This build has been a slow burn over the last almost 4 years, starting in late 2017. Has taken a lot of patience and a lot of foresight, two things that I have never been particularly good with. Going to give some context to the story behind this rifle before I dive into the build and the pictures. I grew up in Arkansas a die-hard fan of the razorbacks, it’s something that I’ve always been passionate about and taken very seriously. I don’t know the name of the fellow who did the Cerakote job on this Rifle besides that fact that he is out of Benton, AR and I hate that, as I would love to follow up with him and share this build with him as well, but nevertheless here’s the story.
I won this rifle in a raffle for $125 (biggest thing I have ever won). It came as a complete functioning rifle with a crazy battle worn Razorback red cerakote finish. It was valued at $1200, and I would believe most of that to be in the labor and detail of the cerakote itself. Once I dove into the heart of this rifle not to say that it was budget, but it seemed that most of the value was in the Cerakote based on the make up and parts selection. I was ecstatic as I was currently in the process of replacing and upgrading on my first AR-15 which was a S&W M&P sport. I got that rifle while I was in the military stationed in Texas at one of those damn gun shows (Eye roll). Thought it was cool but under par for the amount of time I had behind a rifle and I had big plans of making it my own. Up pops this rifle that I won, and it changed the game and the dream, but I was torn because it was not tacti cool enough for me (it wasn’t black, and it looked to much like a novelty item). I continued to upgrade it though, I threw the best optic I could afford at the time on it which was an Eotech 512.A65 and a new trigger Viking Tactics/Trigger tech truss trigger, and a Geissele Noveske Super badass charging handle. It sat like that with only those modifications for maybe a year. Finally gathered interest in it again after convincing myself to keep dumping money into it even though I could not take it seriously and still saw it as a novelty. It had a 20” PSA Bull Barrel that was literally the heaviest thing known to man, so that got swapped out for a 16” PSA Pencil profile barrel and some random free brake that I had my choice of off a rack, that was pretty much useless besides muzzle thumping someone.
Eventually as I was sitting around thinking about guns and what my plans were, I had an epiphany and said “F It” I’m going to build my dream rifle out of this chassis, and I’m going to replace everything no expense spared, no matter how long it takes me, and this is going to my MAIN rifle, I don’t care about the novelty aspect. Then I started jockeying for cash, wheeling and dealing, coming up with one part at a time once every two or three months and the money pit opened, and I began shoveling as much as I possibly could. Tying back in to growing up in Arkansas, I’m lucky to have Wilson Combat right down the road and took that to heart to not only, buy everything I possibly could that was made in the U.S. but also use as many parts I possibly could from Wilson Combat. So not only will I have an American based rifle build, but an Arkansas Razorback themed rifle made up at least operational and functional wise of local state sourced parts. So, there is this story, if you made it this far, I appreciate it, this build means a lot to me, taught me a lot and I am extremely proud of it. Into the build list we go.
Tip to Butt: Functional parts
Griffin Armament - Taper Mount Flash Comp
Wilson Combat - Recon Tactical 16” Fluted SS 1/8 twist
Wilson Combat – Bullet proof adjustable gas block and intermediate length gas tube
Blacklist Industries – Enhanced Bolt and BCG
***Just waiting on Wilson Combat Low Mass BCG to be in stock and that is getting swapped
Vseven – Titanium Firing Pin
Wilson Combat – Bullet proof large Charging Handle
15” Keymod rail unmarked
Spikes Tactical – Warthog Billet matched receiver set
Viking Tactics/Trigger Tech – VTAC Truss 2 stage Trigger
Kynshot – Carbine Hydraulic Buffer
JP Enterprise – Custom polished centerless recoil Spring
Custom mil spec buffer tube – Cerakoted Sniper Grey
Wilson Combat – Starburst Stippled BCM Gunfighter pistol grip
Daniel Defense – Collapsible buttstock
Tip to Butt Accessories:
Streamlight - ProTac Rail 2 625 Lumens
Haley Strategic – Thorntail6 keymod offset light mount
