A full bag of tricks, my OCD build.

[docsherm]

That was a very good read. I would be interested to see a follow up report after a couple hundred rounds. Nice work.

[rat31465]

Very informative reading...Looking forward to a follow up after range sessions.

[kwrangln]

Thanks guys.

I can do some partial reviews since I did run the new upper on my old lower for a bit, and have used some of the parts on my other rifle.

BCM 16" mid length 1:7 CL upper and BCM BCG: Flawless. First range trip with this upper on my old lower I ran 500 rounds through it just to make sure everything was going to work right. I even did the unthinkable and ran brass cased ammo after running steel cased ammo with no issues. After a couple mags worth just to sight in the irons, scope, and red dot sights, it was torture time. 120 rounds of Wolf Military Classic shot as fast as I could pull the trigger and change mags. Took a little breather to load up 4 mags of Fed bulk from stripper clips and went at it again as fast as I could pull the trigger and change mags. Things got hot, real hot, but it never missed a beat. To finish the day, after letting things cool off, I ran 50 rounds of some reloads I picked up when I got my first AR. Those 50 rounds ended up in a requet ball sized hole in the target at 50 yards, wasn't shooting really slow, even though I had the rifle rested on a bag under the floater tube. Now that the whole rifle is put together I'll try for some accuracy next time I have it out. Not sure how much accuracy I'll squeeze out of my cheap ammo though, may have to invest in some good stuff just for grins.

BCM Gunfighter Mod 4: Much mo bettah than the stock charging handle which is all I've ever used before. It never pinched me, despite all the warnings out there about it liking to bite. Easy to hit with the blade of your support hand, feels like a really solid piece compared to a stock CH. I'm going to have to get another one for my other AR now that I've used this one.

PWS FSC 556: I've used the stock birdcage flash hider, and a comp that a buddy made, and was really suprised how much the FSC calmed things down. Cross hairs stayed on target making for minimal correction between shots, very nice. Blast to the sides doesn't seem too bad, at least to me behind the trigger, didn't really notice any increased volume either. The folks beside me were singing a little different tune though. At one point he said I moved his spotting scope while shooting fast. He said it wasn't really objectionable, but he would pause his shooting since it was a bit distracting.

Stark Grip: I've posted on several board around the web about how much I like this grip, but will include it here so everything is in one place. I have much more experience with pistols than I do rifles, with that in mind I just couldn't get comfortable with the normal AR pistol grips. They set my wrist at an odd angle, trigger finger felt cocked downwards to work the trigger instead of inline with the bore, and they are way too small, landing my trigger finger at the knuckle insted of the pad of the finger. I swapped from the stock A2 grip to an Ergo and thought I'd just have to get used to it. When I saw the Stark I ordered one immediatly and am glad I did. The change in angle, length of trigger pull, and size fits me perfectly. I can now sink the grip down into my hand so the tang is in the web of my thumb just like a pistol, and no more repositioning my trigger finger as it lands on the trigger just right. I could give a damn less what it looks like, it works for me.

Phase 5 Tactical EBRv2: This one again reaches back to my background of shooting pistols, since I was used to actuating all the controls with my firing hand. When I saw the concept in Magpul's videos I was destined to try it out. Since Magpul hadn't released their BAD, I went with Phase 5 since they had theirs on the market, and it was a one piece design. I did have a problem with the first lever I recieved holding the bolt back after the last round fired, but a quick email to Phase 5 had a newer lighter version delivered to me at no cost, great customer service. When I installed the new lever I went out to the range and proceeded to perform 30 single round in the mag shots using a mix of 20 round P-mags, 30 round P-mags, and some no name aluminum mags I got from CMMG. Not a single failure to lock the bolt to the rear with this new version. Since that initial testing I have yet to have an issue with the EBR lever, it works perfectly. Good enough that I purchased another one for this build. I've also spent some time on the phone with Ken who runs Phase 5 and can tell from our conversation that he is dedicated to producing a quality product and has some in depth knowlege of the workings of the AR platform, and touched on some things I had never considered or read about.

