New AR15 Build: Before and After

[skorpion]

I wanted to throw together a good-quality, high-reliability, mostly-KISS self-defense AR15, and this is what I came up with:

Before:



After:



Upper Specs:
BCM 16" SOCOM M4 carbine upper assembly
BCM full-auto bolt carrier group
M4 handguards
BCM Mod-0 Comp
Core-15 charging handle
Knights Armament Corporation folding rear 600m Micro Sight
Impact Weapons Components TMC hand guard light mount with Streamlight Polytac light (not yet pictured)

Lower Specs:
Spike's Tactical "Jolly Roger" stripped lower
Spike's Tactical lower parts kit without trigger group
ALG Defense (Geissele Automatics sister-company) Advanced Combat Trigger
Spike's Tactical receiver extension
Spike's Tactical T2 heavy buffer
Seekins Precision billet magazine release button
Magpul CTR stock
Magpul MOE pistol grip
Magpul B.A.D. lever
Magpul Enhanced (aluminum) trigger guard
Blackhawk single point sling adapter
Blackhawk single-point bungee sling (not yet pictured)

Total cost was about $1000. More pictures to come!

[ltorlo64]

Nice rifle, have you shot it? So this is pretty shallow, but I really like the Jolly Roger on the lower.

[skorpion]

Thanks, I like the painted Jolly Roger logo, myself. I shot it last week and it was smooth as butter. The single-stage ALG Defense trigger is worth every bit of the $65, as it has no grittiness or slop at all. The Bravo Company upper is of outstanding quality and shot great.

[Schuetzenman]

Is that the rubberized Moe Grip? Looks nice.

[skorpion]

Is that the rubberized Moe Grip? Looks nice.

Thanks. That's the standard MOE grip. I do have the rubberized (MOE+) grip on an Armalite. The MOE+ feels nice, but actually gets slightly slippery with wet/sweaty hands compared to the plain MOE.

[imanaknut]

Very nice M-4gery!

[skorpion]

Thanks, 'nut!

I got around to taking some updated pictures with light and IWC mount installed. This is definitely my new go-to carbine.

Additionally, I'm thinking about ditching the Magpul B.A.D. lever and replacing it with a Phase-5 Tactical solid one-piece extended bolt catch. I've had the B.A.D. lever come loose on another rifle before.

Phase 5 Tactical EBRV2:
http://phase5wsi.com/extended-bolt-release-v2.html

[Schuetzenman]

Are you a left handed shooter? Cause if you're right handed you have the flashlight on the wrong side. On the BAD bolt release thing. I haven't ever purchased one, is it metal and how is it secured? Is it a set screw that pinches the stock bolt release? If so have you tried any Loctite thread locker compound on it? If Blue isn't getting the job done, try one of the Reds.

[ubersoldate]

Nicely done!

[skorpion]

Are you a left handed shooter? Cause if you're right handed you have the flashlight on the wrong side. On the BAD bolt release thing. I haven't ever purchased one, is it metal and how is it secured? Is it a set screw that pinches the stock bolt release? If so have you tried any Loctite thread locker compound on it? If Blue isn't getting the job done, try one of the Reds.

I shoot right-handed. The light is positioned correctly and on the left side because I don't use the currently trendy "C-Clamp" hold. My left thumb rests near the tail cap of the light.

The B.A.D. lever is metal. There is a small piece that rests behind the top of the bolt catch and the main part is threaded into that. The included screw comes with blue Loctite. I may have to place a dab of red onto the threads.

As you can see, no "C-clamp" for me:



First-person view of my support hand grip. Here you can see why I mount the light on the left. Just a twitch of my thumb can activate the tail cap:

[Schuetzenman]

I understand your explanation about why you position the light on the left. However, (you knew there was going to be more) my opinion is that for a bad guy not in the immediate pool of light it casts, the light serves as an aiming point. For a right handed shooter with the light on the left it helps them to locate your upper torso and head. If I was setting up the rifle with no vertical grip such as yours I'd use a flex cable tail cap switch that puts an on/off pad switch on the left but the light would be on the right side at between 3:00 - 4:00 to the handguards.

[skorpion]

I'm not concerned about that scenario in my home, and no matter where the light is mounted on the hand guard, it will still be in front of my body somewhere. The interior of my house is rarely pitch-black at night, even with the blinds closed and the lights off, so a perp wouldn't need to see my light beam to put a bead on me. A weapon-mounted light is meant for target identification, and as such, is only briefly "flashed" on when needed to confirm a threat anyway.

[tank_monkey]

Hmmmm. But the light block/obscures your vision of the target, as we can see , your eyes are on the left side of the upper receiver. OH well. If it works for you, then awesome!

[skorpion]

Hmmmm. But the light block/obscures your vision of the target, as we can see , your eyes are on the left side of the upper receiver. OH well. If it works for you, then awesome!

One could make the same case against the C-Clamp grip, too.

[FunkyPertwee]

I've got my light in a similar position and it works just fine.

I'll probably get another TLR-1 or maybe a TLR-1HP to make it more ambi.