Starting a new AR10 build

[hitman44]

Should hopefully have everything wrapped up in the next couple weeks. Got everything ordered, just have to play the waiting game. Started with this:

Zev receiver set, Geiselle SSA-E, B5 SOPMOD (for now)

 

[Spblademaker]

What metal tube thingy, that the bullets come out of, are you getting??

 

[DRAM40A1]

Nice foundation, caliber?

 

[hitman44]

What metal tube thingy, that the bullets come out of, are you getting??

Ordered a Wilson Combat Recon 14.7........muzzle device missed clearing the rail by about .4 or so. Wouldnt be able to get my can on there. \Ran over to Brownell's and grabbed a Criterion 16in Hybrid contour. Heavier but not too bad. On the bright side, I liked the WC barrel so much Im going to build another one with it.

 

[hitman44]

Nice foundation, caliber?

.308, sold my SCAR 17 a while back and this will replace it. Well, nothing quite replaces the SCAR but it will do what I need it to do for 1/3 of the price. On top of that replacement parts are plentiful and easy to obtain. Not always the case with FN rifles.

 

[theLBC]

nice. good luck with your build!

 

[DRAM40A1]

Ordered a Wilson Combat Recon 14.7........muzzle device missed clearing the rail by about .4 or so. Wouldnt be able to get my can on there. \Ran over to Brownell's and grabbed a Criterion 16in Hybrid contour. Heavier but not too bad. On the bright side, I liked the WC barrel so much Im going to build another one with it.

I saw that one, it was like 50% off and I’ve been tempted as well!

 

[atepointer]

I had a Ballistic Advantage 18" that shot American Whitetail SP's to smidge under an inch cold bore was my deer slinger. Really great barrel for the $ my friend who bought the upper from me took it down to under .4" with hand loading.

 

[Spblademaker]

Ordered a Wilson Combat Recon 14.7........muzzle device missed clearing the rail by about .4 or so. Wouldnt be able to get my can on there. \Ran over to Brownell's and grabbed a Criterion 16in Hybrid contour. Heavier but not too bad. On the bright side, I liked the WC barrel so much Im going to build another one with it.

My Criterion in 308 is a nice shooter. Good choice.

 

[hitman44]

I saw that one, it was like 50% off and I’ve been tempted as well!

Yep, couldnt pass it up for the price. Figured if it didnt clear my handguard Id build another one. Parts are cheap enough right now. Cant stay that way forever.

 

[hitman44]

My Criterion in 308 is a nice shooter. Good choice.

The Criterion was my first choice, the Recon just happened to go on sale so i took as shot as I wanted a lighter setup anyways.

 

[hitman44]

 

[hitman44]

 

[fire_and_adjust]

I’m building a 308 as well at the moment. What LPK did you pick up for the the build?

 

[hitman44]

CMMG, I've been happy with them on my AR15 builds. I just buy the builder kits as I don't need trigger, grips, safeties or trigger guards.

 

[rpoL98]

Ordered a Wilson Combat Recon 14.7........muzzle device missed clearing the rail by about .4 or so. Wouldnt be able to get my can on there.

what rail are you going with?

 

[hitman44]

Zev wedgelok. The shorter one. It's a nice rail and flows with the the upper lower.

Got the barrel dimpled today(the 16in Criterion) just waiting on my reaction rod to show up now. Should have everything together this week.

 

[hitman44]

Just picked up one of these from the classifieds:

Scalarworks Leap Mount for Scopes

The Scalarworks Leap Mount is the lightest, strongest, and easiest to use quick-detach Scope mount in existence.

scalarworks.com

Pretty sure I'll get a Nightforce NX8 for the optic. Not 100% sure yet.

 

[rpoL98]

Zev wedgelok. The shorter one. It's a nice rail and flows with the the upper lower.

Got the barrel dimpled today (the 16in Criterion) just waiting on my reaction rod to show up now. Should have everything together this week.

reaction rod: Geissele or Midwest Industries?

 

[hitman44]

Got the Brownells version. 36.00 and if it turns out to be shit I can send it back.

 

[hitman44]

Gunsmithing Tools for Firearm Maintenance & Customization | Brownells

Shop gunsmithing tools (704) at Brownells, including bench blocks, hammer & punch sets, screwdrivers, and tool kits for firearm maintenance and repairs.

www.brownells.com

 

[rpoL98]

Got the Brownells version. 36.00 and if it turns out to be shit I can send it back.

only thing i don't like about the Brownells version is it doesn't have flats for clamping in a vise. I had one, the AR-15 version, it was my 1st ever reaction rod. price, affordable. after i got one that can be clamped in a vise, i ended up giving it to a friend, advised him to spend a few minutes and grind a flat into the end so it doesn't spin when clamped in a vise. you only need to flat one side, "D" shape is sufficient to prevent spinning in the vise jaws.

the Brownells tool is a quality tool, though, despite not having that 1 feature. at least you didn't get an aluminum version.

 

[kentuckyMarksman]

Nice! I'm starting a build on a ZEV large frame receiver set as well. Looking forward to seeing how yours turns out.

 

[hitman44]

Nice! I'm starting a build on a ZEV large frame receiver set as well. Looking forward to seeing how yours turns out.

About to order a 2nd one to use with the Wilson 14.7 barrel

 

[kentuckyMarksman]

About to order a 2nd one to use with the Wilson 14.7 barrel

Nice! Do you know if the ZEV stripped upper receiver can be purchased seperately? Thinking about having a 2nd upper for mine.

 

[hitman44]

Not that I'm aware of.

