Posted on 09/23/2009 6:19:16 AM PDT by HairOfTheDog
Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!
heh, we our sweaters, heavy sox and a couple furry friends to add heat to the room. It’s going to be 80 or so Tuesday.
Heh. I “toughed” it out at 66 inside the house...turned on the heat when I got down to 64. It’s supposed to heat up tomorrow.
The Cats are curled up in front of the heat registers.
My BFF, Mister "my Mossberg 500 can handle any problem whatever" recently asked me if I had something that could reach out and touch a zombie further than his beloved shotgun. He's suddenly come to the realization that it's better to start thinning the herd when it's a good distance away from you, rather than doing everything at a more interpersonal range.
I mentioned that I built my M4E(economy) with just that use in mind. He liked what he saw, and offered to swap me the one item he owned that as not a shotgun. He's still paying for the graduate degrees for his two kids, so I did the swap.
He now owns my M4E, a can of ammo, and a bag of mags. I received this blast from the past in exchange.
It's an unfired new-in-the-box semiauto Uzi Model A with NIB .22 and .45 conversion units, accessories, extra mags, wood stock, and a bunch of milsurp 9mm mags and pouches. Not the latest or greatest technology in zombie control, but still a vey nice collectible.
I was with him when he bought it in 1983, and forgot about its existence until he mentioned it as trading material. Looking at it today, my only interest is to hold on to it until people once again have jobs, and disposable income for trinkets like this. With luck, the market should be brisk for firearms other than M4 clones after January 20, 2013.
In the meantime, I didn't want to be without another M4E(economy), so I built M4E2 starting with a $700 DPMS model A15. Flat top, rail on the gas bock, collapsing stock, and the efficient but enigmatic "glacier guard" handguards. After my now-mandatory tweaking, this was the results from the first magazine fired from it:
That's my 26 rounds in the black, and four from one of the store employees, who stopped by my firing position to admire my handiwork. The scope was just a temporary to test my modifications. I still have to go back to zero the Eotech I put on as the regular optics. I've come to the conclusion that the Eotech is perfect for somebody without much experience with a rifle, but with a healthy incentive to keep zombies under control.
The guy at the store was amazed at the accuracy and the crisp (5.5lb) trigger pull. I feigned surprise, and asked, "don't other people do the same basic tweaks to their AR15s before the first trip to the range?" In reality, I count at least 15 mods, major and minor, that I've applied in my customization process. Some are mandatory safety and accuracy upgrades, others are for increased convenience and comfort, and a few are for cosmetic purposes only. The stock pistol grip and stock had to be replaced for my own comfort and well-being, with most of the other stuff pulled out of my AR15 parts box. I borrowed my backup Demon Tactical takedown pin, the very first item on my accuracy list, and am still waiting for its replacement.
So, with a bit of work on my part, I can put all 30 rounds inside the 10-ring at 50 yards. Not too shabby for a initial price of $700. I found that the DPMS parts I wound up using, like the fire control parts, were high quality, and took to tuning very well. I expect the final trigger pull to stabilize at a crisp five pounds, more than adequate for an amateur. It's even more than adequate for me, but I'd like to think I could do even better if I try harder. I doubt zombies would notice the difference.
While this has been my most economical starter rifle yet, and I would recommend it highly as the starting point for anyone else, yet the box-stock rifle had no front sling swivel. Normally, one could put a small piece of M1913 rail on the bottom of the handguard by putting a tapping plate inside the holes, and then fastening the rail section on the outside.
Which is exactly what I did, but I had the problem that I could not figure out how to get their proprietary "glacier guards" off! Even with the gas block removed (two vey nice and sturdy set screws, rather than traditional taper pins), and the delta ring pulled all the way to the rear, something held them together, and still clamped to the barrel. After about two hours of various attempts, I hit upon a way of getting the tapping plate inside the bottom handguard, and held in place so I could attach and tighten the short piece of carbon-fiber rail.
The kludge you see consists of an offset piece of rail to take the QD sling fitting, and a handstop to keep the shooter's hand from tangling with the sling. It's not pretty, but it works.
And I put on something that is pretty, but does no useful work. I had the inside of the dust cover laser engraved by my friends at Highest Honor. This also drew a laugh when the EBR store employee saw it.
