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Posted: 4/9/2018 2:05:27 PM EDT
 Attached File Attached FileI found a picture of my daughter holding my GAU-5/A from 1983 while I was stationed with the 51st SPS/SPOK at Osan AB, ROK. Finding the photo reminded me that it was my 30th anniversary of separating from the USAF, so I did a retro build. I was feeling nostalgic, so I sourced the parts and assembled it using an upper and lower receiver from Brownells. The barrel is a 12.25" chrome lined Troy GAU barrel with the 1/7 twist along with the permanently pinned retro flash hider/grenade ring installed. The stock is from M&A Parts and the grip is a A1 Brownells retro. It's not 100% authentic, but close enough to remind me of my PACAF Security Police K9 Glory Days. Life is good. |
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Posted: 4/9/2018 2:08:00 PM EDT
[#1]
I like it
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Posted: 4/9/2018 3:04:54 PM EDT
[#2]
Me, too.
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Posted: 4/9/2018 3:09:54 PM EDT
[#3]
My dad was just recently telling me a story about his unit was one of the first to get the GAU-5 back in the late 70's while stationed in Panama. He mentioned everyone was quite envious of his weapon.
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Posted: 4/9/2018 3:42:09 PM EDT
[#4]
Good looking carbine! Great build!
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Posted: 4/9/2018 4:37:20 PM EDT
[#5]
Here's mine
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Posted: 4/9/2018 4:40:27 PM EDT
[#6]
Great build and thanks for your service
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Posted: 4/9/2018 5:04:23 PM EDT
[#7]
I was issued one of those as an alarm monitor/CSC alternate operator in SAC in 1974.
I would reanlly like to have one again, all legal of course. |
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Posted: 4/9/2018 6:45:36 PM EDT
[#8]
Very nice.
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Posted: 4/9/2018 6:56:09 PM EDT
[#9]
To make it perfect
Get a 80% and send it to Braceman for a full proper reprofile and engraving of the lower you had. Other than that... Very nice build. |
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Posted: 4/9/2018 8:26:11 PM EDT
[#10]
GAU-5A/A Replica Braceman Singlepoint mount. Tom Liemohn moderator Just some ideas in case you want to gussy it up. |
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Posted: 4/10/2018 12:40:13 PM EDT
[#11]
I never really understood the ARFCOM retro madness, but for the sake of nostalgia I sort of get in now. I suppose like everything else, what's old is new again. It simply amazes me just how much people are willing to pay to get a retro build together. I just kick my self for getting rid of all of my left over parts from upgrades over the years....hell I could have been rich.
I spent over 8 years as a K-9 handler in the USAF and for almost 10 years out of 27 during my civilian LEO career. After finding that old picture of my daughter, I just wanted something that looked close enough to the GAU-5A remind me of my youth without breaking the bank. I am very happy with the way it turned out. |
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Posted: 4/10/2018 1:01:04 PM EDT
[#12]
I know what you mean. Never thought about building one until brownells came out with theirs. Then that me to thinking about building an xm177e2 like I had in the Rangers early 90's. First I started with cheaper knockoffs and now I started buying nos/original colt parts for the time period. Even sent Braceman my lower and upper for complete engraving. Found my original Arms Room Card and he's putting that info on it including my old s/n.
It's addictive for sure. |
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Posted: 4/10/2018 1:39:31 PM EDT
[#13]
Building a retro with your old serial number is dedication or madness....but cool nonetheless.
All the other builds look fantastic and it shows just how important it is to get it right. |
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Posted: 4/20/2018 2:24:31 PM EDT
[#14]
Nice. Here is Mine.
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Posted: 4/20/2018 4:54:37 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote History |
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Posted: 4/20/2018 4:59:27 PM EDT
[#16]
Could be an amnesty gun, either way i'm jealous!
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Posted: 4/20/2018 8:15:43 PM EDT
[#17]
Its an amnesty gun. It is all mine!
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Posted: 4/21/2018 1:00:44 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Its an amnesty gun. It is all mine! |
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Posted: 4/21/2018 1:14:30 AM EDT
[#19]
A transferable machine gun that was registered in the 1968 Amnesty.
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Posted: 4/21/2018 10:56:35 AM EDT
[#20]
Good looking GAU there.
I don't understand my retro madness either. I can't figure out why I am drawn to iron sighted guns as my eyes get worse and worser... Also: Forgotten Weapons -- What You Didn't Know About the 1968 Machine Gun Amnesty |
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Posted: 5/10/2018 7:24:18 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Good looking GAU there. I don't understand my retro madness either. I can't figure out why I am drawn to iron sighted guns as my eyes get worse and worser... Also: Forgotten Weapons -- What You Didn't Know About the 1968 Machine Gun Amnesty |
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Posted: 5/21/2018 10:00:09 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Good looking GAU there. I don't understand my retro madness either. I can't figure out why I am drawn to iron sighted guns as my eyes get worse and worser... Also: Forgotten Weapons -- What You Didn't Know About the 1968 Machine Gun Amnesty 
Beautiful rifle, OP. I’m an Army boy, so I’ll admit I don’t have too much experience with GAU-5 outside of fondling one or two on occasion. One of my coworkers is an old former SAC SP, who’ll talk up a storm about the GAU-5, or the “shorty” as he’ll call it, like it was God’s gift to combat small arms. |
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Posted: 5/23/2018 12:31:26 AM EDT
[#23]
OP- I was also with the 51st SFS at Osan 07-08 and we still a bunch of GAU-5's in the armory. Theres no telling, but I probably carried that GAU in the picture.
