Post by Fobos on May 19, 2005 16:14:25 GMT -5
Don’t take this too seriously… ;D
Once I had completed Project Varmint Special (see: Bushie VS, Companions to the Handgun), I knew that I must immediately get to work on another firearm, or get bored trying. I targeted the other AR gracing my collection, knowing that such a versatile platform was just ripe for roughly thirty pounds of accessories and attachments. The XM15-E2S was looking a little bare. I knew that if I was forced to defend myself against the evil hoards of ground squirrels and rock chucks inhabiting the desert where I live, I was going to have to create the uber destructive modern tactical assault weapon of death - something that would utilize the very peak of human techonological advancement…. and then slap a 100rd drum on it just in case I miss my target the first 99 times.
This is the XM15-E2S as it was when I began my project. All that I had previously done was swap the post-ban fixed stock with a generic collapsible one.
I stared at this rifle for hours on end, considering how one might make it a more effective varmint-slaying instrument. Then, all at once, the ideas began to flow.
The first daunting task was to select a forend. I liked the idea of using a carbine-length model, due to the light weight. But there was one problem with the length restraints – I couldn’t mount a forward grip and flashlight while retaining the more comfortable use of the back of the forend as a hand rest. The forward grip is find and dandy, but for longer range shots (some varmints are more stealthy in their attacks), I still like to hold the forend as I would any traditional rifle. Therefore, I selected the Spector – length mid-size forend made by YHM. I made sure to order a compatible forward sling stud as well. A low-profile gas block would be needed in order to install it underneath the forend.
Little did I know… my barrel was not the standard diameter. It was a 0.625” diameter, which obviously required a different sized gas block. I learned this once I realized that the standard sized block didn’t fit properly. Unfortunately, I had destroyed the front sight post/gas block when removing it from the stock barrel, so grinding it into a low profile block and then re-attaching it was no longer an option. So… I scoured the net looking for the necessary part. It took nearly two months of headaches for my dealer to get one in stock. But he then sent me an email to confirm that I still needed it. Unfortunately, he was confused and didn’t realize that I needed the 0.625” model. Another month later, I had my part.
The YHM flip-up sights attach securely and work very well. They co-witness the EoTech 552AA mounted on the forward portion of the new upper receiver. The EoTech was pretty much a no-brainer for me. I am a technology buff and the EoTech is the first application of holographic technology in the world of firearms. Plus, I considered EoTech’s circle-dot reticle to be superior to the simple red dot boasted by Aimpoint. Afterall, the easy-to-see reticle would be crucial in slaughtering the hoards of ferocious man-eating chipmunks as they charge en mass. I really like the models that run off of AA batteries. After ever few trips to the range, I drop the batteries in the charger and they are ready to go next time. Of course, EoTech claims that at the lowest brightness setting, the device will provide you with a reticle for over 1000 hours, so my constant recharging of the batteries isn’t exactly necessary. But as the survivalists say, you never know when you might have to bug out.
I had recently become enamoured with a flashlight that I had bought at Wal Mart. It is a Brinkmann 3V illuminator that puts out roughly the same amount of white light as my much more expensive Streamlight M6. Before long, the Brinkmann was riding on my duty belt and holding up rather well to the daily abuse that officers such as myself bestow upon their gear. I decided to buy another and mount it on this project rifle. Fortunately, the 1” diameter was compatible with not only the standard flashlight mounts, but also simple scope rings. I just so happened to have a quick-detachable scope ring left over from a previous project. Thusfar, flashlight has held up to the recoil very well.
The Hogue grip is quite comfortable, and I’m getting used to using the Fobus forend grip as I charge from foxhole to foxhole killing… well… foxes.
Here is the finished product…
In short, this project was a great learning experience. And it is something that has really gotten me interested in becoming a gunsmith. Working on AR 15’s is a piece of cake, and I may buy a few more even though I have the two finished rifles that I wanted from the beginning. Not only that, but now I am that much safer when traversing the hostile desert terrain deep in varmint country.
