Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1365706
with Warden which directs the con- cussive blast of the fired round for- ward of the weapon system without venting gas to the sides. The kit is lightweight, easy to assemble and does not increase the length of the rifle significantly. There were some problems with Warcomp/Warden: it affects the point of impact (no one cares in CQB), it was not compatible with our Rotex III suppressors (with A2 bird cage attachment). Warcomp requires Surefire suppressors and for two uppers you would need at least two sets of these devices. Finally we had a complete kit with two different upper receiver groups for use in different missions and plenty of matching accessories, muzzle devices and sights. Now it was a time to find the best setup using our knowledge and combat experience. For some ops we were using long barreled guns with sup- pressors and Elcan sights and for others we took shorties with EO- Tech HWS or Trijicon MROs paired with "long" Rotex III suppressors. Depending on the op or function of the operator, configuration could be easily swapped. By the book! Then we saw that LVPO's (Low Power Variable Optics) are trend- ing on the US SOF guns. Usually these were 1-6x. "Matka" wouldn't be himself without launching his R&D program. After multiple tests our team sourced examples of LV- POs to verify the ideas. Americans weren't wrong. The LVPO on the 14.5" upper was literally "bullseye!". "Matkaquickly listed all pros and cons of variable optics and created his own program. Just to let you know, after dozens of years in the SOF unit, with knowledge and ex- perience under our belts, we were able to learn new stuff quickly, with- out additional courses or classes. We were scouting for new gear and were developing SOP's on our own. Often we were the first to introduce new equipment and solutions into POLSOF. The handgun mounted MRDS are great examples. The JWK was the first unit to deploy pistols fitted with MRDS - the other units were still experimenting. Our unit was first to develop SOP's to count- er the "green on blue" threats which we faced in Afghanistan. There was a time when more Allied troops were killed in such incidents than in com- bat. We had no time for classes, we had to act. Our training allowed us to develop tactics after quick as- sessment of threats. We developed TTP and shared them with Polish and Allied forces. Considering the use of LVPO on the HK416 we have to admit that it is a very flexible solution. Quality op- tics, easy adjustments, different ret- icles and magnification are definite pros. Main disadvantage is weight, problems when shooting in NVGs or gas masks and durability. You can deal with them but you need to be aware of them. We cope with night vision/gas mask compatibility by adding offset mounted MRDS/BUIS. The weight was always the problem we couldn't solve. JWK ultimately purchased Bush- nell Elite Tactical 1-6.5x25 scopes with MRAD second focal plane ret- icle. Why SFP and MRAD? This we will share with you during our LVPO class. It was a right choice but we still wanted to shave the weight off the rifles. As part of our internal testing we bought on our own some 1.25-4x scopes - Leupold VX Patrol with MRAD SPR reticle in SFP. It was the one of the lightest LVPOs avail- www.fragoutmag.com