The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Building America's Rifle => Topic started by: Big Frank on January 28, 2025, 09:30:27 AM
-
I finally started my 20" flattop build yesterday. I don't know what time I got up, but I worked on it the rest of the day and night until around 4 am. I guess I spent 12 hours or more on it, but it doesn't look like much for all that effort. First I sprayed it down with non-chlorinated brake cleaner to de-grease the outside of it. I used plastic grocery bags as gloves so I didn't get my greasy finger all over it, and I didn't get the fat sucked out of my skin by the brake cleaner. That's some really wicked stuff. Then I covered the whole thing with Realtree EDGE Duck Tape. Realtree EDGE is the first camo pattern that allows you to blend into your hunting environment at close range, with natural elements arranged in a way to disrupt the human form at a distance. And EDGE is the pattern that Realtree recommends for most game species, most of the year, in this part of the country. I have two 10' rolls of this camo tape, and the 1.88" width goes 3/8 of the way around the 1.5" wide handguard. I planned on covering my A2 stock with camo tape too, but I won't be using the fixed stock. I tore off a piece of tape longer than the handguard and taped one side from the bottom of the Picatinny rail on down. Then I did the same with the other side. That only left the bottom 1/8 uncovered, so the third piece of tape overlaps the 2 adjacent sides. When I tore the 3rd piece of tape off, it tore down the middle a couple of inches. I cut it off straight with a pair of scissors and applied it starting at the back. Then I put a piece a few inches long on the front, overlapping it a little bit, on the solid part in between 2 slots.
It was easy to trim off both ends off the tape and cut out all 56 slots with an X-ACTO knife, but it took awhile. As I finished cutting out a row of slots I put ERGO or Magpul M-LOK covers on it. And mounted an 8-slot Picatinny rail that came with the handguard on the bottom, and the backup front sight and sling swivel when I did those sides. I ended up moving the sling mount back 2 slots when I put my bottle opener on. :) And I took the Picatinny rail back off and replaced it with a Magpul M-LOK Bipod Mount. The ATI (Advanced Technology International) Universal Featherweight Bipod has a mounting column with a round hole to fit over a round QD swivel stud, and the stud on the M-LOK Bipod Mount has a rectangular cross-section. If you think putting a square peg in a round hole is hard to do, try putting a rectangular peg in a round hole! I dug through 4 boxes in the basement before I found my padded vise jaws to hold the bipod mount. I filed the corners off to make an irregular octagon out of the rectangle. Then I cut off a short piece of copper tubing, chucked in a drill, and filed some notches in the end. I used it like a hole saw, except it was cutting to the size of the inside diameter instead of making a hole the size of the outside diameter. Since the copper tubing is just a bit harder than the aluminum it worked. Not very well, but good enough. I was able to get the mounting column over the stud far enough to put the pin through. There's a set-screw in the middle of the column tightened down against the steel cross-pin and I used blue Loctite on it. Then I was able to mount the bipod on the handguard. The sling swivel isn't doing anything but filling the hole. I have a plastic washer that came with the bipod attached to the handguard with an M-LOK screw and T-nut. It's under the front of the yoke where there was a big space between it and the handguard. I used some GOOP to hold a sheet rubber piece to the top of the yoke. There's a thick rubber washer and knurled nut holding the bipod on. I just read the instructions online that say don't over-tighten it. Too late. I used a Crescent wrench to get it REALLY tight. I suppose I out to set that right.
I have Troy Squid Grips in the top 2 rows of slots next to the Pic rail. They have 2 holes in each slot section and I used those so when heat rises from the barrel it will have somewhere to go. I had one heck of a time getting them seated all the way around. If I didn't have the handguard off so I could shine a light inside and see everything, it would have been nearly impossible to get it right. I had alternating rows of black ERGO and Magpul M-LOK slot covers on the other 5 sides, but I took the Magpul slot covers off, and replaced them with O.D. Green ERGO covers. They have a good, easy to grip texture to them, and the M-LOK brand are flat. Both kinds are a lot easier to use than the Squid Grips. You just push down and wiggle them and they go right in. Now I have 5 alternating rows of black and green ERGO covers.
https://www.atioutdoors.com/product/universal-bipod/
-
More pics. I can't do much more work until I get the basement situation sorted. I noticed in the pics that the legs were't parallel to the handguard so I gave them a little twist to straighten them out. The bipod can be set up to swivel or not swivel depending on how you assemble various bits and pieces. I have it set up to not swivel, but there must be a little play in the system.
