Hi all,

I was thinking about photo dumping in other existing threads, but I figured instead of polluting someone else's thread with my photo spamming and running things off track, I'd better start a new thread.  Besides that, I'm not even sure how to classify this thing.

AR-15s and AR-10s and all variants are considered “Restricted” firearms in Canada, so that means they have to be registered, they can only be used at designated shooting ranges, and cannot be hunted with or taken into the woods or gravel pit to plink with.  As a result, some manufactures have built ARish platforms from scratch to get around the stupid law.  This one is supposedly based off the AR-102, which predated the AR-10 and AR-15 (someone correct me if I’m wrong, I’m not well versed with the history) so it cannot be considered a “variant”.

Anyway, the BCL-102 is still a very new thing here, so there have been hiccups along the way, trying to figure out what parts are compatible and what not.  Once the build is complete (and actually working), I can post some pics of the final product in the other threads, but at this point, I don’t even know which threads this rifle would be suitable in.  It shares some similarities with AR-10s as well as DPMS pattern rifles, but I don’t think it fits either category.  Is there an AR-102 thread floating around somewhere?

Here's what I had when I started this endeavor, which wasn't much, lol!



I really wanted to build a Mk11 Mod 0, Mod 1, M110 clone, but wasn't sure any of the KAC parts would fit, but I wanted my rifle to look something like that.  The problem was, I had no experience with anything AR outside of the standard 5.56mm AR.  When I started to research AR-10s and DMPS pattern rifles, it boggled my mind, trying to figure out parts compatibility.  My first speed bump on the path to building the rifle I wanted was the hand guard.  I had no idea if the KAC hand guard barrel nut would fit the 102s threads, let alone other parts.

Clone correct glass on the M110 was the Premier/TT, but that is beyond me.  I wasn't keen on putting a Mark 4 on it, because I wanted something with more magnification, but there was no way I could afford a TT or used Premier.

I also decided that other KAC parts would run the cost of this build far higher than anything I'd previously attempted (The correct A2 butt stock from KAC runs about $400 USD) so I decided to give up on the idea of building a spec-clone and just go with something close enough.

I still wanted the cheese-grater look and surprisingly, that was a lot harder than I imagined.  Finding quad rails nowadays isn't exactly easy as it used to be.  Armalite has apparently discontinued their quad rail free-float hand guard for their Super SASS so I had to source a used one.

Anyway, more to follow.

My buddy’s BCL 102:



Groups:



He shot the bottom four groups and asked me to try it out so I shot that one on the top sheet right after.  To be honest, we were quite happy that the thing even ran, let alone not shoot minute of side-of-barn.  BCL, or Black Creek Labs was previously known as North Eastern Arms, and they did not have a good reputation for producing reliable firearms.



The group that I shot after his 4 changed my mind about the company so I decided I wanted one.

My BCL 102 receiver set arrived.  Two weeks and change from the time I ordered to the time it arrived at my door.  Some people have waited the better part of half a year for their complete rifle, only to end up swapping out most of the parts anyway when they customized their rifles.  I didn't mind the wait because it gave me a chance to see if there were any bugs in the first few batches, as well as give BCL a chance to work them out.  Also, I wanted to see how well these things performed.





The proprietary parts that came with the receiver set.  I heard the first few batches were missing some of these so those customers got theirs mailed out to them separately.  Included was the front pivot pin (no springs or detents for it - those will come from the LPK you buy for it), as well as the bolt catch plunger, the right side of the ambi bolt catch system, an hex screw to keep it in place, as well as hex screw to keep the regular bolt catch (from your LPK) in place.



I was pretty impressed with the fit and finish.  This surprised me because under their previous name (North Eastern Arms/NEA), they had a horrible reputation for making substandard and poorly finished firearms and firearm parts that were prone to breaking, not functioning, or fitting poorly.  This does not appear to be the case with this particular example.



I did not detect a significant amount of machine marks, but there were a few minor ones.  I personally don't care, but I'm, just reporting what I see.  There was a minor blemish above the selector hole in the upper receiver, and there are minor machine marks under the Cerakote by the lip of the mag well.











It sure does appear to be a seamless fit.





Although it's hard to see, I held a flashlight behind the receiver set and barely any light got through the seams.



