It's moving now. Anticipated delivery is the 14th now.

8:52 pm Left FedEx origin facility OTTUMWA, IA
7:20 pm Arrived at FedEx location OTTUMWA, IA
3:17 pm Picked up

I totally understand the anticipation, hang in there, and I'm sure we are all looking forward to seeing your retro build

Anticipation is putting it lightly, lol.

Once it gets here I'll post up some really good pictures of it. However it might be a few days before I can actually put it together. I'll have all the parts, but a friend of mine wants to see it be put together, so I told her I'd wait for her to be around.

Here's the finalized build sheet if anyone wants to have a look. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1J81mM5fgWruVMDSEj2Q38r1zoKGT7MCuU98zeEnXvW8/edit?usp=sharing

If anyone wants some close up pics of the parts I've chosen, I'd be happy to deliver.

Man, you have a gal that wants to be there for your build; that's worth waiting a few more days!

I wholeheartedly agree.

My upper came in today! The bottom side of the upper where the forward assist pin is driven through is a little boogered up, and there's some places on the back of the upper where the anodizing flat out isn't there. That steams me a bit, but I'm not going to bother getting a different one, because damnit I'm happy that I have one at all.

That and I guess getting the forward assist and ejection port cover basically for free is a nice touch. That means I have those parts left over, but that's OK because I'll just use 'em on my next AR build. That one will be a while out in the future, but oh well. If there are any photos I left out, feel free to ask for one.

PS: I did thread the barrel nut on hand tight and it went on without a problem. Shouldn't be any issue come assembly time.

Getting close!

Good news! I have the rifle finally put together, but with a bit of a hitch.

The pivot pin spring and detent decided to play 'jesus clip' and launch off into nowhere. Later this week I'll have to get one of those little parts packs with all the little springs and detents to have around. I'm considering buying a pack off midwayusa from ARStoner for $10.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/372872/ar-stoner-crucial-ar-15-parts-kit

I'm also considering adding a trijicon tritium sight set, but I'm curious if tritium sights were even thought of back during Vietnam. Pictures in a bit.

I would have liked to have taken photos in a more woodsy place, but I didn't feel like having the cops called on me today. That actually happened once. I was 15 with a c02 bb pistol messing around in a field. I wound up with a ride home in a cop car. At least the cops were nice about it.

PS: Don't freak. That's an empty mag and the rifle was cleared before photographing.

PSS: No blades of grass were harmed in the making of his movie.

looks good!

The weather is playing keep away with my gun building projects currently... A heated shop sure would be nice.

It was looking like spring a week ago.

It can't make up it's mind here. Today was 70 degrees (loved it) but sunday we had snow flurries and then rain.

Glad to see you (almost) have her together, looks great!

The last time we had temperatures in the 70s was probably the beginning of October. For the past two weeks it was creeping up into the 40s, but this morning it was only 7 degrees and I'm back to blowing snow.

Beats mowing though.

Thanks charles! It still annoys me I lost the spring and detent, but it's not a huge deal. If I could have found the spring, I would have just made a new detent.

I actually had to do that for the rear sight windage drum. It did the same thing but luckily the spring stayed behind. It's not the prettiest thing ever, but when the "metalworking" tools you have are a hacksaw, bench grinder, files, and a drill acting like a lathe, it's a miracle I was able to do it at all. You get creative when that's the hand you get dealt. It works well, actually. For those curious, it used to be a screw out of something I took apart.

I cut the head off with a hacksaw, chucked it in a drill and ran it over a file to effectively turn it down to size so that it would protrude out of the windage drum but without being able to go through it. The taper it wound up being worked to my advantage in that respect. After that, the filing was cleaned up by hand then chucked the other way around to grind it down, in effect facing it to length.

In one respect it feels kinda 'janky' putting your rifle together with parts made with, well, a grinder and a file, but on the other hand it feels kinda rewarding being able to make small replacement parts that do their job as well as the original part.

Here's what that detent looks like if anyone's curious.

Right now I have a brownells spring and DPMS detent (plus an accu wedge) sitting in my cart over at Brownells; the spring for 1.99 and the detent for 1.19. I'm contemplating taking advantage of free shipping and going this route instead of the AR stoner kit. From what I read, they're pretty hit and miss, and when they do hit the nail on the head it's 'meh'. I don't think the best of DPMS either, but I'm not sure how they can screw up a detent, when it's effectively a short piece of rodstock with semi-coned / chamfered ends. I could probably save myself a $1.20 by making one myself from a finishing nail by cutting it to length from the head towards the tip, filing off most of the tip and remembering to put it in the right way around. I haven't bought anything yet, as I'm still deliberating. I've got until midnight.

Made an order this morning from Midwayusa for a DPMS spring and detent. I ordered from there and got the holster I was going to buy at the same time for my 92A1. That should be here sometime this week.

In the meantime I'm going to start working on a rack number. The number I've chosen is 182. It's not a random number, it's the last three #'s of my first vehicle's VIN.

