Let's build an extreme use AR-15 (UPDATE PAGE 8 & 9)

[armakraut]

First post here, originally emailed this to Rainier and John encouraged me to register.

I'm mainly a knuckle dragging ak shooter, so here are my "make it more like an AK" recommendations. Feel free to make fun of me, I probably deserve it.

Handguard: polymer, military style
Reason: Polymer handguards work and are very durable, good quality ones absorb heat better than an aluminum handguard that mainly holds polymer rail covers. Compared with the AK, AR15's come with a semi-pleasant, semi-integrated vertical grip (mag well). Failing that caveman requirement... a quality drop in replacement rail system would work too.

Sights: fixed front, larue rear
Reason: Larue is simple/easy to install and reinstall, no locktite required. A fixed front is a fixed front.

Optic: older style aimpoint or aimpoint m4
Reason: Stupid-simple optics and durable. Trijicon RMR might be good too, but I haven't seen it in person yet.

Grip: magpule moe & magpul trigger guard
Reason: Better grip than a stock a1 or a2, and very durable/cheap. Magpul's trigger guard is extremely comfortable.

Stock: sully stock (or UBR)
Reason: I know the sully isn't variable, but it doesn't need to be, it's a nice, durable, short stock that is the same length as most people seemingly permanently keep their collapsible stocks at. If nothing else, people bear down on a rifle with a short stock and it increases accuracy, older US military tests with the M16A2 and M4 confirmed this.

Barrel including length: 16 inch midlength
Reason: Anyone can remove/attach the flash hider without getting .gov paperwork, Midlength improves your grip on a carbine if you want a longer, more stable grip. Midlength gastubes are highly available.

Buffer: as needed

Upper Rec: something with a left side charging handle
Reason: The AK is reliable for a lot of reasons, one of them being it's no big deal if you have to manipulate the bolt manually and easily, either by hand, or by boot. IE, springfield stomp.

Lower Receiver, BCG, LPK/trigger: milspec A2
Reason: Cheap and it works.

Magazine: pmag or emag
Reason: Magpul makes the best ar15 mags since... uh, ever.

Lights/lasers/etc: G2 on midwest (or similar) FSB mount
Reason: Cheap, durable, minimal shadow cast

Charging Handle: left side
Reason: MUCH easier to manipulate, failing that either a pri charging handle or a standard handle with a pri latch. If possible, I'll never own an AR15 without some kind of pri "military latch" on it at minimum.

Flash Hider/Comp: A2/vortex/blackout
Reason: Have it your way.

Misc Stuff rail covers etc: colt FSB side sling mount and some kind of plate style rear sling mount, IE DD, midwest, troy etc. QD is nice too. Maybe consider a dissipater style upper.
Reason: The colt sling mount is again a cheap, durable unit that serves its purpose. A plate style attachment (or UBR QD point) improves ergonomics with the sling. If you don't care about a bayonet lug, the dissipater style allows for a much better forward grip. Plus the KAC military rails would drop right in. I usually care about keeping the bayonet lug and traditional FSB arrangement intact. If for no other reason than 99% of other AR's on the planet use the same arrangement, a lot of accessories are made to fit the FSB.

There's something to be said for highly custom, fine tuned instruments. ...and there's something to be said for a rugged, inexpensive, durable instrument that does what it is called on to do.

Here would be something to do. Why not build two "for abuse" AR's? Make one out of the nicest, most expensive, latest & greatest durable components. Make the other as low budget and knuckle dragging as possible.

Regrettably AR15's really aren't set up for left side charging. I think the ability to directly act on the bolt adds a good comfort factor to a weapons operation.

[bigcoastie]

Any chance you can put a redi-mag on this I want to see if it handles abuse well?

[Stickman]

Why not build two "for abuse" AR's? Make one out of the nicest, most expensive, latest & greatest durable components. Make the other as low budget and knuckle dragging as possible.

I like the way you think, but finances prevent me from doing this. I had thought about buying an off the shelf Oly Arms, RRA, DPMS, or other basic AR15 to run and duplicate the testing process. I even kicked around the idea of taking one of my current basic carbines and using it, but decided that while I was willing to possibly destroy one weapon or its parts, I wasn't willing to do two.

Besides, I want to build one which isn't going to be destroyed in testing, and I think the standard configurations would fare poorly in drop testing when the stocks/ tubes and handguards were hit.