-
The Parkerized finish on my Fabian Bros. Muzzle Stabilizer was light gray and looked thin, like it was wearing off. I plan on painting it flat black with barbecue paint, but if I have any cold blue in my basement, I might cold blue it first. I sanded it down yesterday, stuck something in the rear end and chucked it in a drill so I could sand it all the way around. I also sanded it circumferentially and lengthwise by hand. It's really smooth for only having been sanded with a piece of 120 grit sandpaper. The wrench flats don't look as good, but I don't care about that. It's in the white and looks like polished stainless steel, but I think it's carbon steel. The pictures came out really dark. I think it's so shiny the flash bouncing off it told my camera it was too bright, it needs to be darker. I took pics all the way around so everyone can see it.
The only makings are Fabian Bros underlined with a target shaped logo, MUZZLE STABILIZER, CAL. 5.56. It has 5 slots and a closed bottom, exactly like an A2 bird cage flash hider. It also has an expansion chamber behind that, 1.5" long and nearly 1/2" in diameter. That gives it a volume almost equal to a teaspoon, which isn't bad for .22 caliber. The rear end of a 25/54" drill bit drops right in and a 15/32" doesn't quite fit through the threads. The threads look smaller than inside wall, so I think it was machined 15/32" before the 1/2"-28 threads were tapped. After all the sanding yesterday I wiped it off and soaked it overnight in my Dunk-Kit. I just wiped out the inside with paper towel and a bunch off black stuff came out. Anyway the expansion chamber has 12 holes ~1/16" in diameter, arranged in 3 rows of 4. That makes it a compensator plus a very effective flash hider.
For the pics, I screwed the brake on as far as it would go and backed it off until it was at the 12 o'clock position. It runs out of threads before it get close enough to use a crush washer. It came with a jam nut instead of a peel washer or anything like that. Instead of using the original hex nut (far left) that came with it, I'm going to try a jam nut I bought that's round with 2 wrench flats (near left). I think the flash hider cutout on an M16 barrel wrench will fit it but haven't tried it yet. I'll be able to nearly bottom out the jam nut and flash hider. I have a JP Enterprises double crush washer (near right) that's too thin to work alone, but would probably work well if combined with a standard crush washer. The double crush washer Provides consistent torque level through entire rotation, Greater than one full turn after contact to time any muzzle device, Expand when crushing which prevents binding on threads for easy removal, Tight fit to outer diameter of threads which helps center on the barrel, Superior cosmetics due to symmetry and flat profile after crushing. On the far right is a Strike Industries Muzzle Condom AKA Baby Rubber. DON'T BE A FOOL & WRAP YOUR TOOL. They're tacticool black color, 2.72" long, .562" diameter, and weigh 0.1 ounce. They're a better option than duct tape to keep your muzzle clean and dry, and will fit over shotgun barrels too.
https://cylinder-slide.com/Item/CS0110
https://www.wingtactical.com/firearm-parts/ar-15/muzzle-devices/jp-enterprises-double-crush-washer-1-2-28-tpi/
https://www.strikeindustries.com/si-muzzle-condom.html
-
I still haven't put the new flash hider on my 16" barrel, but will be able to now that what's left of my broken vise is bolted down. I really wanted a Rainier Arms FHV2 Flash Hider - Black Nitride, but I think they were out of stock when I was ready to buy one. So I got a Next Level Armament NLX-5 Hi Helix Flash Suppressor instead. It doesn't need to be timed but came with a crush washer. I'll try to get the logo straight up or straight down. The Rainier arms flash hider is $60, which is still $5 less than the Next Level Armament one that's $10 off. The Rainer Arms has 13 five star reviews, and the other one has no reviews so far. The good news is it's only 2" long and .83" diameter, and I wanted to keep my 16" barrel short. And the ring of my M7 bayonet fits right over it. The Rainier Arms flash hider is 2.26" long and .89" diameter. A bayonet won't fit over it if the ring diameter is .880" like I read it is a few places. Maybe that's actually why I didn't buy one.
https://www.rainierarms.com/rainier-arms-fhv2-flash-hider-black-nitride/
https://nextlevelarms.com/product/hi-helix-flash-suppressor/
-
Here's a pic of the flash suppressors for my 16" and 20" barrels. A short one for the short barrel, and a long one for the long barrel. NOW you can see what color the big one is.