Now where have I heard that phrase before?
Fine report as always, Mister Mag! I love reading them. :-)
That Uzi is a nice score. Very cool.
Morning Win-Mag - well, that was a good trade between BFFs. Darn interesting piece you have there, didn’t know/recall there was a matching .22 cal conversion. Nice target btw..
You scored big time on that trade....:o)
We will have to do a thread some night on high capacity common caliber “zombie rigs”....LOL.
Like the P90 an Fn7....or MP5 an Glock etc...
....:o)
As my buddy was pulling the .45 conversion kit out of its cardboard outer box, I remembered it. But I had no recollection of the .22 conversion unit. And those oddball magazines are really rare, compared to military surplus ones.
The new M4E2 uses the stock DPMS trigger parts. I hone the bearing surfaces, carefully, on a diamond hone. If the hardening is proper, everything cuts smoothly, like glass sliding on glass. On substandard parts, the surface hardness goes away quickly, leaving the softer metal to "grab" and bite into the diamond hone. I've had consistently good luck with the DPMS parts I've used on four separate weapons. With the M-faux such a generic weapon now, almost all parts are made by a few OEMs. Even Colt now buys smaller parts from specialized companies, but inspects and tweaks them to meet their higher standards. Apart from a couple of smaller builders who mill their uppers and lowers out of billet, there are only two companies that provide the aluminum forgings, and sometimes do some of the initial CNC milling.
So again, some common-sense tweaks, and a bit of patience, pay off in a rifle that works better than most people would ever expect, even using a "stock" trigger (I have about an hour of labor into it), and GI ball ammo from 1972. I have no doubt that I can fire a decent group with this,even with the iron sights. But when you are building for a serious purpose, you don't skimp on quality optics. Just keep an eye peeled for the bargains that appear from time to time.
I'll have to get out some handguns so I can go to the range and humble myself. I'm just a rifleman stuck in a handgunner's world.
Yeah, that's a 30-round "score" of 300/25X. Again, fired from an unconventional supported position, with a bit more effort to uphold my end of the bargain. A clean trigger pull of 5 lbs helps a lot.
By chance, there were three other guys firing their M-faux also. Each one stopped by my firing point to ask why my rifle shot so much better than theirs. I didn't give them the old "Carnegie Hall" excuse (practice, practice), although going back forty years with the M16 system has a bit to do with it.
Instead I just said I made a few enhancements using readily available commercial products. I just didn't mention the gunsmithing skill that comes from doing several of these rifles.
I also realize that adding a target trigger to this rifle may not show any improvement in my performance. I may be maxed out with no further skill left to do even better with these rifles. It's humbling to realize that I may be building weapons that already exceed my modest skills. At least I know the performance is there in the rifle if I can ever move on to the next level.
The other thing that humbled me on the range was finding a fired S&W .500 case. I know the revolvers are hugh, but this was my first encounter with some of its ammo.
On the left is the puny .44Mag, and on the right is a skinny 5.56mm NATO. The .500S&W case is simply huge!
There are some sort of extractor marks 180 degrees apart on the rim, which is not typical of a revolver. I asked the guys behind the counter, and they couldn't recall what other type of firearm would use this round. One of life's little mysteries.
I suspect you’re being unreasonably humble with regard to your skills, there, Mister Mag. :-)
All the same it’s good to have you on our side. :-)
Very nice.... someday when ya have time maybe you can share your top 10 or 100 tweeks for the accuracy / reliability improvements you made.......:o)
Good Shootin there buddy !
Stay safe !
I should do this while it's still fresh in my mind.
Mandatory safety and reliability mods:titanium firing pin, one-piece gas rings, anti-walk pins
Mandatory accuracy mods:Demon Tactical expanding rear takedown pin
Recommended accuracy mods:Commercial target trigger, or "break in" of existing parts using diamond hones and Nanolube diamond-bearing oil, break-in of bolt carrier components with Nanolube
Recommended convenience items:ambidextrous safety, extended charging handle, oversize magazine release, Magpul pistol grip, Magpul telescoping stock, Magpul enlarged trigger guard, nylon buffer cap for recoil buffer, "anti-twang" plastic disk on rear of buffer spring, safety covers for exposed pieces of rail
"Luxury" items:new forearm, or extra rails, QD sling swivels, improved flash hider/muzzle brake, Magpul BAD (bolt assist device)
Personalization:funny/insulting engraving on dust cover, receiver pins, etc
Optics:backup iron sights, appropriate optics.
