An astute poster a while back liked as how he’d like to see people state exactly why they configure their rifles as they do. So, here we go. This is my idea of a reasonably useful mid-range AR. I built it out of spare stuff I found lying around the shop.



Lower: Oly forged pre-ban (recently “rebuilt”)
Upper: JT
Barrel: Quality Parts (predecessor to Bushmaster) 20” chrome-lined, 5.56 chamber, light A-1 profile, 1/9 twist.
FCG: Accuracy Speaks
Upper receiver internals: Who knows?
Buttstock: Cav Arms A-1.
Forearm: JP Enterprises.
Sling: “Ching Sling” from The wilderness.
Optic: ACOG TA-11.
BUIS: Knight 300M.

1: Accuracy: From the bench it will put 77 SMK’s into 0.50” at 100 yards. Shooting from prone with the sling, I can put every round into a four inch circle of my choice at 300 yards. If I get real lucky, haven’t done anything to piss God off that day, and the 2,100 fps absolute fragmentation velocity floor for the 77 SMK holds true (mine are cannelured), that gives me an effective 300 yard problem-solving device. For aggravating the opponent, absent gale-force winds, I can reliably place every hole into a torso-sized area at 500 yards.

2: Barrel: This is what I had lying around the shop. It’s about as light and reliable as you’re going to get in a 20”. Given (1) above, I would want a stainless, 1/7, sewer-pipe contour, Compass Lake chambered, 3.5 lb. barrel because………..?

3: Forearm: Inasmuch as I am not, nor have I ever been, a sixteen year old girl; I’ve never been gripped by a desire to hang 64% of my worldly belongings from my rearview mirror nor from my rifle. I have found the various R2-D2 looking IRS’s to be very detrimental to long range shooting without a bipod. As to vertical foregrips; don’t even get me started. The JP is rock solid and provides excellent purchase for my weak hand when firing from the sling. It also provides an acceptably cool grip when I’m practicing rapid-fire CQB. An easily installed mini-rail option does exist and I am thinking about it to replace the Surefire barrel clamp mount currently on the gun.

4: Sling: Although I do own a bunch of CQB CST slings (one of which is adjusted to, and reserved for, this rifle and a GG&G Sling Thing is attached to the front sight for CQB practice), the Ching Sling seems more appropriate for this gun’s most likely application. Speaking for myself, a shooting sling does wonders for my mid/long range marksmanship. I do have a Harris bipod for this rifle, which takes about two minutes to mount up. It’s handy as all get out when the distance stretches to 500 yards but it’s also more weight and more stuff hanging off the gun. I am a devout adherent to the belief that the lighter and the less shit hanging off the gun, the better. Thus, I avoid the bipod and go with the sling to the largest extent possible. And that extent gets larger as cumulative practice time grows.

5: Optic: The ACOG is pretty reliable. That’s a good thing. Inasmuch as I do not foresee an anti-prairie dog role for this gun, the magnification seems quite adequate for its intended function. See (1) above.  The BAC feature, while not as quick as an electronic, leaves me far from helpless if unfortunate circumstances should develop at room distances. And it beats the hell out of irons or a conventional scope for CQB. Hell; at my age, a bayonet is a better option than iron sights. Why the TA-11 instead of a TA-31? For one thing, I got this TA-11, a 2003 production model, along with an ARMS #19 (since traded for a LaRue), for $750. Economic fortune aside, I much prefer the TA-11 solely for its greater eye-relief. Like Lumpy, I was born without a neck and that extra bit of eye relief makes a world of difference when going fast up close or when wedged into an uncomfortable shooting position. To me, the slight extra size and weight is a fair price to pay. I’m not smart enough to figure out why the wider field of view of the TA-31 matters with a scope you shoot with both eyes open. As to the accuracy advantage of 4.0X vs. the TA-11’s 3.5X; please see (1) above.

6: Trigger group: I’ve owned several JP’s and Jewells. While they do produce trigger pulls that border on perfection, I just can’t bring myself to bet my skinny white ass on an adjustable if the rifle range should turn out to be a two-way arrangement. The AS setup produces a pull which is vastly better than stock and I have every confidence that it will make the gun go bang every damned time.

7: Thanks to LaRue QD wizardry, I can swap the ACOG for the Aimpoint in a matter of seconds, trade the Ching Sling for a CQB in a couple of minutes, and have a reasonable, albeit slightly long, up close and personal device; although as a practical matter, it would probably be easier to just grab my 16” gun with the Eotech and all the LaRue stuff.

Any way, this is my idea of a reasonably-conceived mid-distance AR-15.

Your opinion/application may vary.

SD

Good Job.  By any chance to you have a final weight on that puppy?

Quoted: a final weight on that puppy?

According to my highly scientific bathroom scale: 7.8 lbs sans magazine. That may change by +/- 0.03 oz. when I swap the barrel clamp flashlight mount for JP's mini-rail.

SD

What is that thingy on the barrel, just in front of the bayo lug?

What is that thingy on the barrel

It's a barrel clamp mount for a Surefire. There is a JP mini-rail for the forearm currently enroute to replace it. The gun's accuracy obviously doesn't suffer from having the clamp on the barrel but, putting the flashlight on does shift the POI about 3.0" @ 100 yds.

Quoted: What is that thingy on the barrel It's a barrel clamp mount for a Surefire. There is a JP mini-rail for the forearm currently enroute to replace it. The gun's accuracy obviously doesn't suffer from having the clamp on the barrel but, putting the flashlight on does shift the POI about 3.0" @ 100 yds.

Sailor,
 Nice setup.  I like your thinking on most of the parts.  Where did you get the cannelured SMK's?  DIY or some sort of limited run?

Where did you get the cannelured SMK's?

Did my own with a CH Tool gizmo. A little tedious; about 100/hr. The good news is, I get to place the cannelure right where I want it in relation to my OAL and my actual brass length.

The good news is I only cannelure my SHTF stash. At least in my rifle; cannelure or lack thereof has absolutely no effect on POI. Consequently,  there's no need to cannelurize (is that a word?) my practice ammo. As long as the rifle is zero'ed with the practice stuff, I'm ready to go at all times.

SD

Quoted: According to my highly scientific bathroom scale: 7.8 lbs sans magazine.

Very nice!  My A2 barreled 20"er is a pig by comparison; 8.3lbs with Compact ACOG (9.2 with sling, foreward grip & light added).  That's why I prefer my carbine

Amazing what the right barrel profile & FF tube can do.