Henry Chan and Josh Mazzola run 9 Hole Reviews, a YouTube firearms channel with 386,000 subscribers. Henry is a long-range rifle shooter, mainly over iron sights, while Josh is a pistol competitor. Their most popular videos are called Practical Accuracy, in which Henry shoots a wide variety of rifles and carbines, while Josh spots his partner’s hits and misses.

A recent review of the Gulf War-era M16A2 rifle garnered more than 160,000 views in four days. Produced in the mid-1980s, it introduced a number of changes to the M16A1 to include a new, adjustable rear sight. Unlike the M4 carbine and other present members of the M16 family, it still used iron sights rather than the various optical aiming aids common today. Marines still used M16A2 in 2003 in Iraq, while some Army units were already armed with M4.

Henry shot his M16A2 out to 500 yards, which is long range for a rifle chambered for a 5.56mm cartridge with iron sights. A friend who served in Iraq as a Marine rifleman demonstrated techniques to employ the 20-inch barreled rifle in urban combat at close quarters. M4’s barrel is only 14.5 inches long, and the carbine features a collapsible buttstock.

Josh had trouble telling where misses landed at the longer ranges, as the intermediate power rounds had lost sufficient oomph to raise dust clouds, to use the technical term.

Former U.S. Army ordnance captain Henry was born in Texas, but grew up in Hong Kong.

The duo are also partners in Slate Black Industries, which sells firearm grip attachments, components and “Lifestyle+Patches.”

— John Tillman, reporter, East Oregonian