So Infidel, which handguard do you like better?

Ooops, ETA for top of page

Jury is out my brother.

The Troy is locked up solid but it feels like a cheese grater, a KAC RAS would be a better choice for feel.  The magpul was a lot lighter.

I am really liking the Aero Precision gen 1 quad rail on my 11.5" Sbr ugly stick.

Hey, if the magpul ones aren't mounted right now, would you mind throwing them on a scale for me?   I know they tell what they are on the website but I'm curious about what it REALLY is.  I appreciate the input.  

I'm constantly trying to figure out how to configure my go to HD/SHTF carbine and I still haven't got it quite down yet.  I have a handheld Streamlight Protac AA taped to my double heats right now.....  

I am obsessed with this rifle. Absolutely perfect. Ready to buy.

Finished a mock-up.  Just needs torque and gas tube installed. (I always do this prior to torqueing to make sure parts fit and function). It's my Colt 727 clone.  It's all Colt minus the Tegra Arms lower, which held up to my monkey fisted ham handed lower build..  Sorry for the dark pics I live in a cave.. 

- Colt CM A2 Upper
- USGI A2 Rear Sight Assembly
- Colt Dust Cover Assembly
- Colt Charging Handle (Gen1 Badger Tac Latch)
- USGI "Big Button" Forward Assist
- Colt 2 Position Extension, Plate, Castle Nut (I have a retro lock ring on standby hoping for a Colt)
- Colt N1 Fiberlite Buttstock
- Colt Buffer Spring
- Colt 1980's A2 Grip
- Colt 80-90s "shiny" Handguard
- Colt C marked BCG
- Colt M4 6920 16" CMP Barrel Assembly w/A2 FH
- Colt 1990's LPK
- Colt "silver" FC "S" marked trigger, disconn, and hammer with original chrome springs
- Tegra Arms Lower

I really liked my Rifle Length Troy Bravo rail.  It was a bit rough, but very nice.  I can see why Colt adopted them for certain models.  I would like one for my older M4A3 or a KAC RAS.

The second build in your picture that you have listed as a Canadian A2,   Was also used by the US Army in limted number during The first Gulf War.  Note It had the small round forward assist, weapon made by Colt.


Retired US Army,

I've thrown this elsewhere on the site, may as well put it here too.

My A2 build using a McKay lower, DPMS upper, and PSA parts. Probably one of my favorite rifles even though I don't shoot it enough.

My 10.5" suppressed SBR A2 build.

That's hot.  Super nice.  Gold Star for you!

So... Here is my circa 2001-2004 A2 build, plus a few basic accessories used during that timeframe...

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The heart of this rifle is ...yes - Currently built around an Anderson Arms lower receiver which, will eventually get replaced by an 80% custom-engraved lower.
The upper is a mil-spec Cerro (Key) forging with rifle feed ramps, standard A2 port door, USGI rear sight assembly, & T7075 charging handle. The bolt & Carrier
are a standard M16 unit, and the barrel is a Windam Weapons A2 .gov-profiled with standard A2-height front sight base; peel washer; & A2 flash
suppressor (w/ a shoot-off muzzle cap in place). The barrel also has a standard IR laser mount for a AN/PAQ-4 or AN/PEQ-2A installed (located just aft of the
front sight base & mounted through the hand guards).

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Standard AN/PEM-1 Laser Borelight System (IT-LBS-301) used for basic boresight-zeroing of visible & IR lasers & other optics.

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July 2004 M68 CCO manual & optic (I used a retrofitted Aimpoint Pro as an upgraded substitute in this case) w/ original CCO covers, mounted in an early QRP & Z-bar carry-handle mount.  

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Period-correct A2 Technical and Operator's Manuals...

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Good-old standard M16A2/A4 25-meter zeroing targets...

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Period-correct Eagle Industries TAS-1 three-point sling attached to a Spec-Ops brand 30rd Stock Mag Pouch...

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A couple of New In Wrap / New Old Stock 30rd Center Industries mags (w/ point-less ban-era 'restricted'-markings) from June of 2004...  

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And lastly - A period-correct Lancay M9 Bayonet (w/ straight grip) that was produced @ March of 2000 (or 2001, I don't recall the exact year)...



I'm currently planning on getting an olive drab Pelican case for this build - thinking probably a 1750 rather than a 1720 so as to be able to actually fit all this stuff in there...
Other than that, I think about all that remains to be done is to apply it's rack number to the stock, optic, and the bayonet's sheath, only ... I haven't yet decided which actual slot
in the M12 rack will ultimately be this rifle's final resting place.

P.S...
Please ignore the UID sticker pictured on the mag-well as it would not have been used on a rifle of that timeframe (2001-2004), & is merely a carry-over of my modern-day ICS.

Hope yall have found this post to have been either entertaining and/or informative...
Do I get a Gold Star too?
FlDiveCop71

Getting there.  Field expedient sling up next...

I was culling through parts and realized I had enough for a 727 / XM-4 build for my son (age 18), so I ordered one of the pinned welded Bushmaster M-4 barrels from Numrich, and the kiddo now has his very first Franken AR.

Oh man that is an awesome thing for an 18 year old to get.  That is a great build.

Of course being an 18 year old, he might want to make it more modern.  

Not my kid, he hates all the Pirate Ship, Jango Fett, Star Wars, Star Trek, Pink, Purple, Zombie Green AR's.

Got the Ugly Stick all lined out


Finally got the A2 carbine zero'd

Picked up this A2 Bushmaster HBAR  1/9 upper, Anderson lower with A2 stock and grip, a few weeks ago.
Love shooting  it.... and I really like the fixed stock.

20" toys.  C7, A2, SP1

Just got this..
How did I do?

Not bad.... Not bad at all. Now you just need to swap out those hand guards for a set of USGI round ones.

