So I got this gun from my dad.  We're big gun guys.. been shooting since I was a kid.


I want some background on this particular weapon.  It's an Olympic Arms Lower, and (according to my dad) a Colt upper.  But, I suspect (based on my assumptions about the vintage)  that the upper is the origional equiptment from OA.  It says Nato 5.56 1/7.  So hopfully the barrel will do great with 55 grain practice shells, cause that's probably all I'll ever shoot.  I picked up some 62 grain and hit real well w/the iron sites.  

We were shooting 55 grain, but we had a scope mounted on the carry handle but it wasn't grouping for SHIT at 100 yrds.  I'm guessing 3 factors (crappy scope, poor mount, paralax).  So I pulled it off, and can hit nicely with the sites.  

The Piviot Pin seems to work out as well, so that will be a top priority as far as starting to mess around with the gun.  they all have 16" setups, so I liked how this one felt.. but I've been shooting .243, .270, and 30.06 hunting rifles my whole life.. along with the M-1 and the mini-14.. so it's fun getting used to a new toy.


Anyway I'm guessing the vintage of this gun is 1993 or so, based on the S/N (BL 3***) on the site it says (BL2785 BL4814 05/26/1993 12/03/1993) I have no idea where that puts me with all the Pre/Post ban crap.  I'm guessing it's post based on the fact that it has a carry handle, and a standard stock, but again, I'm shooting in the dark here w/no experience with AR's.

I want to put a new forend (w/picatiny) on, and assume that this is the 20" upper, and I could find a suitable rifle length forend based on that.  Not sure about floating vs not?  I havn't seen a optical setup w/a carry handle that looked particularly amazing..  will probably pick up a t168 cause it's cheap, and I've seen some pretty good feedback.  have heard that if I end up mounting optics up on the forend I need a full floating?

I have some buddies who are tactical types (by trade) they are all with the rock river arms, with EOtechs, and lights and stuff.  I just want to be able to shoot well @ around 100 yrds, and plink here and there.  Home protection would be secondary (colt 1911, and Remington 870 for that)



Any help/suggestions you guys got, I'm all ears.  Thanks for the help.


josh



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sunofnun,
 Welcome to the site, be sure to check out the hometown forum for WA.  The westside (wet side)members are very active and the east siders (dry side, I'm in Richland) try to get together once in a while too.

I probably won't answer all your questions but I'll try and help.

55gr ammo is fine out of a 1:7 twist barrel, to learn more check out www.ammo-oracle.com/.  Does it have any other markings in addition to the ones you mentioned? I can kind of make out a C MP which means Colt Magnetic Particle tested.  and since the upper is greyish black (Colt Grey) you probably do have a Colt upper.

You don't need to worry about pre and post ban in WA, when the federal AWB expired we are now free to have all the features we want.

It is pretty easy to change uppers to a free float, you just need an action block and an armorers wrench.  You are correct in needing a FF setup for optics on the hand guards otherwise you would not hold zero.  

Optics depend on what you want to do with the rifle, some times its fun to use the irons, but a flat top is better for optics and you can get Back Up Iron Sights (BUIS) or a removeable carry handle.

I'd reccomend a lot of reading to see all the options.

ETA: On the pivot pin working out, is the pin detent missing?  It would be #10 on this drawing

+1 on the upper being Colt. The carrier is a dead give away as being Colt, and I believe there maybe a C on the carry handle near the site. Another give away is a flash supressor without a bayonet lug as seen on Colt 6601 (IIRC).

whoa, just read the WHOLE page up on ammo-oricle.  that is definatly helping.

Thanks guys for the feedback.    

Yes you guys are right, it does say "C MP 5.56 NATO 1/7"

and yes there is a C on the upper part of the cary handle.   right in front of the rear site.  it says "C" then below that it says "MB"

LOL I pulled it apart, and I think before I shot it I was messing around with the upper, and lower.  I don't thnk I had the Piviot Pin seated all the way.  I just took the reciever off by pushing the piviot pin out w/a ballpoint pin.  No resistance.  I found the detent pin, and put it back together.  It clicked in.  I think that's good to go now.  

how do I know what size buffer tube I have?  do I measure it? micrometer? or is there a easy way to tell?

 

Is a gooseneck setup reliable with the forend I currently have if I wanted to do a inline reddot?  

A good one is, the cheap ones aren't.

I have used in the past a ARMS gooseneck A2 plus. It worked very well and held zero better then I thought it would. It uses 2 points to lock up and I never found it to loosen up while using it.I don't use it anymore because I found a Colt 4xscope with a bullet drop comp that works better for my needs. However, I did use an EoTech on the gooseneck for awhile and save for the fact that it would not line up with the front site I liked it. The Eo is now on aColt M-4 flat top where it does line up properly. See if you can find one at a show. That is where I found mine. I believe I paid around 100 bucks for it. I don't know whether or not that is a good price but regardless, It was a well built piece of kit, and not some junky chinese garbage.

Quoted: I have used in the past a ARMS gooseneck A2 plus. It worked very well and held zero better then I thought it would. It uses 2 points to lock up and I never found it to loosen up while using it.I don't use it anymore because I found a Colt 4xscope with a bullet drop comp that works better for my needs. However, I did use an EoTech on the gooseneck for awhile and save for the fact that it would not line up with the front site I liked it. The Eo is now on aColt M-4 flat top where it does line up properly. See if you can find one at a show. That is where I found mine. I believe I paid around 100 bucks for it. I don't know whether or not that is a good price but regardless, It was a well built piece of kit, and not some junky chinese garbage.

do you happen to remember who made that one?  I've seen several, but don't know which manufacturers make good gear, and who's making the ripoffs.

the only real brand I know is Larue it seems spendy.. but probably worth it.. I'll dig around in some of these threads..