In a move that surprised absolutely no one who knows me even a little, the mercurial primary shootin’ equipment I like to refer to as The Last Rifle, and sometimes as Megan, has been changed again. I have been editing it to “The Last ROFL” when using that name, since the fixed, final configuration it refers to is always laughably short lived, no matter how adamant I am that this is IT, the last time I’ll mess with its innards or clothing, the final edit before it goes to print.
I’ve learned a lot in the past few years since I declared the project finished, and then re-declared it re-finished. I sat down and did a parts inventory, and the only things remaining for its original state of 5 years ago when I naively proclaimed it ‘ideal’ are the front and rear takedown pins. Everything else is new – and while I know better now than to proclaim it ‘done’, the move it’s taken towards lightweight and simple, while incorporating parts that move me from attractive possible gimmickry to sound and durable components, even despite my prejudices, are all steps in the right direction. At least I hope so.
Click for High Res - Warning, Huge
Enough justification, let’s deconstruct this baby.
The action is the biggest deviation from the rifles I’ve built for the past 7 years, so let’s get that out of the way. It’s an LWRC short-stroke piston, for the myriad benefits of clean operation, low operating temp, and the associated extended life expectancy of heat-sensitive-parts like the extractor springs. I’ve touted the system before, and I’ll be up front about it, we stock & sell that brand of rifles as a direct result of the trouble-free operation of mine. It is by no means the only GTG piston on the market, according to DocGKR, the HK416, LWRC and the new offering by Barrett, all scored high marks on the recent US DOD testing. Larry Vickers, a man with a resume I can’t begin to fully fathom or approach, rightly states that the advantages of the piston system are fully expressed in:
- Suppressed carbines,
- Select fire carbines, or
- SBR configurations,
- Using crappy ammo out of necessity
With combinations of the above attributes counting for double coupons and extra bonus points towards benefitting from piston operation; essentially becoming less of a ‘nice thing to have’ and moving towards a ‘very, very good thing’ in these specialized roles. With the possible future addition of a sound suppressor to this rifle, this configuration of mine meets none of the ‘piston critical’ criteria (please enjoy the pun). Since privately-owned select fire is out of my price range, a 5.56mm SBR meets none of my needs for a general purpose rifle, and suppression would be nice, but would add weight to a gun I have tried to keep light, it remains a 16” semi-automatic carbine.
The piston operation does keep it clean(er) and cool inside and I’ve put a total of just over 1600 rounds through it in this configuration, forcing myself not to clean it, add lube or even wipe down the bolt lugs. It’s been a struggle, even though I despise cleaning DI guns, I feel neglectful of this one. So far, the hiccup count is zero, discounting one certifiably bad HK mag with a bent feedlip. Used, mixed Lake City and Winchester 55gr, some PMC frangible Green Box, Wolf, a lot of Georgia Arms from gun shows 8 years ago, old black Guatemalan surplus, some American Eagle, and 30 rounds of Hornady TAP. It was the perfect excuse to use up a lot of stuff that was found in the bottom of the range bag, though it cleaned me out of everything but some TAP, thankfully bought in 2006, for far less than 2008 prices, and my emergency stash of XM193. It will be a long time before I run that much ammo though anything again, because when ammo prices double, employee discount means damn-all with my budget. Everything ran in a boringly reliable fashion. I know that the DI version of this rifle started to get sluggish around 1000 rounds with no extra oil during a full-on, mags-loaded-ahead-of-time, range day 2 years ago in NH, so I view 1600, untouched and un-relubed, to speak highly for the extent to which the piston can go when pressed.
Now -do I ‘need’ need it? Nope. I’d never carry around 800 rounds of ammo, shoot it all, and not even find time to throw some CLP on and run a boresnake, no matter how heavy the zombie infestation – but it’s nice to know that I could. Your mileage may vary, as will your ‘need’ for the piston, but for me, it’s like having 4WD – rarely need it for normal use, nice to have if you do.
The upper receiver is a conversion by LWRC, not a complete factory upper – they didn’t and currently don’t offer a lightweight .625 diameter barrel, so I sent along a Colt 6320 barrel as the basis for the conversion. The extra weight saved is well worth the bit of extra hassle. The barrel is Chrome lined, 5.56 chamber, and the slimmer profile saves me several ounces, and costs me nothing but extra weight. The bolt carrier is the LWRC proprietary, with the solid piston key, and an NP3-style coating the small amount of carbon on it wipes off with a finger, which I’m sure hurts the reliability in no way. I used the KNS solid firing pin retaining pin, as I seem to have a knack for bending the bent wire pins in manners they were not meant to bend.
The upper receiver is an VLTOR MUR, which I did not need for the additional rigidity it can offer to match rifles, but wanted because I just liked how it looked and felt. Vanity? Sure. It’s a tough, block looking upper, with some attractive laser engraving.
The charging handle is a Miculek steel model, which doesn’t bend no matter how rough I am with it. I installed a PRI big Latch, which makes the purchase a bit better without putting a dent in my side when it’s slung like the Badger latch did. I can use the PRI to charge the rifle one-handed with the side of my left palm, and the charging handle doesn’t flex and drag on the upper receiver when I do.
The muzzle device is also by VLTOR, the VC-1, which looks a bit better on this barrel profile, and seems to feel about the same when shooting, as my Smith Enterprises Vortex. Both were better than the bare muzzle for muzzle jump. I didn’t notice any change in recoil with the VC-1, but sights stay on target during rapid shooting just as well with it as the Vortex. I can’t speak to flash suppression, as I haven’t shot it in the dark/dusk, but I’m told it’s better than an A2, about on par with a Phantom. As I don’t use night vision, I’ll just have to be ok with that, too.