-
The Barrel Nut and Locking Ring (parts #2 and #3) for my Super Slim Free Float Handguard had some really sticky grease on it. Nasty stuff. So a couple days ago I soaked them overnight in my Dunk-Kit, brushed them clean with an old toothbrush, and wiped them down with an old towel. The barrel nut had a lot of crud on one part of the threads when it was done soaking. It must have collected there as it soaked. The handguard came with a QD sling swivel adaptor, 8-slot M-LOK Picatinny rail, and a really solid feeling, well made wrench. I also bought a 5-slot Pic rail and probably won't use either one of them. They handguard attaches to the barrel nut with 3 pairs of screws, at the 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions. It comes with 7 screws just in case, which I thought was nice. And nice to come with the QD sling adaptor and Pic rail too. It's 15" long, not counting the .3" long anti-rotation tabs. I probably won't need any of the spacer rings, but it came with 4 of them, just in case the screw holes in the barrel nut don't line up with the holes in the handguard. It's a Mil-Spec forged upper so there shouldn't be any problems, and no need for the shims. Like all UTG PRO parts it was made in the USA. About a 45 minute drive away IIRC.
https://www.leapers.com/products-utgpro-mtu019ssm.html
-
I spent most of the previuos 2 days working on my paintball marker instead of my real guns. And I also took the crossbolt safety off my 1994 Winchester 94 Trapper model. I went to a couple of stores looking for plugs to put in the holes but couldn't find any. I might have to order some 1/4" black Nylon hole plugs.
-
Frank, check here for the Marlin safety delete
https://beartoothmercantile.com/basic-safety-delete-for-marlin-rifle/
(https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-qj4t463sre/images/stencil/500x659/products/143/608/2021-08-06_15.32.10-1__15510.1628287772.jpg?c=2)
-
Thanks, Majer, but they don't have any for Winchesters. That's the same problem I had elsewhere. I could swear I saw one for Winchester once, maybe a few years ago, but when I searched online other people are having the same problem. The only options seem to be nylon hole plugs, or a Chicago screw that goes all the way through the receiver. Ideally, a safety delete part would have a flared head to fill the indent on the right side. I thought someone made that but I'm still looking. The only safety the rifle needs is for the operator to not have the rebounding hammer cocked and their finger on the trigger. The hammer is blocked until you pull the trigger. That may be even better than the old rifles that had a half-cock notch on the hammer.
-
Just checked and nobody makes then for a Win 94, Not a popular rifle for CAS. The few I've seen that had the safety removed left the hole open, put a plastic plug in it or epoxied the head of the proper marked caliber onto the hole.Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
This it the plug used,1/4 inch nylon hole cover
(https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB12PxTU6TpK1RjSZKPq6y3UpXaS/20pcs-Plastic-Furniture-Leg-Plug-5MM-screw-hole-cover-Blanking-End-Insert-Plugs-Bung-For-Round.jpg)
-
Yep. Home Depot might have them, but neither the hardware nor auto store I went to had them.
I took time off of the 20" build to put the same Duck tape on the 16" upper and 12.7" gun. The 20" upper uses the same collapsible stock lower as the 16" upper. You can see where the seam between the upper and lower half of the handguard is on the 16" gun, but only on the right side. I'm still on the first of 2 rolls of tape. I had 5 leftover Squid Grips and put 4 of them on the 16" rifle so it would have more ventilation. My left thumb will be touching one of them, but no part of my hand will touch the other 3. If my thumb gets hot I'll put an M-LOK or ERGO plug in that 1 slot. After I finished putting tape on both guns I wrapped them with Camo Form Reusable Fabric Wrap. It comes in 8 different camo patterns and is made for wrapping guns and knives, and whatever else you want to camouflage. If you've ever been wrapped with 3M Coban Self-Adherent Wrap, it's the same thing. There's no glue or other adhesive but it does have latex rubber in it. You stretch it out when you wrap it and it sticks to itself. It's easily removable, and reusable. You can even wash it off if it gets dirty. The biggest downside may be that you need to take it off if it gets wet because it will make your gun rust. If the barrels get too hot for it I'll take it off. I smelled wintergreen or something like a liniment when I was stretching and wrapping it. Weird. I wrapped all 3 of my Duramags while I was at it. The aluminum is supposed to be anodized but they feel like they're coated with Teflon. They were really slick but I can get a good grip on them now.