Once I had completed Project Varmint Special (see: Bushie VS, Companions to the Handgun), I knew that I must immediately get to work on another firearm, or get bored trying. I targeted the other AR gracing my collection, knowing that such a versatile platform was just ripe for roughly thirty pounds of accessories and attachments. The XM15-E2S was looking a little bare. I knew that if I was forced to defend myself against the evil hoards of ground squirrels and rock chucks inhabiting the desert where I live, I was going to have to create the uber destructive modern tactical assault weapon of death - something that would utilize the very peak of human techonological advancement…. and then slap a 100rd drum on it just in case I miss my target the first 99 times.
This is the XM15-E2S as it was when I began my project. All that I had previously done was swap the post-ban fixed stock with a generic collapsible one.
I stared at this rifle for hours on end, considering how one might make it a more effective varmint-slaying instrument. Then, all at once, the ideas began to flow.
The first daunting task was to select a forend. I liked the idea of using a carbine-length model, due to the light weight. But there was one problem with the length restraints – I couldn’t mount a forward grip and flashlight while retaining the more comfortable use of the back of the forend as a hand rest. The forward grip is find and dandy, but for longer range shots (some varmints are more stealthy in their attacks), I still like to hold the forend as I would any traditional rifle. Therefore, I selected the Spector – length mid-size forend made by YHM. I made sure to order a compatible forward sling stud as well. A low-profile gas block would be needed in order to install it underneath the forend.
Little did I know… my barrel was not the standard diameter. It was a 0.625” diameter, which obviously required a different sized gas block. I learned this once I realized that the standard sized block didn’t fit properly. Unfortunately, I had destroyed the front sight post/gas block when removing it from the stock barrel, so grinding it into a low profile block and then re-attaching it was no longer an option. So… I scoured the net looking for the necessary part. It took nearly two months of headaches for my dealer to get one in stock. But he then sent me an email to confirm that I still needed it. Unfortunately, he was confused and didn’t realize that I needed the 0.625” model. Another month later, I had my part.
The YHM flip-up sights attach securely and work very well. They co-witness the EoTech 552AA mounted on the forward portion of the new upper receiver. The EoTech was pretty much a no-brainer for me. I am a technology buff and the EoTech is the first application of holographic technology in the world of firearms. Plus, I considered EoTech’s circle-dot reticle to be superior to the simple red dot boasted by Aimpoint. Afterall, the easy-to-see reticle would be crucial in slaughtering the hoards of ferocious man-eating chipmunks as they charge en mass. I really like the models that run off of AA batteries. After ever few trips to the range, I drop the batteries in the charger and they are ready to go next time. Of course, EoTech claims that at the lowest brightness setting, the device will provide you with a reticle for over 1000 hours, so my constant recharging of the batteries isn’t exactly necessary. But as the survivalists say, you never know when you might have to bug out.
I had recently become enamoured with a flashlight that I had bought at Wal Mart. It is a Brinkmann 3V illuminator that puts out roughly the same amount of white light as my much more expensive Streamlight M6. Before long, the Brinkmann was riding on my duty belt and holding up rather well to the daily abuse that officers such as myself bestow upon their gear. I decided to buy another and mount it on this project rifle. Fortunately, the 1” diameter was compatible with not only the standard flashlight mounts, but also simple scope rings. I just so happened to have a quick-detachable scope ring left over from a previous project. Thusfar, flashlight has held up to the recoil very well.
The Hogue grip is quite comfortable, and I’m getting used to using the Fobus forend grip as I charge from foxhole to foxhole killing… well… foxes.
Here is the finished product…
In short, this project was a great learning experience. And it is something that has really gotten me interested in becoming a gunsmith. Working on AR 15’s is a piece of cake, and I may buy a few more even though I have the two finished rifles that I wanted from the beginning. Not only that, but now I am that much safer when traversing the hostile desert terrain deep in varmint country.
