To me this rifle is scrap metal!
In principle it was a good idea. A lot of people prefer a side charger over the t-handle and most people would rather have a folding stock over a non-folding stock. I think they could’ve invented a whole new rifle since most everything is proprietary anyways, instead of tweaking an AR
People that can't swap parts around and be happy with an AR because of features such as: side-charging, piston operation, folding stock that doesn't compromise the operating system, more robust build (arguable except the gas system and bolt).... just get an AK. Hate AKs? Go buy a high dollar semi custom that you can like.
They also make parts for a more traditional AR format. I have one of their uppers with an ambi AR lower. It's my main rifle. Those seem to work well. I definitely prefer the charger being closer to my hand.
My FM15 (11.5”) has 3,500 -3,700 rounds through it currently and I’ve had literally zero issues! Bought it through AIMsurplus during Black Friday 2 years ago… love it! But it is quite different from this 102 model. Mine also is the Gen2 version with the adjustable gas block, and 90-95% of rounds fired through it have been suppressed, making the gun run dirtier than without a “can” on the end…. Again, I’ve had ZERO issues
@@bookkeeper1995 does your have the 3 position adjustable gas block? Mine does and makes all the difference in the world!! My brother has the one without… and his is WAY over gassed with my YHM Phantom!
@@bookkeeper1995my 11.25 with 3 position gas block was running well suppressed (seirra 5) and unsurpassed. But the gas block gets carbon locked, so I replaced it with a Riflespeed one. Which requires modification of the handguard
Thanks for pointing out the reality... Brownells did a bunch of videos recently... and at no point were these replacement items talked about... That's a lot of parts that have to be replaced frequently.
I thought of all the promotion vids by them too. It seemed too hard of a product push. They must have a significant investment in Foxtrot Mike products. I also just can't stand Caleb. He comes across rather creepy with a Mayberry hair sniffer vibe.
That's because the Brownells channel is mostly infomercials. They're trying to sell all of their stuff on their website, so of course they're going to leave out glaring problems.
They are a retailer. And not a very reliable retailer. They are trying to get consumers to buy from them. They get to sell the rifle and the replacement parts. That’s all they care about.
They fixed the hour glass pin replacement issue, I got my new mike 15 yesterday and noticed that it didnt come with replacement pins and when I contacted them to ask why I didn't get replacements they informed me that they fixed that issue and the rifle takes milspec bolt faces and firing pins and extractor retaining pins now. Can't say for the 102 but for the mike 15 it's fixed.
I bought one of the first rifles. I pretty much immediately contacted Paul the owner and said I thought the takedown needed to be improved. He replied with something to the effect of, “you don’t know what you’re talking about.” I had the same issues you did. My understanding was that the small parts incl. bolt and firing pin were all compatible with mil spec. Really disappointed to find out that’s not true.
Reinforcing the doubts I had while watching Brownells talk it up.. answered some questions as well. I did visit the site… tons of AR9 stuff… limited rifle items.
I was pondering the same. I wanted something contained like that, plus the slap mod was interesting. This was like 7 months ago and was stated it would be out in production in a few months. Haven't seen it anywhere on Brownells or on their site. Is it neat, sure, but unless you're gonna stock up on parts. Forget about it.
I love my FM102. Its easy to take apart and reassemble I think the video is a bit dramatic. Just order extra parts incase SHTF. I always have the coolest gun at the range people are always wanting to look at it
@@vicdiaz5180 I actually slightly misunderstood what you were saying. I thought you meant that would be the best thing to do with this gun in the video. My mistake.
It’s not the greatest design but ive managed to take mine apart and put back together fairly easily despite the design. It never really bothered me as much as it seems to bother Tim.
Even PWS ( the best 762×39 platform) seemed to give Tim a bit of frustration. All you really have to do for assembly and disassembly, is hold it upside down.
Why did you delete the reply from Foxtrot Mike? In a video where you shit on a company one would wonder why you wouldn't allow the owner of said company or one of the employees to respond.
1 point locking mags are easy to not lock if inserted, whereas 2 point locking mags are impossible to not lock in once it's inserted. This is more true with a full mag with the bolt home. I also see issues with 1 point mags having over insertion issues, which is again impossible with 2 points
Both types have advantages and disadvantages. AK74 mags in particular vary greatly in tolerances by manufacturer so you can have problems similar to standard AR15 mag insertion.
I really was hoping these would be a good option. It's an instant no if part of regular cleaning requires replacing internal parts. Just bought another zastava m90 instead
Came back a year later because Atlantic has a bunch of these and they're darn near cheaper than an AR now.... Glad I saw my old comment just saved me more money again MAC ty
I have one of their 12.5” uppers. It works great, but it’s def in the “range gun” category for me. Just wanted something a little different that wouldn’t break the bank. My only disappointment is having to pay extra attention to the round count for maintenance.
Is the lower receiver proprietary minus the obvious magwell area? I.e. it's somebody had an idea to make another upper work with it (with obvious modifications), with the upper fit on it as it would with any other AR lower?
I was originally wanting the mike-15 because u love the idea of being able to fold the stock as well as the side charging, and the idea of something a little different from the typical ar15 but this turns me away a little bit, so thank you for the info. Great video as always mac
@@hughjazz2408I’ve had zero issues with either the FM9 or FM45 and I’m not sure how many rounds through either but more than enough to not feel concerned.
My FM15 (11.5”) has 3,500 -3,700 rounds through it currently and I’ve had literally zero issues! Bought it through AIMsurplus during Black Friday 2 years ago… love it! But it is quite different from this 102 model. Mine also is the Gen2 version with the adjustable gas block, and 90-95% of rounds fired through it have been suppressed, making the gun run dirtier than without a “can” on the end…. Again, I’ve had ZERO issues
MAC, can confirm the frustrations with the proprietary aspect of this rifle. After 300 rds through my own 102 I said to hell with it. I removed and threw away the firing pin spring (has not affected function) and I replaced the extractor pin with a typical milspec extractor pin *insert shocked pikachu face* it didn’t affect function either. Additionally, the ball bearing and spring safety detent system was completely removed and replaced with a standard AR detent and spring. The gun inherently has an excess of “features” that weren’t necessary.
@@jason200912 Their improved safety detent ended up seizing and I couldn’t place the weapon on safe. Also the “1000” round life of their extractor pins was actually 200 or less. It’s not that I hate new features, but reinventing some of the wheels like they did wasn’t necessary imo.
While it is true that Foxtrot Mike does do a lot of experimentation with parts here and there, some can actually be considered improvements. As for the firing pin reset spring, it is simply meant to mitigate the potential of a discharge triggered by inertia. All the AR pattern rifles that I have handled have free floating pins. It's not a big deal. However, seeing that tiny "kiss" on the primer just from.having it chambered always made me slightly uneasy. Even when I was active duty. Never had an unintentional discharge from it, but I actually like the feature. And if you can simply take the spring out if it breaks, then what harm comes with having it? Especially when the parts and rifles come at such a competitive price point? I am personally happy that people still try to experiment with new concepts to see what works and what doesn't. Sig does it all the time and practically beta tests on the general public to work out the kinks. Yet so many people give then a pass because they are a "premium" brand. While I do feel that Foxtrot Mike has a few quirks to work out in their product, I actually quite like several of their features.
