Category Archives: AR & Related Rifles and Pistols

A Heavy Target AR With A 26″ 5.56x45mm White Oak Upper, Geissele Trigger and Vortex HS-T 6-24×50 Scope

August 14, 2017 RoninsGrips

This is a purpose-built target rifle. I like my precision rifles to be very heavy as the weight helps absorb my tremor. Granted I still have to control my breathing and pretty much meditate to get to the right point to pull the trigger but the weight really helps. The rig as shown without ammo weighs 13.7 pounds. Now let’s get into the details of the components used in this rifle.

In this case, the upper was the most important item I focused on first. This is a 26″ White Oak Armory (WOA) complete upper and these folks are known for building accurate rifles. White Oak Armament is in Carlock, IL, and owned by John Holliger. John has a ton of experience with competition shooting starting in 1980 finishing 15 times in the Presidents 100, earning the Distinguised Rifleman Badge, 2000 CMP Pershing Trophy winner and more. Needless to say, he knows his way around a competition firearm. John founded White Oak Precision in 2000 and then While Oak Armament after that as he noticed that custom gunsmiths and picky shooters (me) needed a reliable source of high end AR parts. What I think is especially remarkable is that his prices are very fair especially given the quality of what he delivers.

From their website they note “Receivers are all forged and mil spec or higher quality, and have the baked-on, anti-friction coating on the inside for long life. Bolts are held to proper tolerances for correct headspacing. Bolt carriers have M-16 style shrouded firing pins for reliable function and added weight. Handguards are top quality compression molded and fiberglass reinforced, not the cheap injection molded plastic. Our NM floating handguard assembly is our own design using heavy walled tubing, a solid welded end cap, and a sling swivel. Many parts are custom manufactured to our specifications. And of course everything is 100% made in the USA!“

What I decided on was one of their 26″ varmint upper. Now at 26″, it’s pretty much overkill but is nice and heavy weighing in at 7.88 pounds all by itself. While WOA does offer fluting, I did not opt for it as I wanted the weight. By the way, fluting increases surface area for cooling and reduces weight but it is not something magical. The unfluted barrel is stiffer. I am going to try and word this very carefully – a fluted barrel is stiffer than another barrel of the same final weight due to the thicker walls. In other words, take a thin barrel that weighs X pounds and a fluted barrel that weighs the same X pounds, it will be stiffer because it has the thicker walls around the fluting but it is not as stiff as a the original unfluted barrel. Now this matters if you are shooting a lot and the barrel is warming up such as lots of target or varmint shooting at prairie dogs. So, stiffer and heavier is the route I will always take. If you told me I would have to carry a rifle around a lot then my answer would change 🙂

The barrel itself is a 26″ stainless match grade unit with an 11 degree crown to protect the muzzle and their own “WOA Varmint Chamber” to allow the use of either .223 or 5.56 ammo. The twist rate is 1:8. I like to shoot heavier bullets to buck the wind and 1:8 will stabilize bullets from 75-80 grain quite well. I have both Black Hills match ammo as well as just got some IMI RazorCore specifically for this rifle.

Last point, this complete upper – including the matching BCG and charging handle – was only $645 + S&H. That, my friends, is quite a deal. [Click here if you want to see what other complete uppers they have for sale.]

The lower is an Anderson. They are my goto lower receiver as they are mil-spec and work just fine. I’ve never had an out-of-spec problem with them actually.

It has Yankee Hill Machine (YHM) oversize pivot and takedown pins. I just like the extra leverage when I have to open or remove the upper.

The buttstock is a Magpul PRS II. I always like these stocks as I can get my length of pull and cheekweld exactly the way I want. Under the stock is a rifle length tube with a normal spring and an H2 buffer.

The grip is an Ergo Tactical Deluxe with palm shelf. I like the rubber overmold they do and appreciate the palm rest on a target rifle.

