So what kind of LSP are you, and by the way we doubt that's your real name, if you don't even shoot? Good question, punters. To set the record straight I headed for the range this morning.
There it was, hot as an oven under the Texan sky, and I was on a mission. Viz. Zero in a new and specially crafted AR15. But at what range? There's plenty of pros and cons to the 25, 36, 50 and 100 yard zero, and beyond, but I went for 36 because that's where the shooting bench had been moved respective to the nearest available target.
After a quick bore sight, the weapon was on paper in the 9 ring and I dialed up twice to hit the X on the third shot. Awesome, rifle and optic worked, except that wasn't quite true. Sure, the gun was on but it wasn't cycling. Why? Because the cunning armorer who'd put the beast together hadn't installed its gas block correctly, it wasn't aligned with the barrel's gas port, turning the DAR (Deadly Assault Rifle) into a one shot wonder.
Huh. After a few shots on a steel turkey I moved over to .22 plinking with a Ruger American. A heavy metal bird took a beating along with a small spinner, and then it was time to head for home and a serious meeting with Block, Tube, Pin, Barrel & Co.
You see, the builder of this gun somehow forgot, perhaps he was distracted, that he was working with a 16" barrel. He thought he was assembling an 18" setup and labored accordingly. This meant the gas tube was too long and when fitted to its block didn't align with the barrel's gas port. No hot gas working that famous impingement system, you see, and thus no BCG cycle. What to do?
Stare in slack-jawed, NRA consternation at the offending article and the sheer, brazen, literal incompetence of it all? Take it to a shop and ask them to fix it? Or do it yourself. I chose the latter route. It's not hard. Remove the hand guard, tap out the gas tube's retaining pin with a cleverly small hammer and roll pin punch, then loosen the gas block, slide it forward to the awesome Surefire SOCOM muzzle brake, which demands a suppressor, and remove the gas tube.
Well done, you're nearly there. Next step, produce a gas tube for a 16" barrel, clean it, mine was dirty, and press the tube into the gas block. Make sure the retaining pin holes on tube and block align, then tap the retaining pin back in. Replace hand guard. Done.
At least that's the hope. It looks right, but I'll test the offending article out tomorrow on another range at a church shoot. It'd better work or there'll be trouble, and then some.
#2A,
LSP
Church shoot? I must have missed my invitation.....presumably there were barbecue and kolaches.....dang.
ReplyDeleteSaw an interesting malfunction at a match a couple years ago. A shooter's AR-15 bolt carrier group was locked up about halfway thru its travel, jammed up tight. After much grumbling and whacking about, it was discovered that the very tip of his forward assist, the little nub that contacts the notches on the side of the bolt carrier when you push in the F/A button, had somehow broken off and jammed up the works. Shooter claimed to have never used the forward assist! A highly experienced funsmith attending the match straightened all this out, said he'd heard of it, but never seen it before. Weird one.
How could that cunning armorer NOT notice something wasn't quite up to snuff?
ReplyDeleteExpecting a formal report on the repair results tomorrow LSP. Hope all works to your satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteWhat Jim said. Test fire much?
ReplyDeleteWell done, LSP. When I had my FFL, I always offered to coach my customers who decided to build an AR. The more you know about your weapon system(s), the better. If you are ever in need of a second opinion, I am only keystrokes away. (I was given a second opinion--"Well, you're ugly too).
Wild, the Church Shoot project's in early stages, stand by for invites.
ReplyDeleteAnd wow, what a strange malfunction. Mostly, I think, it's about improperly aligned/set up gas blocks. But hey, not an expert.
Went out today and test fired and, after a quick adjustment, the thing worked. So much better than weeks of waiting and a few hundred bucks spent at a gunshop.
I was wondering, Jim. He turns out a lot of these things and clearly became confused. Perhaps he was drunk. Maybe he was high. I do not know. But hey, the rifle was free, and it works now. Has good parts, btw.
ReplyDeleteSee latest, DOS. I had to do some quick range surgery and lo and behold, it worked well. Great result.
ReplyDeleteRHT, the guy who did my weapon's most qualified... seriously. I think he must have knocked my freebie off in a fit of after hours exuberance... Whatev, works well now.
ReplyDeleteNext step, upgrade the optic. Hmmmm. What's your call?
My call, or at least 2 cents worth based on my own experience.
ReplyDeleteEotech. Rugged, durable, proven. If you have one and like it, run it. Somewhat dated technology--reticle is projected by laser, so battery run time is nowhere near newer designs.
Holosun. Amazing tech. Reticle is projected by LED, very clean and crisp compared to Eotech--claimed runtime on a 2032 battery is 50,000 hours. I got this one because screen and projector are completely enclosed--
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020888650?pid=124727
Both of these sights have large view screens. This allows you mount them farther forward so you can see around them for better situational awareness. One weakness I have discovered for all red dot type sights is at night. My example: At night reticle brightness is on low setting. Switch on weapon light. Sweep across my white pickup (or other bright surface, or into oncoming headlights) and the reticle completely washes out.
All of that said, I am currently running one of these--
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018441862?pid=898760
I found that I just could not live without some sort of magnification. I guess the current acronym is LPVO--Low Power Variable Optic. What I like about this scope--
Price.
Simple reticle.
Reticle is etched into glass. No washout at night, still there with dead battery.
Much cross-over with red dot sights when set at 1X power.
Magnification throw lever can be mounted on any spline on the ring.
Reticle brightness has an "off" position between each setting--1, off, 2, off and so on. No
need to dial all the way back to 0, and easy to remember where you had it set last time.
Hope you find some of this useful.