Shooterman017
03-21-16, 15:27
Reason.
Girlfriend Unit needed a rifle to shoot, so I decided I would build one. Happened to coincide with her birthday and vacation we had planned. Two or three birds with one stone, and a really good excuse to build another rifle? Hardly have time to recover from the holidays? Probably shouldn't spend the money? Why not! No better time than the present, right?
KISS Principle.
She doesn't like heavy carbines. My 16" gun is pretty hefty and with the LOP even collapsed all the way in, it is a challenge for her to shoulder and get a sight picture unless sitting down (thanks to the Atlas and Surefire up front, and the 1-4x, there is a little more weight to it). She does, however, like my 11.5" SBR and prefers the can attached to it. Lighter weight, balances well even with the can, much more comfortable for her to shoot. I already knew that hers will be a KISS build and lack a bipod, or weaponlight (for now), so no frills. Except for the capability to run my Allen Engineering AEM3.
Brainstorming.
Going NFA was out from the get-go. I didn't want to (or could afford at the time) the $200 to go the SBR route. Also, I would have liked for it to be an on time/early birthday present, so no thanks Form 1 wait times. The SBR in particular which she likes shooting has a BCM KMR 7, so I started shopping around for similar slick, lightweight handguards and midlength 16" barrels to keep out of NFA territory. Also noteworthy, Grey Ghost Gear makes this sweet pack called the Coffin which she has been using as an EDC/Work bag for a year now. Keeping with the Grey Ghost theme, a Grey Ghost Precision Cornerstone lower was also on the to-buy list. Obviously all the furniture had to be grey as well...
Filling in the blanks.
Got lucky with Ballistic Advantage and their Barrel of the Week deals, as the first item I grabbed was a 16" Midlength Gov't Profile, only $125. Pretty solid start, and I've used one of their 10.5" barrels on a MK18 build, so there were zero qualms about the quality of it. A couple of timely threads popped up asking about Ballistic Advantage and their complete BCG, how they stack up to the likes of Bravo Company, etc., so I figured I would grab one for this build as well just to see. ALG Defense and their EMR Handguards have been on my short list of things to buy, but simply haven't had a reason to. I went with an EMR-V1 (see, MLOK) in 13" length because it fit the idea of what the rifle was being built around. Also put a co-witness rail section up top for irons. Arisaka Defense was another brand I felt compelled to spend money with, but needed a reason. Their finger stop (minimalist and lightweight) works brilliantly as a pseudo-hand stop as well, which it is used as on this rifle. Purchased an ADCO AE Comp and M4 Profile collar with which to mount the AEM3 suppressor, from ADCO.
Bravo Company everything else...BCM4 upper, A5 Receiver Extension, Gunfighter Grip and Charging Handle (neither of which I have used on my personal guns, and am now a big fan of). I desperately wanted one of their new LPKs so I could pinch a penny or two and be able to try their new PNT trigger, however I couldn't find any in stock soon enough. So, I went back to ALG and got an LPK+trigger from them. I'm spoiled by the Geissele SD-C's in every lower I have, so going with a single stage lowered my expectations. Wrongfully so. The QMS is fantastic; clean predictable break, decent pull weight, I am a huge fan of it now. She actually prefers it to the SD-C so it will be staying in the gun. Rounded things out with a Magpul MS1 sling on QD cups, an old pair of Magpul MBUS irons from the parts bin, and a Primary Arms red dot. Things to add to this build are a dedicated pair of Magpul MBUS Pro Irons, and a new mount for the Primary Arms Red Dot.
(Sidenote: Some folks might have their opinion about T1 clones and getting what you pay for, but this red dot has not failed me once in 4 years, on any of the 4 weapons it has been used on. Getting rained on at the range, getting sand and dirt all up in it's knob at the range, getting banged around at the range and in my vehicle. It has given zero shits, and has held zero perfectly. I only needed to change it as it moved from weapon to weapon. I just moved it off my 11.5" SBR (which is my bedside gun) to be used on this carbine actually. It will continue to be used on this carbine until it stops working.)
Lower Parts List
Grey Ghost Precision Cornerstone Lower
ALG Defense LPK + QMS Trigger
BCM Gunfighter MOD3 Pistol Grip
BCM Gunfighter Stock
BCM A5 Receiver Extension (castle nut, endplate...)
Vltor A5-0 Buffer
Upper Parts List
Ballistic Advantage 16" Midlength Gov't Profile Barrel
Ballistic Advantage Complete BCG
ALG Defense EMR-V1, 13", with Co-witness Rail Section
BCM4 Upper
BCM Gunfighter Charging Handle MOD4
Parts Bin Special Recycled .750" Gas Block
ADCO AE Compensator Mount for AEM3 suppressor + M4 .700x.700 Collar
Magpul MBUS Irons
Arisaka Defense Finger Stop (MLOK)
http://i.imgur.com/8CgrwvN.jpg
Afterthoughts, Range Time and Making Pew Pew Noises.
