M14 Forum

TheTinMan

I've already started a couple of threads about this build, so please forgive me. I don't own an AR-15 and am building one from scratch. I do have help from a Zediker book and lots of other reference materials.

So far I've bought the following:

LRB upper and lower receivers

from White Oak Armament
- 16" stainless steel barrel w/ mid-length gas system 1:7 twist & lo profile gas block
- complete bolt carrier assembly including headspaced bolt
- gas tube, lower parts kit, upper parts kit, A2 flash hider

Here are the other major components that I need to order:

Giesselle 2-stage SSA trigger group
BCM medium charging handle
YHM "customizable" rilfe length (12") handguard
YMH A2 style fixed rear sight
Troy Industries HK style fixed front sight (forend mount)
Magpul MIAD pistol grip
Magpul curved trigger guard
Magpul AFG2 angled handstop/foregrip
Magpul ACS-L buttstock
Vltor "A5" receiver extension tube, buffer & buffer spring
V-TAC quick adjust sling
Double Star 5-slot 45 degree angled rail
J Point Red Dot Sight (4 MOA) w/ mount
Magpul P-Mags

NOTE: list changed to show what I actually bought.

The general purpose for this rifle is range work with iron sights and SHTF (in theory - pray it never happens). I'm not going to get the red dot sight right away.

So what do you all think? Any suggested changes before I start ordering the rest of this stuff?

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.

UPDATE: all of the parts are here except the rear sight

dragon6097

I think you have a good plan there. Nothing popped out at me as missing. The brands and functionality of said parts are subject to personal opinion more than anything else. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the results though, I love WOA barrels

ArmyCPT

You seem to have a lot of Yankee Hill stuff.

For the price of the railed handguard you're looking at, you could have a Troy VTAC Extreme.

Link: http://store.troyind.com/VTAC_Rail_T...li-s3bv-00.htm

What's the angled rail for? Additional optic?

Also, I recommend that you look at Troy's own folding front sight...it's one of the best made today. You could run a fixed (in reality, rail-mounted) front sight. Daniel Defense makes a good one: https://danieldefense.com/components...ont-sight.html

Are you really stuck on the -A2 rear? If not, well: http://www.laruetactical.com/larue-t...buis-qd-lt-103

Here's a .pdf showing the VTAC rail system on Kyle's gun (as interpreted by S&W):

http://vikingtactics.com/images/down...5_v010612b.pdf

Sounds like a neat build. Good luck, and post pics when you finish!

TheTinMan

Thanks very much for the suggestions. I didn't start out looking for Yankee Hill stuff - their parts just seem to fit my ideas.

That Troy VTAC forend looks really nice but I don't want a full rail on top. My approach on the forend is that the only top rail is a short rail piece up front to mount the sight. A guy at YHM had a neat suggestion. There's a threaded hole in the "bottom" of the tube for a sling swivel, but I can rotate the tube 1/4 turn so that the sling stud is on the front-left. Full length rail on the bottom with the handstop. Short, higher rail on right side for light (later). YHM forend comes with 1 full-length rail and 1 short rail.

The 45 degree angle rail is for a minimalist red-dot type sight compatible with fixed iron sights. Maybe that Leupold. My idea (which might be stupid) is that the fully adjustable iron sights are for more precision shooting, but I could rotate the rifle and use the red dot for quick shots.

A fixed front sight makes sense with a fixed rear, but YHM doesn't make a fixed front sight anymore. This one from Troy industries looks really nice though:
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=3...nt-BattleSight (I'd already put the Daniels Defense fixed front on my "wish list") I prefer to have elevation and windage adjustments on the rear sight... I think.

Don't worry - I'll post pics when it all comes together.

Mindfield

Not sure how the VLTOR A5 is gonna behave on a carbine, it was designed for a 20" barrelled upper w/ a full gas system, not a carbine system even mid length. Not saying it wont work, but YMMV

Pmags are always a winner :-)

philip26p

I Like this setup http://www.opticsplanet.net/opmod-eo...ifier-tan.html for quick sites you can just get the optic alone or get them together, but either way sounds like you will have a good build.

TheTinMan

Compatibility issues are exactly why I started this thread but I'm confused:
http://www.vltor.com/emod-a5.html
I thought that the A5 system was designed specifically for carbine length barrels. If that is incorrect, PLEASE let me know.

ArmyCPT

The gist is that it's a rifle-oriented part.

The standard EMOD should do what you want and work fine. Just ensure that you're running a mil-spec receiver extention (or, if you've got a commercial buffer tube on your lower, order that particular stock).

ArmyCPT

That's an interesting idea. Having said that, I'd wager that once you try a RDS, you won't go back to your irons unless you're forced to. What really works is a rugged RDS with backup irons.

Aimpoint is my choice when it comes to these things. A lot of guys like EOTech, and I used one for a year; however, all things being equal, the Aimpoint shines. One of the best values on the market these days is the Aimpoint Pro. Optic and mount for right around $400.

http://www.gandrtactical.com/cgi-bin...tion&key=12841

A lot of guys like to use an absolute cowitness of irons and the RDS "dot." To each their own, but I prefer having my irons visible through the lower 1/3 of my Aimpoint T-1's tube. That way, if the battery died, I'd just drop down to my irons and engage...looking through the optic.

Speaking of batteries: for you EOTech guys...did they ever get rid of the auto-off switch? Thing always worried me. With my T-1, I can just leave it on for six months and not worry about it.

Good deal. I'll post pics of my new build when I'm complete as well. Mine will be a 14.5" M4 build (BCM receivers, DD Rails, and Magpul and TangoDown furniture).

ETA: Wow, just went looking for some buttstock comparisons and found this:

http://militarytimes.com/blogs/gears...alk-goes/#more

TheTinMan

Well the drop test results were interesting. It's possible to get the A5 buffer tube, buffer & spring from Vltor and put a Magpul ACS-L buttstock on it with the same range of LOP. Might be a better alternative, especially since I was looking at the Magpul ACS until I "discovered" the Vltor A5.

Thanks ArmyCPT!

bigkicks

IM in the process also, seems like we have some of the same taste's, lol!! i ordered both the YHM front end and DD front, i have to tell you that when they were both in my hand, DD won... u might way to check out that from end in person, or the troy like the other member stated....

jimbowe

I would put the front sight on the barrel rather than the handguard if you are shooting mostly with irons, but maybe it doesn't matter too much. Not sure how much the handguard will flex relative to the barrel. Anybody know?

I like the lower 1/3 cowitness with a LMT A2-style rear iron sight and quick-detach Larue-mounted Aimpoint. A flip up rear might be preferable to most shooters if you are using optics much.

You can always buy the expensive electronics later -- old models get cheaper and new models get better features.

dprice3844444

chromed carrier,oversized trigger guard,http://www.amazon.com/Plate-Ambi-Mul...330429&sr=8-33

TheTinMan

Those are good suggestions.

Reconsidering, the Troy fixed front sight for rail mounting looks like the way to go. I hadn't seen the LMT A2 style rear sight and it looks really nice. One possibly nice thing about the YHM rear is that adjustments are 1/2 MOA.

AFAIK the handguard shouldn't flex and the sight will be farther out than the gas block with the rifle-length handguard. Plus the only thing on the barrel forward of the receiver will be the low profile gas block.

ArmyCPT

Here are some opinions on the subject:

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread....ng+front+sight

and

http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=97461

For those that don't know him, Jason Falla's bio:

http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=94766