My Mac-10 carbine build from parts kit.

[Analogkid]

I didnt see a build section here on the forums but I wanted to share my latest rifle build from a parts kit.
I have a m11/mac 11 carbine I love to shoot so I decided to build a M10 style version in 45acp. Heres part of the build and I will update as I go along.

I used a Velocity arms parts kit that came with lower plate and no side plates. I used Cajun Country arms side plates to build the lower. The 16" barrel ,floating hand guard and muzzle brake was sourced from Velocity as well. I made the wrenches to remove the pistol barrel from the upper and install the carbine barrel. I tig welded the lower on a old Miller machine that's seen better days. (Making excuses for my bad welding)

This was just done for fun and something to plink around with. Here's a few pics.

 

[Analogkid]

Some more pics.

 

[Analogkid]

Pics.

 

[dh1633pm]

Looks likes it's going pretty well.

 

[Analogkid]

I unfortunately messed my knee up and had to have surgery on it Friday. I was able to get to the range on Thursday to function check it with both pistol and carbine barrel. I had issues with the carbine barrel and had to fluff up the mouth of it to get it to feed reliably. I was able to run 200 rounds of tula 45acp steel case through it as well as 100 of my powder coated cast lead reloads running the new IMR red at near max charge with a 230gr lee bullet. Ran all of those just fine and the weight of the gun soaked up the recoil to almost nothing.

I'm near ready to have the lower parkerized as well as ser#'d for my own records.. I will be using a VZ58 side folder stock for this project. I was able to find a VZ58 side folder stock from a seller in the Czech Republic for a fantastic price. If it all goes well I may build another into a SBR and register it.

I have also ordered a side cocking upper so I can run a budget optic on it when finished.

It has been a pretty fun and pain free build .
Not everyone's cup of tea and I certianly respect that, but I enjoyed building it and I'm sure it will be as fun to shoot when in it's final configuration as my mac 11 carbine is.

I will post some more pics when it is all done.

 

[dh1633pm]

Yeah, I bet most here wouldn't try on one of those builds, i certainly can't in living in NY. Sounds like you are on the downward part of project.

 

[boom boom]

I unfortunately messed my knee up and had to have surgery on it Friday. I was able to get to the range on Thursday to function check it with both pistol and carbine barrel. I had issues with the carbine barrel and had to fluff up the mouth of it to get it to feed reliably. I was able to run 200 rounds of tula 45acp steel case through it as well as 100 of my powder coated cast lead reloads running the new IMR red at near max charge with a 230gr lee bullet. Ran all of those just fine and the weight of the gun soaked up the recoil to almost nothing.

I'm near ready to have the lower parkerized as well as ser#'d for my own records.. I will be using a VZ58 side folder stock for this project. I was able to find a VZ58 side folder stock from a seller in the Czech Republic for a fantastic price. If it all goes well I may build another into a SBR and register it.

I have also ordered a side cocking upper so I can run a budget optic on it when finished.

It has been a pretty fun and pain free build .
Not everyone's cup of tea and I certianly respect that, but I enjoyed building it and I'm sure it will be as fun to shoot when in it's final configuration as my mac 11 carbine is.

I will post some more pics when it is all done.

If you are willing, could you share where you obtained information on how to build out the parts kit (or simply let us know if you are a natural mechanical genius that figures out mechanical workings like a crossword puzzle". Also any problems with feeding, specific ammo needs, alterations of the parts in the parts kit, receiver alterations, magazine sources, etc. might be useful to share if you are willing.

Ensuring reliable feeding/operation and avoiding any conflict with the ATF's stringent regulations have always prevented me from taking up building a semi-auto version of a former select fire weapon. Things like changing an open bolt design to a closed bolt, not allowing a fixed firing pin, making sure that there is a functional disconnector to prevent auto fire, and then making the build reliable enough have always discouraged me from attempting any such project.

I always enjoyed Steve Mathews columns in the Shotgun News before he retired where he did those things and shared the process with readers. But, it made me reluctant without a pretty well equipped home machine shop to do so myself.

 

[FROGO207]

Usually those guys that sell the parts kits have the needed info/modified parts you are missing to assemble it to working order. Also it helps if you have another one that is similar to look at so you can tell how the parts go together if you are not familiar with how it does. Often a welder and some hand tools are all you need to make one of those kits as they are quite basic.

 

[GBExpat]

Thanks for the pics, Analogkid! That looks like a fun project.

======

I recall that in ~1975 Atlantic & Pacific Firearms in Virginia Beach kept tempting me to buy a $175 .45acp "Ingram" sub (almost certainly what became known as the M10/MAC-10).

The two primary things that stopped me were the $200 tax stamp required and that I would also need (for decent handling) to buy the specialized suppressor for an additional $175 + $200 tax stamp.

In addition to that, imagine how much ammo I would have to buy to feeeeeeed such a firearm. <chuckle> Actually, thinking thru that aspect has kept me away from FA/SF firearms purchases ever since.

Interesting thing is that, since the Virginia carry permits at that time were for "concealed weapons", not handguns as they are now, I could have legally carried that pup in a rig under a heavy/long coat if I ever felt the urge.

 

[Analogkid]

It's been pretty fun! The only thing you have to worry about for the most part is warping the tar out of the receiver as you weld it together. There are weld jigs available to keep that down to a minimum. They are pricey but I guess if you are building them all the time you may want one. I've seen guys tack these together with a old buzz box Lincoln and a 1/8th rod and stuff make them look nice. (Well...nice enough for a mac) Velocity had everything I needed to complete the kit save for the side plates but They do Give you 1:1 drawings of the side plates you would need to make to finish it. I just chose to spend $40 on some 80% complete side plates because I was coming down to the wire with my knee surgery.

You can literally cut the image of the side plates out of the print/drawing and trace them out to 12ga sheet, cut it with a bandsaw or scroll saw , finish with a file and it will fit their lower.
,
These are brick simple to make and fun to shoot. I really like them in the carbine platform. These are known for some nasty trigger slap but it is virtually non existent in this one I built.

 

[Analogkid]

Little vid from Thursday firing into a berm 15 feet away. Had already ran a few hundred rounds through it by this point. Im running steel cased Tula 45acp in this vid.
These are just as easy to bump fire from the shoulder in carbine config. I'll post up pics when I get the vz58 side folder stock and side charging upper in.
Second vid is a side to side shot of it in pistol config with floating hand guard installed.