Classic Army Airsoft Mk12 Spr Suppressor

Monty Leclair is a The states Navy SEAL and the owner of Centurion Arms. Few know more than about the MK12 SPR than Monty, who has spent a career with and behind the rifle. In an industry where there'south ever a "latest and greatest," the MK12 SPR has remained a classic constant, and for adept reason.

When I catch a scoped rifle, my ultra-reliable personal MK12 Mod ane remains my go-to. I know I'chiliad not the only one I know who feels this fashion. To talk more about the MK12 SPR, and why it'due south one of the best platforms to build your SPR around, nosotros reached out to Monty.

Q: Monty, you lot're a massive source of knowledge when information technology comes to firearms. Larry Vickers said you were the near "weapons-savvy SEAL he had ever met." I know that when it comes to the MK12 SPR, you lot are most certainly the human being to call. Tin you give our readers just a chip of groundwork?

A: Before I joined the armed forces, I always had a strong involvement in firearms. I congenital my first AR when I was 18. Dorsum and then, I was always interested in doing some type of special operations stuff. I ended upwardly joining the military to be a SEAL afterward I had heard what they were. In that location, I got some more experience with shooting and firearms stuff.

When I was a lilliputian fleck more senior, I worked at WARCOM (United States Naval Special Warfare Control) dealing with weapons evolution. Being a "gun guy" is how I ended up in that seat. I had a lot of weapons knowledge I'd gathered on my ain…learning how to build 1911 handguns with Larry Vickers, learning how to build sniper rifles and bolt guns on my own…learning the machine work side of it.

Larry Vickers and Monty Leclair discuss the MK12, role 1…one of the best videos always done on the MK12 SPR.

A Unique Learning Opportunity

Over at WARCOM, I was involved with a lot of the weapons programs that were coming around like the MK12, SCAR, the PSR. That helped introduce me to a lot of people in the manufacture. I learned a lot almost engineering and likewise got a lot of good inside information about military specs and why they were the style they were. There, I was also able to visit weapons factories and actually see what works and what doesn't work.

With this data…afterward in my career, I started Centurion Arms. Nosotros began building uppers and MK12 stuff…things I had seen in the military that I just generally liked, but especially the MK12.

Q: You lot've seen things from development side, from the cease-user perspective, but now likewise as a manufacturer. What's your perspective on the longevity of the MK12? Especially when it seems in that location's always something coming out that claims to be the adjacent best thing…

A: One of the big things I run into in the marketplace to avert is most of the "latest and greatest" stuff. I don't want to call out specific fads and bash a specific company. Just, I see fads have off in the industry today that were things the war machine and a lot of larger corporations had tried out five or sometimes ten years prior.

These things never went anywhere because they didn't offer whatever real improvements. Simply, then I see them later beingness marketed very well on the civilian market. And people take it hook, line and sinker. What I would say is that people should wait to come across on new technology. Look to meet how it actually pans out.

Marketing, Smoke & Mirrors

A lot of the information on the marketplace…if y'all could encounter backside the curtain I've seen backside…I'll simply say that a lot of stuff is marketing and fume & mirrors. People are getting marketing vs. what actually works.

At present, I practise understand that everyone is always looking for the latest and greatest. And of course, new technology does eventually come up out…simply it takes a while for it to pan out correctly. You want to make sure information technology is really benign. I still run across a lot of stuff out in that location today that is very popular in the market that I don't think, when yous really get down to it, has the benefits that people claim. People don't realize the downside to it, or they merely don't shoot enough to meet the downsides in some of the fads.

Q: If at that place's one thing the MK12 SPR has proven not to exist…it's a fad.

A: The beauty of the MK12 is that it came from a very specific demand…military operators needing a skillful precision weapon for something that was 5-600 yards and in. And yes, like you say…the gun is boiled down to everything that WORKS. It has a quality stainless steel butt with a good chamber that was meant to function with a specific type of ammo. Now they did exam the functionality of the weapons system with all of the military ammo then guys don't have a problem with reliability, but it was really defended for running the 77-grain MK 262 projectiles.

Near Universal Credence

I of the reasons this platform has been then long-lasting and has had such an impact is considering I don't know of a single operator out at that place that ever had one issued that ever had anything bad to say.

They ever shot like a light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. The suppressor always worked great. The guns were long-lasting, reliable and hands-down, out of all my time in dealing with weapons programs in the military, the one programme that had the least contention with it was the MK12. Pretty much everybody liked it. It had favorable reviews from everybody in what information technology offered.

We recently interviewed Ryan Cleckner for an article well-nigh long range precision shooting. Ryan told the states: "My favorite gun, by far, was the MK12 SPR MOD ane with the Knight's Armament rail."

It did exactly what it said it did, and did a skillful job at it. It'south a perfect example of using applied science that had been all fleshed out to make a swell final product.