I’m proud of the trigger – it’s a Geisselle (pronounced like “GuysLee”) Super Semi-Automatic Enhanced (SSA-E) and feels fantastic. The first stage is 2.3 pounds, the second is 1.2 pounds, which totals 3.5 pounds. It’s not adjustable but that’s no big deal to me. For now on, if I build a target rifle, this is the trigger I will use. Wow.

The Vortex is a bright, clear and rugged Vortex HS-T 6-24×50 scope with a MOA reticle. Normally I would go with MRAD but Vortex was sold out at the time so I went with MOA. I’m firing from known distances so it’s not a big deal for me. The offset scope mount is also from Vortex and gives me a better distance from my eye to the optic. I used to go with generic rings and mounts but am pretty much just using Vortex now unless I need something specialized such as an RS!Regulate mount for an AK. Lastly, those are Vortex’s new Defender Scope caps and they are way better than their old ones. They stay on well and are rugged.

With the big scope, I have a BVM Mod 3 charging handle sticking out. It really pays off with big optics.

So, this rifle is a lot of fun. I just fired off 20-30 rounds to break it in and need to get back to the range with some match ammo I have from Black Hills and IMI’s RazorCore ammo to see what it can do.

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AR & Related Rifles and Pistols

A 16″ Palmetto State Armory/PSA 5.56x45mm Tactical AR Build

August 11, 2017 RoninsGrips

ARs are a fun, quick build and because they are modular you can take them in a ton of custom directions. When you build an AR, you need to first ask yourself “what am I going to use this for?” and then plan your components accordingly. In this case, I wanted a 16″ carbine that was relatively light, chambered in 5.56 and had an optic for short to medium ranges. In some ways you could say my plan was to build a tactical style rifle.

So, let me explain the components used and why I selected them:

At the heart of the AR is the receiver and I tend to use Anderson. They are Mil-Spec, inexpensive and well finished. In short, I’ve never had a problem with them and I don’t know anyone else who has either.
I like PSA’s lower build kits as a starting point for all the internals. Sometimes I have left overs depending on what all I upgrade but even their based build kits is solid.
The fire control group (FCG) is PSA’s enhanced set meaning the trigger and hammer are Nickel Boron (NiB) coated for lubricity and ease of cleaning. In general, PSA already has some of the best feeling triggers out there in terms of the Mil-Spec out-of-the-box AR triggers. The Enhanced set feels a tad slicker but still falls in the 5.5-6.5# pull range.
The grip is a Magpul MOE.
The butt stock is a Magpul STR. I like the Magpul stocks that clamp in place – they are rock solid. The STR can do this and has a great angled top for a solid cheekweld.
It has a Spikes H2 buffer to soften the operation up a bit.
I like Yankee Hill Machine’s (YHM’s) oversize pivot and takedown pins and get them from Brownells.
The selector lever is PSA’s ambidextrous model. To be honest, I’m going to stop getting the ambidextrous selectors – the capability sounds great in theory but what I find is that I am so used to the traditional selector lever that I rarely use the operating-side lever.
The slide release lever is a GIANT Wilson. I bought it sight unseen via Brownells and had no idea it was going to be this big. On the plus side, it sure is easy to find and operate. On the con side, it is big and kind of fugly if you ask me. My go to release lever these days are the Strike Industries models. By the way, if you use the Wilson, be sure to apply Loc-Tite to the set screw that locks the paddle in place or it will loosen up.
The upper is a 16″ Palmetto State Armory with a 5.56 M4 profile barrel with a 1:7 twist hidden under their cool slim Keymod handguard. Honestly, I think PSA makes great uppers. They are running a budget operation and you may have to wait to hear from their customer service department but I have never actually had an upper from them have a problem. They’ve missed a part in parts kits before but always moved fast to ship me a replacement part. By the way, PSA also soures some really barrels, that is one of the big reasons I use their uppers.
The bolt carrier group is a Nickel Boron (NiB) coated assembly from Fail Zero. Boy are they slick. In general NiB BCGs are cool – you can feel they slide easily without a gritty feeling and clean easily. With Fail Zero you are buying experience – they know BCGs and they pioneered the very slick polished NiB process they call “EXO Nickel Boron”. I’ve not had the coating flake on me and it is slick.
The charging handle is VLTOR/BCM Mod.3 with the large handle. I like the oversized handle both for working around optics and it is really easy to find and operate. This is my preferred charging handle and has never let me down. Beware of the cheap import ambidextrous knock off handles. You will get what you pay for. Stick with name brand.
For magazines, I like MagPul.
The optic is a Vortex Crossfire II 1-4×24. In general, Vortex scopes are excellent and they have a no-nonsense “if it breaks we will fix it” warranty that you can’t beat.
The offset scope mount is a generic unit sold by TMS. It’s my third TMS but I now just use Vortex mounts.
The offset backup sights are something I do now on my rifles with optics. If you have any kind of optics failure you rotate the rifle 45 degrees and use the iron sights. They look awkward but the transition is actually very smooth and fluid. If you haven’t tried this, I’d recommend giving them a whirl. These are surprisingly inexpensive ADE brand sights and they’ve held up just fine. This is my third set from them via Amazon.
The light is a test unit. The light itself is a LiteXpress X-FIRE1 LED unit that is sold on Amazon. The mount is from them also and is the only part I am not too keen on as it flexes. They do have a new model now so I am not sure how the mount is. The light itself has held up just fine.