The rail system is the SRT rail, from LWRC – their rail system is somewhat like the Troy, and the main benefit is the majority of the top rail slides out to permit access to the piston system. A downside of the piston is that it restricts rail selection – no Surefire, Larue, DD, or Troy rails have the clearance built in to permit the larger diameter piston parts to reciprocate, and even if the rail were modified, as I did to a VLTOR CAS-V for a short while to accommodate the piston, most of the mounting arrangements for the rails would make accessing the piston difficult or impossible. Fortunately, the LWRC rail is light, free-floats, and is slim, so there’s not much to complain about, though I can’t deny a submerged hankering for the LaRue forends.
I put a Midwest Industries Sling mount out front, to keep the front end of the Vickers sling secured to the rail. I had to modify it slightly to permit the top portion of the rail system to slide away. I ground off about 1mm of material on the bottom of the mount , then blended the edges on a 3M wheel and refinished.
The sights are Troy, and since they’re so well-known and liked, there’s not too much to say about that, except that I put skateboard tape on both sides of the front sight, which greatly assists sweaty fingertips in making the sight move on the first try. I have an XS Sight Systems front post, it works fine with lights on or off, and pulls the front blade out of the black background just ahead of it.
What black background? The Surefire X300 light I have mounted at the extreme end of the rail in the 12 O’clock position. I really love this thing - It’s light, flat, bright at 110 Lumens (Cree LEDs are the future of Surefire), ambidextrous, has twice the runtime of my X200, and on the top of the rail, it’s unlikely to get lost behind a barricade or doorjamb. Since the rail is a 9” model, and extends over the gas block, there’s enough room to put the light at the end, and still keep the backup irons at nearly carbine sight radius. I can ‘blip’ the momentary activation with either thumb, and since my preferred shooting grip is out far to drive the muzzle, it works great.
The last thing on this upper receiver is the Aimpoint T1 Micro. Let me preface this by saying that I switched optics on this gun about 5 times, and the Micro is the leader of the bunch. The Tripower I had previously did its job well, but the Micro makes tritium and fiber optic backup a non-issue with a 5-year average battery life. Add that it’s small, slimmer, lighter, and less complex, and the Tripower comes in second place, as did my EOTech 512, the TA33 I tried, and even my old ML2. I didn’t need the T1 over the H1, as NV is not on my menu, and any water submersion is likely to be shallow, but the T1 was available Right Then, so I took it. I haven’t regretted it once. The Larue mount is set up for a lower 1/3rd cowitness, and it’s light and sturdy, locks in tight, and is no bigger than it needs to be. I thought that, looking through it in my hand, that the field of view would be an issue, but so far, the tiny body of the optic itself acts very much like a ghost right when mounted close to the eye. I hardly see the Aimpoint at all, just the point. The 4MOA dot is sharp, and would let me touch that stop sign on the corner at 300 yards, guaranteed
The lower was a Spike’s Tactical, and before that, a Tromix, but I picked up an LWRC lower when they shipped, just to grab a low serial number, and so I’d have one of my own. The lower internals are DPMS with some exceptions listed below, and while I’ve been cautioned about their parts, the takedown pins, bolt catch and magazine release are have worked well for 5 years, and about 3000 rounds.
The trigger is a Gen. II Chip McCormick, and it’s ticked away without a hiccup for well over 1000 rounds, and since it makes a noticeable difference in my shooting, I provisionally trust it, with the future option to test a Geissele when the new non-adjustable duty ones launch. I use the KNS anti-rotational pins, as the CMC doesn’t tension against the fire control pins, and I dislike the tiny c-lips the CMC pins arrived with. The grip is a Magpul MIAD, with a firing pin and small repair parts kit inside –extractor, and an assortment of springs and pins, and a Magpul enhanced trigger guard installed. Selector is a RRA Star selector; GG&G Collapsible stock lock plate has provision for both an HK style hook and a sling loop. I don’t use either one currently, as the BFG Vickers is just right, but I have the option.
The stock is an VLTOR EMOD in black, and I resisted collapsible stocks for the longest time. I used an A1 length VLTOR Eric Kincel sent us back in 2003 when they were just launching the Modstocks. I loved it, and kept it, through dalliances with M93Bs, and CTRs, and a UBR, and even the original Modstock. I just liked the feel of the cheekweld on the fixed stock, and until the longer body of the EMOD arrived, nothing else was quite as good. I retired that A1 stock, ancient in terms of parts longevity on this gun, and kept the VLTOR at position 3, just right for shooting, and still plenty of room for my mug on the body of the stock. The rubber pad is nice, but the metal strike plate and reinforcement is really nice, and when I tap it against concrete, I understand why it survived the IAR 1.6 Meter drop testing when nothing else did. It holds 8 batteries for the hungry little light up front and the handy little storage compartment will come in useful for something, I’m sure. The Vickers sling attaches to the QD swivel gadget at middle of the stock. I’ve been using Magpul PMAGs for the last 700 or so rounds, and they’ve been 100%, and a lot lighter than the HK Enhanced ones.
Though it’s a long list when I read back over it, it was all chosen for a reason – move the gun back from gadget city, with, to name a few, VFG, Tripower, and spring-loaded BUIS, to light, simple, and functional components. I stayed the hall away from AR15.com, as I have for several years, and started taking advice from other people about what died early, and what worked, at their rifle classes, and even in the sandbox. I’m happier with it now than I have been for a while, and the itch to shoot more often, and enroll in a formal 3 day course is stronger than ever.
As always, your comments, questions, and loud angry arguments are welcome.
ColtCCO