Another thing I tried was the A2 rifle length receiver extension.  As per Midwayusa.com, the product name for this is:

DPMS Receiver Extension Buffer Tube AR-15 A1/A2 Stock

The one I ordered for my buddy was:

AR-Stoner Rifle Extreme Duty Buffer Tube Assembly LR-308 A2 Stock Aluminum Black

Anyway, I will have to talk to my buddy and look at his 102 again, because the one I ordered for my buddy was able to capture the buffer retainer, the one I got for myself does not.  Fuck.

Our friends at Aztec Armouries bring these into Canada for us.

One other thing I noticed was the grip screw hole was not drilled all the way through like on AR15 lowers:

The receiver set compared to other Tan/FDE/Coyote brown finishes.



On top of my Mk18 Block II clone (which in itself is 50 shades of FDE)





Compared to my Cadex Lite Strike



Compared to my PGW LRT-3, which is a different color than the Steiner M5Xi Coyote Brown.

A few other parts showed:

1.  AR Stoner Bolt Carrier Group LR-308 308 Winchester Nickel Boron finish
2.  DPMS Ejection Port Cover LR-308 Matte (parkerized finish)
3.  DPMS Ejection Port Cover Pin LR-308 Matte
4.  DPMS Ejection Port Cover Spring AR-15, LR-308
5.  PRI Big Latch Over-sized Charging Handle Latch AR-15, LR-308 Steel Matte





To continue with the Mk11/M110 clone theme (reminder, this is not going to be spec clone), I also got a Knight's Armament Folding Micro Rear Sight, 200-600 meter adjustable P/N 25650.  I have one of these on my Mk12 clone build and have never used it, and probably will never use this one either, but it's well made and will probably function as required if needed (and if I ever get a front sight, lol!).



The Nickel Boron (NiB) from Midway seemed like it was finished VERY nicely, but who knows if it will function in this rifle, lol!










I think the staking of the gas key screws could have been a bit more aggressive, but let's see what happens in the long run.  This product is so new, they don't have any reviews of it yet.



The firing pin retaining pin is not the standard cotter pin style (remember, I’m new to these).  It came out pretty easily, which concerns me a bit, but once in the upper, I think it's captured and won't fly off into space.





I still don't know what the correct way is to test the gas rings, but the bolt wasn't as loose as the factory BCL 102 BCG so maybe that's a good thing?



I noticed the firing pin did not have a spring like the factory BCL 102 BCG.  To be honest, I don't know a thing about ARs in 308, so I can't really speak to the benefits of one design over another.  To me, this one seemed very much like a scaled up AR15 BCG.

I should get those headspace gauges to make sure this thing doesn’t kaboom the first time I shoot it.  Here's where the BCG sits fully seated.

A collection of parts.  I still needed the gas block (.875"), gas tube (mid length), LPK, and maybe a front BUIS at the time

I wasn't going to start piecing this thing together until I had all the parts, but I couldn't resist.  I really like the Badger Ordinance Tac Latch, but since I was going for a certain look, I decided to swap it out in favor of the PRI unit.  I was going to buy a complete PRI Gas Buster charging handle for 308, but I didn't feel like fitting one to the receiver (yes, a standard charging handle does not fit the receiver and material has to be removed from the charging handle to make it work, so since I had a spare BCL 102 charging handle laying around, I decided to just swap the latch.









Next was the dust cover.  I had no idea which dust cover to order, so I took a gamble and ordered a DPMS pattern one.  Next was to figure out how to install it.  I haven't done many of these, so I just used my Mk18 Block II as reference.













The universally hated wing logo from BCL, which seems to be finding its way onto every new part they produce.



Thankfully, I had a solution for my rifle.



And just to make sure the rear BUIS would not interfere with mounting glass, I did a quick test fit and it seems okay.

Since this is a Canadian made rifle, I had a feeling any screw would be metric, and sure enough, the two Hex screws that came with it were metric….ish…they were actually somewhere in between because I could not find a metric hex key or an imperial size one that fit perfectly.



I used to edit out serial numbers or use electric tape to cover them up, but since I had a home-made UID sticker handy from one of my other builds, I just slapped it on this one.





The threads were a wee bit tight, but probably because of the Cerakoting.  A squirt of G96 helped ease it in.



