Modern Musket

[ABNAK]

Okay, for starters yeah, it's a crappy cell phone pic. Mathew Brady I'm not! Forgive me M4C........



The rave these days, and I'm just as guilty as the next guy, is the carbine or pistol/SBR. Trust me, I have those boxes checked. However, "back in the day" when I was in the Army (see sigline) there weren't any M16's shorter than the ol' A1. Sure, some SOF types had CAR-whatevers, but for the most part it was just 20" rifles. The weight of those old A1's still amazes me to this day; having an A1 clone I pick it up sometimes and marvel at it's lightness, even with a full-sized barrel.

**Got a new 20" A1 profile, chrome lined, 1:7 twist barrel from McKay Enterprises with M4 feedramp cuts (IDF overrun contract? Marked C MP B). Sent it to Adco to have the FSB drilled and installed.
**PRI rifle-length carbon fiber free-float tube. PRI is VERY proud of their stuff and the price reflects that! Carbon fiber should keep heat transfer to a minimum but this particular one isn't exactly light; I believe it weighs almost a pound so good thing the barrel is an A1 profile.
**A5 buffer system
**Geissele SD-C trigger with straight bow (LOVE the feel of that straight trigger!).
**BCM BCG and I had the bolt hard chromed by Metaloy.
**Matech BUIS
**Magpul ACS-L stock
**MOE grip
**Aimpoint Pro
**Topped off with an old-timey 3-prong flash hider.

It's not as light as my A1 clone but certainly not "heavy". The ACS-L stock and A5 buffer system helps it balance well. It swings nicely.

Gonna shot it tomorrow for the first time. Looking up data for the IBSZ using M855 as well as Mk262. I figure that the 20" barrel will allow me to take full advantage of the range, velocity, and terminal ballistics of just about any 5.56mm round out there. It's also the gas system the AR was designed around.

Who knows.....I'm going into this with an open mind and maybe after a class or two and enough rounds downrange I just might make this a go-to weapon. We shall see.

[craig19]

Very cool, I like it. What did having the FSB drilled run you?

[wildcard600]

very nice.

[Butchman205]

Very cool rifle!

[ABNAK]

Very cool, I like it. What did having the FSB drilled run you?

It was $90 plus $15 for the taper pin upgrade, so $105 total (plus shipping which was a few bucks more).

[craig19]

Thanks

[ABNAK]

Put 70+ rounds through it today, the vast majority of which were 5.56mm IMI 77gr "Razor" loads (Mk262 clone using a cannelured SMK). It's a solid 1 MOA shooter with that ammo and the Aimpoint Pro from a rest. Probably would've done better with a magnified optic but the Pro is what I intend on running. I can certainly live with that. Checked zero with IMI M855 and, at least at 100yds, was pretty much the same. From what I've seen with online ballistic calculators they should be within almost an inch of each other (give or take) out to around 250yds; after that the trajectory gradually differs by more and more.

Shot so damn smooth....I haven't shot a 20" gun for quite some time so it was a pleasant reminder. No function issues in my limited shoot session, but frankly I didn't expect any. The A5 system also blended in nicely.

Like I said in the OP, many more successful rounds downrange and this could be a go-to weapon. Me likey!

[Benito]

Oh, that is sexy!!
Nice modern take on a classic.

[ABNAK]

Oh, that is sexy!!
Nice modern take on a classic.

Thanks. I really like the fact that the 1:7 twist allows the full spectrum of 5.56mm loads as opposed to the old 1:12 and being stuck with only 55gr fodder.

[Slater]

Any more, rifle-lemgth weapons are primarily for us old farts. All the young, hip crowd buy carbines.