I wanted to add a little more capability to my NV rifle and ended up totally rebuilding it from the ground up.
Unsuppressed:
Function testing:
5 round group after zeroing - Wolf Gold at 100y
I shot this out to 600y, but as anyone who lives in FL knows it was pretty stormy today. It didn't do very well. At 300 it was great, although I showed up to the range not knowing my reticle or my holds. I guess the scope has 4 MOA between each subtension - I thought it was two. I also hadn't done any chronographing of a 12.5" since 2011 so I had no idea what kind of velocities to expect. I shot 75gr 5.56mm Hornady Superformance at 600. I was getting a bit of drift as the suppressor heated up, but my groups were still small so I'm wondering if that is due to the mirage coming off the can. I've always had a suppressor cover, but I melted it last range trip so I'm curious if that was the cause.
The main components of the rifle are as follows:
Barrel: BA 12.5”
Why: DocSherm built the upper for me and said it was good. I trust his judgment. This was my first time using a BA barrel.
Rail: Larue 11”
Why: I am generally a fan of fixed FSBs, but an FSB would get in the way of rail estate given I wanted a 12:00 dual switch and such a large optic.I wanted as much length as possible with enough room to still attach the suppressor. As for why Larue, DocSherm put me back on to them after about 7 years of not owning one. I had a Larue 9” back in 2010 and it was solid and didn’t flex nearly as much for laser use. I don't like Geissele rails because they are uncomfortable. (I own a Geissele rail)
Scope: Vortex 1-6 Gen2 PST
Why: Price. Let's be real - why else would anyone choose this scope?. I really wanted a 1-8 of some kind, but I wasn't dropping $2000+ on top of what I'd already spent. The scope works well at 1x with a bright red dot and clarity at 6x is fantastic. My only gripe is a lack of parallax control as it seems to shift quite a bit.
Spikes lower
Why: I SBRd it a decade ago, and it didn't have an upper.
M4-2000
Why: I bought it a decade ago, and it didn't have a rifle.
Trigger: Larue MBT
Why: I wanted a two stage to take advantage of the 6x magnification. I own an SSA-E but $240 is tough to swallow these days with so many less expensive options from quality companies. RobertTheTexan, obviously from Texas, realllyyyy pushed me to the Most Booty Trigger. I really like it. I've got about 300 rounds through it now, and I prefer it over the SSA-E for everything except a dedication precision (SPR) rifle.
Bolt Carrier: Gemtech Suppressed BCG
Why: I’m not really a fan of this. It works great as a BCG and does reduce gas to your face as well as recoil impulse but not by that much on shorter rifles with bigger gas ports. Still, I already owned it and the rifle will be shot mostly suppressed so in it went. I would not buy another one.
Bolt: BCM
Why: It's a BCM bolt.
I chose a lot of the minor items based on preference. I don’t like ambi safeties because they rub my trigger finger knuckle. VCAS slings are the best. BCM GFCH are the only way to go. Lasers are necessary for NV use. Troy BUIS are the standard. I like tape switches for dual laser and flashlight control but not when it’s just a flashlight. I wanted to give the Surefire M600DF a try, but I honestly find my M600U is a bit brighter even with the DF rechargeable (1500 lumens) battery.
I haven't shot it at night yet, but that's next week. I doubt I'll have any issues.
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Originally Posted by nightchief
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