How my KISS carbine became less kissable.

**The Dumb Gun Collector** · 06-22-18, 18:35

A few years ago my house was burglarized and pretty much all my guns were swiped. Fortunately, I had recently sold off most of them to buy a fancy car but still, I was basically down to a J-frame. I wondered down to Clyde Armory and bought a Colt LW carbine (basically I wanted a gun that could be trusted out of the box without drama). I SWORE I would keep this rifle simple.....and I named her Vicki.

So my first thing was putting an Aimpoint T-2 on. They were pretty new on the market at the time, and I bought an magpul hand guard so I could get a flashlight on there with minimal drama. I picked up one of the badass Arisaka lights and slapped it on. Of course I had to get a vicker's sling.

Untitled by stoiclawyer, on Flickr

Well, I probably should have left it in that configuration, but I am an idiot....

Next up I just put some DD fixed sights...not too bad, I can quit any time I want....oh yes, and I got a Bcm Gunfighter stock. Needed that for sure...

Untitled by stoiclawyer, on Flickr

OK then I really lost my sh*$, I ordered a Keymod rail from DD, BCM grip, BCM fore grip, X300 light in front of the fixed DD front after I shaved off the FSB. And let me tell you, SEND THAT MOTHER TO ADCO or someone else. I ground down my FSB with a Dremel and painted it with grill paint. It worked, but HFS that was a lot of work to avoid spending $40 or whatever a pro would charge to do it. Oh, and I dinged up the gun installing the stuff so I rattle canned it...

Untitled by stoiclawyer, on Flickr

After that I fooled around with AKs for a while, but I always used old Vicki as my range gun. I never cleaned her, I let a bit of rust form on the barrel, basically it was my beater. Then I decided I wanted a dedicated AR for my "Ranch" which is basically the property I am buying to live on out in the country (in other words, and excuse to spend a few bucks on my AR. I swapped out my barrel for a COLT SOCOM from the always awesome G&R tactical. But then I sent it to ADCO and had them weld on a Surfire FH so I could run my SOCOM can on it. I have had this can for years and it does a good job muffling 556 even though it is a 762 can. Well, I knew I planned on running my PEQ and I had been wanting to dump the DD rail anyway so I picked up the Geissele Mk14 so I would have a bit stiffer platform. I found my old MLOK arasaka mount from the beginning of the project and slapped on a Vampire light and a Geissele SSA trigger...and what the Heck I put on a BCM KAG (Mag?)

Here is Vicki in her current configuration...

Untitled by stoiclawyer, on Flickr

Untitled by stoiclawyer, on Flickr

Oh and at some point I bought a 6x mag from Aimpoint with flippymount. So of course the DD sights were out and the Magpul pros were on.

Suffice it to say, I have slightly failed in my KISS quest.

UPDATE 11.18.18

Swapped Aimpoint stuff for 3x30 acog, removed PEQ and put a non-IR head on the scout. Moving the PEQ allowed me to go back to the awesome arasaka mount.

Untitled by stoiclawyer, on Flickr

**Hammer_Man** · 06-22-18, 19:30

I think we all have those projects that have gotten out of control. I would have kept the front sight base intact, but that is my preference, nice job otherwise.

**Wake27** · 06-22-18, 19:36

I never understood the whole KISS thing anyways. I find all of the upgrades make it a much more enjoyable platform to shoot. Obviously if you can't hit shit, money is better spent on ammo and training, but I'm much more likely to practice with something that I enjoy using. Plus, its not like you added anything that is complicated. IMO simplicity is just reliability. If you start experimenting with hyper light weight springs and BCGs and all this other junk that people try which basically stops the gun from working, then you failed to keep it simple. But that's just me. Looks good.