Better Ammunition
shoot bad ammo well enough to win.
Article index
Articles by Joe Carlos
Search the full archive, then narrow results by author, topic, department, or issue year.
50 matching articles
Magazine Checks
Dusting off a few proven techniques for improving accuracy.
AR-15 Sub-Caliber Training
Options to stay sharp in the off season.
All About AR-15 Sights
There’s more to know about iron sights than you might imagine!
Electropolishing & Fire Lapping
Making myself extremely unpopular with gun barrel manufacturers.
AR-15 Bore Cleaning
A former Army Reserve Marksmanship Program Armorer delves into maintaining match grade AR-15s.
Improving Rack-Grade AR-15s
Achieving high performance from low-bid uppers.
Recycling AR-15 Barrels
Because you wouldn’t trade in your car just because of a flat tire.
Gas Gun Barrel Break-In
precision AR-15 barrels.
AR-15 Chamber Selection, Part Three
In another batch of techno-babble, we look at bullet seating sweet spots in select chambers needed for making better ammunition—and a better performing rifle.
AR-15 Chamber Selection, Part Two
Continuing with common AR-15 dimensions, I suspect I’ll ruffle some of my fellow gunsmith’s feathers in the section on “encyclopedic error.” We will start on the short end of the spectrum and end up on the long side. The SAAMI chamber is…
Predicting Barrel Wear, Part Two
We’ll start with pitting and cleaning rod damage. In the decade plus that I was the armorer for the Army Reserve Shooting Team I replaced about as many barrels that were damaged by rough or improper cleaning or pitted due to neglect…
AR-15 Chamber Selection, Part One
If you want to start a good fight, get a barrel maker using button rifling in the same room as another manufacturer employing cut rifling. Perhaps the second bloodiest brew-ha would be to ask two armorers which is the best AR-15 chamber.…
Assessing Barrel Wear, Part One
While more like reading tea leaves than hard science, there are clues in determining barrel wear.
Building The 90 Grain AR-15, Part Three
All of my 90 grain AR-15 loading data was developed in Wylde chambers, being a good compromise chamber when shooting both 77s at the 200 and 300 yard lines and 90s for 600 and 1000 yard lines. I used new military Western…
AR-15 Upper Quick Fixes: Match Bolt Carriers
Are match bolt carriers just another expensive trinket or something that really improves accuracy?
Building The 90 Grain AR-15, Part Two
Bullet, barrel, bedding. Back in the M14 days we figured that if you got these three things right you’d have a tack driver. The AR-15 has eliminated the bedding issue (kinda/sorta) so we can concentrate on the remaining two. In this installment…
Building The 90 Grain AR-15, Part One
An overview of building competition/precision .223/5.56 AR-15 rifles to handle the heavy bullet, long-range loads.
Gas Tube Alignment
Proper gas tube alignment in the AR-15 leads to improved accuracy with fewer fliers. Here’s how to improve it.
Do You Have Gas? Part Two
In this last installment, Army Reserve Team Armorer Master Sgt. Joe Carlos (ret.) reviews AR-15 build experiences at Camp Perry.
Do You Have Gas? Part One
reliable functioning of Stoner platform guns on the range, in the woods and in less pleasant social settings, such as fox holes.
Revisiting Gain Twist, Part Two
Historical precedents for gain twist barrels and more urban legends.
Revisiting Gain Twist, Part One
What’s old is new again! An updated look at gain twist rifling.
Retention Of AR-15 Barrel Extensions
When building AR-15s, or any firearm, taking simple, proactive steps can avoid future embarrassment.