What the other screw is for.  As you can see, if you hammer in a roll pin, you'll never get it out.

I read there are two different size screws.  Mine looked the same, but for any Canucks reading this, you should double check.

I also dug out a few spare LPK parts from my spare parts bin so I figured I'd at least install the front pivot pin.



















Fit like a glove.





As I mentioned earlier, the receiver extension I had would not capture the buffer retainer.  I may try my buddy's and if necessary, order another one from MidwayUSA.

I noticed I was not the only one who experienced this

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1674821-BCL-102-stripped-receiver-set-thread?p=14874930&viewfull=1#post14874930

Ryan from SFRC stated the hole is in the right place so maybe the cerakote is a bit heavy on the back end of the lower.

I had a spare Norgon ambi mag release.  It installed just like normal.





The only thing I see people having an issue with is the mag release fence which surrounds the button.  If you have fat fingers, you may not be able to depress it easily.

So, against my better judgement, I decided to slap the thing together.  I'm still missing a pile of parts, not to mention the barrel nut tool, but I figured I'd just "mock it up"





The barrel nut was tight going on.  At first, I thought maybe the barrel nut had the wrong threads, and I was worrying about cross threading the receiver...but I took a chance and spun it a few turns and realized it was just really tight because of the cerakoting.



I could actually make quite a few turns by hand, but eventually, it got too tight and I had to start using tools....though not the correct ones.  I used a regular AR15 wrench, but was only using one lug inserted into the barrel nut.  But since I was just mocking it up and not really torqueing anything down hard, I figured this would be ok.  A little Vaseline helped too, lol!  When the Armalite barrel nut wrench arrived later on, I torqued it down properly.





I also improvised using an AR15 receiver block wrapped in cloth and it seemed to clamp down on the receiver just fine.





I actually got the barrel nut on there pretty good.  Thought I was pretty smart until I realized I'd left off the locking ring for the hand guard, lol!





So off came the nut, and back on again.





And that was my upper slapped together.

Next, I had to tackle the issue of not having any spare lower parts kits.....so decided to butcher my 10.5" shorty with the stripped KAC lower it was assembled using the Armalite Tactical Two Stage Trigger kit, and I would need the trigger for the 102 anyway.



It was the first time I'd ever stripped a lower of all its parts.  To be honest, it wasn't that hard.  The only thing I left was the front pivot pin since the 102 has its own.



Reinstalling all of the parts was almost second nature at this point, and it was basically exactly the same as any other AR15.



Since the receiver set was cerakoted, and I had experienced tight threads earlier with other sections of the receiver, I was careful to put dabs of CLP wherever I thought friction would be involved, in this case roll pins.





Trigger guard done.  I was thinking about using an aftermarket "enhanced" trigger guard, but since this was supposed to be some sort of clone of an existing military rifle, I decided to stick with a standard AR trigger guard.

Next was the left side of the bolt catch, basically where I left off last post.  Since the other side was done, all I needed to do was drop the plunger supplied by BCL.



Next was the spring from the regular AR LPK.



Then the plunger for the bolt catch that came with the LPK.



The last thing to do is lock it all in place using the screw supplied by BCL (all this could have been avoided....read earlier post)....and here's where my nightmare began.  I was careful to give dabs of CLP, but it wasn't enough.  Because the hole was so tight, I really wasn't sure if I was cross threading the thing or what.  I decided to push through, and the hex wrench slipped.  Fuck.  A few more attempts to turn it, and it just kept on spinning.

What I didn't realize at first was that it wasn't the receiver that was stripped, it was the screw.  The hex key was made of harder steel than the screws and I ended up stripping the head, not the threads, that's how tight the hole was.  I managed to back the thing out and put it aside.  I backed out the screw I installed on the other side, and started to spin it in on the left side.  It got tight again, so instead of cranking on it, I tightened a bit, then backed out, then tightened, then backed out, sort of like the same thing as cranking on a muzzle device onto a crush washer.

Anyway, I got the screw all the way in, with no issues, but I still had the semi stripped screw for the ambi side of the bolt catch

I managed to get the screw in part way into the hole for the ambi side of the bolt catch, but then the screw head was so far gone and stripped that the hex key just kept spinning inside it.  I ended up super gluing the key in the screw and I'd let it sit while I worked on the rest.