I cannot overemphasize the importance of not skimping on optics. All the other tweaks are intended to let you get the most out of your choice of optics. The GWOT has shown that rugged, precise combat optics are the key to turning a good weapon (M16 system) into a great one. Enhanced speed and accuracy results in a more effective, and confident, shooter.
A $30 chicom scope is better than nothing, but not much. It has no place on a $1000 weapon, other than as a placeholder until some super bargain in professional-grade optics comes by. One of the great benefits of having rails on the rifle is to experiment and upgrade optics, or other accessories, such as lights, lasers, and ghod-knows-what-else is hung on the rifle. A rule of thumb is that the scope should cost no less than half the cost of the rifle itself, making it the single most expensive, and critical, component.
The most common types of sights for this type of rifle will either be 1x red dots, or 1-4x variable scopes. If you're building a 5.56mm or 7.62mm "designated marksman" rifle, 3-9x or better (and more expensive) scopes are appropriate. A couple of my Remington 700 PSS rifles have scopes that cost more than the rifle, but that's for the realllly long shots.
Any decent optics on a tweaked M4-type rifle gives you an order of magnitude advantage over some POS turd-world AK clone. You don't want a disposable weapon designed for disposable troops when, with a bit more work and cash, your M4 gives you something a professional uses to gain any and every advantage that can be had.
I may have missed a few minor items, like a "Hello Kitty" color scheme, but you'll come up with your own ideas as you work your way down the list. The M4 clone is the '57 Chevy of carbines, and it shows in all the flexibility and customizing items, wise or dumb, that you can put on it. This is not to denigrate many of the other fine, and pricey, weapons in this category. This is just a way to take advantage of a common rifle that offers great benefits for the least amount of cash. You can do some version of all these tricks on a H&K, Sig, or other high-end rifle. But in this instance, we're working on a generic '57 Chevy, and not an exotic Ferrari or Bimmer.
One piece gas ring, anti walk pins, noveske flash suppressor, dueck canted BUIS, magpul stock and mag pul trigger guard I have. still looking for nanolube locally so using militech products from waldorf maryland (near my old navy EOD school)...
I have 4 different AR’s , 2 are HBAR sodpoodle / coyote sniper rigs and one described above is a NFA SBR. Last is a NIB Bushmaster that is being worked this winter for reliability and with also be a NFA SBR at some point. I think it’s upper will go into the spare parts bin and I’m looking to build it as a “piston” gun. (comments sought). I have used the Hk 416’s and love em thus far as they stay clean and cool for 3 gun matches and pucker factor phire phites.....:o)
My HBAR’s have Timmney drop in “skeletonized” and competition triggers with HART barrels. One is in 6.5mm Grendel as I was building a rig to try Col. Jeff Cooper’s 20/20/20 challenge — 20 rounds into a 20-inch circle in 20 seconds or less at 1000 yards..... it was an expensive hobby for about six months of range time and lots of reloading.....:o) BTW that is my most accurate semi auto “mouse gun” rig.
Grateful for your time as always..... gonna be a good year at the bench, building, overhauling and reloading for next springs fun.
Stay safe !
Happy Birthday Bilbo and Frodo!
Sorry for the late, late reply, but I just noticed your comment. I'm afraid Nanolube is only available online. I consider it a "secret weapon", and a lot of people don't like giving away their secrets. There are two competing products, and inventors, and both have a fuzzy grasp of names that should have been trademarked. I buy my lube from http://www.diamondlube.com/. Get the smallest size, and give it a try, especially on stainless-on-stainless applications.
While confessing to my shortcomings, I have to admit that I missed most of September, which celebrated National Preparedness Month. I completed the rebuild of my bailout bag with a new, slightly bigger Maxpedition bag. It's a bit heavy, but it has everything the government recommends, along with extra supplies for cold/wet weather, which is always a consideration in the cold, soggy (10 inches more rain than normal this summer) Midwest.
