How important is LRBHO?

BigWaylon

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Every AR I have locks back on an empty mag, including both 9mm variants.

I’m looking at a new build that doesn’t have LRBHO. Do I care? Especially for a range-only firearm? Figure if you pull the trigger and nothing happens, the first move is to cycle the CH anyway.

I’ve found an upper receiver that has it built in that I could swap the barrel over to if needed. But that’s another $120 for a firearm that should already work just fine other than the feature in question.
 
It matters on a fighting rifle. If it's going to be a range toy probably doesn't matter. That said, the tactical timmy that sits on my shoulder and whispers in my ear say to never buy anything again without a LRBHO. I've been embarrassed in classes when I've run empty and didn't know, and couldn't track shots fired after having done some reloads with mags that weren't fully topped off.
 
I like LRBHO, but no, I don't think its critical. On a handgun I think its far more useful than on a rifle. As mentioned above, I have shot AKs quite a bit, and its never really been an issue.

When shooting in competitions or on the range I do like being able to feel it lock back, and visually see that its empty and not some other malfunction, but as mentioned, AKs been hammering away successfully in combat for decades.
 
I’ve shot one once, never owned one.

AKs don’t have LRBHO by design?
Right. Was part of training for commies. Told the troops to always cycle the bolt with a magazine change. I think it was the Yugoslav folks who finally made magazines to address the issue.
 
only time it matters is if you care. MP5's do not lock to the rear. Granted that drove the transition to side arm on a dead trigger craze in the 1980's that still stands to this day. We all know its faster to draw the sidearm then reload the primary right?
 
only time it matters is if you care. MP5's do not lock to the rear. Granted that drove the transition to side arm on a dead trigger craze in the 1980's that still stands to this day. We all know its faster to draw the sidearm then reload the primary right?

In every first person shooter every made a weapon switch is infinitely faster than the 5-10 seconds mag changes lol
 
Being that I’m heavy on AR’s and modern plastic pistols, a semiauto of any type not having LRBHO seems really weird to me, almost as if they cut a corner. It was one of the first things I “fixed” on my 10/22’s.
It may seem weird to some, but, while I realize it’s not critical for a range gun, I don’t think I’d buy a gun that didn’t have it or couldn’t be easily/inexpensively modified to have it. It’s 2020, this should be a standard feature, not even one that’s mentioned IMO.
 
I kinda agree with everyone here on both sides... But knowing you have lots of other guns you'd likely use if you needed that feature, I wouldn't let LRBHO keep me from buying a gun I want. And it didn't when I got my MP5 clone.
 
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It's important to me. YMMV.
 
Well...

I decided to bail on waiting for the PSA AR-45, and bought some stuff tonight. Went with a QC10 lower that has LRBHO.

Only concern now is if all the pieces will work together since I didn’t buy a complete firearm, or at least complete halves. :confused:
 
Meh. On AR9’s when you stroke them to where they need to be they can’t lock back.
No biggie to me.
But I have pistols that don’t lock back either.
 
only time it matters is if you care. MP5's do not lock to the rear. Granted that drove the transition to side arm on a dead trigger craze in the 1980's that still stands to this day. We all know its faster to draw the sidearm then reload the primary right?

Or faster than diagnosing a problem. When it goes "click!" instead of "bang!", it might be empty or it might be a FTF, or FTE, etc.
 
Like others have said who cares on a range toy, I shoot my MP5 more than any other 9mm PCC and I'm okay without it. Now it is cool to have one on the MP5/10mm but I have to remember its there and to use it.
 
I think it's important. There's nothing worse in competition than when the firearm goes *click*. Now I've been on target. I have to reload, rack, get back on target, amd not lose my sh*t. The only time that sucker better go *click* is ammo failure. If I KNOW it's ammo failure, all I have to do is rack.

I may have been hasty with my "there is nothing worse" comment. There are many things that could be worse.
 
I’ve shot one once, never owned one.

AKs don’t have LRBHO by design?
What in tarnation!? I thought this was a zombie post or something from decade ago until I saw timestamp.

you only shot an AK once? Comrade, Waylon, deez eez no geeeewd.
 
Elaborate please.
I was afraid someone would ask. :rolleyes:

Suffice it to say that - IMO - round counting is unlikely and inaccurate in a stress situation, especially one involving multiple targets and/or multiple segments of fire. When seconds count, lockback is a detectable signal to reload -- and saves a mechanical step in the process.
 
I think it's important. There's nothing worse in competition than when the firearm goes *click*. Now I've been on target. I have to reload, rack, get back on target, amd not lose my sh*t. The only time that sucker better go *click* is ammo failure. If I KNOW it's ammo failure, all I have to do is rack.

I may have been hasty with my "there is nothing worse" comment. There are many things that could be worse.

Depends on the game. IDPA/ USPSA production you'd need it.

But for CO, Limited, or Open you don't. In these divisions if you run the gun dry you are screwed.
 
Interesting to think about. I don't think I'd care on a range only gun, but it is something that I notice because the guns I like to shoot all typically have that feature. Even off the range, I'll bet there are effective ways to train with the system so that it isn't an issue.
 
Interesting to think about. I don't think I'd care on a range only gun, but it is something that I notice because the guns I like to shoot all typically have that feature. Even off the range, I'll bet there are effective ways to train with the system so that it isn't an issue.
According to my Hungarian FIL the communists trained their infantry to change mags and charge the weapon every time there was a pause in fire. If you still had ammo in the removed magazine you'd retain the mag.
 
According to my Hungarian FIL the communists trained their infantry to change mags and charge the weapon every time there was a pause in fire. If you still had ammo in the removed magazine you'd retain the mag.

Pause in fire - probably meaning regardless of the reason, whether the weapon stopped or the shooting stopped? That's how I'd roll, too. I also wonder if part of that was due to ammunition (the steel/polymer coated stuff) and cheap primers.
 
Pause in fire - probably meaning regardless of the reason, whether the weapon stopped or the shooting stopped? That's how I'd roll, too. I also wonder if part of that was due to ammunition (the steel/polymer coated stuff) and cheap primers.
It was a catch all solution that was simple to train.
 
Sometimes I wonder if the initializations are getting out of hand. I had to stare at LRBHO for a while and didn't actually get it until I opened the thread. But that's IMHO and IANAL, YMMV.

Reminds me of when I couldn't figure out what an MBUIS was. I would not make a good Tactical Timmy.


Speaking of, I prefer the bolt to hold open on the last round on all my self-loaders. Can't be bothered to count how many rounds I fired.
 
Sometimes I wonder if the initializations are getting out of hand. I had to stare at LRBHO for a while and didn't actually get it until I opened the thread. But that's IMHO and IANAL, YMMV.

Reminds me of when I couldn't figure out what an MBUIS was. I would not make a good Tactical Timmy.


Speaking of, I prefer the bolt to hold open on the last round on all my self-loaders. Can't be bothered to count how many rounds I fired.
I'm scared to Google what IANAL is...
 
This is a training issue - nothing more. People use it as a way to avoid certain designs, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter.
 
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