The Armalite trigger dropped right in, using AR15 size pins.  I have heard that lighter AR15 triggers might not have enough mass to move the firing pin on AR 308s, so we'll see if this one will work or not.



Next was the selector switch and rear take down pin.  Those slipped right in, but BCL/NEA has always been quirky about their rear take down pin detent and spring location.  Instead of using the rear plate, they use the pistol grip to capture the spring.



So, from the bottom, you have to insert the rear takedown pin detent, then the spring.



Then insert the selector switch detent, then the spring into the grip.  I remember my buddy Alex's selector switch was unusually tight, so I made sure I used plenty of CLP to lube the selector and detent.





Actually, it really wasn't that hard to install this way.



Next, I had to go back to my fuck up.  That stupid stripped screw.





I managed to get a few more turns in, and was down to the last 1.5 threads when it just wouldn't turn anymore, then the bubba inside me took over……



….I taped it all up and took a file to the fucking thing.  This thing was never coming out anyway, so I started filing.





I did a pretty good job I'd say, but the ambi side of the mag catch is never coming out.

I slapped the rifle together, though I'll need to finish the thing properly when a few more things come in.  I also had to decide whether I wanted to take the Krylon to the stock and hand guard.









The selector was way smoother than my pal's.  I'm not sure why, but I'm quite happy with it.









Anyway, at this point, I still needed the gas block, gas tube, a different grip that I ordered, as well as the Armalite barrel nut wrench to torque down the barrel nut properly.  Sure enough, they started to show up.

I've spent money on dumb things before, but this one is right up there on the stupidity/OCD meter.



KAC M110 Taupe A2 grip.  It cost roughly 5 times as much as a regular A2 pistol grip up here, the only difference is it comes in a KAC box....and it's taupe.  Near as I can tell, it's basically identical to a regular A2 grip.





It has an F stamped in there, but I have no idea what that means.  I know my Diemaco ones have the Diemaco mark in them, and I also have a Colt A2 grip with a C in it, but I have no idea what the F stands for.





The KAC grip didn't color match the BCL receiver set, as expected.  And I doubt the spray paint I bought for some of the other furniture will match either, lol!

The grip showed up with some other stuff, like a factory BCL gas block, and a DPMS parkerized 308 BCG.



I got a smoking deal on this BCG.  It was previously enjoyed, but saw very little use, and for that, I paid less than half of what these things go for retail.



Comparison between the DPMS and the AR Stoner NiB BCG.













Both BCGs seem decent, nothing to write home about, but time will tell which one, if any will work.

So, I had the thing assembled, but only partially because I was still missing the gas tube, and I didn't have the proper Armalite barrel nut wrench, but since the gas block showed up, I made it work.  I borrowed a gas tube from another rifle, but it seemed a bit loose in the gas block, which concerns me.  The gas tube roll pin seemed tight enough, but who knows since the block, the pin, and the tube came from different sources.



Anyway, I stripped the thing apart and took the Rustoleum to some of the parts.  I am probably going to get some heat from some of my pals who aren't fans of painted firearms, lol!



I have a few A2 stocks, so I didn't mind painting this one.  Also, I'm not at the point in the where I feel like shelling out $467 USD for the clone correct KAC M110 stock (not yet anyway, lol!)



Since the locking ring was already on the upper, I didn't want to bother taking off the barrel nut again so I just masked everything around it.



A few KAC rail covers.



I really wish this was a KAC hand guard, but beggars can't be choosers, and the Armalite hand guard is nothing to scoff at.  It's well made, it just isn't clone correct, but it will probably be the closest I'm going to get for this build.



As suspected, none of the colors match, unlike the real M110, but at this point, I have accepted the fact that I not only do not have the funds to make it clone correct, some of the parts will probably be difficult to source in the US, let alone Canada.  Not to mention the fact that I still don't know if the KAC hand guard would work with the BCL receiver (barrel nut threads).



Anyway, it doesn't look too bad I don't think.  Actually, I also liked it with the black hand guard, grip and stock, but I was curious how this would turn out and to be honest, I'm fine either way...if only I could have two of these.

























With a few of my other projects, some of which I took the OCD to the next level to appease the clone Gods.