https://www.gearaid.com/products/camouflage-gun-wrap-camo-form?variant=18469277401185
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_LB/p/d/b00003205/
-
I wrapped my M7 bayonet and M10 scabbard too. I wrapped the entire plastic part of the handle but couldn't snap the retention strap on the sheath. It's already a tight fit when there's nothing on the handle. So I unwrapped it and re-wrapped it below the strap. I put the Hi Helix flash hider on the 16" gun too. The wrench flats are where the right hand arrow is in the picture, instead of at the rear where the left arrow is. And besides the wrench flats being in a different location that A1 and A2 flash hiders, it also takes a different size wrench. Instead of the smaller 5/8" slot on and M-16 barrel wrench made for flash hiders, it uses the larger 3/4" slot that's made for upper receiver extensions (buffer tubes). I used the JP Enterprises double crush washer instead of the regular crush washer that came with it. I still need to finish the 20" upper and put mag well skins on both guns. And change springs in all 4 bolts. And return the tactical Hard Charger side charger I got and order one of the original style. I like the tactical pull handle and the original is probably okay too. I don't think I'll spend the extra $7 for a folding handle.
https://devildogconcepts.com/product/hard-charger-black-anodized/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_eVXGYxsmA
-
It's a good thing I have a new gas tube for this build because I mangled the old one unscrewing the old free float tube with a big pair of Channellock pliers. My big pipe wrench was a little bit too small to fit the tube, and the Channellocks were barely big enough. I heated it up with a torch but I guess it wasn't enough. I had the threads completely covered in blue Loctite and it didn't want to let go. I saved the old barrel nut. I may be able to use if to attach the golf ball launcher barrel to my can canon, without screwing it inside of the the can barrel. If I'm just shooting golf balls it would be nice to not have to use both barrels.
I sprayed down the front sight taper pins and the barrel with non-chlorinated brake cleaner to degrease them. Then I applied 602 green Loctite made for non-threaded things like bushings and sleeves and tapped the pins in with a hammer. Then I heated it up for about 4-5 minutes with my heat gun to try to make it set faster. This stuff is made for high pressure and high temperature. If you have to remove it, you need to heat it up to 572 degrees F. I'll try sawing off the long end of the pins with a hacksaw if I can find it. I'll probably do a little bit of grinding on the bennch grinder, then a whole lot of filing. When I'm done the barrel will be almost as solid and stiff as if it had never been drilled. I realize this is totally unnecessary, and I may be the first person in history to ever waste their time doing it, but it's what I want to do. The last pic tells you a little about the green Loctite. I finally used it on the project I bought it for. And made an extra day of work for myself.
-
I transferred the ejection port cover over from the old upper to the new one. And I installed the forward assist that I previously removed from my can canon and replaced with a EGW AR Forward Assist Plug. An Anodized Matte Black Aluminum one like mine is $9.99, and 5 Cerakoted colored ones are $14.99. The forward assist I used is in a little better shape than the one that's 30 years old or whatever it is. I bought a Real Avid Master Bench Block - AR15, and the part that holds the forward assist spring compressed makes it a lot easier to remove and install the F.A. And I need all the help I can get. When I was pounding in the pin my punch slipped and I buggered up the edge of the hole. Then I hammered on the pin until the end started to flare out. I knocked the pin out from the other side and fixed it, since I don't have a new one. I drilled through from the bottom to take the tiny bit of metal off that was peened over the edge of the hole. Then I ground and filed the end of my punch that was all rounded off. No wonder I was having problems. Then it went together as easy as it should have the first time.
https://egwguns.com/ar-rifle-parts/ar-forward-assist-plugs
https://realavid.com/products/master-bench-block?srsltid=AfmBOoqqRss20b03AhJ6oe4gf4MY07NW-jGh2IP4NmmDHXRkIWBiIi8O
-
The forward assist plug is nicely rounded off, and sets slightly proud of the hole. They should fit just about any A2 or A4 upper of any brand. I decided that the can cannon, which has no locking lugs in the barrel extension, didn't need a forward assist. Either it feeds a blank okay or it doesn't. And if it doesn't I won't try beating it into submission.
