Okay,

I have a new project that your all prob going to laugh at me over.........I mean after all, I have been laughing at myself over it, but what the hell.
A few weeks back I picked up a very neat H&R upper that has (what appears to be) damage from shrapnel or a bullet.  It does not look like a weld damage to me.  I have had two others examine it and they agree.  The metal appears to have stretched inward from the hole instead of melted or burned.  Also, some old repairs were made as in just cleaning the inside up a bit so a bolt will work in it.  Its a very neat upper and it has a very neat finish to it.  

When I first got this upper, I was not even sure what I would be doing with it.  SO, i just held it and admired it.  Later on, I found a somewhat matching charging handle for it.  So i picked it up and put them together.  I also put a NOS A1 ejection port door on it.  However I have removed the new A1 ejection door and used it on another build.

Then I found a damned GM Hydromatic barrel for sale on the EE.  I am sure you all seen it.  It is a DUMMY only barrel as its in fairly rough shape...."Dummy" just like me for buying it...LOL.  But I thought to myself.  It would look really nice on my H&R upper.  LOL.  

So I got it!  Once it arrived I found out that it really is not savable or shootable.  I mean you could prob so some stuff to make it functional but the barrel is very pitted and would not be safe in my opinion.  The barrel extension has been welded in one spot and its also cracked in two places.  Its also egged shaped.  So I have resigned it to just being a dummy/display barrel.  But still the barrel has nice proof marks and its well worn.  It matches the well worn upper just fine.  I am currently in the process of trying to get the barrel to fit inside my upper (thats why the barrel extension has been polished).  Looks like I will need to get my buddy put it on his lathe and turn it down some, or at least round....as its egged shaped.

SO, having decided that this is going to be a dummy/display rifle only......I am going to need to look for some well worn and used parts to finish it.  I mean am I a dummy for wanting to preserve these historical parts in the form or a dummy/display gun?  I just hate to see them sit in my parts box doing nothing.  At least if I build them into a rifle I can hang it on my wall beside some pictures of family members in uniform and perhaps even a picture of John Wayne from the Green Berets!  LOL.

So far, I will need to locate the following additional  parts, and would prefer them to be well worn and matching if at possible.  I mean obviously I would not want to use good parts for a dummy gun!  
The way I see it I will need to locate.........

- gas tube (hate to use a good one) but might find someone with a non functioning one out there??
- A1 FH (need to find a well worn out one)
- Set of triangular hand guards (needs to be well worn and cracked)
- Very well worn A1 pistol grip
- Slip ring (would love to find one similar in finish to my upper, but even just a well worn one would work)
- Ejection port door (very well worn)  The one that was on it in the pictures has been used in another build of mine.
- BCG (hoping I can find a FA one out there that is not usable)  I might have a lead on one, but not 100%

As for the lower parts.............well I have a friend that says he might have a well worn type D rear stock.  But he is not sure and has to find it first.  I would also need to find the buffer tube and a stock bolt.  But any well worn A1 (cracked type D or E) rear stock should work.

As far as what to do about a lower..........I have no idea.  I really hate to tie up a functioning A1 lower receiver for a dummy/display gun, but maybe some of you have an idea for me?  
Maybe I could contact one of the MFG or someone that reprofiles A2 lowers to A1........to see if they have a messed up one thats not a functioning receiver?

If you guys have any ideas or options that I am over looking, please let me know.  

Thanks and just thought I would share.  

Cool project.  I tend to keep old unserviceable parts and may have a few items you can use.

Cool Beans........yea I just feel the need to keep these parts and put them back they way they were when they served.
a century down the road......if we are still here......someone might still enjoy them.  

Thanks I would appreciate any assistance with parts you can give.

MIght find a BC here :




I do like the idea and no you are not a dummy in any way. I would say you are thinking outside the box a bit. Which is good.

Like all the pics so far.

Cool idea. I would consider using an 80% lower and not milling out the FCG pocket. You could drill down from the top and add a detent, spring, then drill and tap it for a set screw to make the selector work. The trigger would take more work, and I would consider cutting an old one and gluing it in place. I mean, it's a display right? This is the perfect time to consider re-profiling an A2 80% lower IMO...of course, the engraving will cost more than the rest of the gun...

That upper is pretty damn cool, will a BCG slide in or is it too damaged? That damage sure looks like a bullet hole to me but who knows... If it could only talk.

Man, I totally agree with you there.  I have sat watching TV with the upper in my hand.... thinking if only you could tell me where you have been and what have you experienced!