@@leroyatleroys Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy having the rifle. It was just from my end user experience some of the things that I was replacing seemed like I shouldn’t have to have replaced them for the milspec parts I ran for thousands of rounds on issued rifles with no issues
@justinwical9496 Fair enough. I am running a 13.9 pinned & welded FM upper on a SilencerCo Ambi AR lower. So I don't have quite the same issues. I haven't really experienced any issues with that setup yet. But only time will tell. I just know that I really want to see that company grow. Sometimes producing something different can lead to something truly innovative.
I have worked with many people that dont have the necesary skills. I call them “ use a bigger hammer”. That said that upper has too many issues for me to purchase. You saved me $800.00. Thank you that paper was really off the chart. I watched the Brownells interview and went to buy the upper. I was in checkout when your video appeared. Thank you again.
If you research what you are buying and learn how it operates the Foxtrot Mike products are solid. I have seen his / FtM stuff and learned about why and how this rifle is different at Kalashbashtx
Agreed! As I said in my post, in my opinion, FMs testing and quality control leave something to be desired. One of many reasons why I usually stick to proven AR15 designs.
If i can't open it out the box run it hard and if something does happen to go wrong or break and I can't fix it with relative ease i don't want it period
I feel close to the same way. I waited years to get a Sig 556 rifle. Now I have to get parts made or buy used parts. If I can find them. Like the rifle still, just not a go to one.
I don’t quite understand why one would want an AR style rifle in 5.56 that takes AK mags? It makes sense in 7.62x39 due to how the round stacks and a quality issue with x39 AR style mags over 10 rounds.
While there probably isn't a large group of people who would want a rifle specifically like this, it is still good to have at least a few odd rifles in the market. In world where everyone and their mother makes an AR pattern rifle these days, it's just good to see someone try something else. Personally, I am very familiar with the AR platform and have tons of AR mags, so I stick with that. But there might be an ak guy out there who mostly collects AK's but wants to experiment with a more AR patterned rifle. Maybe that guy has a bunch of 102 mags and just doesn't want to drop the money on a whole new set of AR mags when the ones he has work just fine. This rifle won't appeal to everyone. But Foxtrot Mike already makes an FM-15 as well as numerous parts and uppers that are designed to work with standard nato mags. So what's the harm in trying to accommodate a group that is probably largely ignored by the industry if they can afford the tooling for it?
I've been looking for a side charging ar upper for a while and I've found that the Gibbz arms system is one of the better ones solely because it uses all AR15 parts except for just the proprietary cam pin. Downside is that it's a bit heavy.
I have a FM45 and a BCA 300blk side charging upper like both of them. My only complaint with the BCA is I wish I could get left side charging right side ejecting.
I love my FM-15 side folder. Its a totally different design though. If you are considering FM products please sont let this review sour your view on their other products.
Hmmm but they left a comment too explain everything and left a message and yes it doesn’t work like a standard ar because well it’s not a standard ar so taking it apart and re assembling will be different and probably more difficult. You somehow have the worst luck I mean I’ll probably be blocked after this but idk how many “defects” one person can get 🤦♂️ this again is not a mil spec but you can use a mil spec pin if replacing the whole thing you can’t you a mil spec pin if you just use their parts with it so you can make the firearm run again if this happened I mean they worked hard on this system and you’re reading into a little to much and every gun says clean their gun at so many rounds 300-500-1000 so whatever this is not for the person who has one firearm and their first ar who would decide too go outside of mil spec learning for their first ar you missed the whole reason for this and what it’s for it could be a great tool for service in the field if you know what it’s for and how it works a little better I mean what if you buffer tube spring broke? Gun won’t run on a mil spec this will did we miss that?
Jeeze. Fighting with that recoil spring gave me flashbacks to my Walther P22. I freaking hated that gun bc it was so dang hard to get back together. They even included some stupid plastic dowel rod to help the spring from kinking. Why companies choose to include parts to make up for poor designs instead of just building a better gun is beyond me.
Took mine out today since getting it 2 months ago. Works been crazy. Anyway shot good first two mags third mag had a malfunction. Failure to extract. Now the bolt won’t come all the way back. As soon as I get it apart and fix the problem I’m selling it. Big mistake. 18:46
My FM has had two extractor failure in 2000 rounds or so. First was replaced free. Second cost $35. Now it a safe queen that I only pull out to show people. I don’t feel like screwing with it all the time.
I have the 9 inch 223. After 60 rounds it wouldn’t fire anymore, they end up replacing the bolt carrier. The top of the carrier was rubbing against the inside surface of the upper receiver.
It really seems like a solid design if they can modify it. Sounds like they threw it together, didn't test it enough and now have a ton of stock they need to sell. Hopefully they don't go out of business and can redesign this system to be reliable and more forgiving for disassembly.
Personally, I just like rock and lock magazines because they are theoretically easier to rip out with some leverage in certain harsh conditions since there is hardly a magwell. Not that I live in a place where a magazine will have ice form up in the magwell and freeze it in place or something, but I still think it's rather nice, even if it means slower reloading.
I don't understand why someone would rather accept even a small annoyance for a theoretical advantage you're unlikely to ever have the opportunity to use.
All that proprietary, short-lived stuff and persnickety procedures, and on top of that it takes AK mags...sounds like this thing was designed by a committee whose members were all on different continents.
Wow that completely destroys any desire, I had to get a Foxtrot Mike Firearm, of any kind. if it cannot be used for duty use, or combat effective, than I have no desire to purchase one. Looks to me like there it is a really big pain in the azz to own a FM firearm, to many little things add up to allot. thats why CMMG made the Mutant to be such a beast. not to be like FM 102 even though CMMG Mutant came out long before the FM102
To be fair, Foxtrot Mike already made numerous rifles, uppers, and parts that are meant to work with AR15 lowers and those actually have a good record for reliability so far. I am running a 13.9 pinned and welded upper on a SilencerCo ambi lower and that is my favorite rifle as of now. The take down can be improved, admittedly. But I keep a small allen wrench in my handgrip(since most modern grips have these compartments anyway) as a takedown tool. That makes the disassembly and reassembly much faster and much easier. I do hope they figured out a tool-less disassembly feature of some sort. But keeping one little tool in a compartment that I already use for general items is far from a deal breaker for me. I firmly believe that Foxtrot Mike uppers are worth buying and running.
