I really like Retro style ARs, and while my primary "go to" AR wears an Aimpoint, I put together a 727 style carbine that is set to become a second-line go to and "ride-along" rifle.
I shoot iron sights a lot still and appreciate the lightness and simplicity of an iron-sighted AR for certain purposes such as chucking it into a vehicle for the day, (and sometimes having an upside-down bathroom sink accidentally slide on top of it when I hit the brakes) or perhaps spending some time out in inclement weather. Basically I wanted something that could take over the role my Colt 6520 fills now, because I want to take it easier on my one and only Colt.
Although I generally don't name my guns, instead referring to them by number, I've taken to calling #3 here "Downstairs Dora" as a bit of a joke, since the gun currently resides in the basement due to safe crowding issues upstairs, and has an obnoxiously long pinned flash hider. Basically "Dora" is an obscure reference to the "D" variant of the WW2 Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf FW-190, nicknamed "Longnose Dora" or the "Downstairs Maid"
The carbine has a Windham 14.5" barrel - not my first choice, the barrel specs as listed are good but Windham batch tests their barrels vs testing each individual unit. I'd have preferred a BCM or Colt barrel but the Windham barrel already had a pinned extended A2 and, more importantly, came with a *Non F* height FSB. Using a Non F in this day and age is normally considered kind of a lame move by a manufacturer, but since in my case the barrel was intended for an A2 style upper, the Non F FSB was actually a critical selling point.
A complaint I do have is the extended A2 - it's too extended. It's a fair bit longer than it needs to be and slightly annoys me.
Here it is compared to the more reasonable BCM A2X I have on my GUU-5/P clone. I regret not getting the barrel without the pre-pinned FH and just having a shorter one pinned myself.
Another con of Windham barrels is their large (.067) gas port. Keeping this in mind I skipped right to an H2 buffer, and the gun generally ejects about 3-4 O'Clock.
With just over 800 rounds through the gun as of this morning when I took "Dora" out for a range trip in 12degree weather, I have found the barrel to be fairly accurate.
Something else I did was make a point of getting an A2 upper with M4 feedramps, which I got from Fulton Armory.
BCG is a Sionics. The guys at Sionics probably wouldn't be thrilled about one of their carriers slumming it up with a Windham barrel, but eh, what are you going to do?. If it makes them feel better I picked it deliberately because I wanted to make sure I had a high quality BCG in the gun.
I decided I wanted to party like it was 1995 and took a piece of Magpul rail, screwed it onto some CAR handguards and attached a Surefire G2X to them with a GG&G mount.
I also have a BCM foregrip on there, I have them on three other guns and like them. It was originally a Keymod, but I managed to damage this one a while back while being stupid and repurposed it to fit on the CAR handguards. In terms of the ergonomics of my light placement, it's OK, but not perfect and I may re-do it.
Lower is a Stag with a BCM receiver extension, buffer spring and H2 buffer. And I think it has an ALG QMS FCG in it as well.... however I'm going to be honest, I'm not positive. I know one of my carbines has a QMS in it, but in the course of shuffling parts around I'm not 100% which AR has the QMS now.
Overall it's been a good gun thus far.
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Originally Posted by Circle_10
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