Yes, a BCG will work just fine in it.  It has been fired in this condition.  

how about a 80% roll marked and then Anodizing look up soumbobs stuff

Wow, yea what a shame.
But it would prob be possible to just tack weld one of these BCG back together.........and make it work?

Sweet project! I a little partial to worn gold GMs.



PS, I have your cracked handguards..

Maybe. Like they say on the toilets at the HW store - "For Display Purposes Only"

We're only laughing because we recognize the signs of RBRD disease!



























































































 

 

Oh that is a very nice looking upper, too bad someone torched it.  :(  That one is in a really nice state of wear, both the color underneath (gold in this case) and the black dye are clear.  It would be cool to see an entire rifle done in that state of wear.  I am guilty of putting two of these things together myself, the 2nd one didn't turn out that nice so I am going to swap the upper receiver with another one.  Getting matching parts is real hit and miss, trigger guards seem to be the easiest to find, I have never found a real slip ring out in the wild.  I think I have one that another member here polished down from a black one, I'll take a look over the weekend.  I won a gold mag button on GB and no one else bid on it, I don't know if that is because there was lack of demand or if no one else saw it or people were being polite to me.  ( I don't know how much demand there is for these gold parts)  Here are a couple pics of mine, this is the upper receiver that got me started:



Here are two of mine and one that belongs to a friend.  Two were made from old A1 forge lower receivers but I recommend against using an older receiver, use a modern metallurgy lower receiver like NDS or re-profile an 80%.

The guy who had that upper once had tons of d emilled h&r and gm parts lots of early stuff

Not too sure but I don't think WP is hot enough to burn through aluminum, but it looks like it could have been hit with a piece of a high temp incendiary device.
If you need a GM bolt catch, shoot me an email with your address and I'll send you one.
Dave

I know this pain, I'm building a dummy gun also, and damaged parts
Aren't as easy to get as you would think.  It's taken a while but I've managed to get it all.
Some parts from the generosity of our members, others from placing a WTB add.
.
A while back BILLBO was selling some really worn port doors , might hit him up.
I don't know if anyone offered above, but I've got a set of  REALLY
worn handguard you can have.

The receivers the pain, no easy way around it, at least for people
With RBRD. I'd take Morgs advice and use a 80% lower

This is one of my favorite rifles and the reason
I did the BFPU treatment on mine

Willy Pete would easily melt that aluminum.

Thank you Dave.
I will shoot you an email first thing tomorrow.

Thanks!

Thanks man!
I will get in touch first thing tomorrow.

Spence

Lol...
This has become one of my favorite retro parts....
)

Loving all the pics in this thread. The gold and dark patina on all this stuff is having an affect on me. None of my rifles look right now

Perfectly said......It's hard to explain to people why I buy worn parts.  They just have to see the beauty in it themselves.

Most everybody remembers when they were a kid and had to go to school with brand new sneakers on.  Between home and school doing what'ever you could just to but some scuffs and patina on those shoes before anyone see's them.  They just didn't look right.

Hah, that's funny... I used to get made to change into my old sneakers after school before going out to "play" as a kid. I had to start buying my own sneakers when I got to Junior High, my folks thought it was blasphamy to spend $120.00 on a pair of sneakers. Now that I'm older I don't spend more than $50.00 or so on a pair of sneakers, but I'll shell out good money for a nice pair of boots.

Also a while back a guy popped on the forum talking about stocks .
I think he went by -2000lambovet.
He lives about thirty minutes from me and I was able to meet him face to face to buy
Some stocks, he had a ton of them!  He told me at the time
He had bought three 55 gallon drums full
Of stocks , I think it's where my type B came from
That was painted over black. He was selling them for
15$ from what I remember.

Type B
Wow.........so cool!


Thanks to all who have posted on this thread.........I appreciate the help and information!
I love this place!

Hell yes it would. WP burns at roughly 5000 degrees F, aluminum melts at just 1200 degrees F. WP melts damn near everything, hence its effectiveness and widespread use an anti materiel incendiary.

I definitely think that's what made that hole. I think an M15 WP grenade or the like would be the worst goddam thing I could think of getting hit with. Shit is naaaaasty.

Great Score! Have you seen Banshee's Type B stock? It's one of the nicest 601 stocks I've seen as far as having 99.9% original finish on it and condition.

White Phosphorus is no joke.

THIS. Scary stuff. Anything that burns underwater is bad ju-ju.

Mine was perfect , it literally looked new,,,, until I screwed it up.
The stock was black, with a rack number that looked like it was written with
A paint pin and in a strange place. I thought it was a run of the mill type D .