Well surprisingly there are a lot of 1911 owners that don't know that mil spec or stock recoil springs need to be changed out every 3000 to 5000 rounds, flat wire springs will last 25000 to 30000 or more. I'm told glock recoil springs need to be changed every 5k or so. A 1911 will run as long as there is enough tension to strip a round and re turn to full battery, about 3 to 5 lbs. They don't break. They just keep on running like the Eveready bunny
I can hear that it’s not even through the break in period, or he hasn’t lubed the charging handle when he brings it back. It shouldn’t be that loud. Mine is well broken in, and there’s a very slight sound, but not like that. Also, it’s not that hard to take the recoil spring in or out, he clearly just didn’t take any time to watch one of their videos. It’s really not that hard. I will say, I find my method easier. If you palm an Allan wrench with your middle and ring fingers, push down with your whole hand covering the back plate, you simply hold the plate as you ease the tension off the spring, and BAM! No “lost” parts. I don’t understand what parts he could’ve lost in the process. The only things that can go flying are the back plate and spring assembly, none of which are so small that you can’t find, unless you’re incredibly lazy. The bolt will stay in there as long as the upper is face down, which it should be for disassembly. And changing the charging handle position isn’t hard either. I removed the charging handle to paint mine(just use an ear plug to cover the hole in the upper). As far as the bolt situation goes, my understanding is that most of the parts he’s complaining about can be replaced with mil-spec parts. But hey, you do you.
I just bought an upper, and was playing around with replacing the firing pin and extractor pin in the bolt. Ditching the spring loaded firing pin. Have you tried it out? Replacing the extractor pin every 1000 rounds is stupid. IMO
Watching before placing a bid on one of these. I have dozens of 223 AK mags for a Saiga, so this seemed interesting. Not so much after watching the video. I appreciate the information. Saved me a chunk of coin and potentially a bunch of irritation
I just got an upper. I delt with a few of the issues mentioned but the one that one i had issues was after it got hot, it got finicky loading rounds n extracting. Feild stripped it n removed more cosmoline, added more oil and got hot. Had a lot better run with less issues, not perfect. Please bring a 5.7 uppers to market next
Just received the upper today and seen the paper. Now watching the video and what it actually means, I will be sending it back to primary arms. No where did it mention anything like that. Which makes it so aggravating. Have to look into other uppers to complete my build using this kind of setup.
Nope. I have a few AR's and a few BRN-180's. Thought about FMs in the past, but the weird proprietary nature of the guns and the many references to poor QC are a deal breaker. Good video Tim, thanks.
No experience with any of the FM Products guns. And after watching this video I doubt that's going to change anytime soon. Forget not being suited for SHTF scenarios. The number of components that need to be replaced on a regular basis, all of which are single-source, as well as the reccomended cleaning cycle and the difficulty of dis/reassembling the weapon without losing key parts (and/or an eye) takes this rifle out of the running for competition use as well. Many years ago I bought an AR. It was a pretty standard model, a Stag Arms Model 2T. This was prior to Stag getting into hot water with the Powers That Be. I'm not planning on using it for an SHTF scenario, although I'm sure it would do fine. But it's a bog standard AR-15 operating system. If something breaks or gets lost, I can have a replacement by the end of the week. Sooner if one of the stores in town has the part. I could fill the text buffer with companies and stores I can buy parts from to fix or modify that rifle. Gun stores are full of rifles that shoot really nice, but are far easier to fix and perform routine maintenance on. Thank you, Tim, for posting this video. Your tact and restraint do you immense credit.
I really thought these were cool after seeing other videos about them and was kind of waiting for them to come out with something in 7.62, which they had been promising in a few months. I was trying to decide between this and something like the 5.56 Templar because I wanted something different and cool. I really appreciate the honest thoughts and information that others had omitted.
Yeah I was interested in a different type of AK in 7.62x39 as well. One that had AR features and am REALLY hoping it has a true last round bolt hold open as that is my biggest gripe with the AK. However. If I am replacing parts every couple thousand rounds that's garbage. That's the very reason I didn't get a PSA KS47 because of the extractor issue. I have a PWS AR in 7.62x39 and its truly great but its a true AR. I wanted a hybrid that takes AK mags. I can get a CMMG but damn its expensive and no true last round bolt hold open. Charging handle in the back is stupid on that setup. It should be a side Charging on the left side. Other than that the CMMG is really awesome and would last forever. I really want a AR/AK hybrid with a true last round bolt hold open. Bolt that will last practically forever. CHF Chrome lined barrel that shoots sub MOA with match ammo. Under 7lbs un loaded. Durability like a well built AK with reliability, ergos and accuracy like a well built AR.
@@ShizawnSandersPWS long stroke piston upper in 762×39. 7.5" 11.5" 16" barrels. Stick with Duramags and you will be a happy guy. I have the 11.5" at the moment. It is the best 762×39 platform. (although I am also fond of VZ58s with modern furniture,rails and optics)
@@almaadams3631 yeah I think mine is a 10.85" and yes Duramag is all I run in it. Only time it wasn't reliable was when I turned the gas setting to far down.
@@ShizawnSanders You don't mean a BRN 180 do you? PWS has been making piston uppers for about 15 years now. The BRN 180 is a short stroke, reciprocating charging handle, bufferless design. Look up: PWS MK 111 mod2 762x39.
@@almaadams3631 no. I have a MK111 mod 1 in 7.62x39. I was wrong when I said I think its a 10.85". Its not a 10.85". It's a 11.85" Obviously they are rounding down rather than up for some reason. They should call it MK112 but whatever. Lol.
For my home defense I have the foxtrot mike 9 mm carbine which was built around the Glock magazine. So far so good for me. reliable, accurate, handles nicely and takes the same glock magazines as my kriss vector and glock 26 which I keep all in the same safe ... so utilitarian
I never understood our love of bufferless weapons. Most of the folding stocks do not hold up well and are wobbly as heck, while the buffer tube provides a solid stock mount and provides endless possibilities for fine tuning your weapon with tube lengths, springs and buffer weights.
Not clear why your doing a hit piece on FM, they have always been great in terms of service and reliability for me and few of my friends. Yes much of the weapon is proprietary, so are all berettas, Smith and Wesson and like 1000 other gun companies.
@@Militaryarmschannel ok fine, then why was Foxtrot Mikes comment that explains their reasoning for all of it and the fact that all of the parts could be replaced with mil spec parts if one so desired removed?
I built and SBR'd a lower which I intended to get a 12.5 inch ARAK21 upper from Faxon Firearms. They since stopped making them. The only company that I found that made a 12.5 inch self contained upper was Foxtrot Mike. Would have preferred a Jakl upper or definitely a Virtus upper. But none available with a 12.5 inch barrel. I wanted to stay with the 12.5 inch instead of sending the AFT a letter to edit my stamp. So I'm stuck with the FM15 upper for now. Haven't shot it yet.
