I have finished several of my prototype projects recently and know I need to share the results.

First a huge thanks to several folks that made these projects possible.

To NDS and the boys for making the receivers.
The FSB project guys who cast the FSB and John Brace for his finish work.
To Jerrell Sharp, a master craftsman making reproduction lower parts.

And a Huge THANKS to John Thomas, a RETRO GOD, his work is evident in each of these rifles, and he is a pleasure to work with.  Projects done ahead of schedule, under budget and beyond expectation.  He can take a pile of parts and make them into the retro rifle of your dreams.  For the work he does and the magic he performs his prices are beyond fair.

But Enough writing -  Bring on the GUNS.

The three rifles, an AR-15 prototype rifle, an AR-15 prototype carbine with mid length gas, and a Modified AR-10B to resemble prototype

http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1610_zps31144e7c.jpg

The AR-10 left side, it has had the mag release "ears" removed and been coated with Norrells gray to resemble an early AR 10

http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1609_zpsa3580cb2.jpg

AR-10 left side detail of receiver
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1608_zps1ce1f474.jpg

AR-10 made into a slab side with front push pin from John Thomas who also made the handguards
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1607_zpsa7af70dc.jpg

Right side view of the modified AR-10
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1604_zpsd8a2b1ef.jpg


Here are the pics of the AR-15 prototypes, enjoy.

http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1597_zpse99ebf6a.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1595_zps7c39c6b8.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1594_zps2fb77229.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1593_zps1852d1b2.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1592_zps86734ab4.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1591_zpscc0bf90b.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1590_zps3f236c06.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1589_zps9e6518fa.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1587_zps1f8df843.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/johnlrodabaugh/IMG_1603_zps460e0d63.jpg

Hope you enjoyed the views, will post more later including more prototypes, a model 601, 602, 603 & 604  Also Carbines, 605, 607, 608, 629, M231 and my BHD 727

This "hobby' has become all consuming and I might need a new safe just to hold all the retros that are getting build around here.

Nice Builds!

Very, very nice! Quite the handsome family photo.

Speechless.....



Amazing builds, congrats man, they look VERY nice!



I dig those handgards

I am Morg308 and I approve this thread. Nice work. It does make me wonder what some Maroon brown shoe polish would do to that furniture though. Probably not what I would pick for a dying agent, but you get the idea. I have wondered quite a bit if concrete stain wouldn't work well, with a sealer over it.

Beautiful work there !

OMG  i think i'm in love! congrats

Excellent builds.  They all look fantastic.

Very nice looking rifles!

btw: Im the guy you bought the partial fence lower from on gunbroker

That is outstanding work.

Wow!,,,,Great builds and , I sure am intrigued by that FIBERGLASS pattern.

Regarding the Fiber Glass pattern.

The butt stocks and hand guards, were painted and then Hydrodipped in a carbon fiber pattern, then coated with clear coat to protect the pattern.
The work was all done at Northwest Hydroprinting, you can find them on the web, just google them up, they are in Montesano Washington, and do great work.
When we were picking colors the paint samples were darker than they actually came out on the stocks, had wanted them darker, but the paint wasn't as dark as the sample chips and the carbon fiber pattern lightened it up even more.
Not going to change it now, may look at some type of tinted clear coat make it a little darker, but don't want to lose the fiber pattern.

John Rodabaugh

Wow !!! How'd you come across the small parts?

Small parts.

Front push pins on the AR-15s were from NDS.
Front push pin on AR-10 a John Thomas custom pin, sent him the regular front take down pin and had him make a 601 style front pin to length.

Mag catches for AR-15 were Jerrell Sharp dimpled mag catches that were fitted to the NDS prototype lower by John Thomas.

Mag buttons for AR-15 are Jerrell Sharp 601 style copies, on the AR-10 I made the mag button with a thread file and regular button using smooth side, then coated with Norrells Light Gray.

Safeties for the AR-15 were modified by a local welder to actually be on safe when pointing straight up, and then modified into prototype style by John Thomas, engraving by Identimark
Safety on the AR-10 is a Jerrell Sharp prototype safety purchased years ago.

Rear dimpled pins are from Jerrell Sharp as well as the rear sight wheels.

AR-15s done with NDS prototype lower and Upper.
AR-10 was converted to slabside with my dremel tool and a file, thought for sure I was going to ruin it every step of the way, but it came out fine.  I then sand blasted it, and coated with Norrells Light Gray, airbrushing and baking it on.
Notice on the lower on the right side, there are no fire control markings, a little JB Weld, let it dry sand it flat, repeat and then spray on coating, and they are gone.

