2020 Ugly Stick - Spare Parts and EE Build
Ballin' on a budget has its draw backs but it also presents an opportunity to cruise the various EE's looking for awesome deals on parts that would otherwise be too expensive to procure through normal dealers. This rifle went through several planning phases when deciding on handguard, barrel, buffer system, etc. The basic premise was a hard use rifle with a chrome lined CHF barrel for longevity and nothing beyond the realm of what I already know works. Mil-spec BCG, mil-spec trigger, A5 recoil system, white light, and sling. Yes, it will eventually get an optic of some type, but that's on hold for the time being. Thus far I've put about 400 rounds downrange with it which isn't a ton, but for the last couple months I've been spending a lot of time with Sweet Brown (12.5) and building this one in the background. The initial test fire on the upper was on my 12.5's lower with a standard H2 buffer and Sprinco blue spring, which shot excellent. The newly built lower was assembled with an A5 system and A5H1 buffer, and is even better. Some parts were new, some new but previously owned and unused, and others were used with obvious visual wear but in otherwise good working order. Parts list and reasoning below:
Lower:
Centurion Arms CM4 Lower Receiver
JP Lower Parts Kit sans FCG
Colt FCG from 6920 (Used)
Joe Bob Ambi Selector (Used, will eventually replace)
BCM A5 Tube
Vltor A5H1 buffer
FN rifle spring
Magpul CTR
Reptilia grip (Used)
BCM trigger guard (Used)
Upper:
BCM Blem Upper Receiver
Centurion Arms 16" LW CHF 5.56 Barrel (Used)
BCM Mid Gas tube
BCM Mod 4 Charging Handle
Centurion Arms Gen 1 14" CMR (Used)
BRT Gas Block with .071 gas port insert
A2 Flash Hider
Centurion Arms BCG
Sig Chinesium back up iron sights (Used)
Arisaka 300 Series Body (Used)
Malkoff E1HT
Surefire clicky tailcap
Centurion Arms rail cover kit and handstop
Still need:
BFG padded VCAS
Steiner P4xi
Some type of scope mount, probably a Bobro or Amdef high Delta
Replacement sights
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https://i.ibb.co/RbYJHbf/4.jpg
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Of the parts for the upper which were purchased second hand the barrel was pre-owned but unfired, the handguard was used and beat up which prompted the ugly stick paint job (a throw back to another carbine I built in 2011 but lost in the divorce,) the sights were given to me by a former customer turned shooting buddy that had them lying around, and the Arisaka body was bought from a user on this board. Beyond that all of the other parts including those on the lower were already on hand, save for the Colt FCG, which was donated by another close friend that assured me it was a take off from a factory gun and unfired.
I used a combination of Aervoe Field Drab and Light Green along with Krylon Sand, OD, and Dark Brown to complete the paint job. Field Drab went down first, followed by large stripes of Sand, then stripes of Light Green, followed by splotches of OD and Dark Brown using a stencil I cut from a paper sack. 24 hrs later it all got a coat of Rustoleum matte clear coat and it was done. When I added everything up I'm into it for just under $950 including the light and sights.
Thus far the gun has functioned with Frontier 5.56 55gr FMJ, Winchester .223 and 5.56 55gr, AE .223 and 5.56 55gr, and Frontier 75gr T2 5.56. Even with the smaller .071 gas port it runs the weaker .223 perfectly. No failures to lock back on Okay 20rd and 30rd mags, Magpul 30rd M3s, and a single very fincky Lancer which last time I took it to a class got flung onto the berm and the instructor convinced me not to murder it on the spot for being a piece of shit (Lancer, I hope you're reading this.) As of this moment it's lubed with Cherry Balmz and hasn't been cleaned yet -- by comparison Sweet Brown is north of 1,500 but not yet 2k on a single application and still running great. With that said, I'm firmly in the camp that believes most 16" mid gas 5.56 barrels on the market in 2020 are overgassed, and that especially goes for the Centurion used on this build (sorry Corrie, don't hate me.) Factory port was .080 and HUGE, but with the BRT port it's dang near like shooting .22LR with .223.
Optics wise, I'm hoping to score a Steiner P4xi used or at a good discount in the near future. I'd also settle for a T1 and forego the LPVO altogether, or maybe another Eotech EXPS; at this point most of my funds are still feeding the meter for my attorney fighting a three-year custody battle for my 2 children. Crazy women suck.
With all of that said I definitely foresee this becoming the favorite of my two rifles if I can get an optic on it in a timely manner. The 12.5" is soft shooting but this is otherworldly. I also appreciate the usefulness of a full sized 16" gun especially in some of KS' more open spaces. I'm making an attempt at 400 yards with the Chinesium sights this weekend and will also be doing the same with the 12.5/Eotech EXPS3-2; this may push me toward an LPVO, or I may roll with a T1 and keep it all light and handy. We'll see. Thanks for looking!
