Tactical Life Gun Magazine: Gun News and Gun Reviews
  • News
  • Guns
    • Rifles
    • Handguns
    • Shotguns
    • Special Weapons
  • Gear
    • Accessories
    • Ammo
    • Holsters
    • Knives
    • Optics & Sights
    • Suppressors
  • Lifestyle
    • Pop Culture
    • Military & Police
    • Training
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
Tactical Life Gun Magazine: Gun News and Gun Reviews
  • News
  • Guns
    • Rifles
    • Handguns
    • Shotguns
    • Special Weapons
  • Gear
    • Accessories
    • Ammo
    • Holsters
    • Knives
    • Optics & Sights
    • Suppressors
  • Lifestyle
    • Pop Culture
    • Military & Police
    • Training
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
Tactical Life Gun Magazine: Gun News and Gun Reviews
No Result
View All Result
 
New Year, New FREE GUN FRIDAY! Enter to WIN the Smith & Wesson and Black Hills package.

M24 Reborn!

Tom Beckstrand by Tom Beckstrand
January 4, 2015
in Guns, Rifles
0
M24 Reborn!
11
SHARES
27
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Including the suppressor, the M24-E stands tall at 52.5 inches. However, its folding stock capability allows troops to make the weapon system extremely portable over tough terrain.

The M24 first came into service in the late 1980’s after a quick selection process. The Army had recently decided to train snipers in large quantity and wanted to have enough of one type of rifle to issue it to all of the new snipers. The military soon decided it wanted to use a Remington Model 700 long action as the foundation of the rifle, so early prototypes featured a long action and were chambered in .30-06.

The idea to originally issue the rifle chambered in .30-06 came from the supply chain side of the military. The military had .30-06 match ammo on hand, so rifles would be chambered to fire that round. However, during testing, military officials realized there wasn’t enough ammo to support the tests, let alone issue for training, so they re-barreled all of the rifles in 7.62x51mm and the M24 as we know it was born.

The M24 has been on continuous active duty since the late 80s. The rifle features an internal magazine that holds 5 rounds, a long action married to a bedding block in the fiberglass stock and a 24-inch barrel. It is a simple and robust rifle.

Showing Its Age
While the M24 has served with distinction for over 20 years, as a platform it’s a bit dated. The current War on Terror has seen widespread use of our military’s snipers, and with this additional experience has come valuable lessons learned from the battlefield. A lesson we learned early in the war was that it’s in our best interest if we fight at night. We have the equipment to see and shoot accurately in the dark and the enemy doesn’t. So, if we shoot at him at night, he can’t shoot back…at least not accurately.

Here we see the first flaw of our honored M24. The rifle was never designed for use with night vision equipment or for use with infrared laser pointing devices, so any attempts to use these critical pieces of equipment will involve retrofit. When I was a kid, I used to “retrofit” my car with the latest performance enhancing parts. I achieved mixed, and sometimes catastrophic, results for my efforts. So it is with the M24 and retrofitting the performance enhancing optics and lasers. To fit these pieces to the M24 requires the use of the MARS rail, a cantilevered picatinny rail that is sandwiched between the scope and the receiver.

The MARS rail radically increases the bore height (distance between centerline axis of the bore and centerline axis of the scope) and causes pronounced neck fatigue for the sniper using the rifle. With the scope placed that high up off of the rifle, it’s almost impossible to rest your head on the comb of the stock, maintain a solid cheekweld (even with an aftermarket cheekrest) and still see down the scope.

The M24 also suffers from an internal magazine, making reloads a time consuming process. When feeding the rounds down into the internal magazine, it is not uncommon to accidentally jam one round into the receiver’s raceway (where the locking lug rides on the interior left side of the receiver). It takes time to jimmy the round loose before continuing to load. Even worse, this can occur at any time while top loading an M24.

Finally, the M24 is not currently set up to accept the use of a suppressor. Suppressors are gaining widespread acceptance among military brass as the tactical advantages of a suppressor become apparent. Suppressors contain the muzzle blast from a fired rifle, making a sniper’s signature almost non-existent. With no muzzle blast obstructing the scope when the sniper fires, it is also much easier for a sniper to spot his own trace. If a sniper can spot his own trace, he can make his own corrections for follow-up shots. This greatly reduces sniper-observer dialogue and makes for exponentially faster corrections and follow-up shots.

Time For Enhancements

Even with the flaws listed above, the M24 is a popular and effective rifle. However, imagine if we could take this long-serving and robust rifle and continue to capitalize on its strengths while correcting its weaknesses.

Didn't find what you were looking for?

CLICK HERE FOR COMMENTS

RELATED POSTS

Some of the top guns and gear released at SHOT Show 2023.

30 of the Best Guns & Gear Launched at SHOT Show 2023

The CZ Custom A01-SD OR.