My plan was to butcher it up than cover it with fiberglass mesh .
Using it as a test stock for a prototype , or a practice stock.
The black came off easy , after that I hit the primer .
But what I thought was primer was actually 601 green paint.
It just didn't dawn on me until I saw brown...
Than I stopped.  I had no use for it at the time,so I traded
It to Dr. John Thomas . He was able to match the small part of green paint I removed
And used it for something. Moral of the story.... Check every stock you buy!

If I did something like that, I'd run into the wall at a full sprint and knock my ass out on purpose.... Oh man that must of been a moment where you wanted to cry/scream/kick your neighbors pit bull and stand there.

I don't have any of the black slip rings that polished through to gold, those must have been the ones I sent in to be re-finished.  Keep us updated on your progress, I'm really busy right now but I think I have a GM style grip that has a chunk broken off at the bottom that might be a good match for your project.  (I think it is broken off the left side / the same side as the hole)

ETA:  Another way to display this rifle / parts would be to have an aquarium / terrarium glass top coffee table with the beat-up rifle partially buried in the earth with moss and plants growing on / around it. :)

Ya..... Defenatly a oh sh-t moment

 
















 

You would need some 122 mm rocket shrapnel also on that table. I have a paper weight that I made with a handful of shrapnel in a small block of clear  resin.

If I was single

Wow,

That is one beautiful M16A1!  I do love that gold finish..............thanks for sharing that picture.
I assume that is the real deal lower and all?  If not, I would love to know how you did that finish.

Thanks, I will send you a PM with some questions if you don't mind.

Thanks for the information and wow..........again.  just beautiful!
Those are some very nice golden M16's!!  
It all makes sense now, see my favorite 007 movie growing up was "Goldfinger"

Man, that is such an awesome idea on a way to display.  I had a similar idea that involved making a coffee table that looked like a transit case.........but this idea is way cooler!~!

I might just have to mess around with this idea in my head and shop a while.  After all it is winter, so its the perfect time to do some carpentry out in the shop.  Thanks.  I will certainly keep this post updated and see where it goes.

Also, I will send you a message and email regarding the A1 pistol grip..........maybe after the holidays things will slow down.  It sounds like the perfect grip for my project.

Thanks

Looks real deal don't it? Ha, my work here is done!

That is an 80% braceman lower that I finished milling and had Victor @ USAnodizing do a custom black over gold finish. This was a few years ago, so don't know if that is an option these days, or whether Victor is even taking custom work right now.

Barrel and furniture has since been swapped for orignial GM parts, I should take it out and get an updated pic....

Still have another complete all GM kit to put together, you can see all about it in the GM/H&R sticky. Just need to finish my redbaby lower and have that anodized, gotta get my head back in the game!

Awesome as well.
This is sort of what I had thought of doing a while back, but just never finished the thought or planned it out.
I was looking at making a transit case coffee table.  I might just have to do what has been suggested.  Using some other parts and make a display of sorts.

Thanks to all who have posted and shared!!

Don't forget a rusty VN zippo

Hello All,

I just wanted to post somewhat of an update thus far.  I have received more then a couple of responses offering up parts and advise.
I would like to Thank all of you.  

I have picked up a very appropriate type D rear stock for this build so far.  So I have attached few pictures of it.  I will still need to find a rifle buffer, buffer spring, and the buffer tube to finish it.

I have been given an old worn out stripped bolt.  i will need to find a matching bolt carrier.

I have also decided to send an 80% lower out to be profiled into an A1 and use it for the lower.  I am still deciding on what I would like to have engraved on the lower..... hmmmmm.

But i would also like to wish all of you a Very Merry Christmas as we are a week out............and whether you are or are not with family.......that you all at least have a peaceful Holiday!

Thanks to you all.  

Could this be saved. I mean why waste time building a dummy when you might could weld up that hole and build a working rifle!

Weld the hole up, build a working rifle. No room for dummies in retroland. RBRD TAKES OVER!

That would be really sick for a gun room/man cave/library type display.

The upper will work just fine with the hole.  But the GM barrel assembly i have mated with it, well its far from being safe to shoot.  Its just not saveable.

Meh, I fondle/look at my guns 10x more than I shoot them, I think it would be much more appropriate as a type of memorial.

Personally I'd have that chamber welded up though.

Yes....I do plan to have the chamber welded up or somehow modified so it won't chamber a round.  Just in case I kick the bucket and the wife sells it...so someone can't attempt to shoot it....lol.  Thanks for the suggestion.

Think these will work?