The KAC hand guard from my Mk12 clone is so similar in design to the Armalite hand guard that I wondered if they had the same designer.  The locking rings appeared nearly identical.  I wish I had the patience to take them both handguards off and compare the two side by side.

KAC:


Armalite:


I’m really curious if the KAC handguard will fit onto the Armalite barrel nut.  I know the thread patterns are different, but the nut and locking ring look identical.

As an afterthought, it might have been easier to do an Armalite Super SASS clone than the Mk11 mod 0 clone, lol!

If anyone is curious about the parts list:

Surefire muzzle brake - Midwayusa
Ballistic Advantage 6.5cm barrel -CTCS
Factory BCL 102 Gas Block - EE
Random mid-length gas tube - spare parts box
AR Stoner NiB LR308 BCG - Midwayusa
Armalite SASS hand guard - EE
DPMS 308 buffer, buffer spring, A2 receiver extension - Midwayusa
DPMS dust cover, AR Stoner ambi selector- Midwayusa
Armalite tactical two-stage trigger set - Wolverine
Colt A2 stock - EE
PRI tac latch - Midwayusa
Factory BCL 102 charging handle - EE
Spuhr sp4002 - Go Big Tactical
Razor HD Gen II - SFRC
Norgon ambi mag release - Nordic
KAC buis - EE
KAC M110 taupe A2 grip
Rustoleum Khaki 259514 - Walmart

Wishlist in case anyone has deep pockets and wants to help me get this thing closer to a spec-clone, lol!

KAC-Knight's Armament SR25 MK11 MOD 0 RAS 12 1/4" - the website says it won't fit AR-10, but out of morbid curiosity, I'd still like to see it and see if it fits the Armalite Super SASS free-float handguard barrel nut (I swear, they are identical designs!)
KAC-Knight's Armament MK 11 Mod 0 Folding Front Sight, Push Button Locked
Knight's Armament SR-25/M110 Double High Picatinny Gas Block, 0.750" - of course, I would have to rethink my barrel choices as well.
Premier Reticles Heritage 5-25x56mm

Beautiful just freaking beautiful

Thanks :)

Incredible build!

Thanks :)

I think I just found an M110 butt stock for sale, how far should I take my OCD?

"You don't half ass two things. You whole ass one thing" - Ron Swanson

Yeah, I bought it.  It's inbound, lol!

Now, to get the KAC hand guard to fit an Armalite barrel nut..then source an SR25/M110 gas block and folding front sight post...

Well done. Looking forward to seeing how it shoots.

I love the way those receivers look... Awesome build, BTW

I like the receiver set.

My buddy's rifle was able to shoot sub MOA groups, so I hope mine can too :)

I let the OCD (and Secret Squirrel) get the best of me and I ended up sourcing a KAC M-110 SASS buttstock.  I certainly didn't pay full retail for this item as it's been previously enjoyed, however it was still not cheap.

http://www.operationparts.com/kac-knights-armament-m-110-sass-buttstock/



In fact, my example was pretty beat up, but it's all functional and nothing was seriously wrong with it apart from being very, very used.  So, what makes this thing so special?  I have no idea.  Can someone please tell me why one would pay $476.88 USD for one of these brand new when not on sale, lol!  Anyway, here are some of my observations, there is probably more, but maybe someone else with more experience can chime in.



From what I can see, it comes with QD mounts on both sides of the stock.



But the most noticeable thing would probably be this massive adjustment knob.  It seemed pretty straight forward, but in my sleep-fucked state, I could not figure out how to extend the buttstock for the life of me.  I couldn't even find a youtube video or a review on this stock, so I had some coffee and finally figured it out.

For those of you who are like me, and have a two week old baby at home who doesn't like to sleep at night, here's how to do it.  Turn the knob counter clockwise (there's an arrow and the word lock molded into the plastic of the knob), then depress the knob, then you will be able to adjust the length of pull on this thing.  Turn the knob clockwise to lock it up.  It's actually pretty straight forward, but sleep deprivation (or if you're the lowest common denominator like me) may cause difficulties in the operation of this buttstock.



I'm assuming this was rack #14 some unit.



There is no trap door for this stock as the empty space that would normally allow for the storage of a cleaning kit is used up by the mechanism that allows the buttstock to extend.