Well you actually forgot to say that the first FM15 uses a normal bolt assembly with out the hour glass pin for the spring firing pin and you can actually use any ar15 bolt assembly I actually try it with one from a milspec and I also have one with the special firing pin with spring that uses the hr glass pin . And I ask FM products and they said if you don’t want to you can use a traditional one . Weird you never notice that since you can tell the bolt assembly is that of a normal AR15 . Not defending them but considering you willing to modify the CZ bren 2 7.63x39 that you haven’t just try putting a normal firing pin into the bolt assembly
I have Foxtrot Mike FMP 556 1st generation with the free-floating mil-spec firing pin and 16-inch barrel. Since it has a non-adjustable gas block, I had too much gas accessing the bolt carrier while shooting suppressed. I contacted Foxtrot Mike and they provided me free of charge a new recoil spring, which has helped to shoot this weapon suppressed better. IMHO, Foxtrot Mike should have stayed with 1st generation of their FM 556. With more complexity, more problems occur.....
ITs not just his. my upper from them is trash and their paper work makes it very clear they wont warrenty anything. Oh and even after break in period ( which is 500 rounds) it stil cant use a mag with more then 26 rounds) . also the firing pin thing makes this gun unaccpetable as a firearm. We are not beta testers . that pin will cause a run away. DO NOt buy Foxtrot
I would have been fuming when i found the first part bent from the factory. And to have a piece of paper with spare parts isnt a good look. Wth. Havent ever bought a firearm that had spare parts. Not even a High point has spare parts.
Good points made here. I will add that the design of the recoil spring system bothers me. Ideally, you want the recoil spring in line with the force of the bolt thrust - like a normal ar15. This one has the spring in line with the gas tube instead, which is where you want it for a piston system. The spring placement combined with the short bolt carrier seems like a recipe for uneven wear inside the upper receiver. I will also add that the ‘hourglass’ extractor pins have that shape to make room for the firing pin spring. If you want, you can put in a standard firing pin and extractor pin.
The designer of the Ppsh said, “ To make something complicated is simple. To make something simple is complicated.
@@Kodachrome02 depends on who you believe won the pissing March they had circa 44’
Imagine a "tanker" ppsh which grabs a telescoped bolt by a sear at the front
Phew ! that's a relief ; we were starting to believe that MAC was freed of his curse to receive lemons. Really happy to see that the tradition is alive and well !
Haha, probably never.
Uncle Roger Fiou? Or am I just hearing things?
@@Sharky762 I believe he tried to make the "Phew" sound. You know the sound you make when you feel relief.
And Uncle Roger said ''Fuiyoh!"
+@Sharky762 / +@AlexSDU Thank you ! That's a common sign of relief in french… I didn't know if it has an american english equivalent !
@@vchalmel We use it here, but it's an older saying. I don't think the younger generation uses it much. I knew what you meant!
I have FM-15 13.9 pin&weld. I'll say this, yeah there are some pro's and cons. I don't have that issue with the cam pin and my charging handle sits farther forward. I did find adding a magpul bad lever to assist with bolt hold open beneficial. To date I have over 6k rounds in the year and a half I've had it. It did have a break in period with 3 jams in the first 500 rounds but none since. I've only cleaned it once after the first 1k, but wipe it down and lube it after use. I'm a CRSO and Firearms instructor and use it in classes I teach. It's reliable, lighter and flatter shooting than similar conventional ARs. I only changed the extractor pin once, but if you email FM they will send you a set for free, so I stocked up in case I need them. Im pleased with the rifle, it's handy and accurate. It does need slightly different care than a conventional rifle. Some may not care that it folds, but I like it for transport back and forth to work. Just stock up on some of the high wear small parts and you'll be fine, they are there when you need them. FM has excellent customer service. My muzzle device pin and weld came loose. They sent me a label and after sending the upper back they sent me a brand new one with a video showing they were checking it out before sending me the new unit. I thought that was awesome. Hey, things will break sometimes.
Heck I've had a Colt extractor on break on me, the gun still worked and I didn't Even know it until it was taken apart. MAC has good points but this platform needs refining and expecting this to be the final iteration is absurd. I get the feeling he's condemning from bias.
You were being very diplomatic when you pointed out the issues with this gun. You made people aware of the numerous problems without making it sound like a piece of garbage. Well done video. Thanks.
as an owner of an upper my self i can tell you they are trash. The big problem is dont let you know about any of the bs up front. You dont get any info about this untill you get the firearm or upper. All of the original reviews samples clearly hid this becasue not a single one of them bring it up. they claim in ther own videos how reliable things are but if someting fails after a 1000 rounds and when it deals with the firing pin, thats not relaible thats a safety issue.
I tried to be as fair as possible while highlighting the issues I had with the gun. Thanks for watching.
@Militaryarmschannel whyd u delete their comment ?
@@SamSam-ih6nt Who's?
@@MrJacobjj84 Agreed! In my opinion and based on my experience with my FM15 upper, there are things a buyer needs to know up front that, again, in my opinion, aren't openly disclosed.
Jeez... I was about to get one of these. I'm so glad I saw this video. Thank you.
What happened to Foxtrot Mikes response
Can confirm that the extractor pin will function as intended even broken. I have an FM-15 that, after the initial break in period of about 210 rounds, was disassembled for an thorough cleaning. Upon disassembly i found the pin was in fact broken. Functioned flawlessly with exception to one failure to feed related to a bent lip on the magazine. Rifle is fine, would still recommend.
I haven’t seen Tim this excited to field strip a firearm since the Remington R51.
Haha, now that's going back a bit.
😆😆😆
Would have been a unique gun if Remington didn't botch it. I like the looks but I can also say from experience that it's a jam-o-matic and the mags sucks
>me who just bought an R51 on sale used
👁👁
Biggest piece of shit since the Beretta Jetfire 950 😂
Remember that BCM AR 15 you shot over 8,000 rounds through without any lubrication or cleaning? Makes you wonder why anyone would put up with this kind of hassle. Variety and innovation can be fun, but not with these kinds of trade-offs.
It amazes me how companies can come up with design to make something more complicated, expensive, and less reliable than the original design and pawn it off to people as BETTER!! lol To me this rifle is scrap metal!
Everyone wants the folding stock, side charger, piston and quick change barrels in an AR platform. With as much parts interchangeability as possible.
In principle it was a good idea. A lot of people prefer a side charger over the t-handle and most people would rather have a folding stock over a non-folding stock. I think they could’ve invented a whole new rifle since most everything is proprietary anyways, instead of tweaking an AR
People that can't swap parts around and be happy with an AR because of features such as: side-charging, piston operation, folding stock that doesn't compromise the operating system, more robust build (arguable except the gas system and bolt).... just get an AK.
Hate AKs? Go buy a high dollar semi custom that you can like.
Yeah ..F'ers innovating and making new guns..its BS!!! Unreal
They also make parts for a more traditional AR format. I have one of their uppers with an ambi AR lower. It's my main rifle. Those seem to work well. I definitely prefer the charger being closer to my hand.
