My MK13 Mod 5 Build

[mallen45]

Good Afternoon folks,

I was referred to these forums from the gentlemen who is going to be building me a clone MK13 Mod 5. I’ve had my eye on one for quite some time and originally wanted to have Alan Brown with High Caliber Sales build the rifle, but I heard he’s backed up and isn’t working too much on the rifles anymore. That being said in order to build the rifle I have to take the time to find the list of components necessary. I think the two components that’ll prove most difficult to come by are the Accuracy International 2.0 chassis and the Remington MARS. My question to you all is does anyone know where a good place to start looking for these would be? I do see AICS AT chassis has a thumbhole adapter that pretty much mimics the 2.0 chassis but I could be wrong. I’m somewhat green to rifles outside of the AR platform, so I’ll yield to you good folks with years of experience for advice. Thanks for the help and I look forward to learning from you all.

Also, if anyone is letting go of any the major components on a MK13 feel free to PM me.

 

[mallen45]

Update, I was lucky enough to find almost everything. Everything except the 20 MOA MARS rail. I picked up a MIRS but am thinking I may want to save that for a Mcmillan chassis later down the road. Anyone have any tips for finding the MARS?

 

[mallen45]

If you got the AICS folder then you are pretty well on your way. If you want to make a clone correct early remington 700 action mk13 mod 5, you actually want a 0 moa mars. They later switched form the 0 Moa Mars to a 20 moa badger rail, before adopting stiller actions, which came with stiller 20 moa rails.

Mirs is always a good pick up. What version did you get? Please post a photo.

that’s a good looking rifle you have. Thanks for the reply. I had no idea about the MARS rails being 0 MOA. Forgive me if this is a newbie question, but doesn’t having the 0 MOA rail affect the range of the rifle? Wouldn’t you need the 20 MOA for longer adjustment?

anyway here’s my MIRS I picked up.

 

[LRI]

I have a box of these things. All are new and I beleive they all have the side mount thingy's as well.

 

[mallen45]

I have a box of these things. All are new and I beleive they all have the side mount thingy's as well.View attachment 7292602View attachment 7292603

Do you by chance have any 20 MOA version of it? If so name your price.

 

[LRI]

Do you by chance have any 20 MOA version of it? If so name your price.

I just went through all of them. I wish I did, but they are all zero's. I have both LA and SA's.

 

[mallen45]

You will have more Elevation adjustment with 20 moa. Likely why the later switched to them. That being said, historically correct mars is zero moa, and the one on my build. Taken my rifle out to 1100 yards and it had plenty of adjustment.

That range would be more than enough for me on that rifle. I'll spend most of my time between 300-700 yards, but I wanted to make sure I would have enough adjustment to touch 1000 every now and then when I found myself out in the middle of the country. Also what scope are you running on that build?

 

[ilikebmxbikes]

That range would be more than enough for me on that rifle. I'll spend most of my time between 300-700 yards, but I wanted to make sure I would have enough adjustment to touch 1000 every now and then when I found myself out in the middle of the country. Also what scope are you running on that build?

running a NF NXS 5.5-22x56

 

[mallen45]

running a NF NXS 5.5-22x56

That's exactly what I was hoping for on mine. You've given me something to consider. Chad has the rail for me in zero MOA, so I may pull the trigger on that if I cant find a 20 MOA soon. I guess there's no harm in letting the .300 WM be my 500-1000 yard rifle and the Tac-338 with the 20 MOA MIRS be the expensive reacher. As far as your adjustment goes, there's no other tricks for getting that kind of adjustment at the range you're talking about? So many folks online swear that they reach a staunch limitation at about 800 yards with a 0 MOA base.

 

[mallen45]

I have a buddy Zak with a 20 Moa Mars if you are set on that.

Hitting the edge of your adjustment on a 0 moa base, is going to be dependent on your caliber and scope choice. Different optics have different amounts of internal adjustment and obviously calibers vary ballistically. The NXS has a lot of adjustment and the a 195 gr 300 win mag bullet only needs around ~25 moa adjustment at 1000 yards with a 100 yard zero.

I think if I can get a 20 MOA that would still be my preference so send your buddy my way, tell him to name his price, if I can't make a deal with him or anyone else, I may take your advice and roll with the 0 MOA.