-
Here are the MultiCam wrapped mags in my MultiCam mag holder, because the only thing better than original MultiCam is more original MultiCam. ;) The 6 mag holder should be on the front of a plate carrier but I don't wear armor. So I put it on my well-padded tactical rifle case. The MOLLE grid was already there so why not? 6 mags plus 1 in the gun makes for a standard 7x 30 round loadout. Sometimes it's a PITA to thread MOLLE straps and weave them back and forth the right way. This wasn't too bad but some things are really difficult. I have the 3 camo Duramags in the front, (1st pic), and 3 SureFeed E2 mags behind them (2nd pic). In the 3rd pic you can see all 4 patches on the case. Have you ever asked yourself WWJBD? What Would Jack Bauer Do? :) The next 2 are self-explanatory. In the last one, Soul Stealer, he's holding a camera. ;D Headline of online article University research proves that the old myth of photographs stealing souls is, in fact, true. But I have another reason for covering the camera on my laptop with a piece of electrical tape. The 4th pic is the ID pocket on the back of the case. It's a metal morale patch from Milspin. They were supposed to send me a curved one to wear on a hat, but they sent a flat one. They made me the curved one and told me to keep the flat one, so I stuck it to a piece of Velcro and slid it into my gun case. The case is so well padded it makes me wonder how my rifle would fair if I tossed it off the top of my house. I never go up there, 2 stories is too far to fall, so I'll never know.
-
Some of you may recall that I always thought my POS Eagle Arms EA-15 flattop upper was a carry-handle upper milled down with a rail attached by glue, solder, or similar means. Well, guess what folks? I was right. I heated up the rail with a propane torch for a few minutes and dropped it in a bucket of water. It was still in one piece but I saw a crack on one side. So I clamped the rail in my vise and gave it a few good whacks with a hammer. I don't know where my 2 pound hammer is and used a 1 pound claw hammer. I think it was the 5th hit when it completely separated. The rail is NOT a Mil-Spec M1913 Picatinny rail. The spacing is off, and when I tried attaching a one-piece scope mount, when one crossbolt was down in a slot, the other was on top of a slot and it couldn't be seated. That's why I had to replace it. And I said when I rebuilt the rifle I was going to destroy this POS trying to get to the bottom of it.
There are 2 round studs on the upper, 1 at each end, and 2 corresponding holes in the Weaver rail. There's a large hole and small hole through the rear of the upper. Inside the upper, there's a spot the same size as the large hole at the very front of the groove for the charging handle. It looks like it's milled straight through the bottom of the upper, and is wider than the rest of the track. My brand new upper has 2 circles corresponding to this spot and the large hole. From inside the old upper, it didn't look like a hole going all the way through. It just looked like a regular upper with machine marks from an end mill at the front and back. But the outside was 2 different colors that didn't match.
-
I can't believe EA had anything to do with LMT PREMIUM Firearms.
https://lmtdefense.com/
-
I know this barrel was drilled for 2 taper pins. YOU know this barrel was drilled for 2 taper pins. We ALL know this barrel was drilled for 2 taper pins. And I glued them back in permanently with green Loctite, just hours ago. But, like they say in the Servpro commercials, it's Like it never even happened. ;D I was using my old Front Sight Base to check the fit and see if I needed to file or sand any place, any more. The cut down FSB was a snug fit. When I finally tried the Midwest industries Low Profile Gas Block, it was a loose fit. After I spray the whole barrel with barbecue paint, it should be a perfect fit. If not, carbon deposits will fill any voids when I shoot and seal it up. I'll be using the same spray paint on the muzzle device when I get around to it. It should be within the next few days if I don't hibernate for awhile. Then I need to make sure all of my bolts have one-piece gas rings and the BCGs all have a solid firing pin retainer. I think I saw 2 gas rings and a firing pin retainer in a big Ziploc bag yesterday. I'm getting closer to bringing this job to completion. It may not have taken 20 years like a certain pistol we know about ;) ;), but it did take a number of years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-rLB_VAg-E
-
Here's a before and after pic to really drive home what a difference there is.