 

[akg102]

I built off of the Zev large frame last year and I've been very satisfied so far. Good fit/finish and the handguard is excellent -- one of the few that feel like a small-frame. I used the 12" handguard and had a 13.7" Proof barrel pinned/welded.

As stated above, the major downside is that they don't sell upper receivers separately.

 

[hitman44]

Which handguard did you go with? Still looking for one for my 14.7 barrel.

 

[akg102]

I used the large-frame Zev 12-5/8" handguard. It should also be perfect for your barrel length. With my slightly shorter barrel w/ Dead Air flash hider, I still have just enough clearance to mount the suppressor.

 

[hitman44]

Gotcha, didnt know Zev made one that small

 

[hitman44]

IF you want an optics mount that flows with the Zev, break out your wallet and check out the Scalarworks

 

[hitman44]

 

[hitman44]

 

[hitman44]

Pretty happy with it.

-I think I may swap the SOPMOD for a Magpul STR I have sitting here.
-Silencerco brake will ikely get swapped for a Dead Air flashider
-The roller cam on the POF BCG is noisy AF
-The Brownells reaction rod is dumb. @rpoL98 is right, skip this.

 

[rpoL98]

-The roller cam on the POF BCG is noisy AF

i always pack the (tiny) POF roller cam bearing with moly lube (grease) before installing it. same way you pack grease into a front wheel roller bearing. that smoothes it out a lot. sofar in my limited experience, that job is a one-time thing. I work the grease in from the top, spinning it a little, using finger pressure to sqeeze the grease in, untill it starts to show at the bottom.

 

[hitman44]

I'll give it a shot. Couldn't figure out what that clanking noise was.

 

[rpoL98]

I'll give it a shot. Couldn't figure out what that clanking noise was.

clank is probably bolt carrier when it contacts the barrel extension face going into battery, especially in absence of gun grease, oil on bolt, carrier rails, receiver bore interior. if so, that's normal. sound is amplified by the aluminum rail.

 

[hitman44]

No, was clanking any time I shook the gun, pulled the bcg, no clank. Shook the bcg...clank

 

[rpoL98]

No, was clanking any time I shook the gun, pulled the bcg, no clank. Shook the bcg...clank

dunno what to say. I use the POF BCG roller cam on all of my 308 upper builds, about 10 sofar, don't have THAT kind of clank. Aero M5's, usually with Aero BCG's. Also use it on all my AR-15 piston builds, no issues.

try putting a micrometer or dial caliper on the diameter of the original bolt cam pin, compare to POF cam pin.

does it still clank when assembled to a lower with buffer and buffer spring installed?

 

[hitman44]

I'll see if I can get a video clip, maybe I'm wrong. Or perhaps clank was the wrong word. Metal rattle perhaps. In fact I thought it was the upper/lower fitment at first.

 

[hitman44]

That aside, the roller cam is interesting, you seem to prefer it. Do you have any with high miles? Was curious how they do under extreme heat or really dirty guns.

 

[rpoL98]

can't speak to high mileage. if the roller ever gets so gummed up that it stops rolling, then it'd be the same as a conventional (solid) cam pin. I think the brunt of the force on the cam pin is on the shaft bearing surface between the cam pin bore in the bolt and the cam pin, and the carrier cam slot and the cam pin, not so much the head. JMHO.

I wouldn't have any qualms about using a 308 BCG with a conventional bolt cam pin, as long as i got liberal dose of high-pressure moly grease on it. it's a hidden little Gucci thing, maybe. personal preference, not neccesity. I use moly grease for hi-pressure metal-to-metal contact points.

 

[hitman44]

Do you have any experience with the domed cam pins? Same principle i assume.

 

[rpoL98]

i have no experience with the domed cam pins. others might...

 

[hitman44]

Opinions on glass, was I initially goi g with a nf 1-8, now I'm think with a lighter build coming up I'll use the 1-8 on that and get an atacr 4-16 for this?

 

[r.tenorio671]

...a piece of 3/8" square bar stock from Lowes or Home Depot can be inserted into the end of the Brownells tool as well for clamping in the vice jaws.

 

[hitman44]

Yeah, I tried some of my extension in there. At that point, there are just too many loose tolerances to deal with. Just going to bite the bullet.

 

[r.tenorio671]

Yeah, I tried some of my extension in there. At that point, there are just too many loose tolerances to deal with. Just going to bite the bullet.

....it appears the Brownell's tool was modeled after one of the early "shop tools" used in the Army support depots. The receiver w/barrel inserted and barrel nut hand tightened, the barrel nut wrench was then clamped in the vice jaws and receiver assembly dropped down into it (upright) and the barrel extension tool was then dropped down into the receiver/extension and used to tighten it to torque spec. Many of today's handguards come with barrel nuts that have flats milled into then that you could do the same thing, drop the barrel nut between the vice jaws and use tool to tighten to spec. The vice jaws should only be tightened enough to secure the barrel nut, not compress it in any way.

 

[hitman44]

Yeah, its definitely labeled barrel extension removal tool. That should have been a sign. I shouldnt say the Brownells is garbage, I was just using it for something it wasn't designed to do. Although, Im not sure wy Brownells hasnt made their own reacton rod at this point.

 

[r.tenorio671]

...the Brownell's tool functions in the exact same manner as the Reaction rods and other variations (Magpul BEV, Wheelers, etc.), all work, just a matter of cost and for some, convenience in how it mounts in a vise.

Personally, I have and use the Brownell's tool in both 15 & 10 configurations with no problems. I did use a bastard file to put flats on the end of them for those barrel nuts that don't have flats milled into them to begin with.