My FM15 (11.5”) has 3,500 -3,700 rounds through it currently and I’ve had literally zero issues! Bought it through AIMsurplus during Black Friday 2 years ago… love it! But it is quite different from this 102 model. Mine also is the Gen2 version with the adjustable gas block, and 90-95% of rounds fired through it have been suppressed, making the gun run dirtier than without a “can” on the end…. Again, I’ve had ZERO issues
Mine runs like shit unsuppressed but with a can it goes like hell
@@bookkeeper1995 does your have the 3 position adjustable gas block? Mine does and makes all the difference in the world!! My brother has the one without… and his is WAY over gassed with my YHM Phantom!
@@rustyricky6684 nah but I'm considering getting one one opening up the port
@@bookkeeper1995my 11.25 with 3 position gas block was running well suppressed (seirra 5) and unsurpassed. But the gas block gets carbon locked, so I replaced it with a Riflespeed one. Which requires modification of the handguard
Thanks for pointing out the reality...
Brownells did a bunch of videos recently... and at no point were these replacement items talked about... That's a lot of parts that have to be replaced frequently.
I thought of all the promotion vids by them too. It seemed too hard of a product push. They must have a significant investment in Foxtrot Mike products. I also just can't stand Caleb. He comes across rather creepy with a Mayberry hair sniffer vibe.
That's because the Brownells channel is mostly infomercials. They're trying to sell all of their stuff on their website, so of course they're going to leave out glaring problems.
They are a retailer. And not a very reliable retailer. They are trying to get consumers to buy from them. They get to sell the rifle and the replacement parts. That’s all they care about.
Their infomercial had used car salesman vibes. This firearm is a dumpster fire.
@@aaronfarnsworth7653 That's not nice... lol
They fixed the hour glass pin replacement issue, I got my new mike 15 yesterday and noticed that it didnt come with replacement pins and when I contacted them to ask why I didn't get replacements they informed me that they fixed that issue and the rifle takes milspec bolt faces and firing pins and extractor retaining pins now. Can't say for the 102 but for the mike 15 it's fixed.
I bought one of the first rifles. I pretty much immediately contacted Paul the owner and said I thought the takedown needed to be improved. He replied with something to the effect of, “you don’t know what you’re talking about.” I had the same issues you did. My understanding was that the small parts incl. bolt and firing pin were all compatible with mil spec. Really disappointed to find out that’s not true.
Reinforcing the doubts I had while watching Brownells talk it up.. answered some questions as well. I did visit the site… tons of AR9 stuff… limited rifle items.
I was pondering the same. I wanted something contained like that, plus the slap mod was interesting. This was like 7 months ago and was stated it would be out in production in a few months. Haven't seen it anywhere on Brownells or on their site. Is it neat, sure, but unless you're gonna stock up on parts. Forget about it.
Uh oh looks like FM forgot to send their bribe with the gun!
Man i was specifically told to never use the firing pin for dissassembly in the corp
That's why you take this dude advice with a grain of salt
I’m glad you bring this up. I have heard a few things about it, and I’ve known people that work there. But this is important information to know.
I love my FM102. Its easy to take apart and reassemble I think the video is a bit dramatic. Just order extra parts incase SHTF.
I always have the coolest gun at the range people are always wanting to look at it
Well the issue is the sheet of paper really
Best of both worlds to this gun would be the BRN-180. Side charger, buffer-less, and uses standard AR mags and reliable AF.
If you’re wanting side charging and takes ar mags then you can get a regular FM-15 you know.
@@idontwanttoputmyname403 the BRN-180 is a proven trusted design and the Make a modern version
But the bad part is lower quality precision Barrel and much higher price tag
@@vicdiaz5180 I actually slightly misunderstood what you were saying. I thought you meant that would be the best thing to do with this gun in the video. My mistake.
I’ve seen one combat video featuring the BRN and it jammed a ton. Not the greatest for mud.
It’s not the greatest design but ive managed to take mine apart and put back together fairly easily despite the design. It never really bothered me as much as it seems to bother Tim.
Even PWS ( the best 762×39 platform) seemed to give Tim a bit of frustration. All you really have to do for assembly and disassembly, is hold it upside down.
Why did you delete the reply from Foxtrot Mike? In a video where you shit on a company one would wonder why you wouldn't allow the owner of said company or one of the employees to respond.
Google MAC dragunov
1 point locking mags are easy to not lock if inserted, whereas 2 point locking mags are impossible to not lock in once it's inserted. This is more true with a full mag with the bolt home. I also see issues with 1 point mags having over insertion issues, which is again impossible with 2 points
Both types have advantages and disadvantages. AK74 mags in particular vary greatly in tolerances by manufacturer so you can have problems similar to standard AR15 mag insertion.
Great point. About the replacement parts
thanks
I really was hoping these would be a good option. It's an instant no if part of regular cleaning requires replacing internal parts. Just bought another zastava m90 instead
I rather get the psa jakl now!!!
Came back a year later because Atlantic has a bunch of these and they're darn near cheaper than an AR now.... Glad I saw my old comment just saved me more money again MAC ty
I have one of their 12.5” uppers. It works great, but it’s def in the “range gun” category for me. Just wanted something a little different that wouldn’t break the bank. My only disappointment is having to pay extra attention to the round count for maintenance.
Is the lower receiver proprietary minus the obvious magwell area? I.e. it's somebody had an idea to make another upper work with it (with obvious modifications), with the upper fit on it as it would with any other AR lower?
I was originally wanting the mike-15 because u love the idea of being able to fold the stock as well as the side charging, and the idea of something a little different from the typical ar15 but this turns me away a little bit, so thank you for the info. Great video as always mac
FM 15 is more reliable than the 102, don't let this video put u off FM my gen 2 is great
@@JacksonCarter-hh7hddo you have 5k rounds thur it tho? I’m wanting an fm9
@@hughjazz2408I’ve had zero issues with either the FM9 or FM45 and I’m not sure how many rounds through either but more than enough to not feel concerned.
My FM15 (11.5”) has 3,500 -3,700 rounds through it currently and I’ve had literally zero issues! Bought it through AIMsurplus during Black Friday 2 years ago… love it! But it is quite different from this 102 model. Mine also is the Gen2 version with the adjustable gas block, and 90-95% of rounds fired through it have been suppressed, making the gun run dirtier than without a “can” on the end…. Again, I’ve had ZERO issues
Gives a whole new meaning to "you'll shoot your eye out".
9:37 “that kink prevents it from being straight“ me too brother 😂
MAC, can confirm the frustrations with the proprietary aspect of this rifle. After 300 rds through my own 102 I said to hell with it. I removed and threw away the firing pin spring (has not affected function) and I replaced the extractor pin with a typical milspec extractor pin *insert shocked pikachu face* it didn’t affect function either. Additionally, the ball bearing and spring safety detent system was completely removed and replaced with a standard AR detent and spring. The gun inherently has an excess of “features” that weren’t necessary.
So did the features actually cause jams or did you just personally hate new features
@@jason200912 Their improved safety detent ended up seizing and I couldn’t place the weapon on safe. Also the “1000” round life of their extractor pins was actually 200 or less. It’s not that I hate new features, but reinventing some of the wheels like they did wasn’t necessary imo.