FSB came from the guys a couple years ago, cant remember all the names, do remember that John Brace did the machine work on them.

John Thomas did all the mounting of FSB and on the AR-15 turned the barrels down, had the bipod collars made by a local guy who swears he will never do another, but maybe, all welding and finishing done by John Thomas.

Hand guards were NDS AR-10 style handguards, converted by John Thomas to one piece, he made the short carbine, and made the AR-10 one slightly longer, they were then painted and hydrodipped.

Pistol grips are real 601 grips minus the green paint, sling swivel had plastic burned off and cut and mounted to the grips.

Butt stocks are plain old AR-15 solid stocks, sling swivel holes filled with JB Weld, sanded, painted and hydrodipped.

Flash Hiders came from Brownells, and on the AR-15 were turned down in a lathe to .75 inches from original .85 and then refinished.

So much more work into this stuff, hope this at least helps explain some of the work.

John Rodabaugh

Forgot to mention, on the AR-10 had the shell deflector removed form the upper by John Brace a true master of machine work, can't even tell it once had that ugly black bump.

The AR-10B was all black with the bump and full fence lower, didn't really look retro at all, it is now a slabside lower with no shell deflector and is gray, the grandfather of all our retro rifles, what Armalie should have made when they did the AR-10B

Also removed the park from the bolt and polished it with rubbing compound so it looks like it is as chrome carrier.

John Rodabaugh

You done good.

Outstanding !



But they need a little patina, just a wee bit

Wow. Those are superb. I have a couple of their AR cousins waiting to get FSBs pinned in the near future. The AR10-B is truly an inspiration. Sorry I missed out on one of those when Armalite was selling the last of them as loss leaders about a half dozen years back. What you have done with your 10B is quite proper.

I would look at the brown shoe polish mentioned earlier if you wanted to darken them. I had an interesting 601 hand guard that I had to do some sanding on, and those spots were a lot lighter. Some brown shoe polish and buffing really did the trick for me.

How did you get the nodak receivers without their manufacture markings?

their prototype lowers have the markings at the front of the magwell

Great looking builds!  You should be proud of them.  Thanks for sharing your pics and rifles with us.

Outstanding work! Well done...

Nice builds!  It's nice to see a fellow Washingtonian on the forums.  Met you a few times before at the local shows, but didn't know you were interested in any of the retro stuff.  If you're at the next show, I'll stop by and say hi.

Job well done!

Gentlemen,

Tried some kiwi brown shoe polish on the butt stock and hand guards, and all I can say is "oh my god" it really cut the white glare from the hydroprinting and darkened the furniture nicely after only one coat.
Cant believe the difference already, a couple more coats and they wont look like the same rifles, thank you all for the help, I am amazed at the difference.

Thanks to all for the nice comments, I spend over two years trying to make these projects a reality, and the feedback has been awesome, for those of you in Washington, the guns will be on display this weekend at the WAC show in Puyallup.

For those of you who don't know, WAC, the Washington Arms Collectors, have an 800 to 1000 table gun show every month in Puyallup Washington, WAC is a private club with about 20 thousands members, and I just happen to be President of that club.

I will be displaying my new prototype builds there, non members are welcome to attend our shows, but firearms are only for sale to members.

Our biggest show is in October, and I will be setting up a huge display of retro guns, focusing on the AR, including carbines, rifles, prototypes, and other Viet Nam era gear, my gun show table friend Barry Vincent, a two tour Viet Nam Vet will bringing some Nam Era sniper rifles along with some captured gear that he personally brought back form his time in country.  I am honored to share space with Mr. Vincent, a holder of two Bronze Stars with V and three Purple Hearts from his service to our Nation at time I was still in diapers.

My service was much later in the 1980. and we only battled a "Cold War" not a hot one as so many others.

Thanks again for the kinds words, and come on out to our shows, and get fondle my new toys, they should be making  range trip very soon.

John Rodabaugh

All three look good, I'm looking forward to seeing them at the October show.

So, no pics of the reworked handguards? Were you able to get all the extra shoe polish off? Did you have to seal it with clear? I mentioned shoe polish because I've consider using it on a stock I have, but would really like to know if you get a residue on your hands or chin from this when shooting... Come on John - where's dem pics?

I thought that selector looked familiar! It sure did find a nice home. Great rifles you have there, I only wish your show was a little closer.

+1 That sounds like a lot of fun....

Wonder if he's ever going to post pictures of the refinished butt stock and handguard.

THIS.

Anything?

I saw them at the show, the were darker.  I'll volunteer to take pictures at the October show if OP is too busy.

Too busy to post some pics in a thread he started? Whatever.