I must admit that the government documents made no mention of weaponry, but I'll write that off on sloppy editing. I had a spare 9mm in the bag previously, but I recognized that I have this habit of trying to stuff an extra dozen loaded mags in with it. Further pondering convinced me that if I can grab a rifle, I'll depend on that, and not some puny handgun. Or if I have to live out of this bag alone, I want to avoid any interactions involving a handgun, if I can possibly avoid it.
I concluded that I need something that can be effective on both two- and four-legged vermin. Little Smith fills the bill with just 36 rounds of ammo in speedloaders, including six rounds of shot shells. Now that I think of it, this is exactly what I would pack in a bag if I was a bush pilot, too.
The final advantage is that a lot of people aren't impressed with some 9mm handgun, but nobody should have any trouble recognizing what that big shiny thing is.
Next year, I promise to send out National Preparedness Month cards to all of my friends weeks in advance. And maybe the official documents will be corrected by then.
Nice Bag Win-Mag; mmm speed loaders, don’t leave home w/o ‘em.
I'm really pleased with this new bag. Maxpedition even had the foresight to put their logo in the middle of the Velcro patch, and make it small enough that I could slap an ACU flag over it. There's lots of fuzzy patches on the inside and outside for sticking more stuff. And lots of small, flat pockets to store small, flat things for quick access. I don't even have to open up the main pocket until it's time to eat, or go to sleep.
I put a lot of sweat and tears in doing such an extreme makeover of a M1A, and now I've also put blood into it. In checking things out, I forgot what I was dealing with, and pulled the bolt back with an overhand, rather than underhand, grip. My hand experienced some unplanned contact with the Duerke offset rear sight.
The only blood my weapons have ever drawn has been my own, so far. But this is not a religious ceremony, like a Gurkha blade that must taste blood each time it is unsheathed. This is just a simple rear sight, and a clumsy user.
With my bleeding stopped, I ground a radius on the front edge of the sight protector. It would not be needed on an AR15-type rifle, but this wasn't an AR15. I also emailed my story and picture to the manufacturer. I got back a nice email thanking me for my efforts, and they said they'd incorporate a radius in their new production. If I save one other klutz from ripping up his hand, it will be worth it.
It will also be worth it to me, when (not if) I get clumsy against. I'll still give my hand a good whack, but at least I shouldn't bleed.
The trip to the range proved interesting, and thankfully, not bloody. After sighting in the scope, this was the best I could do at 50 yards. Out of 20 rounds, it would be scored as 198/10X.
I have a lot of faults as a marksman, but this horizontal shot stringing is a new one for me. I'm not sure what to attribute it to. I can't brag about this kind of accuracy, but it's certainly more than adequate for zombie suppression.
I also learned that the straight-line style of the stock, with the recoil vector coaxial with the bore, makes for easier and more pleasant shooting than the ol' M14. The DPMS AR10 clones are even more shooter-friendly, and I attribute that to the much-maligned (but not by me) gas system, which puts all the moving parts on the same axis as the bore, and has less moving mass. In addition, the M1A operating rod and spring put an appreciable amount of moving mass below and to the right of the bore centerline, creating off-axis impulse vectors.
One thing I still have to test. That's a soft plastic op-rod buffer just in front of the receiver. It may soften that sudden stop the bolt makes before moving forward. Or it may interfere with a proper operating stroke, and cause malfunctions. Only range time will tell.
All of this has convinced me of the value of the $6 recoil buffer plastic pad, and the $4 black plastic "twang buster" disk on the rear of the AR15/AR10 buffer springs. Between the two of them, they do a good job of reducing internal noise, jerkiness, and metal-on-metal impact. I could feel a "grittiness" in the M1A that I don't notice in the Stoner family. A smooth-running rifle is more pleasant to shoot, and doesn't introduce more mechanical components to muddy up the accuracy equation.
Still, I love my M1A. It looks space-age, yet still weighs the traditional ton. It is easier for me to shoot, and easier to carry with the folding stock. I know that by saying this, I can never be admitted into the manly-man gun club, but I still think Gene Stoner designed better than he knew.
And I can still get a "filthy" M16 to the proper status of absolute cleanliness faster than a M14.
If anyone still wants to snaig a Precioussss, I left it in the road for someone to pick up.
Obi-Snaig is a name I haven’t heard in a very long time.
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