THE RIFLEMAN'S CREED (Original)

"This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will ... My rifle and I know that what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit ... My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights, and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will ... Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy, but peace!" This is the original version written by Major General William H. Rupertus in the early 1940s, during World War II. Although a more modern-day version has replaced the original writing, no one has ever said it better than Major General William H. Rupertus. His etiquette in describing the relationship that a soldier must have with their rifle, the explanation of dependency, and the shear bond described as just as close as to another human being, is so eloquently written that you are drawn into a soldiers world and can, for once, understand the relationship between a soldier and his rifle. That bond should be no different than the bond that you have with your rifle's, on the battlefield or on the home front, you should know your rifle inside and out, front to back, upside down and sideways.

WHAT MAKES IT A SPECIAL OPS RIFLE?

Once a soldier has developed this intimate bond with their rifle, they are usually going to customize and accessorize it. With an endless supply and variety of accessories and no limits on how to customize a rifle, soldiers are custom-engineering rifles that work best for their specific needs. With options for advanced optics and scopes, from red dots to stocks and grips, soldiers are using what is available to them and approved for an add-on to their rifles for military combat applications.

FN FN-15 Military Collector Edition M4

WHAT ARE SPECIAL OP's?

NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, trained, and equipped forces, manned with selected personnel, using unconventional tactics, techniques, and modes of employment". Most of us have an idea of what a Special Ops Soldier is. As specialized as the soldier is in these elite classes, their firearms must also be able to perform at the extreme highest levels possible during their various missions.

FN Scar 20s

 

WHAT DO SPECIAL FORCES USE?

I'll bet that you expected some exotic, rare, ultra-secretive, never seen or heard of before, specialized caliber rifle. I am sorry to disappoint, but the rifle most Special Forces rely on is in the same M4 family of firearms that has been around forever. While there are exceptions, depending on the different forces, for the most part, it remains the M4. According to the recently published Business Insider (10/14/20) article, the US Special Operations Command's standard-issue rifle is the M4A1 with the SOPMOD II upgrade, which adds a variety of accessories to the rifle, such as rails, lasers, scopes, magnifiers, and grips. Many special operators, however, are free to customize their rifles as they see fit. Soldiers love the M4A1. The closest that a civilian can get to owning the beloved rifle is a rifle created back in the 1990s by Colt. It is the Colt LESOCOM. "Only two variations separate this rifle from what we currently package for the United States government," said David Ridley, Vice President of Colt Defense LLC, one of the world's leading designers, developers, and manufacturers of rifles and carbines. "The Colt LESOCOM is as close as a civilian can get to shooting the same carbine as those defending our country." What differentiates the LESOCOM from the M4A1 platform currently used by the United States Armed Forces is the LESOCOM's longer barrel length and semi-automatic fire controls. The barrel is 16.1 inches long and has a rifling twist of 1/7 RH. With the stock extended, this M4 carbine has an overall length of 35 inches. The LESOCOM is chambered for .223 Remington (5.56x45 NATO) and comes with two 30-round Colt magazines.

Colt Defense LESOCOM Carbine

WHY IS A BUSINESS PUBLICATION INTERESTED IN THE SPECIAL OPS?

One word - ACCESSORIES! Accessories are the hottest thing going right now. New devices or firearms parts and components enter the market every day. Accessories provide the civilian world a chance to own the same tactical devices that soldiers rely on to help make their rifles customizable just for them. Everything that a soldier uses to help improve suppression of muzzle flash, noise reduction, comfort, accuracy, and so on, you can have too. Using accessories to customize your rifle makes it a one of a kind, and that rifle is your rifle, and there are truly no other like it. "This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life." Shop All Accessories
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