Forward Controls Design ESF (End plate, Sling adapter, Forward Controls Design)

[Slippers]

In this pic, I spray canned the ESF prototype and installed on a painted receiver. ESF lengthens the AR receiver, and gives it an AR10/SR25 silhouette, even though its looks are just the result of its functions.

Are you working on a trigger guard? :)

[Duffy]

Will, I'm having a hard time finding a USGI flat trigger guard, so none was installed This receiver most likely will be used for testing only, so I'm not in a hurry to complete it.

I thought about doing a trigger guard. The stark reality is there's scarcely anything that can be improved over the USGI (other than the gap, but there's the gapper for that). B5, Magpul, etc. already have plenty of them for those that want a slightly larger space. The one I was sort of working on long ago looked something like a SIG P22x trigger guard, till one day I realized it didn't do anything better, so it was dropped.

Back to the ESF....
A companion castle nut wrench will be available at about the same time as the ESF's release. ESF's QD socket housing covers up 1/4 of the castle nut's circumference, there can be times when not all three wrench notches are presented for tightening and torquing. Since most castle nut wrenches seem to have 3 lugs, this can be an issue, not just for ESF, but for other similar end plates/sling adapters that mask available wrench notches.

Ours will feature both a 2 lug and 3 lug wrench, with a socket for torque wrench. This will be our first tool, we've kept it simple and robust, and very high quality. An armorer's wrench it isn't and does't aim to be, it's a proper castle nut wrench :)

[Duffy]

7075 ESF will be ready to ship early next week :)

[fledge]

Bring it.

[UWone77]

You settle on a price?

[RobertTheTexan]

Can I pre-order?


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[Duffy]

MSRP will be below $35 for the 7075 anodized version, rough estimate for the 4140, black nitrided version is below $55.

We should be receiving 7075 anodized version soon, but until we look at the anodizing quality, I'm hesitant to enable back order, lest we have to send everything back for a redo.

[RobertTheTexan]

MSRP will be below $35 for the 7075 anodized version, rough estimate for the 4140, black nitrided version is below $55.

We should be receiving 7075 anodized version soon, but until we look at the anodizing quality, I'm hesitant to enable back order, lest we have to send everything back for a redo.

You and your quality control... :)
Outstanding. I don’t mind waiting.


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[Duffy]

We have to meet or exceed expectations :) If the finish doesn't turn out well on some, we can always mark them down as blemished and reduce the MSRP on these. I haven't decided whether the 7075 anodized version will stay for long, we may end up producing just the 4140 black nitrided version only.

7075 anodized ESF wasn't created to be a light weight product, we never jumped on that fad band wagon and never will, it's only because similar products are made in 7075 and I didn't see any problem with it. But since we decided to make a 4140 version as well, there seems to be no need for both to exist.

By having a heavy duty version, it'd seem we imply the 7075 is a light duty product, it's not true but we can't change the optics and perception.

7075 ESFs may well see a single production run and become unicorn after that. To wit, similar products are mostly in aluminum, but it doesn't mean we have to follow suit. Nobody seems to make a steel version other than FCD.

[RobertTheTexan]

So basically you’re using a steel that is somewhat slightly less hard or less carbon content than he 4150 that some of my barrels, sub MOA barrels I might add, are made of? Is that correct?

Pardon my metallurgical ignorance friend.


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[UWone77]

I'm in Roger... I definitely need one or two.

[RobertTheTexan]

I'm in Roger... I definitely need one or two.

I’m going to jump in Uwone’s side car. I’ll take a couple and for sure a 7075 if possible, just in case it gets unicorn tear status.:)

I may have an ingenious idea for those 7075’s...need to test something out in the shop real quick.


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[Duffy]

Robert, I'm assuming you're hinting the use of 4140 on ESF is a good thing?

4140 seems to be overkill in material, which we do not object to, we only avoid over complexity and increase in parts count that can't be justified.

The "ring" part of ESF is TDP spec thickness and tolerance for carbine end plates, which allows the use of stakable castle nuts, and for the stock to fully collapse. There has been some concern (internal discussions) of the thickness, especially in 7075. The sockets housing is machined to such tight tolerance, if the ESF were to bend, the housing and castle nut are almost touching, the housing will effectively bottom out on the castle nut and stop further travel.

I'm overthinking it of course, just because I haven't seen any documented case of a aluminum end plate/sling adapter bending, it doesn't mean it hasn't happened. Either way, aluminum ESF can handle it.

[UWone77]

I know I've used lesser end plates/QD's they hold up fine. Aluminum ESF will be more than sufficient. A 7075 would be cool, but definitely cost/benefit isn't there for me personally.

[RobertTheTexan]

Definitely a good thing Roger. When I first saw that I kinda laughed and said, add one more thing that’ll likely survive the zombie apocalypse....
1. Cockroaches
2. Twinkies
3. FC ESF