Plus side is I put together another rifle and it worked out perfectly. No kabooms. She thoroughly appreciates the forethought of the application of the KISS Principle and adding lightness. We had a private range space for a week, and spent 2 days working exclusively on carbine shooting and the gun runs perfect. Locked open, ran 100% on all the mags and ammo we fed it with. In my opinion it could probably use an A5-H1 buffer, but that said neither of us thought the recoil impulse was out of the ordinary; it was pleasant to shoot. Probably spent the time 70/30 unsuppressed/suppressed; being able to sit back and shoot groups and have the can on there to calm things down was a huge plus, regardless of how "KISS" the gun might be. I have PRI Gasbuster Charging Handles on my MK18 and MK12 and varying degrees of RTV mods to further prevent gasface from happening, but with the BCM Gunfighter, I had almost zero gasface issues.
The carbine needs to have an ambi mag release installed, as she cannot comfortably drop an empty mag out and reload by means of the trigger finger hitting the button. (Short fingers and a small-ish build and all that.) Tried a few different things, but at this point I'm not sure it can be overcome without an ambi mag release. We had a steel plate to use at the private range and these results were from 150 yards (not sure which impacts were mine, should have used the other side or resprayed it...), with the majority of the impacts being at the 7 to 9 oclock. Shot 6 for 6 from prone and using a PMAG as a monopod. I was so impressed with the accuracy potential of this carbine both on steel and paper that I took it out to the range by myself once home to shoot groups at 100 yards with it. Below are the two best groups I could manage that day, the first using Federal Lake City XM193 (which was 6 shots, because counting is hard. Number 6 is just outside the frame...), and the second using American Eagle 50gr "Varmint Tipped" ammo. I have had pretty decent success with the 50gr ammo before so figured it was worth a shot here. Trying to determine what my point of aim was using the 2MOA red dot at 100 yards was a task, but after a few tries I got it figured out. I definitely think I can get a better performance out of this rifle using XM193.
http://i.imgur.com/HHe3vCO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/C6STyLN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FPv21kP.jpg
For what it's worth, I think the final cost for this was $1182. Could you do a little better on a budget? Certainly. Even though this wasn't a rifle for (entirely) my own personal use, I still had boxes to check on the list for myself, like being able to use a suppressor. That, and I was not about to build a carbine that I would view as being a home/self defense/fighting gun out of cut-rate parts. I would still pick this carbine up and count on it to work if I needed it to, even though it doesn't have a Daniel Defense or BCM barrel, or BCM guts like my others. But take that opinion as exactly that; it's like, my opinion, man. I'm just a regular guy who puts groceries on the shelf.
Thanks for reading.
Girlfriend Unit needed a rifle to shoot, so I decided I would build one. Happened to coincide with her birthday and vacation we had planned. Two or three birds with one stone, and a really good excuse to build another rifle? Hardly have time to recover from the holidays? Probably shouldn't spend the money? Why not! No better time than the present, right?
KISS Principle.
She doesn't like heavy carbines. My 16" gun is pretty hefty and with the LOP even collapsed all the way in, it is a challenge for her to shoulder and get a sight picture unless sitting down (thanks to the Atlas and Surefire up front, and the 1-4x, there is a little more weight to it). She does, however, like my 11.5" SBR and prefers the can attached to it. Lighter weight, balances well even with the can, much more comfortable for her to shoot. I already knew that hers will be a KISS build and lack a bipod, or weaponlight (for now), so no frills. Except for the capability to run my Allen Engineering AEM3.
Brainstorming.
Going NFA was out from the get-go. I didn't want to (or could afford at the time) the $200 to go the SBR route. Also, I would have liked for it to be an on time/early birthday present, so no thanks Form 1 wait times. The SBR in particular which she likes shooting has a BCM KMR 7, so I started shopping around for similar slick, lightweight handguards and midlength 16" barrels to keep out of NFA territory. Also noteworthy, Grey Ghost Gear makes this sweet pack called the Coffin which she has been using as an EDC/Work bag for a year now. Keeping with the Grey Ghost theme, a Grey Ghost Precision Cornerstone lower was also on the to-buy list. Obviously all the furniture had to be grey as well...
Filling in the blanks.
Got lucky with Ballistic Advantage and their Barrel of the Week deals, as the first item I grabbed was a 16" Midlength Gov't Profile, only $125. Pretty solid start, and I've used one of their 10.5" barrels on a MK18 build, so there were zero qualms about the quality of it. A couple of timely threads popped up asking about Ballistic Advantage and their complete BCG, how they stack up to the likes of Bravo Company, etc., so I figured I would grab one for this build as well just to see. ALG Defense and their EMR Handguards have been on my short list of things to buy, but simply haven't had a reason to. I went with an EMR-V1 (see, MLOK) in 13" length because it fit the idea of what the rifle was being built around. Also put a co-witness rail section up top for irons. Arisaka Defense was another brand I felt compelled to spend money with, but needed a reason. Their finger stop (minimalist and lightweight) works brilliantly as a pseudo-hand stop as well, which it is used as on this rifle. Purchased an ADCO AE Comp and M4 Profile collar with which to mount the AEM3 suppressor, from ADCO.
