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Posted: 4/23/2008 11:21:21 PM EDT
This will be my second AR-15. I got my first one a few years ago, it's a blast, and it's time to build something new. For reference, he's an outdated pic of the current one: It's a factory-built Bushmaster w/ chrome-lined 14.5" 1:7 barrel, pinned+welded Bi-Lock to make the 16 inches and mount an M4-96D. On top is an ARMS BUIS and an Eotech on a LaRue mount. What's changed since then is the addition of a Troy MRF-C railed handguard, a GripPod, and a light. In the overall I think I could've done a lot worse for my first AR, but now I'm getting ready to start piecing together something that's a better fit for what I really want, and to correct some "mistakes" I made the first time around. I haven't been keeping up with the traffic around here like I should have been for a while, so I'm a bit behind the times on the latest opinions on "what's the best X", and looking for some input. I don't really think I had a clear picture what I wanted that first gun to be built for. This time I do. If I want to hit something far out, I'll use a bolt-action Rem700 in .300 WinMag. What I want for this new build is basically a high quality, durable, light/short mostly-close-quarters (let's say 50 yards -ish) suppressed 5.56 gun. It shouldn't be fragile, I expect to be able to toss it around a bit and not worry about it. Accuracy beyond minute-of-head at 50 yards, which just about any AR can do, isn't a priority, but it's nice to have. On the suppressor part, my experience with the M4-96D on the 14.5 barrel has taught me that (a) AR-15 suppressors aren't really going to make anything quiet without subsonic rounds, they just keep your ears from bleeding, so it's probably not that critical to go all out looking for the best dB rating anyways, and (b) having a big heavy can way out there on the end of the barrel makes the thing really clunky and heavy to handle  .This is how far (not very far at all) I've gotten on the build specs: Barrel: 10.5"(-ish) barrel, 1:7 chrome lined. Noveske's new N4 barrels look really nice, don't know if they're available that short. Lower: undecided, but definitely something of high quality. I'm going to be SBR-ing it obviously, so I'll want it to be a keeper regardless of what happens to this upper down the road. Upper: The VIS looks nice, but I'm not sure they make one short enough for this build. A plain-jane flattop upper of good quality would be fine though with a separate short railed hanguard, not a big deal. Gas system: Definitely no A2 FSB (I'd prefer a flip-up front sight, will probably have a BUIS and a 1x optic of some kind on top). given the short length, lots of suppressor time, and lack of care about super-accuracy, a piston system is appealing, but that whole market seems to still be sorting itself out. I like the idea of the low-maintenance/high-reliability aspect of the piston systems, but they just seem so new and unproven, and that's a reliability factor too. I'd probably be happy with a DI system, maybe with Noveske's new adjustable gas regulator thing (the 3-position on/off/suppressed one that was in the new equipment forum recently). The other stuff (sights, stock, vfg, etc) are relatively low priority things to sort out and can be swapped at will anyways, I'm just trying to get the core components nailed down right now so that I've got a good long-term platform of this type. Suggestions, help, etc welcome  ETA: I guess I didn't say much about the suppressor options. I'm looking at using something thread-on and lightweight, like the AAC Ranger or equivalent competing models. Thoughts on this appreciated too. |
Yay for bananas!
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