The standard sling loop has been replaced with a stud where I suppose you could add a sling loop.



I got the color on my A2 stock wrong, Rustoleum khaki came out a little on the light side.  That being said, the KAC M110 stock doesn't exactly match the KAC A2 grip either.  Doesn't bother me though, I'm used to things not color matching, just look at the Canadian Average Green on our C7s, lol!





So, this is something I'd never noticed.  The KAC M110 stock is actually shorter than a standard A2 stock.  It's overall length fully collapsed is probably about the same length as an A1 stock.  It slid right over the A2 rifle length receiver extension, however I had to take the spacer out....



I also had to use the shorter screw that came with my A1 stock.  Good thing I had one.



Anyway, one more step closer to the look I'm after, but it will never be spec-clone of the M110.













That's all for now, will have to figure out what else will fit.

Because it says "KAC" on it.

Lol, I wish it said KAC on it, and I suppose that would make me feel better, but KAC didn't even have the courtesy to adorn this stock with their logo, at least not anywhere I've been able to see.

But yeh, a fool and my money were easily parted when a chance to get this stoxk came up.  For the same price, I probably could have found a used PRS stock, which I understand have found their way on current M110s.

But for me, this stock is synonymous with the Mk11/M110 :)

Well, yeah but everyone that knows even a little about the M110 knows it's a Knights product.

I'm pretty happy with this thing, despite the silly amount of money I spent on it :)

I had the chance to take the 102 out for a spin, but there were some hiccups.  Mostly failure to eject issues, brass just dribbling out of the ejection port.  I couldn't figure it out because I had virtually the exact same set up as my buddy Alex's rifle, except the BCG.  He's using the factory BCL one, and I'm using my NiB one from Midway USA.  Alex did have some hiccups when he first got his rifle together though.  He was running a carbon barrel for .308, and he was running his rifle dry.  We swapped it to the Ballistic Advantage 6.5cm barrel and oiled the hell out of his BCG and his rifle ran perfectly.  So, basically, we don't know if it was the dry BCG or his carbon barrel, lol!

My pal who works at the local gun shop had a look at the Midway USA NiB BCG and said it was fine - springs were good in the extractor, and the gas rings looked good.  He suggested the rifle might be under-gassed.

When the rifle did shoot, it seemed to shoot well.  I didn't have the time to shoot groups on paper, but was stacking hits once I got shots on steel.  We had a 6x6 steel plate set up at 100ish and I was able to hit it repeatedly, but I didn't bother trying any further because the FTE issues were haunting me.

Oh yeah, there was also an issue with the ejection port cover.









The rifle looked good out there, but it was pissing me off, lol!

I got home and a few days later, decided to strip the thing down and sort it out (I'll post pictures later).  Off came the muzzle brake, hand guard, gas block and gas tube.  I inspected the gas block and it didn't look like gas was escaping it and it looked like it was capturing any gas that was coming out of the has port from the barrel.

Then my pal Hermes suggested that I enlarge the gas port on the barrel.  Since it was not chrome lined, drilling it out should be fine.  Being the expert gun smith that I am, I decided to google it and found this thread:

https://www.ar15.com/forums/ar-15/drilling-gas-port-in-barrel-bigger/4-716923/

I didn't have a mill or a proper drill press, but I had a vice and a drill, lol!  I dug around my drill bits and found 1/16th fit perfectly into the hole, then the next size up was 5/64th.  I checked the 5/64th up against the gas block and it was still a bit smaller than the hole in the has block, so I figured it should be safe to go with it.

I threw the 102 upper into my AR15 upper vice block, slid a .30 cal cleaning rod into the bore of the barrel (to make sure I didn't drill all the way through and into the other side of the barrel) and gave the hole a squirt of G96.  I got the drill out and went to town on the gas port.











I went with slow RPMs, taking my time watching material being removed, giving it a spray of G96 once in a while, and praying to Crom that I would figure out the Riddle of Steel and not fuck up my barrel.  Once I punched through, I cleaned off the rough edges with the brass cleaning brush and ran a few wet patches through the bore, then a few clean patches.  Let's see if the enlarged gas port resolves the FTE issues.