Here are some photos for you of the rifle:

Palmetto State Armory (PSA) has an incredible selection of AR-15 kits to meet a wide range of requirements. Click here to go to their main AR-15 kit page.

Summary

You can build an AR-15 in an amazing number of different ways. There are so many options out there. Helping you get started, PSA has a huge variety of kits you can select from. They’ve always worked great for me.

AR & Related Rifles and Pistols

Cold Dead Hands Ambidextrous Charging Handle Left Me Cold – Don’t Buy It

June 28, 2017 RoninsGrips

Folks, I saw the Cold Dead Hands (CDH) ambidextrous charging handle ad on Facebook and figured for $34.94 delivered I might as well give it a try so I ordered it on 6/22/17. The first thing I noticed after I placed my order was that it was shipping from China but was hopeful that wasn’t a bad thing. Well, it arrived today (6/28/17) in a brown cushion mailer and I immediately noticed the bare bones generic packaging it was in and was still hopeful because it looked pretty good.

Here it is next to my favorite model of charging handle, the BCM Gunfighter Mod 3 Large Latch.

It fit just fine in terms of installation and locking in place.

The problem is the unlocking. It is a tad rough from the left side (the non op side looking down from the top where the normal handle release is) but it works.

From the right side (where the ejection port is), if you pull back slow using the right tab the handle’s catch hook pretty much digs in and locks the handle in place. If I yanked hard and fast from the right, it would release. If I went slow, it would not release. This pretty well defeats the ambidextrous function claim.

There’s nothing odd about the upper – just a normal Palmetto State Armory upper. In the next photo, I stopped the handle short on purpose to take the photo of the locking area on the upper.

So, the CDH handle was gritty on the left and unpredictable on the right. Out it went and the BCM Mod 3 went in. By the way, a Mil-Spec charging handle worked just fine as does the BCM. I had a Mil-Spec handle in there before trying the CDH unit.

Bottom line, based on my experience, I would recommend against buying the Cold Dead Hands model. Stick with Mil-Spec or a name brand charging handle.

AR & Related Rifles and Pistols

ATF Letter Regarding Full-Auto M16/M4 Fire Control Groups and SBR Uppers That You Need to Know About

June 19, 2017 RoninsGrips 1 Comment

Please note this is an old letter and the ATF doesn’t view these as etched in stone findings any more so just view it for historical purposes. I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. I’m just providing a copy as a service to the firearms community.

Here is the 1999 letter that you should be aware of – I made the two sections that I think semi-auto non-NFA AR owners should know about in bold italics:

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND FIREARMS
WASHINGTON, DC 20226

MAR 29 2000

903050:GKD
3311

Dear Mr. :

This refers to your letter of January 22, 1999, requesting
information on the legality of possessing a registered full auto
AR15 and also possessing one or more semiautomatic pre-1994
assembled AR15 rifles. You appended a number of specific questions
relating to this subject which will be answered in the order
received.

