The AR15 A2.5

[JayPee]

Now just what, pray tell, is an AR 15 A2.5? Well, it happened like this.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj314/jaypee3843/002_zpsb570846f.jpg (http://s275.photobucket.com/user/jaypee3843/media/002_zpsb570846f.jpg.html)

For a number of years I’ve been stuck on the idea of an AR “short rifle” instead of a carbine. I envisioned a beautifully balanced, proportional little rifle that would have a 16” government contour barrel (not the M4 style) and a fixed butt stock. As far as I know, nobody ever tried to market such an animal. So I finally got my gumption up and put one together myself. Well, I got mighty close anyway.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj314/jaypee3843/004_zpsb0d745cb.jpg (http://s275.photobucket.com/user/jaypee3843/media/004_zpsb0d745cb.jpg.html)

What I did to arrive at my ultimate end, my “short rifle,” was to take a Spike’s Tactical 16” mid length flat top upper receiver assembly and mate it up with a standard, A3 lower receiver assembly. And boy howdy does it mount, point, and swing like a million dollars. I can’t range test it until we get through the second ice age around here, but if it shoots as well as it handles, what a sweetheart it will be.

One of my biggest goals was to keep it mechanically clean, simple, and relatively unsophisticated. And I did. The Spike’s upper receiver assembly came with an M16 bolt carrier and a 16” government contour CMV/CL barrel with a 1:7 rate of twist, and a MagPul MOE forend. The rear sight is an LMT. I fitted the Spike’s Tactical lower receiver assembly with an RRA two stage match trigger, an Armalite ambi selector and lower parts kit, a MagPul MIAD pistol grip, and smoothed it up with a JP Enterprises tuned buffer spring. To preserve the look I was after I topped it off with a black M1/M14 sling. So as such things go today, it’s a pretty plain Jane rifle. But do I ever like it – wow.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj314/jaypee3843/009_zps5c3fe5df.jpg (http://s275.photobucket.com/user/jaypee3843/media/009_zps5c3fe5df.jpg.html)
Size comparison with a stock M4 carbine

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj314/jaypee3843/38ca9d21-0a51-4108-968c-a37c152af39e_zps3b99d4a7.jpg (http://s275.photobucket.com/user/jaypee3843/media/38ca9d21-0a51-4108-968c-a37c152af39e_zps3b99d4a7.jpg.html)
Size in the hands of a six foot, 190 pound shooter

So, since it isn’t really a full A3 rifle or a dedicated carbine, and just to have some fun, I’m going to call it my AR15 A2.5 and see how many folks I can baffle with that weird designation. [:D]

Best wishes to all and Happy New Year

JayPee

[aklaunch]

I have the same LMT BUIS system. It is my favorite hands down.

Nice work on the rifle. I looks real nice.

I have a harder time hitting the target off hand the heavier a rifle gets. IMO free floating a barrel to get another 1/4 MOA goes against you when you bolt every item under the sun on it and try to shoot at stuff off hand.

After about shot number 5 i start weaving and wobbling a bit.

Looks fun to shoot!

[FortTom]

That's interesting! Nice work.

FT

[KevinBLC]

I used to never like A2 stocks, but the more and more I see builds like this, it makes me want a fixed stock. Nicely done. Are you planning to put optics on it?