Quote History Originally Posted By lazyengineer:
Good question, and I'll need to revisit that when I have more time. I have not yet done a proper hard used multi-mag mag dump run yet. Which I think I need to do. I will say this, I have done a deep clean and mothball of my AUG - I run this gun now. But I'm not going to sell the AUG right now either
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Quote History Originally Posted By lazyengineer:Originally Posted By Skyler2000:
Lazy, now that you've resolved the issues with your RDB, especially with the bolt catch locking up, how would you rate the RDB in comparison to your AUG?
If you had to pick one to figuratively "go to war," which would you pick?
Good question, and I'll need to revisit that when I have more time. I have not yet done a proper hard used multi-mag mag dump run yet. Which I think I need to do. I will say this, I have done a deep clean and mothball of my AUG - I run this gun now. But I'm not going to sell the AUG right now either
To follow-up on this. Basically, I guess there are two questions
-As a civilian shooter in civilian life, which would I take, even for Serious Business?
-If I were going to Ukraine for a 1 year field deployment that will involve gunfire exchange, which will I take?
To the first question, I say the RDB. To the second question... that one is tougher. TBH, I'd probably take an AR15 variant, for the common parts. One item of note, is that the aluminum handguards that are way cooler and more useful, actually kind of suck in extended use and military level conditions. They will heat up to unusable temperatures in about 3 high-rate mag dumps (at near full-auto rates). Worse, they will suck the heat right out of your hand way more than you can believe in a cool night (where "combat" duty generally means sitting on your ass most of the time, in the dark, on a cold night). The AUG beats the RDB with my handguard there. So if I did take the RDB, I'd probably reinstall the plastic handguard. Which will also assure no one steals my rifle, but Holy Crap is that thing ugly. Utilitarian, but Ugly. What I really want is for a first-line outfit to make an RDB derivative, where the eliminate the screws and Kel-Tec KetLec'ness, as then I think the RDB would be an outstanding gun. I think the RDB already is outstanding, but too many screws.
I guess I could take an RDB with the plastic handguard, and I'd bring some spare parts - a complete bolt and maybe even carrier. But I would do the same for the AUG. And maybe a replacement mag latch. The single greatest weakness of the RDB for "Serious military usage", is that mag-catch is just to easy to inadverntatly engage, IMHO. Shaving a 1/4 second on the reload isn't worth the price of enhanced risk of having 1-shot in the gun, and 1 shot only, with the other 29 on the ground in the mag. In fact, if there's a mod to enhance the security of the mag retention on the RDB, I'm interested.
But in the end, I think maybe I would take the RDB over the AUG, because over the last year, about 2 or 3 independant vids of dudes running bullpups hard were done, and in every one of them, they actually picked the RDB over the AUG etc. And owning both, I now see why.
Right now, I have over 1000 rounds no the RDB, and about 8000+ rounds on the AUG. I've broken actually quite a few parts on the AUG. I haven't broken a single part on the RDB yet, though I did have to modify my bolt catch by adding drop of JB weld to force the tine to push in a bit, to mitigate it wedging between the bolt carrier and the reciever and locking up the gun. That worked, and the gun runs great now.
Between the two, here's what's better about the RDB:
-Trigger. AUG factory trigger is shit. AUG improved trigger by throwing money at it, is much better. RDB factory trigger still beats it.
-Weight - this one is actually kind of big.
-Ejection
-STANAG magazine compatibility. (yes, AUG mags are arguably "better", but "better" than beater GI mags and Thermolds, a modern Lancer or ETS mag is easily as good as an AUG mag, and IMHO, actually "better")
-Accuracy - sorry, my RDB outshoots my AUG, but a decent amount.
-Adjustability. While the RDB adjustments might need to be chanaged from ammo to ammo (which is not great) - in Duty service, one is likely to be using uniform ammo. And my AUG is WILDLY overgassed, and I can't fix that. On my RDB, I very much can.
-recoil, RDB is probably the softest gun I ever shot, my AUG is a very jumpy bastard.
-Supressor host - actually, I don't care as I don't run one, but universally the RDB is light-years past the AUG as a good supressor host (adjustable gas, downward eject so gas goes there)
-Left side ejector covoer. My AUG eats mine occasionally. It's also a pressure release point right up against your face. If an RDB Kabooms, there's a heavy steel shell there, and all the gas is going down. In an AUG, some of that is coming through that at you.
-Modern rail and MLOK host. The handguard and factory rail-space are pretty good, and give a lot more capabilities and options than the AUG.
-US Standard threads on the muzzle (though I think AUG BBLs have that now, but mine does not. Mine has a Euro standard flash hider that weighs about half what my CHL pistol weighs, and about half as long too. Where my RDB runs a BCM warfighter A2 dimensioned muzzle device, which I just LOVE.
Heat - this I still haven't fully tested yet, but I need to do a 3-4 mag mag-dupm in my RDB to really test that. If Combat Duty is of interst, that needs to be done. An AUG is well proven to be able to handle that. I think an RDB can too, plenty people have run it like that.
Where the AUG beats the RDB, and IMHO this is no small thing, is a more secure mag-retention system. you're never going to inadvertantly release the mag of an AUG. but grab an RDB by the middle to carry it around, and be careful, because you may have just popped your magazine. I really wish there was a way to move that.
The AUG also has the "advantage" of the removable barrel. But really, so too does the RDB, basically. The AUG's version is mor egimmic than actually usafeful, sorry, but it is. Nobody swaps out barrels in reality. Useful for breakdown and more compact storage I guess.
As a civiliian for home-use and civilian life use, even for Serious Business outings - I'll take the RDB over the AUG.
Not sure if that answers your question there.