View Full Version : 2009 gun, updated. Recce.
I originally put this rifle together in 2010 with parts purchased in 2009. It holds a special place in my heart because it was my first “build”. While in the planning stages, I often had in front of me a Colt M4a1, and I sought to keep the manual of arms, reliability, and accuracy of that weapon, while addressing my few complaints. As a pathological tinkerer, I digressed a bit. This rifle is full of stuff that will get me laughed at here, yet it continues to run with no issues. I have over 8,000 rounds on the gun, and no longer track them because it is now on a replace-it-when-it-breaks schedule.
Original recipe:
Noveske 14.5” mid gas stainless
Saylor’s Machine Phoenix flash hider
DD rifle length cheese grater
Surefire Nitrolon with an old school clicky tailcap in who knows what mount
BFG Vickers sling with Cobra buckle
BCM? Upper
Fail Zero bolt
Colt extractor and spring
JP auto carrier
DPMS? Ti firing pin
CAR buffer
Tubbs flat wire spring
Troy fixed front sight on pic rail
Sun Devil stripped lower
RRA LPK
BCM receiver extension
Magpul MIAD
Magpul CTR
MI RE sling mount
PRI Gasbuster Military Latch
RRA Pic rail A2 rear sight
RRA Star selector switch
A variety of rail covers I had on hand
Krylon.
It has since been configured with irons, Aimpoints, Eotechs, and LPVO’s. It also ran for a while with a Colt M16 spring without issue, much to my surprise. This spring was put in at some point by accident and I discovered it during a routine check up. I thought it still had a Tubbs in it. I replaced it with a M4 spring.
https://imgur.com/a/OLmY4hc
Current configuration:
Griffin M4SD flash hider
BRT EZ Tune gas tube
VLTOR no forward assist upper
DD Grip
Colt M4 spring
H2 buffer
Inforce WML
Geissele SSA
Unknown brand offset flip up irons
This rifle is heavy; 10.8 lbs with 30 rounds.
Rationale:
Many of these parts were chosen because I had no idea what I was doing. The titanium firing pin is a perfect example.
At the time, I wanted a longer handguard badly, and was begining to transition away from the era of KAC foregrips. I also wanted something ballistically similar to my duty rifle, not yet knowing that a 14.5” Noveske stainless barrel chronos like a 16” gun. Most importantly, I wanted a rifle that met non-NFA requirements, but also was short and had handguard nearly to the muzzle.
The Inforce WML was chosen because I really like the activation. Dear Surefire: Make a light that accepts a PEQ switch, like the M3/M6, and I will buy 6.
Noveske came highly recommended by a person I highly respect, and this barrel did not disappoint.
The Phoenix FH worked well in in impromptu tests on MK18’s and M4A1’s. So I P/W’d it. It’s since been cut off and replaced with a Griffin FH for mount compatibility. I have not yet shot the Griffin at night.
The BCG was driven by the idea at the time that NB would improve reliability when dry. It has been very reliable, and I really don’t clean much. I’m a little surprised it hasn’t yet sheared a lug. Colt extractor was to limit variables, as this was my first coated bolt, and that made me wary.
This gun has had a diet of mostly M855, but has also digested 193 clones, Federal .223 69gr SMK, M855a1, BH 5.56 77SMK, Fusion 62, Fusion MSR, Barnes 5.56 70gr, Precision One .223 55gr, Precision One 5.56 62gr (no penetrator), various steel cased ammo, and more. It has been reliable and accurate.
This rifle now wears a LPVO, Steiner P4Xi.
I'm afraid the link for the picture doesn't work. I'd love to see the rifle. Thank you for sharing.
New picture link
https://imgur.com/a/OLmY4hc
Quite a beastly rifle! I have a spare parts rifle built off of a 6920 upper that is a lot heavier than it needs to be(DD rail), but it works, so I like it.
Yes it has some rather hefty parts, which is why it became a semi-precision rig. The handguard is beefy, the barrel is a thick contour, and a LPVO puts it over the top.
Update:
It has been rebarrelled with a Colt 14.5” Govt profile barrel, with the Griffin flash hider pinned and welded, just over 16.1”.
Other changes:
New Colt BCG
Forward assist upper I had laying around, probably the original BCM one
BRT .0625 gas tube
Vltor pinned gas block
EDT2 trigger, but it’ll get its SSA back soon
It weighs 6.87 lbs with no aiming devices, sling, or mag. In a variety of optic and sling mount configurations, it is 4-8oz less than my “Big Army 2021” clone.
I intend to replace the lower with a plain forged one with an A5 tube when convenient. It has been slowly turning into a Block II clone.
Still using the same rail?
Still using the same rail?
Yessir.
Is the Afghan from the same timeframes as the other parts? If so it's a fine barrel. I'm guessing it has the full length gasblock seat and not the little short one. If that's what you used that little thing makes a fine precision gun because they're accurate as all get out.
It also ran for a while with a Colt M16 spring without issue, much to my surprise. This spring was put in at some point by accident and I discovered it during a routine check up. I thought it still had a Tubbs in it. I replaced it with a M4 spring.
A rifle spring worked without issue in a carbine receiver extension? I thought the solid height of the spring was too great for that. Was there anything unusual about the spring?
Is the Afghan from the same timeframes as the other parts? If so it's a fine barrel. I'm guessing it has the full length gasblock seat and not the little short one. If that's what you used that little thing makes a fine precision gun because they're accurate as all get out.
It was purchased in 2009.
A rifle spring worked without issue in a carbine receiver extension? I thought the solid height of the spring was too great for that. Was there anything unusual about the spring?
I would have thought that, also. I’ve never tried to reproduce that, and I did not keep the spring, unfortunately. It was quite stiff in there. When I pulled it out to measure I was like “how in the $&@% is this thing this long….oh, thats a lot of coils”.
Edit: a 42 coil rifle spring will allow lockback before solid height. I’m not saying that it’ll function properly or be a good idea.
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