It's a Franken-rifle, really. This is the accumulation of unwanted parts I swapped out for friends from their guns. These are from the tub of misfit parts; an A2 upper, a blemished lower, a rejected Rodgers stock, damaged bolt carrier (repaired), a too long barrel, frumpy milspec hand guards, etc. Whist digging through looking for something else, I noticed that I had everything I needed, save a couple of gas key screws, to put a rifle together. This is years in the making as I'm not a gunsmith - just handy and resourceful. So I sat down tonight and threw a gun together. It's a Franken-rifle, but it was free.
Tangentially, the malfunctioning bolt carrier turned out to be a plugged up gas key. It was plugged up with a primer perfectly jammed into the key such that I could look down the tube and see the circumference of the cup and the anvil. How in the heck did that happen? What are the chances? Anyway, had a new gas key in my parts bin, but no screws. Will try to get some real grade 8 cap screws tomorrow.
Hey, free rifle, man...
You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier
Posts: 29951 | Location: Norris Lake, TN | Registered: May 07, 2008
I'm currently doing something similar for my son. It's not quite free, but I had a bunch of parts lying around, and I scored an Anderson lower for $33. I'll have less than $250 in it by the time it's all said and done. I just ordered a barrel and BCG this evening, so hopefully it all gets here in time for his birthday at the end of the week so we can put it together and go shoot it.
Posts: 9459 | Location: In the Cornfields | Registered: May 25, 2006
Oops....I stand corrected. Either way it wasn't sexy enough for the previous owner. I swapped in a railed upper. He bought his rifle during the second panic after Sandy Hook. Pickings were slim and costly. The Colt lower came from buddy that didn't want the sear block machined into it. I built him a Spikes Crusader lower and upgraded his stock to a UBR. All parts he paid for.
You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier
Posts: 29951 | Location: Norris Lake, TN | Registered: May 07, 2008
It's simple math. Colt lower + A1 upper = cool. I've heard of a primer popping out and plugging the gas key. Turns a semi-auto into a manual bolt action.
I like it! Free is the right price, but invest just a bit and get an A1 stock. That and some old-school hand guards with a flat trigger housing and a different flash hider would change that rifle from a franken-AR to a pretty decent looking A1 clone.
But if you want to keep it as is because free is free, I can respect that too!
Posts: 10831 | Location: missouri | Registered: October 18, 2009
The Colt lower came from buddy that didn't want the sear block machined into it. I built him a Spikes Crusader lower and upgraded his stock to a UBR. All parts he paid for.