While it is true that Foxtrot Mike does do a lot of experimentation with parts here and there, some can actually be considered improvements. As for the firing pin reset spring, it is simply meant to mitigate the potential of a discharge triggered by inertia. All the AR pattern rifles that I have handled have free floating pins. It's not a big deal. However, seeing that tiny "kiss" on the primer just from.having it chambered always made me slightly uneasy. Even when I was active duty. Never had an unintentional discharge from it, but I actually like the feature. And if you can simply take the spring out if it breaks, then what harm comes with having it? Especially when the parts and rifles come at such a competitive price point? I am personally happy that people still try to experiment with new concepts to see what works and what doesn't. Sig does it all the time and practically beta tests on the general public to work out the kinks. Yet so many people give then a pass because they are a "premium" brand. While I do feel that Foxtrot Mike has a few quirks to work out in their product, I actually quite like several of their features.
@@leroyatleroys Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy having the rifle. It was just from my end user experience some of the things that I was replacing seemed like I shouldn’t have to have replaced them for the milspec parts I ran for thousands of rounds on issued rifles with no issues
@justinwical9496 Fair enough. I am running a 13.9 pinned & welded FM upper on a SilencerCo Ambi AR lower. So I don't have quite the same issues. I haven't really experienced any issues with that setup yet. But only time will tell. I just know that I really want to see that company grow. Sometimes producing something different can lead to something truly innovative.
I have worked with many people that dont have the necesary skills. I call them “ use a bigger hammer”. That said that upper has too many issues for me to purchase. You saved me $800.00. Thank you that paper was really off the chart. I watched the Brownells interview and went to buy the upper. I was in checkout when your video appeared. Thank you again.
Ha that’s good timing
If you research what you are buying and learn how it operates the Foxtrot Mike products are solid. I have seen his / FtM stuff and learned about why and how this rifle is different at Kalashbashtx
Was gonna say I kinda feel bad for these guys. They tried something new, good on em. The cam-pin situation is unforgivable.
OOOOOFF! Wasn’t even to the replaceable extractor pin yet hahaha! Damn. Thanks for the video Tim!
Agreed! As I said in my post, in my opinion, FMs testing and quality control leave something to be desired. One of many reasons why I usually stick to proven AR15 designs.
I had problems with my FM 15 upper
Me too. NEVER AGAIN.
What problems?
I use a titanium fire pin and regular extractor so I don’t get primer strikes, works well
Love the info and honesty. Thanks man.
If i can't open it out the box run it hard and if something does happen to go wrong or break and I can't fix it with relative ease i don't want it period
I feel close to the same way. I waited years to get a Sig 556 rifle.
Now I have to get parts made or buy used parts. If I can find them.
Like the rifle still, just not a go to one.
Nothing beats standard USGI parts compatibility as much as humanly possible.
Welcome to the club. After your original review of the rifle I went to their web site and was totally confused.
I don’t quite understand why one would want an AR style rifle in 5.56 that takes AK mags? It makes sense in 7.62x39 due to how the round stacks and a quality issue with x39 AR style mags over 10 rounds.
While there probably isn't a large group of people who would want a rifle specifically like this, it is still good to have at least a few odd rifles in the market. In world where everyone and their mother makes an AR pattern rifle these days, it's just good to see someone try something else. Personally, I am very familiar with the AR platform and have tons of AR mags, so I stick with that. But there might be an ak guy out there who mostly collects AK's but wants to experiment with a more AR patterned rifle. Maybe that guy has a bunch of 102 mags and just doesn't want to drop the money on a whole new set of AR mags when the ones he has work just fine. This rifle won't appeal to everyone. But Foxtrot Mike already makes an FM-15 as well as numerous parts and uppers that are designed to work with standard nato mags. So what's the harm in trying to accommodate a group that is probably largely ignored by the industry if they can afford the tooling for it?
FYI - I'm pretty sure claiming you purchased product for a review that was actually provided at no cost is an FTC violation.
You got proof he didn't buy it or you just talking out of your ass
@@douglasscott_pronounced_Mikenah he's right, I was the shipping box
@@bookkeeper1995 I was the mail man and I did not deliver it
I've been looking for a side charging ar upper for a while and I've found that the Gibbz arms system is one of the better ones solely because it uses all AR15 parts except for just the proprietary cam pin. Downside is that it's a bit heavy.
Bear Creek Arsenal has side chargers that are pretty good, not sure about the parts, very reasonable prices also
I have a FM45 and a BCA 300blk side charging upper like both of them. My only complaint with the BCA is I wish I could get left side charging right side ejecting.
@@spartancrown they have them now(Bear Creek)pretty new
@@mikemccauley8089 must be like brand new because I’m practically on their site daily. Checking on whatever deals the send my way.
Got a Gibbs Arms upper for my AK build, because I didn't want to buy PSA. IMO, money well spent.
I love my FM-15 side folder. Its a totally different design though. If you are considering FM products please sont let this review sour your view on their other products.
Yep. My FM45 has been bullet proof and fun and at the time very affordable.
I have on of their 11" pistols that is very accurate and fun to shoot. No issues with that gun.
Hmmm but they left a comment too explain everything and left a message and yes it doesn’t work like a standard ar because well it’s not a standard ar so taking it apart and re assembling will be different and probably more difficult. You somehow have the worst luck I mean I’ll probably be blocked after this but idk how many “defects” one person can get 🤦♂️ this again is not a mil spec but you can use a mil spec pin if replacing the whole thing you can’t you a mil spec pin if you just use their parts with it so you can make the firearm run again if this happened I mean they worked hard on this system and you’re reading into a little to much and every gun says clean their gun at so many rounds 300-500-1000 so whatever this is not for the person who has one firearm and their first ar who would decide too go outside of mil spec learning for their first ar you missed the whole reason for this and what it’s for it could be a great tool for service in the field if you know what it’s for and how it works a little better I mean what if you buffer tube spring broke? Gun won’t run on a mil spec this will did we miss that?
Jeeze. Fighting with that recoil spring gave me flashbacks to my Walther P22. I freaking hated that gun bc it was so dang hard to get back together. They even included some stupid plastic dowel rod to help the spring from kinking. Why companies choose to include parts to make up for poor designs instead of just building a better gun is beyond me.
All the SIGs have "proprietary" parts, lots of military guys running those.
Well-designed and proprietary, vs Poorly-designed and proprietary
Took mine out today since getting it 2 months ago. Works been crazy. Anyway shot good first two mags third mag had a malfunction. Failure to extract. Now the bolt won’t come all the way back. As soon as I get it apart and fix the problem I’m selling it. Big mistake. 18:46
My FM has had two extractor failure in 2000 rounds or so. First was replaced free. Second cost $35. Now it a safe queen that I only pull out to show people. I don’t feel like screwing with it all the time.
The extractor failed for the extractor retaining pin?