Troy TRX-Extreme rail: I shared my two concerns in the write up previously, but after using it for a bit, those concerns are unfounded, or at least easily forgotten. The rail height is a non issue, and in reality almost impossible for them to get 100% due to variances in tolerances between manufacturers. The indexing tab really hasn't been an issue since the rail locks up rock solid. It is light, strong, nice and thin, light, good grip, and did I mention light? The only drawback at this point is available sling mounts, hopefully Magpul will release their RSA pretty quick as this will be a perfect solution for me. Currently I'm using a chunk of the included rail and an MI HK hook sling mount. Sure it works, but I don't like having to add a rail section just to mount a sling so it'll get changed out in the future.

Troy Battle Sights: What can I say, Troy has a reputation for having the best folding sights on the market for a reason, they are that good. I'm really pleased with the HK style front sight so far, quick sight alignment for close up shots using the circle in a circle sight picture. Since I had to raise the FSP 2 clicks when I sighted in at 50 yards, using the circle in a circle sight picture is not going to be a tack driver, but that's not what it's for. Having the alignment off a touch does help with the close up snap shots it is for.

Milett DMS-1 1x4 scope: I've had this for a couple years now and it has performed without issue. I do wish the illumination was brighter, but that's not really a big deal. It's a bit heavy, but any 1x4 is not going to be light. Overall, I like it, but may try a different scope in the future.

Bobro extended scope mount: This thing is pure machining artwork. Super easy to use, very close tolerances, and has some design features not available anywhere else on the market. I'll be using Bobro mounts from here on out.

Magpul UBR stock: Much has been written in the last 6 months or so about stock selection and how it relates to rifle balance. I went from a generic 6 position stock, to an ACE ARFX stock, to the UBR. While it is heavy, for me it puts this weight in a good position and has made a difference in how the gun drives from target to target. Much like the weight on the end of a conductors batton makes the tip seem to float as it moves, the heavier stock makes the muzzle feel light as a feather as you transition from target to target. The UBR is rock solid, and has a fantastic cheek weld for nose to the charging handle shooting, no complaints. I may be getting an ACS for my other AR though just to have a comparison.

Redi-mag: I tried a couple mag couplers, and had a fair ammount of success with them, enough so that I was sold on having a spare mag on the rifle. The next logical step was the Redi-mag. I chose the Redi-mag over the Redi-mod based solely on price, and don't regret it, I work with metal on a regular basis, so I'll lighten it myself when I get the time and motivation. I know the Redi-mod uses modified internal parts as well, but so far I haven't had a problem with the stock stuff. I did straighten the mag release lever to make it easier to hit in a hurry, but that's personal preference.

Think that about covers it for now, updates to follow when I get to the range again and get to try out the new lower and all the trigger work.

[Ruff Shod]

Very nice!

I dont have the Troy sights, but MI HK type.

Round sight alignment is quick for me!

[kwrangln]

Very nice!

I dont have the Troy sights, but MI HK type.

Round sight alignment is quick for me!

Thanks.

I put an MI HK style front sight on my other AR since it has a railed gas block. It's a quality piece, just haven't had the chance to take it out to sight it in yet. Good stuff.

[rat31465]

I am curious as to what Lower Parts Kit you used for all your mods?

[kwrangln]

I am curious as to what Lower Parts Kit you used for all your mods?

LPK is just a run of the mill $55 DPMS set.

I did a bunch of looking around online before ordering, lots of folks saying DPMS LPK's are junk, but no one had any reason other than that's what they heard somewhere. The only real complaints I could find were the roll pins being difficult to install and sometimes a gritty trigger feel. Neither of those points were a concern for me.

Here's where I get a bit long winded talking about triggers, the AR15 online community, and whatever slightly related topics I can come up with. Maybe it will help someone, maybe someone can tell me I'm full of crap, we'll have to see.