1. Is it legal to own both?

There are no provisions under the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) or
the National Firearms Act (NFA) that prevent an individual from
possessing an AR15 registered machinegun and one or more
semiautomatic AR15 rifles at the same time.

2. If legal to own both, which spare parts for the registered gun
can you also own?

Any weapon which shoots automatically more than one shot, without
manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger meets the
definition of a machinegun in section 5845(b) of the NFA. An AR15
rifle which is assembled with certain M16 machinegun fire control
components, and which is capable of shooting automatically is a
machinegun as defined.

The definition of a machinegun in section 5845(b) also includes any
combination of parts from which a machinegun can be assembled if
such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person.
Thus, an AR15 rifle possessed with separate M16 machinegun
components can meet the definition of a machinegun, if the rifle
shoots automatically when the components are installed.

The fact that a person lawfully possesses a registered NFA firearm
does not grant authorization to possess additional non-registered
firearms. A person who possesses a registered M16 machinegun and
a semiautomatic AR15 and a separate quantity of M16 machinegun
components could be in possession of two machineguns.

We advise any person who possesses an AR15 rifle not to possess M16
fire control components (trigger, hammer, disconnector, selector,
and bolt carrier). If a person possessed only the M16 machinegun
and spare M16 fire control components for that machinegun, the
person would possess only one machinegun.

3. Is it legal to use the upper receiver off of the semi-auto AR’s
on the registered AR if they are different lengths and calibers
than listed on the Form 4’s?

Before changing the caliber of a registered machinegun you should
notify the NFA Branch in writing of the proposed change.

4. Can you have several short barrel uppers (less than 16 inches)
for the registered AR and still own semi-auto AR’s?

The definition of a firearm in section 5845 of the NFA includes a
rifle having a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length.
An individual possessing more than one short (less than 16 inches)
barreled upper receiver for a registered AR15 machinegun along with
one or more semiautomatic AR15 rifles would have under their
possession of control an unregistered short barreled rifle, a
violation of the NFA.

5. If you change the barrel length or caliber do I need to notify
your office if the change is not a permanent one?

This question was answered under Question 3.

We trust that the foregoing has been responsive to your inquiry.
If we can be of any further assistance, please contact us.

Sincerely yours,

[signed]
Edward M. Owen, Jr.
Chief, Firearms Technology Branch

Sources For AR Parts

The following are all vendors of AR parts including barrels, handguards, triggers, magaziness and what have you that I use and recommend:

Beware no-name knock off websites selling generic import stuff. Some of the parts are counterfeit and not rated for firearms use.

ATF letter stating you can build an AR pistol from a receiver transferred as such and never assembled as a rifle

May 29, 2017 RoninsGrips 1 Comment

Okay, I posted a couple of ATF letters and a guy sent me a message asking if I had the letter specifying that an AR pistol can be built from an AR receiver that was transferred as a receiver and never assembled as a rifle. It just so happens I did save that one back when I built a couple of AR pistols a few years back. I like to have the letters of anything someone may ask about and keep them in my case with the weapon when I take it shooting. At any rate, here is the ATF letter in case anyone else needs it:

Please note that I am not a lawyer and this should not be construed as legal advice.

AR & Related Rifles and Pistols

Very Good AR Lower Receiver Assembly Videos on Youtube

December 24, 2014 RoninsGrips

Have you ever wondered how to assemble an AR lower receiver and were curious what free resources are available? I spent some time on Youtube and collected a list of videos that show the viewer how to assemble a lower receiver for an AR-type rifle. I would recommend watching several as each presenter’s methods has pros and cons plus there are different details and camera angles in some cases.

“Gunsmithing – How to Build an AR-15 Lower Receiver” by MidwayUSA

“EASIEST AR15 lower build diy, step by step” by dutchofsc

“AR-15 Lower Receiver” by bgallaher77

I really liked all of the above and hope you find them useful.

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Sources For AR Parts

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