SMGLee
05-23-10, 15:34
Recently I have been aware of various products manufactured by Centurion Arms, from the original C4 Diopter sights, to the now famous MK12Mod1 SPR rifle featured in Knights Museum and Tactical Arms TV show, their free float rail system(Coming soon) to their ultra accurate hammer forged barrels. to this new product, Centurion Arms teamed up with Vltor to build an upper based on the Vltor VIS monolithic rail platform utilizing Centurion Arms hammer forged barrel.
The upper starts life with the mainstay of the entire system, the 1:7 twist cold hammer forged barrel with double chrome line. the light weight contour barrel can yield 1 MOA or better accuracy and still sustain a 20k round barrel life. I choose the 16.1 inch version since I can only legally own this length within the confines of California. a 12.5 and a 14.5 inch versions are also available.
http://photos.imageevent.com/smglee/ca/huge/P1040365.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/smglee/ca/huge/P1040460.JPG
I also elected to go with the VIS-3 system, one, it is recommended by Monty at Centurion, and two, after a two days carbine class by Tigerswan, I have change my rifle stance and want to take advantage of the longer rail.
Centurion took about a week to build and deliver my mid length gas system upper along with their carrier group(Advanced Ordnance) and I later added a BCM gunfighter charging handle. Midwest Ind. BUIS round off the package.
Here are the spec to Centurion Arms build upper...1 in 7" twist; Mil Spec Phosphate finish; Mid length gas system; Low-profile gas block pinned to barrel; Forged Vltor VIS-3 upper; Properly staked carrier key, Shot peened and MP tested bolt and carrier group; Forged charging handle; A2 flash hider.
http://photos.imageevent.com/smglee/ca/huge/P1040444.JPG
I initially zero the rifle with my EOTech 553 and the magnifier, the group at 50 were very tight, easily achieve a combat zero with the main body of the group no more than the size of a dime and a few flyers that spread the group to about 3 inches.
Then I lengthen my range to 100yards, using a Leupold Mark4 4.5-14x40mm LRT mounted on a American Defense SPR mount for accuracy testing. the rounds used for accuracy are Balckhill Mk262 seconds, Blackhill loaded TSX 70gr and Hornady 75gr TAP. once I zero the scope with some 62Gr green tip, I started shooting three rounds and ten rounds groups. out of the three types of ammo, the BH TSX are my primary defense load and it was getting 1MOA with my poor long range shooting skill and at ten rounds, the main body of the group can be covered by a quarter with a few flyer due to my lack of skill. the other two loads were able to produce the same result with the Mk262 seems to win a edge over the TSX and the TAP. As far as accuracy, the CA barrled upper lives up the claim, combat grade reliability and durability with precision grade accuracy.
http://photos.imageevent.com/smglee/ca/huge/P1040449.JPG
Later in the afternoon, i was able to move my target to 300m and using the only remaining ammo, which were 75gr TAP, I was able to get the best of the day group at 6 inches in a ten round group with the main body of the group no more than 4 inches, this is coming from a combat barrel, not a precision barrel. Pretty impressive.
So far I am very impressed with the Centurion Arms hammer forged VIS upper, sometimes in August, I will be shooting a two days carbine and pistol class taught by ex Aussie SAS Jason Falla of Redback one/Tactical impact co-host. I will be able to take the CA upper through its durability paces.
Centurion Arms is having a special going for this new upper, I got the barreled VIS upper with a bolt carrier group for 1150.00.
*All range work were done at Wes Thompson range in Piru, one of the best facility in Southern California to do any long range rifle work.
http://photos.imageevent.com/smglee/ca/huge/P1040448.JPG
http://photos.imageevent.com/smglee/ca/huge/P1040447.JPG
The upper starts life with the mainstay of the entire system, the 1:7 twist cold hammer forged barrel with double chrome line. the light weight contour barrel can yield 1 MOA or better accuracy and still sustain a 20k round barrel life. I choose the 16.1 inch version since I can only legally own this length within the confines of California. a 12.5 and a 14.5 inch versions are also available.
http://photos.imageevent.com/smglee/ca/huge/P1040365.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/smglee/ca/huge/P1040460.JPG
I also elected to go with the VIS-3 system, one, it is recommended by Monty at Centurion, and two, after a two days carbine class by Tigerswan, I have change my rifle stance and want to take advantage of the longer rail.
Centurion took about a week to build and deliver my mid length gas system upper along with their carrier group(Advanced Ordnance) and I later added a BCM gunfighter charging handle. Midwest Ind. BUIS round off the package.
Here are the spec to Centurion Arms build upper...1 in 7" twist; Mil Spec Phosphate finish; Mid length gas system; Low-profile gas block pinned to barrel; Forged Vltor VIS-3 upper; Properly staked carrier key, Shot peened and MP tested bolt and carrier group; Forged charging handle; A2 flash hider.
http://photos.imageevent.com/smglee/ca/huge/P1040444.JPG
I initially zero the rifle with my EOTech 553 and the magnifier, the group at 50 were very tight, easily achieve a combat zero with the main body of the group no more than the size of a dime and a few flyers that spread the group to about 3 inches.
Then I lengthen my range to 100yards, using a Leupold Mark4 4.5-14x40mm LRT mounted on a American Defense SPR mount for accuracy testing. the rounds used for accuracy are Balckhill Mk262 seconds, Blackhill loaded TSX 70gr and Hornady 75gr TAP. once I zero the scope with some 62Gr green tip, I started shooting three rounds and ten rounds groups. out of the three types of ammo, the BH TSX are my primary defense load and it was getting 1MOA with my poor long range shooting skill and at ten rounds, the main body of the group can be covered by a quarter with a few flyer due to my lack of skill. the other two loads were able to produce the same result with the Mk262 seems to win a edge over the TSX and the TAP. As far as accuracy, the CA barrled upper lives up the claim, combat grade reliability and durability with precision grade accuracy.
http://photos.imageevent.com/smglee/ca/huge/P1040449.JPG
Later in the afternoon, i was able to move my target to 300m and using the only remaining ammo, which were 75gr TAP, I was able to get the best of the day group at 6 inches in a ten round group with the main body of the group no more than 4 inches, this is coming from a combat barrel, not a precision barrel. Pretty impressive.
So far I am very impressed with the Centurion Arms hammer forged VIS upper, sometimes in August, I will be shooting a two days carbine and pistol class taught by ex Aussie SAS Jason Falla of Redback one/Tactical impact co-host. I will be able to take the CA upper through its durability paces.
Centurion Arms is having a special going for this new upper, I got the barreled VIS upper with a bolt carrier group for 1150.00.
*All range work were done at Wes Thompson range in Piru, one of the best facility in Southern California to do any long range rifle work.
http://photos.imageevent.com/smglee/ca/huge/P1040448.JPG
http://photos.imageevent.com/smglee/ca/huge/P1040447.JPG