 

[nn8734]

@mallen45 - do you have the Mk11 suppressor in hand? You will need it when it’s time to start the build.

 

[mallen45]

@mallen45 - do you have the Mk11 suppressor in hand? You will need it when it’s time to start the build.

that was actually a piece of info I just learned last week. Makes sense as the cab goes over the barrel I just never paid close enough attention.

 

[nn8734]

that was actually a piece of info I just learned last week. Makes sense as the cab goes over the barrel I just never paid close enough attention.

It’s one of the tricky things about building these Mod 5s as it can’t simply be added after the fact. If you grab one now, it may be anywhere from 3-9 months (I’ve been seeing form 4 turn around times all over the place). Let me know if you have trouble finding one and I’ll see if one of the SOTs I regularly work with can locate one for you.

 

[USMCSGT0331]

Definitely go with the 20 MOA MARS rail, page 1-16 of this manual.....

 

[mallen45]

Definitely go with the 20 MOA MARS rail, page 1-16 of this manual.....

thanks for the manual share. Yeah I’m pretty serious about that 20 MOA version and impatient as hell.

 

[ilikebmxbikes]

redacting my previous comments as dont want misinformation in the world. thank you USMCSGT0331

 

[mallen45]

redacting my previous comments as dont want misinformation in the world. thank you USMCSGT0331

All good man we are all just sharing what we know and seeing what sticks in the end. Let me know about your buddy with the rail.

 

[USMCSGT0331]

 

[mallen45]

View attachment 7293097

Willing to part with one of the 20s my man?

 

[mallen45]

Dang, that's hot

I know man, dropped the mic on everyone with that one photo.

 

[mallen45]

I've been seeing a lot of hits for a 0 MOA versions. I was wondering if anyone had an opinion or experience with shimming a 0 MOA rail to create the 20 MOA cant. It sounds over the top and I guess the concern would be how does it affect the positioning of the fasteners or the integrity of the rail? Food for thought at least.

 

[nn8734]

I've been seeing a lot of hits for a 0 MOA versions. I was wondering if anyone had an opinion or experience with shimming a 0 MOA rail to create the 20 MOA cant. It sounds over the top and I guess the concern would be how does it affect the positioning of the fasteners or the integrity of the rail? Food for thought at least.

I would simply keep your eyes open for a 20 MOA version, one will pop up at some point. Shimming the rail/action sounds like a risky, half-assed solution and can’t imagine what it would even look like.

You still need the Mk11 mod 0 can so can’t really start the build anyway for at least another nine -twelve months anyway (if the ATF improves TAT though you wont have to wait that long)

No need to stress over it.

 

[nn8734]

Current wait times on NFATracker have fallen off into the 80 day range... and i hope it stays there!

Damn, may need to think about buying another can. I also heard/read that if they may also be checking the system for other NFA applications you may have in the pipeline when they assigned to a given application.

 

[mallen45]

Current wait times on NFATracker have fallen off into the 80 day range... and i hope it stays there!

Yeah the tracker is way different for form 4 trust paper checks. They’re averaging 225 days over the last 3 months. That sucks but I need to go ahead and get going so I can have that.

 

[mallen45]

Yeah they've been doing "Batch Approvals", I believe they started that late 2018 or early 19.
So in general it has been rolling 10 month waits.
A guy on Reddit.com/r/NFA bought 6 cans in the span of the 10 months, and the 5th and 6th cans got "approved" in 2 weeks. But the overall wait was 10 months.

I forgot about that, i was hoping the gAyTF got their stuff together maybe and we'd all see lower approval times.

I'm hoping the trust quote isn't what its showing now, but we'll see how it goes. I spoke with Kevin over at High Caliber Sales and he's going to order the suppressor for me and I'll just need to select a local class 3 here in Virginia Beach to work with. Also, if anyone is looking for a complete MK 12 upper or anything specialized, Kevin Oneil at High Caliber Sales is a dream to work with. He gets his stuff out on time, is easy to reach, and has a wealth of knowledge. He worked with Alan Brown a number of years on MK 13 builds before Alan separated out on his own. His MK 12 upper is one of the nicest upper receivers I've ever handled. Highly recommend.