Roll pins being difficult to install on DPMS LPK's. I'm of the firm belief that this comes directly from the AR15 online community and a lack of experience with mechanical things. If you read through a bunch of forums, you'll find that a large percent of people getting into AR's and putting them together have to go out and buy a hammer, punches, pliers, etc just for the task. Not to put too fine a point on it, but if someone doesn't already have a basic set of tools in the garage, closet, etc, they to me their mechanical aptitude is highly suspect in the first place, and I'm not going to put too much stock in their observations on how difficult something is to put together. Some people just aren't mechanical, that's fine, but that information has to be taken into account when basing decisions upon their information. Myself, I was helping dad in the garage replacing valves in an engine when I was 6, I grew up with tools and working with my hands. I have a garage full of tools and a decent metal fabrication shop. I've installed countless roll pins in different projects and found the DPMS pins to be no harder or easier than any other roll pin I've ever installed.

Polishing triggers etc. The popular stance of the AR forums I visit is that the trigger parts are surface hardened and shouldn't be messed with except by a professional. It's too difficult, too easy to mess up, you'll turn it into a doubling rifle that will land you in federal pound me in the ass prison and they will shoot your dog.

Couple points there that are contradictory, mainly being "surface hardened, you'll polish through it so the trigger will wear out", and "send it to a professional". Does the professional somehow bend the laws of physics and won't polish through this surface hardening that precludes you from doing the work yourself? Nope.

Hardening metal involves heating and cooling cycles. Not heat from a bic lighter, but a lot of heat, like furnace heat getting the metal over 1000 degrees. If you look at a trigger right out of the package, notice the coating making it that nice black color, then notice that the sear surface is nice and shiney, usually with machining or grinding marks in it. Those nice shiney spots mean the surface was ground or machined after the trigger was coated, and the coating was applied after the parts cooled the final time. Understanging this will tell you that the surface was machined after any hardening was done. While it may not have removed to total depth of hardening, it has removed a majority of it, so polishing a sear surface is not going to hurt anything. To back this up, having turned literally tons of metal into dust through cutting, grinding, and polishing while working as a fabricator, cutting and grinding on a trigger feels like any other metal. Trust me, after spending the last 15 years working in metal fab shops, you get a feel for different metals and their properties.

But working on triggers is like a black art to most folks, the angles have to be precise or the rifle will malfunction, so it's scary. Sure enough, if you start changing angles funky stuff can happen, that's why my pictures and polishing doesn't show any changing of the geometry, I'm just not willing to start experimenting with that portion of it. What I do show is merly smoothing the surface of the trigger to remove machining and grinding marks to reduce friction so the trigger pull is smoother. Go slow, make sure that on each draw of the trigger across the polishing medium that it is flat. Use careful deliberate strokes, don't try to rush anything. The results will be worth it.

Finally, to bring this to a close, we have to understand that aultho there are many brands of AR parts out there, there are only a few who actually manufacture the pieces. For example, there are probably a hundred different brands of lowers out there, but there are only a handful of places making the rough forgings for these lowers who send them off to get the final machining done and rollmarks applied. Same goes for triggers. Brand X will get a drum full of triggers from the manufacturer who made them, then they will do the final machining, packaging, and sell them. What this means is that the basic material is the same for brand X and brand Y. They may use different roll pins, or use a finer finish on their machining, but that's about it. Address those items and it doesn't matter what you start out with.

Note I'm addressing standard single stage GI type triggers here, drop in trigger sets, or two stage triggers are completely different animals and something I have no experience with first hand, so I won't comment on them.

Probably way more than you wanted when you asked what type of LPK I used, but maybe this will help folks, who knows.

[rat31465]

I agree with alot of what you had to say. I spent a good deal of my adult life behind the Gun Counter selling Firearms, Hunting Gear etc...
I have seen this same mentality myself.

I spent a great deal of time with my Father working on cars, appliances etc...and have always had a deep appreciation for not just tools...but the right tool for the job.

You didn't tell me more than I wanted to know about LPK's...In fact I enjoyed your rant....

[kwrangln]

Thanks Rat. It's good to occasionally get some verification that I'm not too far off in left field.

[halo2304]

WOW! A lot of great info to consider when and if I do another build.