I have the 9 inch 223. After 60 rounds it wouldn’t fire anymore, they end up replacing the bolt carrier. The top of the carrier was rubbing against the inside surface of the upper receiver.
Thank you I was Just looking into a FoxTrot AR15.
Damn, he deleted the comment from Foxtrot Mike lol.
Can't show any other sides of the story that's not how the internet works, obviously.
What did their comment say?
What did they say
Why would anyone ever buy an MCX for $2600 or a dissent for $1900 when they have this option.
So they fixed All the Many Problems the AR15 doesnt have!
You should pin Foxtrot Mike's comment...
It really seems like a solid design if they can modify it. Sounds like they threw it together, didn't test it enough and now have a ton of stock they need to sell. Hopefully they don't go out of business and can redesign this system to be reliable and more forgiving for disassembly.
Agreed, I suspect that the design would have benefited greatly by more testing before mass production.
😂yup and primary arms is saying I’m sorry for advertising this hardcore. Tbh if they sold this at a discount now I would buy one haha $400 🎉
Thanks for sharing
Personally, I just like rock and lock magazines because they are theoretically easier to rip out with some leverage in certain harsh conditions since there is hardly a magwell. Not that I live in a place where a magazine will have ice form up in the magwell and freeze it in place or something, but I still think it's rather nice, even if it means slower reloading.
I don't understand why someone would rather accept even a small annoyance for a theoretical advantage you're unlikely to ever have the opportunity to use.
All that proprietary, short-lived stuff and persnickety procedures, and on top of that it takes AK mags...sounds like this thing was designed by a committee whose members were all on different continents.
I have an FM9 and the 13.9 FM15 from Primary Arms both the weapons and the company have been excellent.
Clearly paid to say that 😂 jk jk
Same. FM45 from PA has been bullet proof.
@@PJ_Perry then send me my check!
When you say the company has been excellent, you mean you've contacted them since you've had the guns?
Wow that completely destroys any desire, I had to get a Foxtrot Mike Firearm, of any kind. if it cannot be used for duty use, or combat effective, than I have no desire to purchase one. Looks to me like there it is a really big pain in the azz to own a FM firearm, to many little things add up to allot. thats why CMMG made the Mutant to be such a beast. not to be like FM 102 even though CMMG Mutant came out long before the FM102
To be fair, Foxtrot Mike already made numerous rifles, uppers, and parts that are meant to work with AR15 lowers and those actually have a good record for reliability so far. I am running a 13.9 pinned and welded upper on a SilencerCo ambi lower and that is my favorite rifle as of now. The take down can be improved, admittedly. But I keep a small allen wrench in my handgrip(since most modern grips have these compartments anyway) as a takedown tool. That makes the disassembly and reassembly much faster and much easier. I do hope they figured out a tool-less disassembly feature of some sort. But keeping one little tool in a compartment that I already use for general items is far from a deal breaker for me. I firmly believe that Foxtrot Mike uppers are worth buying and running.
Thank you, almost pulled the trigger on purchasing until I viewed your review. Always repect your opinion on firearms!
You should still get one. My two have been just fine. Replace the pin and spring with a mil spec AR-15 part.
Well surprisingly there are a lot of 1911 owners that don't know that mil spec or stock recoil springs need to be changed out every 3000 to 5000 rounds, flat wire springs will last 25000 to 30000 or more. I'm told glock recoil springs need to be changed every 5k or so.
A 1911 will run as long as there is enough tension to strip a round and re turn to full battery, about 3 to 5 lbs. They don't break. They just keep on running like the Eveready bunny
Sticking with my brn 180 and hopefully the psa jackal is reliable.
i have alot more faith that psa is going to be around long enough to actual fix things too
I can hear that it’s not even through the break in period, or he hasn’t lubed the charging handle when he brings it back. It shouldn’t be that loud. Mine is well broken in, and there’s a very slight sound, but not like that. Also, it’s not that hard to take the recoil spring in or out, he clearly just didn’t take any time to watch one of their videos. It’s really not that hard. I will say, I find my method easier. If you palm an Allan wrench with your middle and ring fingers, push down with your whole hand covering the back plate, you simply hold the plate as you ease the tension off the spring, and BAM! No “lost” parts. I don’t understand what parts he could’ve lost in the process. The only things that can go flying are the back plate and spring assembly, none of which are so small that you can’t find, unless you’re incredibly lazy. The bolt will stay in there as long as the upper is face down, which it should be for disassembly. And changing the charging handle position isn’t hard either. I removed the charging handle to paint mine(just use an ear plug to cover the hole in the upper). As far as the bolt situation goes, my understanding is that most of the parts he’s complaining about can be replaced with mil-spec parts. But hey, you do you.
I just bought an upper, and was playing around with replacing the firing pin and extractor pin in the bolt. Ditching the spring loaded firing pin. Have you tried it out? Replacing the extractor pin every 1000 rounds is stupid. IMO
Watching before placing a bid on one of these. I have dozens of 223 AK mags for a Saiga, so this seemed interesting.
Not so much after watching the video. I appreciate the information. Saved me a chunk of coin and potentially a bunch of irritation
I just got an upper. I delt with a few of the issues mentioned but the one that one i had issues was after it got hot, it got finicky loading rounds n extracting. Feild stripped it n removed more cosmoline, added more oil and got hot. Had a lot better run with less issues, not perfect. Please bring a 5.7 uppers to market next
Daaamn great review! Very clean and not offensive for FM.
Apart from all the problems and issues mentioned, how was the rifle?
So glad I sbr'd mine -_-
Sounds a lot like the Sig 516 that I sold because I couldn’t get replacement parts for it.
@@mendelevium3761 Except the most important parts that make it run.
Just received the upper today and seen the paper. Now watching the video and what it actually means, I will be sending it back to primary arms. No where did it mention anything like that. Which makes it so aggravating. Have to look into other uppers to complete my build using this kind of setup.
Nope. I have a few AR's and a few BRN-180's. Thought about FMs in the past, but the weird proprietary nature of the guns and the many references to poor QC are a deal breaker. Good video Tim, thanks.
No experience with any of the FM Products guns. And after watching this video I doubt that's going to change anytime soon.
Forget not being suited for SHTF scenarios. The number of components that need to be replaced on a regular basis, all of which are single-source, as well as the reccomended cleaning cycle and the difficulty of dis/reassembling the weapon without losing key parts (and/or an eye) takes this rifle out of the running for competition use as well.
Many years ago I bought an AR. It was a pretty standard model, a Stag Arms Model 2T. This was prior to Stag getting into hot water with the Powers That Be. I'm not planning on using it for an SHTF scenario, although I'm sure it would do fine. But it's a bog standard AR-15 operating system. If something breaks or gets lost, I can have a replacement by the end of the week. Sooner if one of the stores in town has the part. I could fill the text buffer with companies and stores I can buy parts from to fix or modify that rifle.
Gun stores are full of rifles that shoot really nice, but are far easier to fix and perform routine maintenance on.