The ejection port cover spring came undone and the ejection port cover just flops open rather than springs open.  The way the receiver is designed, the factory hand guard would capture the ejection port cover pin, however I am using an Armalite hand guard so the pin is not captured and can shift loose.  The end of the spring that rests against the receiver also was a bit on the short side.  I'm not sure if the location of the assembly was too far away from the receiver, or maybe the DPMS spring just had a really short leg.

Anyway, I think I've resolved this issue by straightening one coil from the spring and made it longer so there was more meat to grab onto the receiver, and I also dropped a dab of glue over the pin to capture it.  Let's see what happens.

Since I had the rifle all apart, I decided to darken up the hand guard, which seemed way too bright compared to the rest of the rifle.  I read that Aervoe Field Drab (30118) was the closest there was to KAC Taupe, so I ordered a $9 can of spray paint and ended up paying $15 for shipping because I couldn't find anyone local who carried it.





















In retrospect, I probably should have just left it the lighter color because it turns out that though Field Drab is a close match to KAC Taupe, it's a bit on the dark side and now my hand guard is the darkest shade on my rifle, lol!  Fuck.



The ugly dab of glue I used to capture the dust cover pin.

Anyway, at this point, I am beyond caring how the rifle looks, I just want the thing to run.

After getting the rifle back together again, I took her out to the range with the freshly enlarged gas port but it was still failing to extract the empty brass.  One casing flipped inside the receiver and jammed itself between the BCG and the chamber.  I asked my pal from the LGS and he said it may still be under-gassed, but I'm not really sure how as my pal has virtually the exact same set up except he's using the BCL BCG and gas tube, I'm using an AR-15 Midlength has tube and Midway USA NiB BCG.



As you can see, the neck of #2 was just mangled from being flipped completely around in the port and getting mashed against the bolt face.  #3 casing was completely distorted, but not as obvious from the photo.  #4 and #5 were both pretty much single feeds.

The time I went to Merritt, I had my DPMS BCG with me, but I never tried it.  When I went to the range with the thing, I figured it was the gas issue and since I'd drilled out a larger hole, I didn't bother bringing the DPMS BCG.



When I got home all pissed off, I tried to cycle a few rounds and it left the first round in the chamber, did not extract it and tried to jam in the next round.



Just cycling rounds mangled most of them.  The Midwayusa NiB BCG would not extract rounds.

For shits and giggles, I threw in the DPMS BCG and it spat out every singe round I cycled.  I thought to myself, fuck, I should have tried the DPMS BCG in Merritt, and why the hell didn't I bring it to the range with me?  But as I understand it, a week extraction during dry cycling doesn't necessarily indicate a problem with the BCG.  So now I wait, until I have the time to get out again to try it out.



The Midwayusa NiB BCG



There was no give whatsoever when pushing the area with my thumb.



There was a bit of give here when I pushed the area under my thumb.  I have no idea what other differences to look for.  Yes, I realize the rings are lined up here, but I always make sure they are not aligned like this before firing.

Field Drab all the things!

It sort of matches the KAC grip, but the M110 stock doesn't seem to be KAC "Taupe".

Yeah, you're right, might just have to spray the whole thing, lol!

I learned recently that Field Drab also matches closely to Coyote Cordura

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4WAIAKZ0L8&lc=z22tvbhaxnmehzejz04t1aokgaznev5txiu15j0oavexrk0h00410

Testing out my BCL 102.  I wasn't sure if the thing was going to kaboom or not (hence the gloves and eye pro).

Seems to be cycling fine now.  I managed to shoot 4 groups before the Armalite bolt catch sheared.







Armalite bolt catch on the right, a Norinco on the left







I've read that Armalite bolt catches have been known to break, even during the US miltary's SASS trials.

Anyway, I installed a filthy commie one from a Norinco, hopefully they are made of the same steel as their receivers and share the same strength qualities.

The groups weren't outstanding, but I'd say they weren't horrible for a semi-auto.  I'd say about 1moa-1.5moa.  The reason I say not great is because I shot .65moa with my buddy's rifle, but the reason could be any number of things.  First, I was more comfortable behind his rifle.  His scope was mounted a bit further forward, resulting in a comfortable view behind the glass.  Second, his rifle had probably seen more than 100 rounds, so his barrel was nicely broken in.  Third, I could just be a really lousy shooter and was just lucky, lol!

