A status Update on my AR

A status update on my AR project. I decided to make this a XM177E1/Commando clone. So Vietnam tribute basically. Im finally happy with it. I traded my factory Bushmaster M4A3 HBAR upper for a complete early 70s Colt Commando upper. Sadly its still mounted on a not era correct A2 style lower with a plastic 6 position collapsible stock but thats ok only an extreme M16 historian would know the difference. The original stock would have been an aluminum 2 position collapsible. So the current stats are a DI gas system, chrome lined 1:12 twist 5.56 NATO 11.5 inch barrel with a welded on 4.5 inch slot flash hider and era correct round reinforced handguard. No Shell deflector and a wheel type windage adjustment with a forward assist. The magazine shown is a Surplus 20rd GI mag. I need to get a M16 Bolt Carrier Group, and a green nylon sling. I plan on mounting a few modern features as well. Such as a BCM Gunfighter charging handle, a mag pouch on the buttstock, and a more comfortable grip. Im slowly getting the "Black Rifle Disease"

Looks like a fun project.

why the hell would you go with such a tiny ass barrel and a huge flash suppressor?

you're crippling the muzzle velocity and gaining no length advantage at all.

heptofite said:

why the hell would you go with such a tiny ass barrel and a huge flash suppressor?

you're crippling the muzzle velocity and gaining no length advantage at all.

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go to your local barnes and noble, find the "military history" section, find the sub-section with books about vietnam, then find the biggest book you can find about vietnam and thumb through it. once you're done with that, read the OP again.

tgallmey said:

So Vietnam tribute basically.

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then explain how that brake reduces muzzle velocity. as long as the gas is leaving in a uniform manner, i dont see how it would reduce it

heptofite said:

why the hell would you go with such a tiny ass barrel and a huge flash suppressor?

you're crippling the muzzle velocity and gaining no length advantage at all.

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While your at it would you like to fuss about the twist rate cause I cant use the heavier bullets? This is how the original Colt Commando was set up, which is what I wanted. I would like to have the 11.5 inch barrel but I dont feel like having to go NFA and if I was worried about velocity Id just build a 20 or 24 inch full size rifle. The 16 inch HBARs are just to damn barrel heavy especially after you over complicate it with a bunch of tacticool crap and especially for whats supposed to be a lightweight carbine.

88_Eddie said:

go to your local barnes and noble, find the "military history" section, find the sub-section with books about vietnam, then find the biggest book you can find about vietnam and thumb through it. once you're done with that, read the OP again.



then explain how that brake reduces muzzle velocity. as long as the gas is leaving in a uniform manner, i dont see how it would reduce it

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and do what this guy said

88_Eddie said:

go to your local barnes and noble, find the "military history" section, find the sub-section with books about vietnam, then find the biggest book you can find about vietnam and thumb through it. once you're done with that, read the OP again.



then explain how that brake reduces muzzle velocity. as long as the gas is leaving in a uniform manner, i dont see how it would reduce it

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that's not a brake.

because there isn't a tight seal between bullet and barrel after the first 11.5 inches.

the gun is 16 inches anyway, 11.5 inches of barrel and 4.5 inches of brake does not provide the motive force of 16 inches of barrel.

in fact, it's entirely possible that turbulence in the flash suppressor would hinder stability, though I'm not quite sure how that one is set up.

yes it's a tribute, but it could be an equally accurate tribute with a 14.5 or 16 inch barrel, since the Vietnam rifles didn't have the huge-ass flash suppressor on them.

barrel length does not mean accuracy. It's actually easier to make a shorter barrel straighter.

Alot of people run 10.5-12'' barrels, ya it drops the velocity a couple hundred feet per second, but it can still shoot moa to 400 yards, and works at closer ranges.

the flash hider makes it "period" and also not an NFA/SBR. Sadly it doesn't "flash suppress" any better than a vortex blackout but it is lighter than a 16'' hbar.

I think its a cool project, good luck with it.

And alot of car15s did have that "huge ass" flash suppressor.

hopps said:

barrel length does not mean accuracy. It's actually easier to make a shorter barrel straighter.

Alot of people run 10.5-12'' barrels, ya it drops the velocity a couple hundred feet per second, but it can still shoot moa to 400 yards, and works at closer ranges.

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A lot more people run more than 12" barrels on rifles. In fact, I think I see more pistols with barrels in that neighborhood than I do rifles.

nice job with your tribute. the reason for the huge ass flash hider is so your bayonet can be mounted on the rifle i should know my unit issued the carbine to all the drivers back in the day before the M4 . mil-spec required all rifles to be able to have a bayonet fixed to them . You will see some in pictures that have just the bird cage but this was done at unit level for mission requirements

motodog 57 said:

nice job with your tribute. the reason for the huge ass flash hider is so your bayonet can be mounted on the rifle i should know my unit issued the carbine to all the drivers back in the day before the M4 . mil-spec required all rifles to be able to have a bayonet fixed to them . You will see some in pictures that have just the bird cage but this was done at unit level for mission requirements

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Really? thats cool. What was your opinion of the Rifle at that time?

i was very happy with the rifle , the shorter length is much better when you are getting in and out of vehicles and you where the center of attention if you had one , everybody wanted to check it out . the Accuracy was good for a short barreled rifle it could do the standard qualification , targets from 25 to 300 m but you had to be good to hit the 300m target , lots of drop off . the problem was with feeding. The shorter gas system threw the timing off and the bolt would cycle so fast on full auto that the mag couldn't keep up and sometimes the bolt would slam forward and not take a round with it. so you learned to do sports (slap,pull,observe,release,tap,shoot) very well.You wont have to deal with that shooting semi . all the tacticool people will have a fit that you don't have a flat top and all the cool stuff hanging off it, but it will be light and fun to shoot and that's the point isn't it

motodog 57 said:

i was very happy with the rifle , the shorter length is much better when you are getting in and out of vehicles and you where the center of attention if you had one , everybody wanted to check it out . the Accuracy was good for a short barreled rifle it could do the standard qualification , targets from 25 to 300 m but you had to be good to hit the 300m target , lots of drop off . the problem was with feeding. The shorter gas system threw the timing off and the bolt would cycle so fast on full auto that the mag couldn't keep up and sometimes the bolt would slam forward and not take a round with it. so you learned to do sports (slap,pull,observe,release,tap,shoot) very well.You wont have to deal with that shooting semi . all the tacticool people will have a fit that you don't have a flat top and all the cool stuff hanging off it, but it will be light and fun to shoot and that's the point isn't it

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Yes it is. A Carbine shouldnt weigh 25 lbs. Kill yourself if you had to carry it all day. Back when I had all the cool stuff, I carried it for Halloween as It went with my costume and I didnt wanna buy a airsoft and it killed me.