Re: AR-30 customizations
OK, regarding this rifle, I have a lot to say because it seems a lot of people that are posting on the AR-30 don't seem to be as knowledgeable as they think they are. (at least with some of what I've been reading all over the web)
There is virtually nothing available "specifically" for the AR-30 "after market" and ArmaLite doesn't make diddly for it as of this writing. I've owned my AR-30 .338 Lapua for 6 months and have scoured the internet, called vendors/manufacturers etc.. and can not find anything. I do see in some of the pics posted here a few ad ons, but I'm guessing they're not designed for the rifle, there designed for something else and happen to work or made/customized to fit? I'm also guessing the person that made the cheek rest for his did it at the expense of sacrificing another stock he had to use that piece on his rifle? That's a guess...because I haven't found anything when I search for "AR-30 accessories" or "AR-30 Buttstock" or any other of 20 ways I've searched on dozens of websites. I'm also guessing that the monopod that I see is a universal or made for something else that happens to fit. Either way, it looks like it works.
I read somewhere in a forum that someone said CAA makes a butt stock or an adapter to fit after market buttstocks to and this is just NOT accurate information. I called CAA in Pennsylvania and they don't make diddly for the AR-30.
The only modifiable piece I've found for my AR-30 (short of taking it to a gunsmith) is the pistol grip and the one I put on wasn't meant for the rifle, but I cut the dovetail off and made if fit for a much more girthy pistol grip. It works well. I'm not pulling shots to the left any more since I replaced it too, because it's thicker, it fits my big mits better and my thumb rests better naturally and I don't fumble with my thumb the way I did with the OEM grip. A small seemingly inconsequential mod made a difference down range.
Armalite 'says' if you call them and on the website that the trigger is "not user adjustable" but oh contrare...in fact IT IS MODIFIABLE...IF you know what you're doing.
It's a Shilen trigger and it adjusts the exact same way as a Remmy 700. I wonder why they don't tell the consumer that and it's not printed in the manual or any place I've found on the web.
Anyway, if you're looking for the AR-30 to get pretty inexpensively into the .338 Lapua Mag realm, this is a great rifle at roughly $1,800.00 as opposed to its competition which starts at about $5,000.00 w/out optics. Just keep in mind, the current iteration of the AR-30 is as bare bones as it gets.
My biggest gripe about the rifle is that ya can’t really do squat to the rifle. I mean who doesn't tweak their gear? Cars? Motorcycles? Field gear? Rifles? It's what we do...right?
You really can’t modify the butt stock (or change it..because no one makes an adapter and design seems to be proprietary)
Can’t modify/adjust the trigger (or so they say)
Can’t change or get a site base with more MOA. (Correction as pointed out to me, in fact a 20MOA base is available at
http://www.usoptics.com/accD.php?recordID=AR-30 )
I have a Millet LRS-1 scope on my AR-30. Those rings from Millet are HUGE and my scope sits at a stout 2.7 inches above center bore. At that height, when I actually rest my cheek on the cheek rest, I can't even see the glass on my scope. I have to turkey neck EVERYTIME because it’s just not adjustable...most would simply adjust the cheek rest and be done with it. If you have this problem with a stout 35mm tube, US Optics seems to make a few sets of 35mm rings that will sit the scope lower to the rifle
http://www.usoptics.com/acc.php?typeID=Mounts%20-%20Rings
To any manufacturers out there:
Would someone consider making an adapter for the AR-30 butt stock PLEASE so it's owners can buy decent stocks and actually afix it to our rifle? Anybody?
The one real benefit of this rifle though (I’ve gotta give ArmaLite ‘some’ kudos) is its accuracy. Damn this thing is accurate as heck. I’ve shot it out to 1075 and with my 511 Tactical ballistics watch was hitting 12”x18” targets at 1075 yards all day long. I mean it was EASY!!! (remember the watch gave me my DOPE)
I was using the Lapua 250gr FMJBT bullet, Lapua brass w/90.0 gr of Retumbo and this rifle was outstanding in the area of accuracy up to and beyond (albeit not terribly much) 1000 yards. Amazing how easy it was to hit something that size at that distance with the right hardware.
So there's a huge trade off in my opinion with this platform.
If you get the .338 you get the benefits of the accuracy and capability of that round first and foremost. The rifle does a very good job of putting that round on target at distance...I can not for a second argue that fact.
The bottom line with this rifle is that I’m disappointed that I can do virtually nothing to it to make it more comfortable. It’s just illogical (to me) that someone would make a sniper platform and not think about the modification aspect. I’d likely not buy another for that reason and that reason alone.
Just my 2 cents and experiences thus far (and a little bit of a rant thrown in for good measures
)
Happy shooting!!