 

[mallen45]

Solid update. Yesterday I locked down a MK 11 suppressor from Kevin over at High Caliber Sales. I also locked down a 20 MOA MARS rail and the crane spec recoil lug. Now the wait for the suppressor process and looking to finish out before the end of the year.

 

[mallen45]

Barrel is in the mail and suppressor is in the wait stage but we are coming together. Waiting to hear back from LRI on quote and whether or not I need to go get the action or not. Also I want to replace the butt pad and cheek rest if I can find them. I haven’t been able to in a short search any ideas? Here’s where I stand.

 

[medmark]

I've been seeing a lot of hits for a 0 MOA versions. I was wondering if anyone had an opinion or experience with shimming a 0 MOA rail to create the 20 MOA cant. It sounds over the top and I guess the concern would be how does it affect the positioning of the fasteners or the integrity of the rail? Food for thought at least.

Just so you know, the Mk13 Mod5 started out with the MARS 20 MOA base but after extensive testing they found the Badger Ord base performed better and the guys at Crane went back and retrofitted the rifles with the Badger base. Part number 306-07 and its a 20 MOA base. This is coming from Alan Brown who finished up my mod 5 build about 6 months ago. Good luck with the build the rifle is incredible to shoot!

 

[mallen45]

Just so you know, the Mk13 Mod5 started out with the MARS 20 MOA base but after extensive testing they found the Badger Ord base performed better and the guys at Crane went back and retrofitted the rifles with the Badger base. Part number 306-07 and its a 20 MOA base. This is coming from Alan Brown who finished up my mod 5 build about 6 months ago. Good luck with the build the rifle is incredible to shoot! View attachment 7311160

I’ve definitely heard of the complaints regarding the base coming loose on the receiver with recoil. I can’t without question say that if I experience a lot of that the MARS rail is coming off and I’ll go with the badger base. That base looks like it’s a stock item and its about a third of what I paid for the Remington base. What’s the part number on the night vision mount. I may grab these as a back up plan. I have everything in hand right now except the MK11 (in the form 4) process and the scope. Did you go with a ATACR for your scope? I’m leaning towards the NXS but always happy to hear perspective.

 

[BEJ762]

The NXS is the correct scope. They did not use the ATACR on the mod 5s.

 

[mallen45]

I’ll bring it up in here but if anyone has the barrel print for fitting the KAC suppressor I’d love to share it with a local smith. He’s curious about it and I know he could do it if he sees the detail.

 

[medmark]

The part # for the Badger IMUNS is # 310-10-20. I personally prefer the ATACR because its First Focal plane optic, the close correct Nightforce NXS (C196) is second focal plane. I may switch it out eventually but I wanted a "clone correct" rifle for now.

 

[USMCsean]

There are a few pics with ATACRs floating around, but those might be competition guns.

 

[mallen45]

A little update on the progress. Action is at the smith getting refinished, blueprinted, and the M16 extractor is being installed.

 

[mallen45]

Hey guys I’ve been really focused on the barrel taper lately as it seems that’s the most guarded portion of the entire build. Anyone know the reasoning behind several different versions of the barrel taper. Is one right or wrong? Without any plans it’s a mystery to me. I guess the one version is what I assumed to be correct it’s the “aardvark dick profile.” What do you guys think? Also please note none of these images belong to me. Some are from a variety of posts and websites. I make no claim to any of them.

 

[mallen45]

It was brought to my attention yesterday there was some isolated discourse with my number of posts that were Mod 5 related. I'll just make this a master post for the Mod 5 with my progress and experience in hopes that it'll help someone else along the way.

 

[mallen45]

I know the gist of the scope configurations. I’m curious as to whether or not the navy spec Nightforce nxs 5.5-22x56 was an F1 or if it was only issued in the SFP? I know they don’t make F1 NXS scopes anymore, but I’m curious if there ever was a such thing for the navy spec MK13

 

[mallen45]

Ok fellas, I’m in another debate with myself looking for some different perspectives. Remington 700 actions for the build. I’ve been going back and forth on finding a period correct 700 action (serial number starting with G6) or just go with an off the shelf 700 magnum long action. The one thing I’m seeing with the newer (RR serial) receivers is that they’re coming with a bolt face of .535 where spec is supposed to be .540. Which ever route I go the receiver will get a full treatment from a smith as far as blueprinting goes. My question to you all with knowledge is whether or not there’s a discernible difference between the generations with respect to performance? Does one have a better track record than the other as far as reliability? At the end of the day period correct is cool and I love the look of the MK13 but when it’s all said and done I want a rifle that does it’s best and is supplied with quality components. Thoughts?