-
I just got done cold-bluing the journal of the barrel and wiping the whole thing down with oil. I need to go buy more degreaser before I can spray paint it. I think I can get the muzzle device clean enough with denatured alcohol to blue it. No matter how it turns out it's going to be painted.
-
The barrel nut for the old free-float tube Is shaped like a puck with 20 holes through it that fit a G.I. barrel wrench. It also had 20 teeth on the front, just like the teeth a standard steel barrel nut has. I cut off that 1/8" piece and it looks like a little sprocket. I filed the barrel nut flat and was going to use some aluminum black on it, but the bottle was empty. So I painted it gloss black with a paint pen. I put the Can Cannon Threaded Port in its upper and screwed the modified barrel nut on to hold it in place. I held the barrel wrench in my hand and used it to snug up the nut. The threads on it allow attachment of the X-Fore Golf Ball Launcher, which previously was inside the main tube of the can cannon. I had to use both barrels, one inside the other to shoot golf balls. Now I don't. 8)
They sell can cannon tubes and ports you put on your own upper. Then they started selling golf ball launcher tubes with ports and a 3D printed barrel nut, so you can mount the golf ball launcher without the soda can launcher, like I did with the aluminum barrel nut. Now they're selling X-Fore launchers with uppers that work without the can cannon, and it looks like they have a delta ring and standard barrel nut. Complete launchers for soda cans or golf balls are the same price. They don't sell the 3D printed barrel nut separately, but the X-Fore tube and port with the nut costs $30 more than the Can Cannon tube with a port and no nut. So that makes it a $30 nut, and I made mine out of what would otherwise be trash or scrap aluminum.
-
I blued the flash hider/compensator. The color is kind of spotty because you aren't supposed to touch it after it's clean. Fingerprints will mess up the finish, and I held it in my hand the whole time I was bluing it. But since it going to be painted over it doesn't matter what it looks like. I just didn't want to leave it in the white. It wasn't going to rust before I get paint on it, but when the paint gets scratched, I want the metal underneath as protected as possible. I used a lot of WD-40 to clean out the inside, and to lube it up. I managed to get most of the bluing off my fingers, so it probably won't kill me. I need to get dressed and go to the store for degreaser, so can paint the barrel and comp tonight or whenever I'm in the mood. Then the whole upper will be ready to assemble.
-
I have McFarland-style one-piece helical gas rings in all 4 bolts, now. And solid firing pin retainer pins instead of cotter pins in all 4 BCGs, too. I was going to install an extended charging handle latch on one upper that doesn't have one yet, but I'm too tired and going to bed. I didn't make it to the store yet. Maybe tomorrow.
-
I couldn't spray paint or spray degreaser in the basement because I've been doing laundry all night and I'm still not done. Until I get it painted all I could do is dry fit the parts. The new jam nut is barely backed off the shoulder when the muzzle device is TDC. I'll probably clock it an hour from the 12 o'clock position so it pushes into my left hand when I shoot. The flash hider/comp and jam nut combined are 3" long, and the overall barrel length is about 22.25".
-
I put several coats of paint on the barrel and brake, one after the other. I think it will be okay if I let it cure for a couple days. But, let's face it, I probably won't wait that long. I didn't really plan on mounting a light on this rifle, but realized I had an extra mount and several flashlights that would fit it. I think you'll be surprised to see it later this week. I went to the store to get some food before the blizzard (?) hits tomorrow. The smell of spray paint was so strong I started sneezing as soon as I walked in the door.
-
Pics of top and bottom of barrel, top and bottom of flash hider. It looks like I was too close to focus on the last one. I had the flash hider screwed onto the shank of a drill bit covered with masking tape so no paint would get in the rear half. It was stuck on so tight that I held the drill bit in the vise and started unscrewing it, holding onto it with half of an old towel wrapped around it. The flat black got shined up from the towel but it doesn't have much paint on it. It's dirtier looking than before I guess. After a couple of turns I grabbed my barrel wrench (G.I. wrench only) and used that to unscrew the flash hider the rest of the way. I was spinning it around and around with 1 finger until it backed up the entire inch and a half. I took the tape off both ends of the barrel and gave it some strokes with a towel and shined it up to match the flash hider. It's a semi-gloss finish, like when you have a good coat of oil on Parkerized parts. There's enough paint built up on the journal that the new gas block needed a push to get started. It snapped back, right against the shoulder and will stay on if I point the muzzle down. I shook the barrel a little bit and it fell off, so it's not too tight and not to loose. I got the Goldilocks fit. I feel like going to bed, but might get it together in the middle of the night. I cut circles out of the Duck tape around all 6 screw holes on the handguard. I want to snug it down, metal to metal when I put it on, with no tape under the screw heads.