Thanks. 

Build or factory?

Also I usually don't care for color filled rollmarks.

On this rifle they are spot on.

I bought a complete Armalite Upper (don't know the history)
Then someone was nice enough to offer me an older Armalite lower to go with my Upper.
So, it was not a factory rifle. However I think they are a good match for each other.

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Not sure what the hell is going on on your profile as far as military service goes...  Probably the most icons in that respect I have seen...  But, I do love an A2...

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Where did that hilt come from?

The Imperial knife company.

Wow.  Nice.


After all this time I'm just now starting to notice Colt markings.  So when I say I don't think I've ever seen that marking before, it might not be saying much.  But M4/M16 ?????  It looks brand new too.  

But you really know how to do a carbine.  

R0777 "fixed carry handle M4"

It was a commercial/export transitional model introduced to replace the R0723/727 when the M4 was finalized.

At the time, very few people knew what the hell an M4 was, and the "M16A2E" stands for "M16A2 Enhanced."

Note: while Colt used "military-style" designations, neither "M16A2E," nor "M4/M16A2E" are military designations, though these weapons were purchased and used COTS.  

Great and fairly unusual/unique choice for an 80%!

~Augee

I wonder if that is the reason behind the markings.....  That they knew the military was either buying some or would buy some.  Otherwise you'd think it would be marked AR15 if it was a commercial lower. But that might not make sense either, cuz I don't know what they typically mark them.  I just have my 20" A2 which is marked Sporter  over Target Model.  LOL.  Similar time frame though....  I think mine was made in 94.....

So sweet I got tooth ache just by looking at this.

Commercial/export select-fire models have been marked "M16" of one variety or another since not long after the military adopted them.

These are separate from U.S. domestic civilian market semi-auto guns.  

The previous M16A2 carbines (R0723/725/727/729) were all marked "M16A2" on the lower.  The 777/779 series introduced the M4/M16A2E, while the 977/979 (flattop) used an "M4 CARBINE" rollmark (I am unsure whether any were made with the flattop and M4/M16A2E rollmark, though this would not surprise me early on).  

~Augee

I'll look up all of them numbers, mainly the latter ones, so I know what you're talking about.  LOL.   Some of them don't look familiar to me.  

A2 at the range today:

This model (RO 777) started pop up in 1993.  It was the first carbine I saw that had a factory four position vs the two position collapsible stock.  The first ones I saw were in Africa, being used by members of the French GIGN (Police).  Within a month someone in my unit contacted Colt and purchased ten  M4/16E2 carbines.   I deployed to Columbia in 1993 with one.  I was very impressed with the quality of these weapons.

Regards

Mkay,
I am selling my previous A2 clone because it never got to be what I wanted it to: I like original parts (at least partially, considering that I am in California). 
So I bought this Colt grey, vintage upper I love so much. Came with original Colt BCG and charging handle. 
All I have it to go onto - since it's grey, not black - is my Nodak Spud A1 (actually, XM16) lower. The grey match ain't too bad, after all. But I am looking for a different lower (maybe, McKay?). I need your suggestions, people. I want to make of this a legit A2 clone. 

Now, I have another issue: the front takedown pivot pin ain't locking. I am attaching a close up image of the situation in order for an expert among you to try and suggest what path I shall take to fix this temporarily, until I find a more appropriate lower.

Thanks!


Original Colt A2 Upper on Nodak Lower by SoloDallas, on Flickr

Original Colt A2 Upper on Nodak Lower4 by SoloDallas, on Flickr


Original Colt A2 Upper on Nodak Lower by SoloDallas, on Flickr


Original Colt A2 Upper on Nodak Lower by SoloDallas, on Flickr


Original Colt A2 Upper on Nodak Lower by SoloDallas, on Flickr

You need to run a front pin w/ a detent built in it, like these from CavArms:

http://www.cavmfg.com/CAV-15-MKII-Take-Down-Pins-CAVTDP.htm



ETA:  You could also use a clevis pin and some washers.

Ohhhh, I missed that.  See post below.

You need to use a conversion pin/screw in order to use a large hole upper with a small hole lower.

Thanks - such as this?

Offset Adaptor Pin

ETA: nah can't be. I need an adapter of sorts for a large hole upper to a small hole lower.
Does it still exist? Might have to look into a lower sooner than I thought, the interplay between upper and lower as it stands now is huge.

We just had a thread with this same problem in there.  You need a bushing for the big hole on the upper receiver.  It's an offset bushing that allow the lower receiver's smaller pin to be used.  

for some reason I can't find the link to them.....  here's a pic though:

Attached File


And FWIW, I think a lot of colt A2 commercially sold guns had A1 lowers on them at times.  Even some A2's in the military had A1 lowers that were converted to A2's at Anniston, if I'm remembering that correctly.

You could change the furniture out and make it look more A2.  A2 grip and buttstock...  It looks so A1 with that mottled stock on it.    Looks real good though.  I like it even how it is now.

Thanks brother. 

Yeah, you need the opposite of that - the bushing pictured below your post.

You've got an SP1 upper on a standard lower.

@SoloDallas

I just had this issue. Below is a link for what you seek. Offset bushing for Colt large pin upper.
JSE link

Orders that are up to $100 that qualify ship flat rate. I bought a mix of smalls and paid $4 shipping.

And since this is a tech thread, obligatory pic of my first steps into 20" rifles.

My newly acquired Ex LE 6520 is here and I'm in love, not sure if I'll have it refinished by US Anodizing or not. Has had a cage number ground off (just surface) and a fresh shallow number etched in. Shoots like a dream.

Nice find but that would bug the hell out me.

Well, the plan is a pre ban grey re anodizing and still be under a grand in it.  But you're right, it'll get to me if I don't.