 

[mallen45]

So I've been seeing an increasing number of clone builders discussing MK13 Mod 5 variations and one of the more interesting ones is the variations in the action. The Remington 700 was first and that's readily accessible for about 400 bucks anywhere you can think of. Then there's the Stiller action on their website with MK13 branding and all the beautiful trueing and care you can think of for a much less frugal $1545. This is all fine and well as long as its worth it. What are some of yall's experiences with Stiller's actions? Would you say it'll outperform the Remington 700 action if the Remington action got a proper fit and true from the smith?

 

[mallen45]

Not sure if anyone is interested, but I recently bought a new iM3300 case for the rifle instead of paying the up-charge for the field issue case. Had a buddy on here shoot me over a pic of the field issue case with layouts and a tape measure to scale off of, but here is a copy of some of the major measurements. Could just as well measure off on your own, but this may be helpful for some.

 

[USMCsean]

I know the gist of the scope configurations. I’m curious as to whether or not the navy spec Nightforce nxs 5.5-22x56 was an F1 or if it was only issued in the SFP? I know they don’t make F1 NXS scopes anymore, but I’m curious if there ever was a such thing for the navy spec MK13

It was a SFP scope.

 

[USMCsean]

Not sure if anyone is interested, but I recently bought a new iM3300 case for the rifle instead of paying the up-charge for the field issue case. Had a buddy on here shoot me over a pic of the field issue case with layouts and a tape measure to scale off of, but here is a copy of some of the major measurements. Could just as well measure off on your own, but this may be helpful for some.

The foam insert is built up from multiple layers of closed cell foam and not the open cell foam that comes in the cases from Pelican.

 

[mallen45]

The foam insert is built up from multiple layers of closed cell foam and not the open cell foam that comes in the cases from Pelican.

Correct, one would need to purchase the polyethylene closed cell foam for the case. Cobra Foam Inserts sells it.

 

[mallen45]

KAC MK11 just arrived locally. Now comes the hard part....waiting for an unforeseen amount of time. My local shop uses Silencer Shop for all the Form 4 materials. Anyone had experience with the kiosk and form 4 system provided by Silencer Shop?

 

[mallen45]

Mod 5 owners with Nightforce 56mm scopes, what size scope rings are y’all running? I’m bouncing between Ultralite High (1.125), Intermediate (1.265) and X-High (1.375)

 

[USMCsean]

The intermediate height of 1.265" was specifically developed so the 56mm objective housing of the Nightforce scopes would fit into the relief cut of the MARS rail.

 

[mallen45]

Receiver came back from the smith yesterday. He refinished and blueprinted the action and it looks fantastic. He took some before pictures and showed me that it looked like someone had started to blueprint it before and never got it done all of the way. It was only making contact on the top, so I'm glad I got it squared away.

 

[Runnineh]

So I've been seeing an increasing number of clone builders discussing MK13 Mod 5 variations and one of the more interesting ones is the variations in the action. The Remington 700 was first and that's readily accessible for about 400 bucks anywhere you can think of. Then there's the Stiller action on their website with MK13 branding and all the beautiful trueing and care you can think of for a much less frugal $1545. This is all fine and well as long as its worth it. What are some of yall's experiences with Stiller's actions? Would you say it'll outperform the Remington 700 action if the Remington action got a proper fit and true from the smith?

I've got 2 Stiller actions, a tac30 and tac338 and love them. I have shot the mk13 with stillers action and it's really smooth.

 

[mallen45]

I've got 2 Stiller actions, a tac30 and tac338 and love them. I have shot the mk13 with stillers action and it's really smooth.

I think some day, when I'm ready to make the jump I want to build a 338, but I have always been partial to the Mcmillan 338 Chris Kyle references in his book. I have the MIRS rail hanging out in the safe for just the project. I may give stiller a shot one of these days. I hear great things about their actions.

 

[Grizzly06]

I have a box of these things. All are new and I beleive they all have the side mount thingy's as well.View attachment 7292602View attachment 7292603

Do you have any left for sale? Please PM me I’d you do.
Thanks