Titan Defense TD-415 (HK416 clone) Gas piston upper preview (Pics inside)

[sinlessorrow]

There is no verdict worth giving - it was nothing more than a copy... but you can by the parts they made here ==> http://black-market-parts.3dcartstor...arts_c_13.html

so i take it they went under?

[armakraut]

HK did to it what Colt did to the "HKM4."

[Rogue7a]

THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE PROCEEDING ARE SOLELY THAT OF THE AUTHOR'S AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE VIEWS OR OPINIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, ANY US GOVERNMENT ENTITY OR SPECIAL WEAPONS INC.

CA-415 14.5" Upper Receiver Evaluation

Background
I purchased a 14.5" CA-415 Upper Receiver from Special Weapons Inc. in 2010 in order to obtain a more reliable system than the fielded M4 Upper. The purchase was directly related to Heckler and Koch policies coupled with importation bans which made it impossible for units or individuals to procure the HK 416 uppers. In addition, aside from some specific units, the US Army had "recovered" entire unit procured HK 416 Uppers because they had not undergone "official" Department of Defense (DoD) First Article Testing (FAT) when mated with the M4 Lower. In addition, the predominant use of suppressors, their effect on Direct Impingement (DI) uppers, environmental factors (dust, etc.), coupled with past combat experience and the fact that the Special Operations Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) had not yet been fielded, this upper filled (In my opinion) a capability gap by providing a system based on a proven platform.

Initial Impressions
Upon receiving the upper I inspected it for fit and finish. The upper kit consisted of an upper receiver complete with charging handle, bolt group, 9" hand guard, buffer, buffer spring and Troy Industries Flip Up Front and Rear Sights. There were no issues with the overall fit of the components sans two minor items. The Mako Polymer Ejection Port Cover would not positively engage in the closed position. I spoke to Special Weapons about this and was informed me that it could be adjusted. This was easily accomplished by the unit armorer. The second was the barrel coating which was akin to a "Cerakote" finish. While the finish was durable, it slightly increased the overall diameter of the barrel which required heating of the suppressor centering collar in order to properly seat it. None of these deficiencies were considered major detractors.

Compatibility
The upper receiver, buffer and buffer spring mated positively with the M4 lower and demonstrated no perceivable "rattle" or "shifting". In addition, the upper was checked for compatibility and test fired with the following HK 416 components: Hand Guard, Bolt Group, Gas Piston, Piston Rod, and gas block mounted flip up front sight during which no issues were encountered. It should be noted that unlike the piston on the HK 416, the Special Weapon's piston is a "ring-less" design akin to that found on AK and Fabrique Nationale Herstal (FNH) machine guns. In my opinion, this removes a point of failure and inspection. Note: Due to a slight difference between the CA-415 bolt group and HK-416 bolt group, individual parts were not interchanged between these two assemblies.

Configuration
The upper was configured with the following Special Operations Peculiar MODification (SOPMOD) components: Elcan SpecterDR (SU-230/PVS), Insight AN/PEQ-15 and Insight M3X. The provided Troy Industries Flip Up Front and Rear Sights were utilized and an OPS INC 15th Model CQB MBS with M-16/M4 Style Flash Hider were utilized for sound suppression.

Reliability
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Because the upper was intended as a "deployment" platform, it was not subjected to "Destruction Testing" and was used in normal training with complete cleaning after every evolution (250 to 500 rounds). Ammo utilized consisted exclusively of M855, M855A1, MK262 MOD 0 & MOD 1. In addition, I kept no record of suppressed, unsuppressed, semi or full auto firing schedules or range temperatures due to its competing interest with training and operations.
After firing approximately 6,500 rounds through the system, I experienced three (3) failures. One stoppage was attributed to a weak magazine spring coupled with increased bolt velocity that resulted in a failure to feed during suppressed full auto fire. This issue has also been experienced with the HK 416 and was the prime driver of "suppressed" and "unsuppressed' gas selection. The cause of the remaining two (2) failures is unknown and may be ammo related. Regardless, the Mean Rounds Between Stoppages (MRBS) / Mean Rounds Between Failures (MRBF) was approximately 2,166 rounds during my experience with the system. If the magazine issue was treated as an outlier, the reliability increased to 3,250 MRBS/MRBF. Inspection of the system's components revealed no excessive wear. Note: Special Weapons subjected uppers to more "aggressive" (approximately 90,000 rounds) firing schedules by providing them as full auto rental guns to "The Gun Store" in Las Vegas, NV. Although information regarding long term performance and component durability can be gleaned from this evolution it is not available to me.

Accuracy
BLUF: Accuracy evaluation was performed under "Field" conditions ranging from 25 meter "Battle Sight Zero" (BZO), 100 meter, 200 meter and 300 meter known distance B Modified Targets as well as the standard US Army rifle qualification course.
Using the aforementioned ammunition, the system performed on par with the standard M4 with group sizes ranging from 2 - 3 Minute of Angle (MOA). While suppressed and firing from the supported (sand bag) prone, I was able to achieve 1.35 MOA groups utilizing MK262 Ammo.

Recommendations
Barrel Options and finish: It would be preferable if the end user could select a different barrel and weights. In my opinion, I would prefer a PAC-NOR Polygonal barrel. In addition, I would recommend a MIL-SPEC finish akin to that on the M4's barrel. Regardless, this is just a personal preference and not a detractor of the performance of the system.
Firing Rate: Due to the velocities encountered during suppressed firing, I would suggest a "Suppressed/Unsuppressed" user selectable setting or incorporating a rate reduction system into the bolt carrier akin to the FERFRANS system. However, with the availability of "Zero Backpressure" suppressors like the OSS system, this may be a nonissue.
Over The Beach (OTB) Performance: Per the SCAR Performance Requirement paragraph 3.2.4.3 (Over The Beach Capability), it would be an added value to determine the system's ability to meet this requirement. While this is not a competing interest, it would serve to further demonstrate its capability with like systems.

Summary
I found the system to be a capable and provide the end user a more reliable platform in arduous environments especially if suppressed when compared to the legacy system. Although the system has not undergone official DoD FAT, it is based off a proven system coupled with comparable industry manufacturing standards and methods and incorporates improvements. This coupled with the cost and performance of the system places it ahead of all other systems available to civilian shooters, law enforcement and entities that require an accurate and reliable firearm. The system has demonstrated its ability to delivery reliable performance and accuracy in field environments and combat deployments.

[Rogue7a]

Sorry if I'm dredging up an old topic. I thought someone may appreciate an end user perspective of this upper

[eternal24k]

Sorry if I'm dredging up an old topic. I thought someone may appreciate an end user perspective of this upper

you should be sorry for reminding me why i wish i ordered one while they were clearing them out

[Rogue7a]

you should be sorry for reminding me why i wish i ordered one while they were clearing them out

Not to get spun up like everyone did over the Vltor Fortis aka "Bren Ten" which became as we all know "vapor ware".

However, I have heard that there may be something coming this February-April timeframe. I'm really hoping so, because USASFC took away the MK-16s and there's no way Group is gonna purchase 416 uppers.