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Can you shoot AR with no mag inserted?

rmiked

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 8, 2023
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I have a new Seekins SP10 on way. I don’t yet have a shorter magazine (less than 20 rounds) to accommodate shooting off bench due to mag protruding lower than grip. Is it possible to insert 20 round mag, chamber 1 round, then remove magazine. Will it shoot and eject with no magazine inserted? Is it safe with respect to exhaust gases exiting thru magazine hole? The first shooting will be sighting in the rifle. Just wondering if that is possible using factory supplied magazine but removing it after loading.
 
Yes, 100% ok to do that. It will eject fine and just won't lock back.

I do enjoy my sp10 as well.
 

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I have a new Seekins SP10 on way. I don’t yet have a shorter magazine (less than 20 rounds) to accommodate shooting off bench due to mag protruding lower than grip. Is it possible to insert 20 round mag, chamber 1 round, then remove magazine. Will it shoot and eject with no magazine inserted? Is it safe with respect to exhaust gases exiting thru magazine hole? The first shooting will be sighting in the rifle. Just wondering if that is possible using factory supplied magazine but removing it after loading.

Yes it's perfectly fine, safety-wise but why bother? Just load the mag with the 20 rounds and shoot the rifle on the ground, prone.
 
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Yes it's perfectly fine, safety-wise but why bother? Just load the mag with the 20 rounds and shoot the rifle on the ground, prone.
Totally agreed. I shoot prone with 20rd Pmags and Lancers all the time.
 
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I don’t have a tripod yet. I do have a bench and shooting range at some property I have Out to 300 yards. I have a Caldwell height adjustable shooting rest that I could use off ground. Thanks for suggestions. Sounds like the 20 round magazine will work. I will use for hunting as well as just target shooting. I only load 3 rounds in my bolt rifles when hunting. Don’t need the extra weight of full magazine for hunting.
 
I don’t have a tripod yet. I do have a bench and shooting range at some property I have Out to 300 yards. I have a Caldwell height adjustable shooting rest that I could use off ground. Thanks for suggestions. Sounds like the 20 round magazine will work. I will use for hunting as well as just target shooting. I only load 3 rounds in my bolt rifles when hunting. Don’t need the extra weight of full magazine for hunting.
Just make sure you have a stable platform for boresighting.....I boresight at 100m with the upper mounted to my tripod but if you dont have one or equivalent platform and cant get the upper super stable, maybe boresight at 50m to get on paper then refine at 100 until you're zeroed (assuming you havent done so already)
 
No bipod yet. I’m planning on moving a scope from an existing rifle (rings and scope) that is mounted on a Weaver picatinny rail. If the SP10s pic rail is aligned properly with barrel, I’m anticipating just securing the existing rings (with scope already plumb and secured with ring screws) to be aligned with the bore. Of course I’ll bore sight it but if it’s off it should only be to the extent my existing rifle (REM 700 5R, 300 Win Mag) was not aligned properly OR the new SP10s barrel is not centered with the factory pic rail. My existing scope is a Vortex 6-24 x50 2nd focal plane and it has worked great hunting with 300 WM. I’m moving to a short action lower recoil gas platform to see how much more enjoyable it is to shoot. I hand load for the 300 WM and it’s very accurate. It’s a hunting rifle but I have had 3 shot groups as low as 0.24 MOA but typically shoot 0.5 MOA.Loading and seating bullets near the rifling was the ticket. Of course after a while the bullets have to be seated further out as I chase the rifling with barrel erosion. I replaced the factory REM trigger with a Timney Calvin Elite and shoot at 2.5 lbs. I believe the SP10 comes with a Timney trigger allegedly set at 3 lbs. The Calvin Elite was around $200 when I bought years ago but what a difference it makes. I’m looking at getting a Bushnell XD 5-30 x56 FFP scope. Looks to be as good or better than my Vortex. I am not likely to spend $2500 on a scope. I’m basically deer hunting out to 400 yards With most shots 250 or less. I have been shooting Hornady 178 and 200 grain ELDXs from the 300 WM and always feels good knowing the deer are adequately dispatched. Moving down to 129 and 143 grain 6.5 CM bullets should be fine for same hunting since it’s all about bullet placement anyway. And I’m hoping will be more enjoyable to shoot.
 
First of all, why wouldn’t you just buy some mags? Putting a mag in to load one round, take it out, then fire sounds like an incredible PITA. Not to mention constantly losing your shooting position on a rifle platform that requires a good position and fundamentals to shooting well.

Second, large frames eat cheap optics. The mass of the BCG coming back beats them to death. You bought a $2500 rifle, it deserves (and needs) better than $500 Chinese garbage.
 
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I have been out of scope market for years. I guess you’re saying the Bushnell XD is no good. There are some decent reviews out there. I have always wanted a NightForce scope. I may do that. Appreciate the feedback.
 

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I would highly recommend a Mk5 3.6-18. Lightweight and great glass for the money.

Hunt for a Tremor 3 reticle in the PX. Can find deals on a non-illuminated one for around $1600.
 
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I would highly recommend a Mk5 3.6-18. Lightweight and great glass for the money.

Hunt for a Tremor 3 reticle in the PX. Can find deals on a non-illuminated one for around $1600.

@FNG1001 has one listed for a good deal right now. I was going to trade my Impact for it but someone snagged it before we reached a deal. MK5’s are excellent, I just got another one delivered yesterday from CS Tactical that’s going on my Seekins DMR.
 
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@FNG1001 has one listed for a good deal right now. I was going to trade my Impact for it but someone snagged it before we reached a deal. MK5’s are excellent, I just got another one delivered yesterday from CS Tactical that’s going on my Seekins DMR.
I have a two right now and have had up to 3. Huge fan.
 
Who makes the MK5 you are referring to? Bushnell or Nightforce? Oh I see it Leopold. Is the Nightforce NSX still a top line scope? I know years ago it was.
 
Who makes the MK5 you are referring to? Bushnell or Nightforce? Oh I see it Leopold. Is the Nightforce NSX still a top line scope? I know years ago it was.

The NXS is a good about just dated and the reticle options aren’t great, especially in mil options the way god intended it.

In that price range MK5 is the easy choice, they are great optics and the 3.6-18 is perfect on a gas gun.
 
Unless your front rest is really short, you should be able to shoot off the bench without the 20rd mag getting in the way. If the 20rd magazine gets in the way on the bench then it would do the same when shooting prone off the ground so I don’t know why guys are recommending that. I suppose you could dig a hole for the magazine to protrude into. 😂

It would probably be easier to just take something to put underneath your front rest to raise it a bit. I would think you would want to shoot with a mag in order to dial in the gasblock.
 
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Who makes the MK5 you are referring to? Bushnell or Nightforce? Oh I see it Leopold. Is the Nightforce NSX still a top line scope? I know years ago it was.
Leupold.

Check this one out

The wind dots are great for gas guns. I had no problems taking my gun out at night and day using holdovers to 1100.

One thing to watch for with the SP10, you are liable to develop carbon rings in the chamber much faster than a bolt gun. With H4350 handloads I had a carbon ring big enough to change headspace within 400 rounds. So after every few hundred, make sure to clean the chamber out.
 
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This is a great SP10 scope. Japanese glass is extremely clear. Well made with no problem handling a large frame gasser.
 
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