Cloud Defensive- lcs switch housing
BCM – QD sling mount
AAH – Sniper Grey Cerakote Handstop
NightForce – ATACR 1-8 C653 (New non obstructive DMX reticle)
Nightforce – A497 1.5” offset Uni-mount
Haley Strategic – QD end plate on buffer tube
Haley Strategic – Sentry Strap in Disruptive Grey
Haley Strategic – D3 sling in Disruptive Grey
I won this rifle in a raffle for $125 (biggest thing I have ever won). It came as a complete functioning rifle with a crazy battle worn Razorback red cerakote finish. It was valued at $1200, and I would believe most of that to be in the labor and detail of the cerakote itself. Once I dove into the heart of this rifle not to say that it was budget, but it seemed that most of the value was in the Cerakote based on the make up and parts selection. I was ecstatic as I was currently in the process of replacing and upgrading on my first AR-15 which was a S&W M&P sport. I got that rifle while I was in the military stationed in Texas at one of those damn gun shows (Eye roll). Thought it was cool but under par for the amount of time I had behind a rifle and I had big plans of making it my own. Up pops this rifle that I won, and it changed the game and the dream, but I was torn because it was not tacti cool enough for me (it wasn’t black, and it looked to much like a novelty item). I continued to upgrade it though, I threw the best optic I could afford at the time on it which was an Eotech 512.A65 and a new trigger Viking Tactics/Trigger tech truss trigger, and a Geissele Noveske Super badass charging handle. It sat like that with only those modifications for maybe a year. Finally gathered interest in it again after convincing myself to keep dumping money into it even though I could not take it seriously and still saw it as a novelty. It had a 20” PSA Bull Barrel that was literally the heaviest thing known to man, so that got swapped out for a 16” PSA Pencil profile barrel and some random free brake that I had my choice of off a rack, that was pretty much useless besides muzzle thumping someone.
Eventually as I was sitting around thinking about guns and what my plans were, I had an epiphany and said “F It” I’m going to build my dream rifle out of this chassis, and I’m going to replace everything no expense spared, no matter how long it takes me, and this is going to my MAIN rifle, I don’t care about the novelty aspect. Then I started jockeying for cash, wheeling and dealing, coming up with one part at a time once every two or three months and the money pit opened, and I began shoveling as much as I possibly could. Tying back in to growing up in Arkansas, I’m lucky to have Wilson Combat right down the road and took that to heart to not only, buy everything I possibly could that was made in the U.S. but also use as many parts I possibly could from Wilson Combat. So not only will I have an American based rifle build, but an Arkansas Razorback themed rifle made up at least operational and functional wise of local state sourced parts. So, there is this story, if you made it this far, I appreciate it, this build means a lot to me, taught me a lot and I am extremely proud of it. Into the build list we go.
Tip to Butt: Functional parts
Griffin Armament - Taper Mount Flash Comp
Wilson Combat - Recon Tactical 16” Fluted SS 1/8 twist
Wilson Combat – Bullet proof adjustable gas block and intermediate length gas tube
Blacklist Industries – Enhanced Bolt and BCG
***Just waiting on Wilson Combat Low Mass BCG to be in stock and that is getting swapped
Vseven – Titanium Firing Pin
Wilson Combat – Bullet proof large Charging Handle
15” Keymod rail unmarked
Spikes Tactical – Warthog Billet matched receiver set
Viking Tactics/Trigger Tech – VTAC Truss 2 stage Trigger
Kynshot – Carbine Hydraulic Buffer
JP Enterprise – Custom polished centerless recoil Spring
Custom mil spec buffer tube – Cerakoted Sniper Grey
Wilson Combat – Starburst Stippled BCM Gunfighter pistol grip
Daniel Defense – Collapsible buttstock
Tip to Butt Accessories:
Streamlight - ProTac Rail 2 625 Lumens
Haley Strategic – Thorntail6 keymod offset light mount
Cloud Defensive- lcs switch housing
BCM – QD sling mount
AAH – Sniper Grey Cerakote Handstop
NightForce – ATACR 1-8 C653 (New non obstructive DMX reticle)
Nightforce – A497 1.5” offset Uni-mount
Haley Strategic – QD end plate on buffer tube
Haley Strategic – Sentry Strap in Disruptive Grey
Haley Strategic – D3 sling in Disruptive Grey