The MK12 is a shining case of the organisation working and the ability of government and manufacture being able to work together to get a product out in the field that can make a real difference.

C. Reed Knight, Three – Knight's Armament Co. – xi/2009

Q: I had purchased my MK12 SPR from the guys over at High Quotient Sales. Like Centurion Arms, they are a company that possesses a unique insight into the original asking for the development of, and the refinement of the MK12 SPR. With their work slowing down, Centurion Arms is the get-to company out in that location giving today'due south shooters admission to this incredible rifle. Can you lot annotate on that?

A: At Centurion Arms, we have a lot of information and a lot of data here that other companies are just not exposed to. I accept all the experience and data about all the military testing the platform went through to beaccepted.

I likewise have actual real-world operational experience with the gun overseas…in my mitt, shooting at people with it. Using it in combat myself, I have a unique understanding of issues that came up along the mode, and how nosotros went about fixing them.

Monty Leclair and Larry Vickers give an overview of the MK12…function 2.

Q: There's ever more than advanced weapons systems coming out. Is there anything you'd recommend a shooter do to the MK12 SPR to perhaps modernize it a bit?

A: The major components for the MK12 have not inverse. In the meantime, a good accessory might be a modern bipod, or perhaps put a practiced sling adapter on it. As far as optics, put a skilful 2-10 power scope on information technology. 2-ten seems almost right. You could go to a iv-sixteen as well. Practiced backup atomic number 26 sights are a overnice thought. An offset red-dot is as well non a bad choice as long as you're training and working with information technology.

Removing the A2 Stock

Some people like to switch to a collapsible stock. The reason the military didn't is because the weapon nevertheless had total-auto capability, which did non show to be reliable with the collapsible stock in full-auto. But in semi-motorcar, they admit they didn't have any issues with it…then y'all would run into some operators switch to a collapsible stock and never apply it in total motorcar. In the field, they realized they were not going to be using the weapons system in full-auto anyhow. So, a collapsible stock is not a bad modern upgrade, especially for a semi-car platform.

Rails

Nowadays, some people likewise might choose to put on ane of our MLOK rails or fifty-fifty our C4 rails. The C4 rail is still free-bladder, and notwithstanding offers all the advantages of the Knight's RAS organization rail but is less expensive. It'southward also lighter, a piffling bit sleeker and lower profile. Information technology has built-in QD sling swivels so that could exist an upgrade someone wants…equally well every bit the possibility of using MLOK. That fashion they tin stay updated with all of the accessories that now are going with the MLOK platform.

Monty participates in the TacTV SPR Stress Test Challenge…

Q: There'southward a lot of builders out in that location who are cloners. That can be a lot of fun and it's ever neat to ain what feels like a role of history…simply for those not opposed to an updated MK12 SPR, it merely seems like such a great base to work from. Can you talk a fleck almost that?

A: There is that oversupply that wants wall-hangers and safe queens that are going to be into clones…and that's acceptable. But there are notwithstanding a lot of guys who are wanting to become the MK12 to run information technology and use information technology as a shooter. They are ideal for use in competition, for entertainment, for varmint hunting. These shooters can stick with the proven MK12 platform in the sense that the butt, bolt and armament all stay the same. And, then they tin get alee and raise it with some of the more than modernistic updates. The major thing is the handguard equally I mentioned.

The other thing is sometimes people prefer to change to SureFire suppressor. SureFire is a company that nosotros deal with. The original Allen Engineering is a great suppressor, but in today's twenty-four hours and historic period, a lot of times people enjoy swapping suppressors onto different weapons systems with a quick detach machinery. For that, we accept had practiced luck with the SureFire SOCOM. They brand a very solid product.

Q: Beingness such an expert, can yous give united states of america any last advice with your builder's chapeau on?

First off all, I'd say If someone is looking to build an SPR, the MK12 is withal a reliable platform. It's valid and audio. I remember it's important to sympathize what it is that makes these guns accurate, reliable and long-lasting. Knowing quality parts is vital.

Centurion MLOK CMR Rail – Photo by Zero7One

Avoiding the Race to the Lesser

People need to stick with quality products. This is considering the i downturn the industry has taken is a race to the bottom on pricing. I'd say if you are looking to buy or build a cheap rifle, you need to realize you go what y'all pay for.

The sad office is that behind the scenes…I've seen a lot of suppliers to higher-end companies have their quality go downwards, just trying to plough out numbers. They're doing this to reduce price points so they tin can keep up with the lower stop of the market. I most feel like information technology has brought the entire industry down to a degree. Then once more, I would circumspection builders to stay abroad from the upkeep stuff. If you are serious about it and you demand the performance, always stick with high-quality parts.

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A tremendous thanks to Monty Leclair for taking the time to speak with us. To learn more almost Centurion Arms, exist sure to cheque out their website.