I wanted to make this one special and it was well worth the wait.  The 16" upper with DD Lite rail saw action right away atop a LMT lower, then hibernated in the safe during our brutal winter.  The lower took much longer to complete for a couple of reasons.  First, I had to buy the punches, buttstock wrench and such to do the necessary upgrades myself after studying the DIY threads/videos here and on the Brownell's site.  Second, that pesky NY AWB required the ACS stock to be pinned.  Not sure if I can truly express how satisfied I was to actually complete my first post ban compliant lower on my own, but I think you guys understand.  The final piece of the puzzle was installing the Geissele SSA trigger today and then she went right out for her maiden voyage.

Porn first, then specs!  













BCM upper specs:
16” CL barrel with 1/7 twist
DD Lite 12” rail
PWS FSC556 (perm attached by ADCO)
BCM BCG
Magpul XTM rail panels
LaRue FUG
Magpul front/rear MBUS
EOTech XPS2-0
BCM Gunfighter Charging Handle
CQD Forward Sling Mount

BCM lower specs:
Geissele SSA Trigger
Magpul ACS stock (pinned) with Enhanced Rubber Buttpad
Magpul MIAD grip
Magpul B.A.D. Lever
Noveske QD end plate
Spikes T2 buffer
Magpul MOE trigger guard
Ambi selector switch

Not shown:
Magpul MS2 sling and QD sling swivel
Huge Sh^t-eating grin on my face!

The Geissele SSA trigger and the ACS stock took this rifle to a whole different level.  Shots break crisply and there is a minimal reset which makes rapid follow-up shots super smooth.  The ACS gives me a great cheek weld like the Vltor E-MOD, but it weighs noticeably less and balances the rifle out much better.   I will definitely be incorporating these into my other rifles.  The Spikes T2 buffer also deserves an honorable mention for soaking up much more of the recoil than the carbine buffers I've been accustomed to.  The only thing I haven’t settled on is a light.  I’m torn between an E2D in an offset mount at 1 o’clock (I shoot rifles lefty), an Insight WX150, or something else with a tape switch that I can mount at 12 o’clock on the rail.  The last option would prove to be the most ergonomic for me, but also the most expensive.

Do I even need to tell you guys how anxious I was to get out to the range with this today?  I zeroed the XPS at 50 yards using 55gr Centurian and shooting offhand from the bench to the COM Shoot-N-See.  The headshots are a 10 shot group (because Molon says so) using the 77gr SMK I keep handy for HD.  The center ring for that Shoot-N-See measures 1.5” in diameter.  



Maybe my group could have been a little tighter if these dudes hadn’t cut in front of my target!


Thanks to all of the enablers here who have in one thread or another inspired most if not all of the components I used to complete my new favorite AR15 rifle!

Very nicely done!

That is awesome!!!

Loads of quality details.  It's clear you thought this one out and planned well.  Quality all around.

Congrats.  

That looks great dude I really like the middy quads... great shooting as well.

Some trial and error with other rifles helped fine tune a few of the choices.  Even went with a BCM BCG that I forgot to mention.

Exactly what I was thinking

Clearly, JW didn't just slap this carbine together with a bunch of random crap that looks cool. Every little detail was aimed to improve overall functionality.

If this is intended to be a defensive weapon the only other thing I would do is add a white light.

Very nicely done JW. Your middy will be around for your grand-kids to enjoy

Whats makes that beautiful stick even nicer is the fact that a whole lot of you went into that b/t reading up in the how-to's and than putting those theories to practice....so because of that this build is nothing but WIN from my POV

eta.....perhaps it did help that you used only the finest china to produce that sexy moma

eta....i have friends who go loco during turkey season and just like your pic....those dumb things strut like peacocks from time to time at my local free WMA range.  Cracks me up every time thinking about how much my pals believe the Turkey is smarter than them.....maybe so, but that only during those few months called Turkey Season  All the other months they ride the shortbus obviously.

If you don't mind me asking, and I'm not trying to be critical, why did you choose the T2 buffer?  I am asking 'cause I am waiting for my big parts to come back from anodizing before I can start my very similar build and, based off feedback from this site, I went with a standard carbine buffer.  Also, do you think you could go into a little more detail regarding the Geisselle trigger?  LIke I said, I am doing a very similar build and I'm anxious for it to come together.  I have never used a specialty trigger before and I purchased the same one you have for the same reasons but never shot one.  Thanks for any feedback you can throw my way!

Very nice rifle!

Very nice rifle man. That is a great set- up.

Very nice.

Nice job!!

Thanks CJan...The arfcom membership is worth every penny - I certainly didn't dream up all of these components on my own.    A light will definitely get mounted on there as soon as I decide which way to go.  

matt- I picked up two Geissele SSA triggers last year when they were very difficult to find.  Now I can understand why: this trigger is head and shoulders above anything else I've shot (standard single stage trigger, LMT 2 stage, RRA 2 stage, and even the SIG556).  The break is light and crisp and the reset is minimal allowing for very rapid follow-up shots.  There were just too many people raving about this trigger and its durability to be ignored.  In fact, I'd rank this as one of the best upgrades I've made on any rifle.

The ST-T2 buffer was something I wanted to try after reading a couple of detailed posts from 87GN.  It turned out to be another great recommendation as the T2 definitely absorbs more recoil and runs smoother than the standard carbine buffer.

I was determined to do the work on this one myself instead of paying a local guy to do it.  The tools paid for themselves after just one use.  I'm very happy with the results, especially the pin job on the ACS.  There was a thread posted on some other board showing a step by step method for pinning an ACS.  I just took my time and followed his lead.  The trick is to keep from drilling the hole through both sides of the buffer tube and stock and fortunately I got it right the first try.  It's a crying shame to have to pin this stock, but it sure beats having a bunkmate named Bubba in the state pen.

As for the turkeys, yeah, they're dumb as rocks.  They came over the berm from my left and strutted across my line of fire!  Me and the other guy at the range were laughing pretty hard waiting for them to clear through before resuming fire.

That is a great looking rifle, especially considering that it has to be ban-compliant. I think anyone, anywhere, would be very happy with a piece like that.

Nice Rifle!

Nicely done, good looking boomstick!

As Mike Tyson said in "The Hangover"..."Niithe!"

That is a very nice looking gun and you are right about the trigger. The Geissele SSA trigger is SO smooth! I have been hooked on those Triggers ever since Steve at ADCO told me about them and I run them in all my guns now, except for one. Enjoy that gun.

That is some quality shit right there! Congrats.

Great stuff!  I'm definitely jealous of that lower!