Recently I realized an ambition I've had for a number of years to build an AR carbine that, really, I consider to be more of a short rifle. Well, it's finished and all that remains to do is to outlive the second ice age and go test fire it.
But before doing so, I'd like to ask you fellows for some help in evaluating the defensive reliability of my new rifle. First, here's what it looks like....it is a mid-length upper receiver assembly mated to an A3 rifle lower receiver assembly.
In the hands of a six foot tall, 190 pound shooter
The rifle by itself
As most of you probably know, there has been a goodly amount of criticism of certain makers of AR 15 rifles and components in recent years. Gone are the days when an AR 15 was an AR 15. It seems that a lot of the entry level makers, including some very big names, were taking liberties with the term “Milspec” in order to turn out more profitable guns. Some have had the idea that Milspec merely refers to dimensional interchangeability of parts and did not know that it also stipulates materials, finish, required test procedures, and so on. Some makers were even taking such broad liberties with testing requirements that they weren’t testing some of their components except on a “batch testing” basis. One maker, for instance, produced a number of rifles in which the bolts hadn’t even been heat treated and which failed immediately.
The result of all this has been some real confusion about which guns are suitable defensive guns, which are best used as range toys, and which shouldn’t follow anyone home at all. Unfortunately this confusion has been exacerbated by well-meaning experts whose warnings were wrapped in a blatant preference for only high-dollar guns or, even worse, a specific brand of high dollar gun. So what is a good defensive gun and what isn’t? Actually, I’m as confused as anyone else. I'm convinced that the Colt, LMT, DanielDefense, Noveske, LaRue Tactical guns, all high dollar offerings, are good guns. But where's the quality cutoff? What will keep shooting when you need it to and what won't?
When I put together my little short rifle I jokingly called the AR 15 A2.5, I pored long and hard over this issue and did my best to use good, solid, components that came with strong recommendations from people I consider to be experts, including a long time SWAT supervisor – without breaking the bank. So if I may, I’d like to list the components I used in this build and ask you to appraise the self defense reliability capabilities of this little AR – based SOLELY on the components I used. I’m not interested in hearing about what would have been better, only that these components are/are not suitable for long-term defensive use and why. Here they are:
THE UPPER RECEIVER GROUP….is a mid-length assembly and was built by Spikes Tactical as an entire assembly. I did not build it. It has a 16” ChromeMolybdenumVanadium barrel with chrome lined bore and chamber and a 1:7” rate of twist. It is chambered for the 5.56mm NATO cartridge. It has the M4 barrel extension and feed ramps. The barrel is magnetic particle inspected and has the government contour. It has a chrome lined M16 full auto bolt carrier and the bolt is Carpenter 158 grade steel, shot peened, high pressure tested, magnetic particle inspected, and finished per Milspec. The extractor has a 5 coil spring, black insert, and Viton O-Ring, and the gas key is forged and chrome lined, its bolts are Grade 8 and well staked per Milspec. The handguard is a MagPul MOE with heat shield. The rear sight is a stand alone unit by LMT.
THE LOWER RECEIVER GROUP consists of a Spikes Tactical stripped lower receiver, a small parts kit provided by Armalite, a Rock River Arms two-stage match trigger, (which I have a long history with), Armalite ambi safety, MagPul MIAD pistol grip, A3 stock kit (stock, buffer tube, buffer, screws) by Rock River Arms, a replacement “Tuned,” 7% stronger buffer spring by JP enterprises. Good quality magazines will be used in it, mostly Milspec D&H and NHMTG units with Gen IV MagPul followers in them.
Visually, every component I used demonstrated excellent workmanship.
In essence I tried to build a very reliable defensive rifle that will do one hell of a lot of shooting without breaking down, and at a reasonable cost, which was almost exactly $1,000. Do you think I succeeded?
JayPee
P.S. - I could have shaved $195 off the price of this gun by using the Armalite trigger and safety selector that came in the small parts kit, and by using a less expensive but perfectly good $50 rear sight instead of the $100 LMT sight.
