More than a culmination of its parts;
Not including the optic (C-more systems Scout model retrofitted to the Railway base with a spacer to achieve an absolute co-witness with iron sights) which I already had, but including everything else and 3 Magpul PMAGs with ranger floor plates, I built this rifle for $924.38! That price includes shipping charges from the various retailers online that I purchased from as well. Unfortunately, the prices that I paid are unlikely to be seen in the near future due to the political issues at hand so as to not rub it in anyone's face, I will not be posting prices on each component of this build.
The parts I used in this build are as follows;
Already in my possession;
C-more systems red dot sight (previously reviewed)
Upper Receiver;
Palmetto State Armory A3 flat top upper receiver with M4 feed ramp cuts (stripped)
Port cover door assembly (door, rod, spring, moonclip) picked up at gunshow
Forward assist assembly (FA, spring, roll pin) picked up at gunshow
Green Mountain 16" M4 5.56mm barrel with extension and M4 feed ramps
DPMS Barrel nut
Yankee Hill Machine (5C2) phantom flash hider
Midwest Industries (MI-MGB750) micro gas block
DPMS carbine length gas tube
Midwest Industries (MCTAR-24G2) gen 2 10" two piece free float quad rail handguard
Magpul MBUS front and back
Magpul rail covers
Magpul AFG-1 forward grip
DPMS charging handle with ambidextrous latch
Rock River Arms bolt and carrier group
Lower Receiver;
Palmetto State Armory Gadsden flag lower receiver (stripped)
Palmetto State Armory MOE lower build kit (Previously Reviewed)
CMMG ambidextrous safety selector
Once I had all of these parts, I just needed to put it all together. This is a simple, straightforward task with the exception of the barrel. The barrel must be properly torqued onto the upper receiver and headspaced properly for safe operation of the weapon system. I just had a gunsmith buddy of mine come over and help me out with the barrel aspect of the build.
Above is a picture of the Palmetto State Armory Gadsden Lower as it came to me in its stripped condition. This lower has mil-spec tolerances so all mil-spec parts will fit with no issues. It is constructed from 7075-T6 aluminum with a black hard coat type 3 anodizing to keep it protected. On the reverse side above the serial number it is marked "CAL-MULTI" to accommodate builds of different calibers. It has great lockup and very little play when mated to the upper receiver. Below is a picture of it post assembly.
Speaking of the upper receiver, I really like the way that this one turned out! The Magpul MBUS back up sights are great and came perfectly adjusted out of the box. I am not sure if that was intentional, but they did not need any adjustment at all! Operation of the MBUS sights is simple, just push down on the side tabs or top tab and they spring up and lock into place. Check it out below, the front is the same as the rear in terms of operation.
The Midwest Industries (MCTAR-24G2) two piece 10" free float quad rail handguard I chose not only because it is lighter than most other similar rails at only 11.9oz, but it does not require the use of a proprietary barrel nut for attachment onto the receiver. It has two built in quick detach sling swivel studs on either side (for a total of four) allowing for ease of use for different sling types. It comes in two pieces (upper and lower) that sandwich the barrel and clamp over the barrel nut via an interior channel (as seen in the picture below). I applied red loctite to the six allen head screws to ensure that they would not work their way loose and it has been nothing but smooth sailing and increased accuracy ever since!
I went with the 10" version because I wanted to be able to extend my reach father than normal to better control muzzle rise and recoil mitigation. Here is a good shot of it on the assembled firearm.
Sample the above picture also for the highly recommended Magpul AFG-1 forward grip. I prefer this grip to a conventional forward grip because it allows me to maintain a low bore axis on my reaction hand when gripping the firearm. To me, the AFG-1 is better than no grip at all because it repositions my wrist into a more comfortable angle for shooting when I am extending the grip to the end of the rail system. It came with two inserts as seen below; one with a finger groove and one without. I use the one with the groove and position it so that the groove sits between my right middle and ring fingers and this acts as a great point of reference for a consistent grip every time.
On the muzzle of this rifle lies Yankee Hill Machine's Phantom Flash Hider (model 5C2). This particular flash hider is much better than the standard A2 birdcage flash hider in the sense that it further conceals the muzzle flash in low light conditions. I had indexing issues when installing this with the supplied crush washer as there is a dedicated top and bottom. To remedy this issue, I used a jam nut from an old DPMS Micculek compensator to get it indexed properly as seen below.
All in all I am very happy with this build. Accuracy on this setup is more than adequate at 2 MOA (2 minute of angle, 2 inches) shot groups at 100 yards on the backup sights. The rifle as configured is relatively light weight (I have not actually weighed it) but very reliable so far. I would recommend every part on this weapon system to anyone who is looking to build their own AR-15. When building an AR from parts, If you do not feel comfortable performing some or all of the assembly please seek the assistance a professional to ensure that the firearm is assembled correctly and safely. These are firearms not toys, and as such they need to be treated, handled, assembled, maintained, and operated with a certain amount of respect. In all above pictures, the firearm is not loaded. The weapon is on safe and pointed in a safe direction.
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