Background
I bought my first AR15 in 2002/2003 timeframe. It was a Colt MT6400C that I got out the door for $850. At the time, I was obsessed with my inch pattern FAL, but I couldn’t pass up the deal. The Colt sat NIB in packaging for about a year. 308 started to get more expensive, so I opted to break out the Colt.
A local sporting goods place had a pretty nice gunsmith who was into military guns. Looking back on it, i think he was 99% full of shit, but he got me hooked on the platform. His personal “M4” was a post-ban bushy with ARMS everything. I thought it was AWESOME. No sooner had I function checked my Colt before having a laundry list of parts on my “want list” (this was before I lurked gun forums).
Here is a pic of it in its old form 2004-2005
When I left NJ for PA in 2006, I added a 14.5" SOCOM barrel, VLTOR modstock, and a light, upgraded the 22M68 mount, etc
Much better, but it still left a lot to be desired. It was VERY heavy and quite bulky. After building a 16" colt lightweight with LT7.0 rail, I decided my Colt needed to go on a diet. It ended up like this in 2007.
Ditched the ARMS stuff, replaced with LT. Much lighter, but still very front heavy. I decided to try a lighter light setup and went with the Surefire E2D and eventually the VTAC L4. Added a Comp M4s to use the Comp M2 on another gun.
Still not quite right, so I ditched the FUG for handstops which saved me a BUNCH of weight, but just didn’t feel right on the short carbine rail. I swapped the Modstock for a CTR to save a little more weight.
In order to extend the rail, i’d need to completely overhaul the upper, so I wanted to address two other issues: unnecessary weight of the SOCOM barrel, and fixed FSB always appearing canted (despite rebuilding the upper and verifying that the sights were in fact true). Somewhere along the line, I built a near identical copy of the Colt carbine on an LMT lower, so it too would need to be overhauled.
Specs
BCM BFH 14.5" Middy
BCM Std FA BCG
BCM Gunfighter CH
Larue Stealth M4 Upper (thanks G&R)
Larue 12" Rail
Larue Low Profile Gas Block
waiting for the barrels
at the range
AAR
Put 100 rounds of XM193 through each upper in fairly rapid succession in a variety of PMAGs and D&H teflon w/ MP Gen II followers. I used basic brake free CLP lube and not so much as a hiccup. Both lowers have USGI action springs and H2 buffers. Overall I am extremely happy with the “makeover”. In the next week or so, i’ll head out and get them zeroed at 50yds, test accuracy from the bench at 100, and break some clays out on the berm offhand.
Conclusion
The more I shoot and handle my AR’s, the more I find what works for me. It took nearly ten revisions to get them where I want them, and I still have some minor changes I’d like to make (swap the CTR for SOPMOD stock, swap the Comp M3 for another M4s, swap the lower 1/3 cowitness mount for the absolute height, and eventually if LT makes it, an offset light mount that’s closer to the bore of the gun.