07/31/2022 – I am going through a lethargic state. I find that old people… that would be me, rekindle their teen years in some respects. We stay up late, then we are sluggish getting up in the morning and nothing on a list of chores that matter is appealing enough to attempt.
Still, I am adult enough to know that if I do not get critical chores done, they will not get done. And, yes, I can give examples.
Why I have firearms I do not like…
I am not a big AR 15 fan. Unlike the current occupant of the white house, all democrats, and some republicans in Congress, I see the AR 15 as a generally anemic rifle, with a sharp cornered form that makes them less than enjoyable to carry and heavier than a rifle should be. However, the AR 15 is a good security tool for us boonies dwellers and, I am sure, for many others.
Besides the 90% of their owners that assemble them in lieu of building internal combustion hot rods or going on dates, there are applications even in my world where the AR 15, like it or not, is a very useful tool. Not inside the house for my purposes, but aces if a need arises to investigate outside the house and in the surrounding wooded areas.
AR operation is straight forward, potential rate of fire is high and magazine capacity is… mission sustaining. The AR rifle’s long sight radius and heft make it much easier to shoot accurately than a handgun, particularly under stressful conditions.
ARs are the Swiss Army knives of firearms. I do not hang a lot of gunk on my security AR, but I could mount a metallic sights, an electromechanical sight system, a tactical light, an optical scope, all simultaneously, and still have room for an abundance of even more gratuitous accessories.
The horns of my dilemma
My AR is a relic… or at least the lower receiver and the pistol grip. The rest changes constantly; handguards, triggers, grips gas blocks, etc, etc. Usually as the basis for an article or when investigating a piqued curiosity. Consequently, this has left me with an AR with two uppers, all out of service at the moment. The first is configured for the 5.56 NATO, the second upper is configured for the 300 Blackout.
The overall system is a mismatch of parts, some pieces intended to be only temporarily installed and a faint memory of not being able to fire more than one round in a row. Although I can’t remember which combination had the problem, or if it was a problem that permeated all. Which is why the rifle was pulled from active duty. Why has the problem not been corrected? Lethargy, procrastination and ambivalence.
Today I am taking a stand. Today I will restore my AR to warrior class performance… Make that tomorrow, as it is already after 2 PM and there must be something in need of more immediate attention…
Imagine a video lapse devolve… Two years later
A train wreck, but my train wreck
As stated ad nauseam, this AR has been the subject of numerous project articles, as well as a parking place for unassigned parts and accessories. In fact, before I could move forward it was necessary to read a number of my earlier articles so I would know what I had assembled.
I hate reading old articles, as I can be quite annoying. Particularly in my attempts at humor. I just don’t get me. my jokes or sense of humor. I am forever wanting to tell myself to get to the point. Anyway…
This is the 300 Blackout configuration. I do not know, as yet, how well or how poorly it functions. However, I will within the next hour. I do know that the front sight is too high and made to mount on a low profile gas block rail. The floating handguard is made for use with a gas block with a rail, however, an adjustable gas block installed on the rifle.
After a safety check, I took it out back and ran a single round through the gun. Worked like a champ.
Loading 5 rounds in the magazine, the gun failed to fire once, never cycled more than one round before requiring manual intervention. Three rounds were eaten. One was found above the bolt head, the other two are the subject of a continuing search.
A little closer look…
Using the Real Guns Series “AR Rehabilitation Parts 1-5” The firearm was disassembled to the extend a thorough visual and operational inspection could be made and bits and pieces could be verified to the list presented within the articles.
The sights that were on the rifle were mismatched with the front configured for a low profile gas block rail. Consequently, the set up was good for downhill shooting only.
The Yankee Hill handguard was originally selected because the top rail, forward rail configuration left a clean bottom side. Personal preference. Additionally, a Precision Reflex adjustable gas block and low profile gas block with rail were being tested to see which would be the best for the application. The rail cut out at the front also eases access to the installed gas block adjustment. So it will remain in place for now.
Feyachi metallic, more specifically aluminum, flip up sights will be the initial sight system for the rehabbed AR, for a couple of reasons. If you squint when reading the logo, your brain will see “Ferrari” and your imagination will be flooded with images of expensive fast cars, fast women and homemade lasagna. For an even better reason for their selection, Feyachi is actually Chinese for “Work well, dirt cheap, comrade”.
A Ruger Hybrid Muzzle Brake had been installed, but the plan is to run the 300 Blackout upper suppressed with subsonic ammunition. There is no plan for long range shooting so suppressed, quiet, heavy bullet weight configuration is in the forecast.
Typically, when there is an undefined functional problem, I tend to not make changes until the problem has been identified and corrected. In this case, as the silencer and ammo type have a major influence on operational reliability, it seemed sorting the problems in an intended configuration made the most sense with an objective of rock solid relaibility.
Some more mechanical checks..
Just a comment on disassembling a buffer. The pin punch is 1/8″ and it comes out easily with a bench block for support. There is no reason to grab the poly nose with any tool to pull it out. If you wrap your fist around the downward pointed tube and burp the back with a soft faced hammer, the kinetic energy of the internal weights, and a little patience, will push the nose out with out any damage.
The buffer is carbine length, 3.25″ but too light in weight for the 300 Blackout and heavy bullet weights. In this case, the weights are 0.6 ounces, the three plus the pads, roll pin and enclosure total only 3.0 ounces. This will be adjusted. I would rather add buffer weight than cut down gas flow to compensate for more reliable operation. Greater than 3 ounces, less than 5 ounces.
The buffer spring was correct at 10 3/4″, with 38 coils. The buffer tube is a 1.68″ OD variety with the correct Magpul stock.
The carrier group, upper and lower receivers and trigger were found to be completely devoid of lube. Could be suppressor carbon blasted dry. Mechanically, the pieces looked good. No real wear and tear, no damaged surfaces. So, initially, they will be thoroughly cleaned and properly lubed.
Looking for a puppy….
I am trying to find a puppy. Not easy. Seems anyone whose dog got loose and found another dog of the opposite gender now calls themself a breeder. How do I know? Because I have never seen more dogs that look nothing like their indicated breed, and dogs claimed to be pure bred are selling for $200-$400 per anticipated mature weight pound.
In any case, Taking a break here while I wait for some parts and assemblies to arrive and taking time to formulate the end game. This will all be explained and make sense in Part II. Part III at the latest. OK, maybe Part IV.
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