Lucky for me my father has access to a good quality label printer at his job with a similar font to what was actually used. Not a 100% match, but nothing else on this rifle is a 100% match either. I've put on the label itself in it's entirity for a while just to see if I like the yellow color on the rifle itself. If I don't I won't have to remove more than some adhesive. It'll wind up being either yellow or white. Once I've decided I'll use one of the spare labels, carefully cut out the numbers and then spray with the color of choice.

Also, heat shrink works great on a bipod to keep it from scratching up the barrel.

Pictures tonight.

Use aged/antique ivory or something like that.

I think it looks more retro that way.

Even though you have a very pristine rifle I wouldn't like the stark white against the black.

That's just me though.

Nice work with the sight detent

As far as the color goes, there is an old GM color called "Dover Arctic White". You can find it in Duplicolor spray cans at most car parts houses (Advanced, O'Reilly's, Autozone, etc.). It is a nice shade of off-white or antique white.

Thanks! It beats buying an entire kit just for one part.

I'll give that color a look. Hopefully nobody would notice a GM color spray can in a garage full of Ford stuff.

Got my stuff in on friday. The spring and detent worked out just fine.

Very cool, now we need a range report!

I plan on going within the next month.

I need to stock up on ammo and I also need the weather to settle down. I usually go to an outdoor range, and I also haul everything in the back of my truck, which can make for a soggy experience if it's raining.

Midway has some solid imi deals that are back again.

From what I hear, IMI is loaded really hot, like treading beyond 5.56 hot. If that's true, I don't want that in my rifle.

IMI M193 and M855 is most of what I shoot and I've never had any issues with it.

I realized I forgot to post pics of the rack number in the actual build thread. I bought a set of cheap cardboard stencils ($2) and a can of yellow paint. I would have liked to have gotten some Krylon Fusion in the right color, because I've had great success in painting my plastic bumpers with it, but unfortunately that's gotten hard to find in this area.

I wound up buying some Rustolem paint. Notice how the can says that it also bonds to plastic. I chose that with the hopes it would be quite durable over time. I eyeballed the color compared to some lettering on one of the several ammo cans I have. I was afraid of it clashing with the colorfill on the receiver, but I'm happy to see it doesn't.

After painting it, I let it cure in open air for about a week. If I could have set it in the sun, I would have, but unfortunately it's been cloudy and crappy here.

As for prep, all I did was use some brakeclean on a rag to wipe away any oils on the surface. It didn't damage the plastic (zytel / nylon) that I could see. Liquid lighter fluid (like for Zippos) would also work well, I believe. I'm not sure if Acetone would damage the plastic or not, but it doesn't that too would work well.

Oh, and I used a walmart bag to prevent overspray from getting on the rest of the stock.







EDIT: Oh, and I ordered 1K of Wolf gold .223. I plan on getting out to the range within the next month, assuming the weather lets me.

I was wondering when these photos would surface, haha. Nice build, about time she's done! Props to Wolf Gold by the way, some of the best ammunition I've bought.

Ive heard good stuff about it and the price was right. .28 per round if i recall correctly. Got it feom targetsportsusa with free shipping. I prefer 5.56x45 since its hotter, but this should be just fine for the plinking i do.

I will have to drop by the surplus store after work for another ammo can to put it all in. Later this month i plan on getting 1k of 9mm, 45 and a new gun to play with too. What that winds up being will be told along with a range report. Should be able to hit the range within the next 3 weeks.

Project Vietnam fired every shot without a hiccup. Each case coming out looked perfect (with every consistent, powerful, ejection), dead-center primer strikes. I ran GECO 55gr, Aguila 62gr FMJ-BT, and Wolf Gold 55gr (all brass case) through it and it didn't seem to have any real preference.

It also didn't take much to sight it in. Windage was spot on but I did have to adjust the front sight post a bit. The target shown was shot at 50 yards, two groups, wolf gold .223. The first group is the lowest, and the target was 'sat on top of' the front sight post. Since the rifle was sighted in at 25 yards, I was expecting it to not hit just above the front sight post as it did at 25. After confirming my POI @ 50 yards, I aimed for the center of the target and took the second 5 shot group. I didn't measure it, but it's about 'hand sized'. I'd also like to toss out that I didn't use any kind of rest or bipod when shooting from the bench, just my elbows on the table. For a guy that doesn't get to shoot much (which I hope to change this year), I'd say that's not too bad.

Oh, and the new gun I bought was a Henry Frontier 22LR. If you don't have a henry lever action of some kind, I strongly recommend getting one. Buttery smooth action, and my 22lr isn't too shabby in the accuracy department. I need to adjust the front sight, but overall I'm very pleased with both.

Why do you tempt me with Henry?! Haha.

I bought a Rossi pump .22 that is a knock off of the Winchester Arcade take down rifles that are stupid expensive now days in .22 LR even with a shot out barrel.

NOW I want one of these Henrys to go along with it!

I'ts a sickness.

I'll tell my boys I want Santa to buy one for me and maybe they'll hook the old man up.

They're a great little rifle. I fell in love with one in 22 magnum (didn't buy it) and had to have one in 22lr. Now I have to get my hands on their 357 'big boy' model.