Anyway, let's hope the Norinco bolt catch holds up and maybe Wolverine Supplies will have some good news about broken Armalite bolt catches.

Armalite bolt catches dont break that often, older stuff maybe, but not the newer stuff.

I dont think thats an Armalite bolt catch, as its not marked. Possible they didnt mark the stuff for you Canadians, but I dont think thats the case. I think you might have gotten a knock off part.

All the AR10A bolt catches Ive seen from Armalite, were marked AR10A. But I obviously havent seen them all, but I imagine they did this early on to keep their gorillas in the shop from fucking up.

There was a ton of info to go over, so I may have missed if you have an adjustable gas block or not. 6.5CM benefits from them more than 308, so might be worth a looksee.

I havent built an AR-10 rifle myself, but when i was doing research for my AR-15 I remember coming across multiple recommendations that you should use a specific AR-10 Bolt Catch. The BCG for an AR-10 has more mass, and may be moving at higher speeds. Switching to a specific AR-10 bolt catch may keep that worry out of the back of your mind.

Btw, the new ("old") stock looks 10x cooler than the first one you installed. Keep it up.

Hmmm, I bought the LPK from Wolverine Supplies up here in Canada.  It was brand new and sealed in package, so I hope it wasn't tampered with:













The thing with the BCL 102 is, it's a brand new platform, and the specs are a huge fucking mystery.  The manufacturer hasn't been forthcoming with what's compatible and what's not, so no one really knows what works.  What we were told was the thing takes a standard AR15 lower parts kit, and the only thing that's proprietary is the front pivot pin, and the ambi side of the bolt catch:



The other side of the bolt catch is supposed to be a standard AR-15 one.  I should check to see if an AR-10 bolt catch will fit into the slot, because I'm guessing they're made a bit beefier?

I read about the Armalite bolt catches breaking on another forum, so I could just be regurgitating garbage for all I know:

I'll also have to look into getting an adjustable gas block.  The only thing is accessing the thing because it's a mid-length system and the hand guard covers up the gas block.

Well anyway, the world of AR10/AR308s sure is interesting, so much to learn :)

I am definitely going to look into this because maybe the AR15 bolt catches just weren't engineered to hold up to the mass from an AR10/AR308 BCG.

That bolt catch sheared because its an AR15 bolt catch. You got an M15 LPK, not an AR10 LPK.

AR15 catches will definitely shear. Armalite or not.

PM me, I might be able to help you out.

There have been alot of attempts to use all AR15 lower parts in the 308, but the pivot and tkae down pins, and bolt catch always need to be different.

Maybe those super catches made frmo S7 Tool steel might work, but I imagine that would beat the hell out of the lower receiver. Eventually causing an issue thats not repairable. Much better to have a bolt catch break, because gun still works just fine without it.

I'm not familiar with AR10s, but this puppy is a weird one, with specs from both Armalite AR10s and DPMS pattern AR 308s.  I don't even know if a bolt catch from an AR10 will fit?

Here are a few pics of the factory bolt catch from another customer's rifle.  I'm guessing his was a complete rifle, where mine was pieced together.

His is a 308 bolt catch. Notice the size difference.

Yours is a puny little thing compared to his. Just cannot withstand the force of the large BCG. Gonna shear every time within 100rds.

Hey man, thanks for the advice and the help.  The world of AR 308s still boggles my mind.

Haven't had time to get her out to the range to try and break the Norinco bolt catch yet, but I snapped a few pics with the fake can on it.  Damn, wish we could have real cans in Canada.

Any excuse to post new pics.



I ordered some 5/20 AR308 magazines for it.  Some of the BCL 102s came with these from SFRC however I only bought a stripped receiver set so mine didn't come with any magazines.  These are pinned from the factory for legal Canadian use and it's free shipping from Zahal.













These took FOREVER to get, but I think when I ordered these, they were out of stock and didn't even have them up on their website.  It seems like they have them up on their website now:

https://zahal.org/product/e-lander-ar-10-7-62x51-308-riveted-5-20-rounds-magazine-canada-compliant/

If they work, I might order more of them.  They at least fit into the magwell and seat properly.  Will have to find some time to see if they will feed rounds without any issues.