But before doing so, I'd like to ask you fellows for some help in evaluating the defensive reliability of my new rifle. First, here's what it looks like....it is a mid-length upper receiver assembly mated to an A3 rifle lower receiver assembly.
In the hands of a six foot tall, 190 pound shooter
The rifle by itself
As most of you probably know, there has been a goodly amount of criticism of certain makers of AR 15 rifles and components in recent years. Gone are the days when an AR 15 was an AR 15. It seems that a lot of the entry level makers, including some very big names, were taking liberties with the term “Milspec” in order to turn out more profitable guns. Some have had the idea that Milspec merely refers to dimensional interchangeability of parts and did not know that it also stipulates materials, finish, required test procedures, and so on. Some makers were even taking such broad liberties with testing requirements that they weren’t testing some of their components except on a “batch testing” basis. One maker, for instance, produced a number of rifles in which the bolts hadn’t even been heat treated and which failed immediately.
The result of all this has been some real confusion about which guns are suitable defensive guns, which are best used as range toys, and which shouldn’t follow anyone home at all. Unfortunately this confusion has been exacerbated by well-meaning experts whose warnings were wrapped in a blatant preference for only high-dollar guns or, even worse, a specific brand of high dollar gun. So what is a good defensive gun and what isn’t? Actually, I’m as confused as anyone else. I'm convinced that the Colt, LMT, DanielDefense, Noveske, LaRue Tactical guns, all high dollar offerings, are good guns. But where's the quality cutoff? What will keep shooting when you need it to and what won't?
When I put together my little short rifle I jokingly called the AR 15 A2.5, I pored long and hard over this issue and did my best to use good, solid, components that came with strong recommendations from people I consider to be experts, including a long time SWAT supervisor – without breaking the bank. So if I may, I’d like to list the components I used in this build and ask you to appraise the self defense reliability capabilities of this little AR – based SOLELY on the components I used. I’m not interested in hearing about what would have been better, only that these components are/are not suitable for long-term defensive use and why. Here they are:
THE UPPER RECEIVER GROUP….is a mid-length assembly and was built by Spikes Tactical as an entire assembly. I did not build it. It has a 16” ChromeMolybdenumVanadium barrel with chrome lined bore and chamber and a 1:7” rate of twist. It is chambered for the 5.56mm NATO cartridge. It has the M4 barrel extension and feed ramps. The barrel is magnetic particle inspected and has the government contour. It has a chrome lined M16 full auto bolt carrier and the bolt is Carpenter 158 grade steel, shot peened, high pressure tested, magnetic particle inspected, and finished per Milspec. The extractor has a 5 coil spring, black insert, and Viton O-Ring, and the gas key is forged and chrome lined, its bolts are Grade 8 and well staked per Milspec. The handguard is a MagPul MOE with heat shield. The rear sight is a stand alone unit by LMT.
THE LOWER RECEIVER GROUP consists of a Spikes Tactical stripped lower receiver, a small parts kit provided by Armalite, a Rock River Arms two-stage match trigger, (which I have a long history with), Armalite ambi safety, MagPul MIAD pistol grip, A3 stock kit (stock, buffer tube, buffer, screws) by Rock River Arms, a replacement “Tuned,” 7% stronger buffer spring by JP enterprises. Good quality magazines will be used in it, mostly Milspec D&H and NHMTG units with Gen IV MagPul followers in them.
Visually, every component I used demonstrated excellent workmanship.
In essence I tried to build a very reliable defensive rifle that will do one hell of a lot of shooting without breaking down, and at a reasonable cost, which was almost exactly $1,000. Do you think I succeeded?
JayPee
P.S. - I could have shaved $195 off the price of this gun by using the Armalite trigger and safety selector that came in the small parts kit, and by using a less expensive but perfectly good $50 rear sight instead of the $100 LMT sight.