Thank you, Tim, for posting this video. Your tact and restraint do you immense credit.
I really thought these were cool after seeing other videos about them and was kind of waiting for them to come out with something in 7.62, which they had been promising in a few months. I was trying to decide between this and something like the 5.56 Templar because I wanted something different and cool. I really appreciate the honest thoughts and information that others had omitted.
Yeah I was interested in a different type of AK in 7.62x39 as well. One that had AR features and am REALLY hoping it has a true last round bolt hold open as that is my biggest gripe with the AK. However. If I am replacing parts every couple thousand rounds that's garbage. That's the very reason I didn't get a PSA KS47 because of the extractor issue. I have a PWS AR in 7.62x39 and its truly great but its a true AR. I wanted a hybrid that takes AK mags. I can get a CMMG but damn its expensive and no true last round bolt hold open. Charging handle in the back is stupid on that setup. It should be a side Charging on the left side. Other than that the CMMG is really awesome and would last forever.
I really want a AR/AK hybrid with a true last round bolt hold open. Bolt that will last practically forever. CHF Chrome lined barrel that shoots sub MOA with match ammo. Under 7lbs un loaded. Durability like a well built AK with reliability, ergos and accuracy like a well built AR.
@@ShizawnSandersPWS long stroke piston upper in 762×39. 7.5" 11.5" 16" barrels. Stick with Duramags and you will be a happy guy. I have the 11.5" at the moment. It is the best 762×39 platform.
(although I am also fond of VZ58s with modern furniture,rails and optics)
@@almaadams3631 yeah I think mine is a 10.85" and yes Duramag is all I run in it. Only time it wasn't reliable was when I turned the gas setting to far down.
@@ShizawnSanders You don't mean a BRN 180 do you?
PWS has been making piston uppers for about 15 years now.
The BRN 180 is a short stroke, reciprocating charging handle, bufferless design.
Look up: PWS MK 111 mod2 762x39.
@@almaadams3631 no. I have a MK111 mod 1 in 7.62x39. I was wrong when I said I think its a 10.85". Its not a 10.85". It's a 11.85" Obviously they are rounding down rather than up for some reason. They should call it MK112 but whatever. Lol.
For my home defense I have the foxtrot mike 9 mm carbine which was built around the Glock magazine. So far so good for me. reliable, accurate, handles nicely and takes the same glock magazines as my kriss vector and glock 26 which I keep all in the same safe ... so utilitarian
It's "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
Can you do another follow up video on the paper and show us the 2 hour glass pins please?
I never understood our love of bufferless weapons. Most of the folding stocks do not hold up well and are wobbly as heck, while the buffer tube provides a solid stock mount and provides endless possibilities for fine tuning your weapon with tube lengths, springs and buffer weights.
So this gun, no matter how good it is, is a safe/range queen? That's how I would call it, anyway.
Sounds like the CMMG Dissent would be a better option if you want all the same capabilities with an internal piston gun.
I'll take a Keltec SU16C over this. Lightweight, reliable, piston powered.
Thanks!
Thank you!!!
I would love to see a side by side between this, the KS-47, and the Mutant.
I love my KS-47
There are vids out there that compare several ARs in 762x39 and the ks47 is a standout.
My KS-47 has become my go to hog gun. Didn't expect that when I bought it.
@@bmrz38Yeah, the KS47 stands out because everyone complains that they wish it had LRBHO and bolt lock/release. I prefer my PWS 7.62x39 over my KS47.
Not clear why your doing a hit piece on FM, they have always been great in terms of service and reliability for me and few of my friends.
Yes much of the weapon is proprietary, so are all berettas, Smith and Wesson and like 1000 other gun companies.
You clearly don't know what a "hit piece" is.
@@Militaryarmschannel ok fine, then why was Foxtrot Mikes comment that explains their reasoning for all of it and the fact that all of the parts could be replaced with mil spec parts if one so desired removed?
I still want one! Have you seen the Bilson Arms Pump activated AR?? 2024 release super cool!
I built and SBR'd a lower which I intended to get a 12.5 inch ARAK21 upper from Faxon Firearms. They since stopped making them. The only company that I found that made a 12.5 inch self contained upper was Foxtrot Mike. Would have preferred a Jakl upper or definitely a Virtus upper. But none available with a 12.5 inch barrel. I wanted to stay with the 12.5 inch instead of sending the AFT a letter to edit my stamp. So I'm stuck with the FM15 upper for now. Haven't shot it yet.
Well you actually forgot to say that the first FM15 uses a normal bolt assembly with out the hour glass pin for the spring firing pin and you can actually use any ar15 bolt assembly I actually try it with one from a milspec and I also have one with the special firing pin with spring that uses the hr glass pin . And I ask FM products and they said if you don’t want to you can use a traditional one . Weird you never notice that since you can tell the bolt assembly is that of a normal AR15 . Not defending them but considering you willing to modify the CZ bren 2 7.63x39 that you haven’t just try putting a normal firing pin into the bolt assembly
I have Foxtrot Mike FMP 556 1st generation with the free-floating mil-spec firing pin and 16-inch barrel. Since it has a non-adjustable gas block, I had too much gas accessing the bolt carrier while shooting suppressed. I contacted Foxtrot Mike and they provided me free of charge a new recoil spring, which has helped to shoot this weapon suppressed better. IMHO, Foxtrot Mike should have stayed with 1st generation of their FM 556. With more complexity, more problems occur.....
Really sad about all this, maybe the gen 2 rifles will have a bit of a redesign to make them a little more sturdy.
Fixing consumables is key
ITs not just his. my upper from them is trash and their paper work makes it very clear they wont warrenty anything. Oh and even after break in period ( which is 500 rounds) it stil cant use a mag with more then 26 rounds) . also the firing pin thing makes this gun unaccpetable as a firearm. We are not beta testers . that pin will cause a run away. DO NOt buy Foxtrot
I've never heard of this gun before. Now I see why. LOL
Looks like another example of “good idea, poor execution”. And Quality control will make or break a company
I would have been fuming when i found the first part bent from the factory. And to have a piece of paper with spare parts isnt a good look. Wth. Havent ever bought a firearm that had spare parts. Not even a High point has spare parts.
Good points made here. I will add that the design of the recoil spring system bothers me. Ideally, you want the recoil spring in line with the force of the bolt thrust - like a normal ar15. This one has the spring in line with the gas tube instead, which is where you want it for a piston system. The spring placement combined with the short bolt carrier seems like a recipe for uneven wear inside the upper receiver.
I will also add that the ‘hourglass’ extractor pins have that shape to make room for the firing pin spring. If you want, you can put in a standard firing pin and extractor pin.
MIKE-15 Gen 2 Upper Receivers fixed all this stuff that was an issue on the 102.
It disappoints me that Brownells promotes this gun so much.
Good, thx
FM products has the best customer service in the business. Second to none! Period.
Second to none at being bad in my experience.