Guys,

Many of you know I have been working on a prototype AR15 project for several months.  I think I finally have it complete and wanted to show off some pictures.  I also want to thank everyone who helped me along the way.  Almost every part someone on this forum provided information for me... from the logo on the crate to ideas for using the AR10 front sight base.

This is an imaginary rifle that I modeled after the idea of the prototypes that were sent to Fort Benning for the Small Caliber High Velocity rifle and ammunition tests.

I have attached several pictures below... It is kind of an anti-climactic end to such a lengthy project, but I think it came out really nice.  I'll let the pictures do the talking... thanks again.

John Thomas
[email protected]

that is incredible!

I think you win 1,000 ARFCOMs!  Very nicely done.

That whole package is awesome!  Truly creative.

It's so cool you win the internets for the week.

That is so effing unbelievably cool!   This is one of the coolest builds I have ever seen!

A BIG + 1








 
 
 

Bravo! It doesn't get much more retro than that.

VERY nice job Captain!
I especially like the presentation!

Man, you have some talent.  The rifle is outstanding by it self, but the other pieces top it off.  I'm impressed by the attention to detail, like the reproduction of the paperwork down to the DD Form number.

You win, hands down.  Just don't let it sit in an attic for a few years collecting dust and forget about it.  Someone might come along and think it's the real deal.

And one last thing, can I borrow it for my kids history project?  I promise I wont shoot it.  

The best reproduction I HAVE EVAR SEEN.

VERY COOOOOL!      80% receiver finished by you and then engraved ? New type AR10 handguards or Orig. Sudenese ?

That's THE highest bar that anyone has ever set on a prototype rifle build so far. That will be hard for anyone to top JT. Outstanding.

Here is a small tip for people like me that have dial up Internet. After the first group of pictures load, do not hit the refresh button. All you have to do is right click on the little white square box with the red X in it, and scroll down to " show picture" and then left click on "show picture". After that picture loads, just continue doing that for each additional picture until you're done. No excuse now for not being able to see this Incredible rig.

I am insanely jealous!

I am putting my three  two "fantasy prototypes" on GB immediately and copying yours!!!  

That is hands down one of the greatest AR's I have seen not just only in the Retro Forum, but on this entire site! Not only does the rifle look incredible, but the case and accessories do as well! Great job!

One of the coolest rifles on Arfcom.

I'm lacking the proper superlatives to heap upon you sir.

Very fine work.

VERY VERY nice! The attention to detail in the whole package is outstanding!

Dammit, I'm rushing out the door to a football game and don't have time to really enjoy this (yet)––but I got to the very first pic and you had me hooked!
I already see this is out-freakin-standing.
I'll be back to study the pics later!

Absolutely Amazing Work!  Kudos to you.  Looks like something that belongs in a museum.

What they^^^^^^^ ALL said!!! Excellent job JT.Well done

This.



Well done, sir!







 

You Sir are an Artist of amazingly impressive talent!!!! My hat is off to you!

Awesome....!!!!!


I however will be the one to pick a nit....


on your DD1575 card you have an "oops"..

You have an NSN for the rifle but since the card was signed in '69 that's not possible....NSNs didnt start until 1974 IIRC.  What should be there is the FSN...just drop the two zeroes after the 1005 FSC number...


But really the attention to detail is amazing!!!

.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................speechless.  Absolutely speechless!  

Holy crap. The attention to detail is amazing - great presentation too. 80% lower?

Fellas, we've been slighted! In the OP, he said there were 30 pictures, but I only counted 26 after I saved them all.

Now if someone would come out with new reproduction brown mottled stocks we would be in buisness.

The manufacturers like armalite should take notice of how much people are willing to pay building accurate reproductions of the originals. They would probably sell a lot of early series rifles if they started to manufacture them again.

Now just get some Magpul gear on that bad boy and you will be set!


Awesome rifle

very nice sir

Simply fantastic came to my feeble mind,  simply fantastic.

Are you f'ing kidding me??!?!!!!?!?!!!!!!!