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Posted: 5/23/2018 9:27:37 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryThis is what I am building. Found the upper and the barrel. Just need a lower to match, A2 I think. Govt. Carbine or sporter II would match I think
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Posted: 5/24/2018 11:10:25 AM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
With my astigmatism, I’m debating getting lasik, or fully embracing the retro and going with gray acetate BCG’s.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/USAF_MP_with_Colt_Commando.JPEG Beautiful rifle, OP. I’m an Army boy, so I’ll admit I don’t have too much experience with GAU-5 outside of fondling one or two on occasion. One of my coworkers is an old former SAC SP, who’ll talk up a storm about the GAU-5, or the “shorty” as he’ll call it, like it was God’s gift to combat small arms. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Good looking GAU there. I don't understand my retro madness either. I can't figure out why I am drawn to iron sighted guns as my eyes get worse and worser... Also: Forgotten Weapons -- What You Didn't Know About the 1968 Machine Gun Amnesty
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/USAF_MP_with_Colt_Commando.JPEG Beautiful rifle, OP. I’m an Army boy, so I’ll admit I don’t have too much experience with GAU-5 outside of fondling one or two on occasion. One of my coworkers is an old former SAC SP, who’ll talk up a storm about the GAU-5, or the “shorty” as he’ll call it, like it was God’s gift to combat small arms. |
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Posted: 5/24/2018 12:54:29 PM EDT
[#26]
My attempts
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Posted: 5/24/2018 11:20:19 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
The XM-177 family was god's gift to the 1960's SOF community. Like the current trend for SF ball caps, or SEAL's writing tell all books, carrying a XM-177 was the 80's SOF cat's way of saying "Ladies, check out this package!" Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Good looking GAU there. I don't understand my retro madness either. I can't figure out why I am drawn to iron sighted guns as my eyes get worse and worser... Also: Forgotten Weapons -- What You Didn't Know About the 1968 Machine Gun Amnesty
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/USAF_MP_with_Colt_Commando.JPEG Beautiful rifle, OP. I’m an Army boy, so I’ll admit I don’t have too much experience with GAU-5 outside of fondling one or two on occasion. One of my coworkers is an old former SAC SP, who’ll talk up a storm about the GAU-5, or the “shorty” as he’ll call it, like it was God’s gift to combat small arms. Is the Mk-18 today’s CAR-15? |
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Posted: 5/25/2018 6:08:23 PM EDT
[#28]
IIRC, I was issued a Xm601 back in 2003, then an -A2 in '04. After that GAU-5, and then the GUU-5 in about 2010. 2012'ish we got M4's. And I bitched every second about not having a GUU or GAU. I like them very much especially for what I was doing. I built a GAU-5 on one of the 1:12 barrels in original foil packaging datestamped 1993 from the EE back in 2009ish. It's as close to issue without the fun switch. Also have an m4gery just as I had in the end. And an transitional 604 with mostly all original parts (when you could find the cheaply enough) to represent the first I was issued. That would have been an exact replica if I could have found original green furniture, at the time i found a left green handguard and a green stock, just couldn't find the right so decided not to. Now, I have some of the parts, but not all to do a GUU-5. Also have an M1 carbine, I guess you could say the retro virus hit me hard. =)
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Posted: 5/26/2018 12:34:16 AM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Yup. Now every swinging dick has an M4, so it’s just kinda “meh.” Is the Mk-18 today’s CAR-15? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Good looking GAU there. I don't understand my retro madness either. I can't figure out why I am drawn to iron sighted guns as my eyes get worse and worser... Also: Forgotten Weapons -- What You Didn't Know About the 1968 Machine Gun Amnesty
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/USAF_MP_with_Colt_Commando.JPEG Beautiful rifle, OP. I’m an Army boy, so I’ll admit I don’t have too much experience with GAU-5 outside of fondling one or two on occasion. One of my coworkers is an old former SAC SP, who’ll talk up a storm about the GAU-5, or the “shorty” as he’ll call it, like it was God’s gift to combat small arms. Is the Mk-18 today’s CAR-15? |
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Posted: 5/27/2018 11:09:28 AM EDT
[#30]
Troy GAU-5 with correct A1 port door and Colt 6 hole handguards added, laying on one of my Grandfather's flight suits along with his issued Camillus knife from when he flew Air Force H-3 Jolly Green's out of Laos over North Vietnam in 67-68.
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Posted: 5/28/2018 3:44:54 PM EDT
[#31]
Great thread. Great build OP. I wouldn't worry about it not being totally clone correctness... I guess that's cool for some people but I'm more of a close enough kind of a guy. I get it, as long as the die hards don't get all up in peoples faces for not being as crazy as they are about it.
I do have to admit...... The ribs on the CAR stock look out of place for a gun that was supposed to have the old aluminum ones. But maybe the AF carbines had some newer Colt N1 stocks on them too????? But on the other hand, I probably would never buy an aluminum one. Sooooo expensive. My BIL built an XM-177 and got a genuine stock. I was like wowz. But then again, he's using some CAR handguards I gave him that were newer type, 7 hole.... I don't think he bought genuine handguards after that...... I'll have to ask him.... |
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