-
I wasn't sure if I was going to mount a light on this upper, and was leaning more toward not doing it. Then I remembered I have a M-LOK Offset Light Mount, Polymer (1st pic), and Light Mount V-Block and Rings (2nd pic) that I wasn't using. This combination does the same job as the Magpul Rail Light Mount, Left or Right (3rd pic), except it's a lot more compact, and costs $6.95 more than the rail mount light. At first I just put a free Harbor Freight flashlight in the mount. Then I realized I have a BUNCH of better flashlights that would fit.
I took the pocket clip and carabiner ring off my Olight Desert Camouflage Warrior Mini 2 and put it in the mount. I used my F.A.T. Wrench to tighten the screws down to 10 inch-pounds, maybe 15. I'm not sure but I thought it was only 10. The screws kept turning and turning and turning before the wrench finally clicked. This is how I crushed one of the Harbor freight flashlights. It's a good thing this light has the MCC (Magnetic Charging Cable), because the whole light is bent out of shape. I took the head off and the 18650 battery didn't fall out like it should. The body is warped so bad I had a little trouble screwing the head back on, but the light still works. It's 1,750 lumens max. and the beam distance is 721 feet (220 m) on Turbo. It will only run 4 minutes at 1,750 lumens before it steps down to 500 lumens for 206 minutes, then 200 lumens for 40 minutes. It will run 19 hours at 120 lumens on medium, and that's as bright as I normally use it around the house. If I click the tail cap it goes straight to Turbo instead of scrolling through the levels like it does with the side switch.
https://magpul.com/firearm-accessories/rails/light-mounts.html
https://www.olightstore.com/warrior-mn2
-
I was tired yesterday and felt like going to bed, but I was hungry too. After I ate, I stayed up until 7:30 this morning working on this rifle and related things like my can cannon. I have extended charging handle latches on all 4 uppers, and they're 4 different brands. The RRA one, besides being wider and taller than stock, extends about 1/4" farther ahead than one of the other extended latches. I'm still not quite done with this gun, but I'm close. I got parts for 2 other guns in the mail today. It seems like I'm never going to get done with them.
Here are the first 3 pics. The rest of them are closer views of all 4 sides.
-
Left and right.
-
Top and bottom.
-
I said before that my AR-15 A2 Sporter II rifle was a lot like a Colt Canada (Diemaco then) C7 rifle issued to the Canadian military. It was also issued to British Special Forces, Pathfinder Platoon, and Brigade Patrol Troop (BPT). It beat the SA80 bullpup they were otherwise stuck with. So, how close are these 2 rifles? Mine is semi-auto only instead of select-fire, of course. It has the Colt large pivot pin with screw heads on both sides, which I replaced with a quick release pin a long time ago. Since it doesn't have a normal pivot pin, it doesn't need a pivot pin retainer and spring, or a place to fit them in the receiver. So the lower is a slab-side, with no fence around the mag release either. Other than that, it's pretty much the same thing, which is more like an M16A1E1 than an M16A2.
Diemaco changed the trapdoor in the buttstock to allow easier access to the storage compartment inside the stock. The carrying handle and rear sight assembly are an M16A1 style two aperture L-type flip rear. But the sights they came up with were slightly different from mine. Mine had an A2 post instead of a slimmer tapered round post. And it had a normal rear aperture without a ghost ring, but I replaced it with a ghost ring when I put a tritium front sight on. Wikipedia says Diemaco used a 1 in 7 inch rifling twist hammer-forged chrome-lined barrel with a slightly reducing bore diameter over the length of the rifling to increase longevity and accuracy. Mine is 1 in 7" twist chrome lined Colt barrel and that's all I know. The upper has a brass deflector like an A2 rifle but is otherwise all A1. They both have the A2 flash hider, barrel, handguards, delta ring, pistol grip, forward assist, and stock with a spacer in it.
So there was a minor difference in the sights I didn't know about, in addition to the different pivot pin. They're still a lot more alike than different.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diemaco