You are a retro god.

This is amazing; words simply cannot describe...

IT'S BEAUTIFUL!

Guys,

Your compliments are too much... Thanks very much.  Like I said in the original post, I owe the thanks to many members here... you guys are the ones who should pat yourselves on the back for giving me all of the info to complete this.

To address some of the comments:

- It was an 80% lower that I completed myself––-with a Dremel tool and a drill press!
- Great info on the NSN not being available until 1974... I fixed that.
- The brown stock was replicated by me... I do offer this service, you may email me on the side for details and prices.
- The handguard is from an original Sudanese AR10

Thanks again, very much!
John Thomas
[email protected]

You are too modest my friend, the whole build and presentation are Outf%*$#ingstanding!!!!

I also am freaking speachless, YOU ARE THE MAN!!!!! I don't think I will ever be able to post another retro pic, I'm not worthy.

^^^  +1,000,000  ^^^  WOW!!!

The crate, the tag, the 80% lower, the whole build, are all outstanding!

Please, tell us more details about the barrel and the front sight base.
Also, after seeing this I can't wait for the prototype flash hiders!

Very nice! Is that a gas adjustment on the front sight base, and does it work?

The barrel is one of the new in the white barrels that come in the parts kits that have recently become available.  The visible part between the front sight base and flash hider was turned down by my local machinist to .465.

The front sight base... that is a long story.   It is a Portuguese AR10 front sight base (see picture at the bottom) that I heavily modified and got really lucky.  To start with these are pretty tough just to locate.  When I finally found one, it took some nerve (a couple of beers) before I could bring myself to start hacking on it with my primitive tools (all I have is a dremel and a drill press).

I used a hacksaw and cut the entrie rear portion of the front sight base off.  It originally has a rear part that is made to hold the front of the Portuguese handguards and won't work at all with the Sudanese handguard I used.  I filed the cut area nice and smooth.  Next I had to drill the hole all the way through for the gas tube.  The AR10 gas tube is set up completely different.  I tried to conceal the tiny hole for the gas tube roll pin as best as I could.  It is in the right side of the front sight base in the groove where the gas adjustment piece meets the front sight base casting.  It kind of looks like a ding in the metal.  In the front sight base, I had to re-drill a new vertical gas port tube further to the rear of the existing gas tube hole.  The AR10 port is further forward.  I also cut a groove in the bottom of the barrel and sight base to accomodate the sling swivel (it was originally on the left side of the rear portion on the AR10 sight base).  Finally, I used a set screw in the bottom of the sight base to hold it tight in place while I drilled and tapered the holes for mounting it to the barrel.  Then I filed off the head of the set screw and parkerized it all.  The set screw is pretty much invisible.

I got sooo lucky on this front sight base... from even finding it, to it actually all lining up correctly considering what I had to work with.  I would never try this with someone else's parts.  I doubt I could ever do it again.

As a side note, the gas adjustment is rendered inoperative using the method I used.  Also, that gas adjustment plug is hardened steel, and it completely killed my dremel as I bored through it.

Thanks again, if you have any questions, let me know,
John Thomas

Wow   Just wow that is a very nice job you did.

Does the selector work as marked on the receiver? To clarify, does it fire semi when in the "auto" position, or does it fire when the selector is pointed rearward in the "semi" position?

ETA: I love how you used a modern ArmaLite bolt catch. They are my favorite part in an ArmaLite lower parts kit.

Right now, it does not work as labeled.  I am going to weld it up and cut it so it works as labeled on the receiver.  That can wait, but I will do it.

John Thomas

These are kind of neat:

What you have is an artifice. Beautiful.

That is outstanding. The whole packaged set really sells it. The crate, the paperwork, all of it. Absolutely superb.

The obvious question now is, how does it shoot?

That rifle/presentation is absolutely, positively, beyond a shadow of a reasonable doubt .... jaw dropping.

A big thumbs up.

Now you need that girl in the avatar to get dressed in a period correct Army class A to model it for you. BW pics

Oh my.  I just saw this.  It's sick.