The CZ Custom A01-SD OR is Optics Ready and Dialed in For Competition

The cover of the new Heritage Journal 2023.

Athlon Outdoors & Heritage Firearms Release HERITAGE JOURNAL 2023

The Daniel Defense MK12 Alpine Predator.

Daniel Defense Limited Series MK12 Alpine Predator Rifle Sells Out in 30 Minutes

Load More

TACTICAL-LIFE NIGHT SHOOTER SEASON 2

Discussion about this post

FEATURED POST

Some of the top guns and gear released at SHOT Show 2023.

30 of the Best Guns & Gear Launched at SHOT Show 2023

We walked more than 40 miles on the show floor over four days. And we picked through every last rifle,...

Read more

TRENDING

U.S. Secret Service adopts Glock G47

FIRST LOOK: Glock Just Very Quietly Unveiled the New Glock 47 Pistol

...

5 new pistols launched at NASGW.

5 New Pistols Launching for 2023

...

Police Sidearms, police duty pistols, Handguns, America's Largest Police Departments 2018

Police Sidearms: The Handguns of America’s 10 Largest Departments

...

The upgraded Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical is built for long-range shooting.

FIRST LOOK: Rounds Downrange With the new Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical

...

PICK A CATEGORY

TACTICS & TRAINING SPOTLIGHT

Tactical Reload Semi-Auto Pistol Step 8

5 Strategies For Effectively Completing a Tactical Reload

If you’re reading this publication, you’re most likely familiar with the “speed reload,” sometimes called the “combat reload” or “emergency...

TACTICS & TRAINING SHOWCASE

Fact vs. Fiction 5 Myths Gunfight Survival lead

5 Common Myths on How to Survive a Gunfight

Standing Your Ground Castle Doctrine lead

Understanding Stand Your Ground Laws and Castle Doctrine

long distance shooting tips

Long-Distance Shooting: 5 Must-Know Tips For Spotters & Shooters

IMPACT Experience Events.

IMPACT Experience Events Redefine Your Long-Range Shooting Limits

Enhance your shooting precision skills in a course with Modern Day Sniper.

Sniper Skills: Taking Your Shooting Precision to the Next Level

Once you find a carry gun that works for you, get another for a spare. These “hammerless” S&W J-frame lightweights are M340 M&P with Hogue Bantam grips, top, and a M442 Airweight with Crimson Trace Lasergrips, below.

10 Commandments of Concealed Carry

self-defense myths can be dangerous

Self-Defense Myths that Could Get you Killed

Mossberg 590 Shockwave review for home defense myths

4 Home Defense Myths You Need to Stop Repeating

The Dicken Drill is named for Eli Dicken who saved many lives in the Greenwood Mall

The Elisjsha Dicken Drill

AMMO SPOTLIGHT

Remington Ammunition Issues Recall Notice on 12-Gauge Premier Accutip Ammo.

Remington Ammunition Issues a 12-Gauge Premier AccuTip Ammo Recall

Remington Ammunition has recently discovered an issue related to its 12-Gauge Premier Accutip ammo and issued a recall notice. This...

site logo
Tactical Life Gun Magazine: Gun news, gun reviews and gun magazines for gun enthusiasts, military and law enforcement

Tactical

  • tactical-life.com

Magazines

  • Tactical Life
  • The Complete Book of Reloading
  • Guns of the Old West

Facebook

  • Tactical-Life Facebook
  • Guns of the Old West Facebook

Twitter

  • Tactical-Life Twitter

Self Defense

  • PersonalDefenseWorld.com

Magazines

  • Personal Defense World
  • Combat Handguns

Facebook

  • Personal Defense World Facebook
  • Combat Handguns

Twitter

  • Personal Defense World Twitter

Shooting Lifestyle

  • BallisticMag.com

Magazines

  • BallisticMag.com

Facebook

  • Ballistic Magazine Facebook

Twitter

  • Ballistic Magazine Twitter

Alpha Lifestyle

  • SkillsetMag.com

Magazines

  • Skillset

Facebook

  • Skillset Magazine Facebook

Twitter

  • Skillset Magazine Twitter

Instagram

  • Skillset Magazine Instagram
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • California Privacy Notice
  • Cookie Policy
© Athlon Outdoors, All Rights Reserved.
You use of this website constitutes and manifests your acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and awareness of the California Privacy Rights. Pursuant to U.S. Copyright law, as well as other applicable federal and state laws, the content on this website may not be reproduced, distributed, displayed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, without the prior, express, and written permission of Athlon Outdoors.

Manage your GDPR consents by clicking here. Manage your CCPA consents by clicking here.
No Result
View All Result
  • Guns
    • Rifles
    • Handguns
    • Shotguns
  • Knives
  • Gear
    • Holsters
    • Optics & Sights
    • Accessories
    • Ammo
    • Suppressors
  • Videos
  • News
  • Contact Us

© 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.