Bravo Company everything else...BCM4 upper, A5 Receiver Extension, Gunfighter Grip and Charging Handle (neither of which I have used on my personal guns, and am now a big fan of). I desperately wanted one of their new LPKs so I could pinch a penny or two and be able to try their new PNT trigger, however I couldn't find any in stock soon enough. So, I went back to ALG and got an LPK+trigger from them. I'm spoiled by the Geissele SD-C's in every lower I have, so going with a single stage lowered my expectations. Wrongfully so. The QMS is fantastic; clean predictable break, decent pull weight, I am a huge fan of it now. She actually prefers it to the SD-C so it will be staying in the gun. Rounded things out with a Magpul MS1 sling on QD cups, an old pair of Magpul MBUS irons from the parts bin, and a Primary Arms red dot. Things to add to this build are a dedicated pair of Magpul MBUS Pro Irons, and a new mount for the Primary Arms Red Dot.
(Sidenote: Some folks might have their opinion about T1 clones and getting what you pay for, but this red dot has not failed me once in 4 years, on any of the 4 weapons it has been used on. Getting rained on at the range, getting sand and dirt all up in it's knob at the range, getting banged around at the range and in my vehicle. It has given zero shits, and has held zero perfectly. I only needed to change it as it moved from weapon to weapon. I just moved it off my 11.5" SBR (which is my bedside gun) to be used on this carbine actually. It will continue to be used on this carbine until it stops working.)
Lower Parts List
Grey Ghost Precision Cornerstone Lower
ALG Defense LPK + QMS Trigger
BCM Gunfighter MOD3 Pistol Grip
BCM Gunfighter Stock
BCM A5 Receiver Extension (castle nut, endplate...)
Vltor A5-0 Buffer
Upper Parts List
Ballistic Advantage 16" Midlength Gov't Profile Barrel
Ballistic Advantage Complete BCG
ALG Defense EMR-V1, 13", with Co-witness Rail Section
BCM4 Upper
BCM Gunfighter Charging Handle MOD4
Parts Bin Special Recycled .750" Gas Block
ADCO AE Compensator Mount for AEM3 suppressor + M4 .700x.700 Collar
Magpul MBUS Irons
Arisaka Defense Finger Stop (MLOK)
http://i.imgur.com/8CgrwvN.jpg
Afterthoughts, Range Time and Making Pew Pew Noises.
Plus side is I put together another rifle and it worked out perfectly. No kabooms. She thoroughly appreciates the forethought of the application of the KISS Principle and adding lightness. We had a private range space for a week, and spent 2 days working exclusively on carbine shooting and the gun runs perfect. Locked open, ran 100% on all the mags and ammo we fed it with. In my opinion it could probably use an A5-H1 buffer, but that said neither of us thought the recoil impulse was out of the ordinary; it was pleasant to shoot. Probably spent the time 70/30 unsuppressed/suppressed; being able to sit back and shoot groups and have the can on there to calm things down was a huge plus, regardless of how "KISS" the gun might be. I have PRI Gasbuster Charging Handles on my MK18 and MK12 and varying degrees of RTV mods to further prevent gasface from happening, but with the BCM Gunfighter, I had almost zero gasface issues.
The carbine needs to have an ambi mag release installed, as she cannot comfortably drop an empty mag out and reload by means of the trigger finger hitting the button. (Short fingers and a small-ish build and all that.) Tried a few different things, but at this point I'm not sure it can be overcome without an ambi mag release. We had a steel plate to use at the private range and these results were from 150 yards (not sure which impacts were mine, should have used the other side or resprayed it...), with the majority of the impacts being at the 7 to 9 oclock. Shot 6 for 6 from prone and using a PMAG as a monopod. I was so impressed with the accuracy potential of this carbine both on steel and paper that I took it out to the range by myself once home to shoot groups at 100 yards with it. Below are the two best groups I could manage that day, the first using Federal Lake City XM193 (which was 6 shots, because counting is hard. Number 6 is just outside the frame...), and the second using American Eagle 50gr "Varmint Tipped" ammo. I have had pretty decent success with the 50gr ammo before so figured it was worth a shot here. Trying to determine what my point of aim was using the 2MOA red dot at 100 yards was a task, but after a few tries I got it figured out. I definitely think I can get a better performance out of this rifle using XM193.
http://i.imgur.com/HHe3vCO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/C6STyLN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FPv21kP.jpg
For what it's worth, I think the final cost for this was $1182. Could you do a little better on a budget? Certainly. Even though this wasn't a rifle for (entirely) my own personal use, I still had boxes to check on the list for myself, like being able to use a suppressor. That, and I was not about to build a carbine that I would view as being a home/self defense/fighting gun out of cut-rate parts. I would still pick this carbine up and count on it to work if I needed it to, even though it doesn't have a Daniel Defense or BCM barrel, or BCM guts like my others. But take that opinion as exactly that; it's like, my opinion, man. I'm just a regular guy who puts groceries on the shelf.
Thanks for reading.