I was sitting in my living room, minding my own business, when I saw a post on The Hide that Geissele's 18'' SPR barrel with its Phased Array gas block was back in stock. That jerk is totally responsible for what happened next - where I, blameless, having already bought 3 barrels recently, was evilly forced to buy another. My wife, being very perceptive, immediately commenced beating me. Woe is me.
I've been using either my Aero M4E1 lower, or my ADM lower for most of my builds. But I've had a LMT MARS-L Tano hiding in my safe just waiting for the perfect build. It was finally time to bring her out.
Because I wished to avoid further beatings, I resolved to use pieces of rifles I already had or stuff I had squirreled away in my safe to complete this rifle.
Because the LMT Tano Lower is a very hard color to match - I decided I would have to make this a 50 shades of FDE build.
Noteable parts:
Driven Arms Co Grip
ATC Gold Flat trigger
Hera Arms Safety kit (different styles on either side)
Forward Controls winter style trigger guard
FAB Defense Impact stock
Strike industries take down pins
Geissele Super 42 Braided wire and H2 Buffer
I hand lapped the upper receiver, I can't remember the company who made it but its in anodized burnt bronze - which only seemed close to matching the buffer tube, but as long as nothing matched but the colors were all close we were in business!
I thermo fit the upper receiver onto the barrel, covered the barrel extension in Green loctite, and cranked down that G$ barrel nut to about 70lbs of torque. I like to go a little higher on my barrel nut after reading one of Big Jakes post's and I have to say its been working for me.
I almost didn't find the two screws that come with the G$ gas block, they were attached to the back of the other side of the tube - not in the main section, but that only caused a minor freak out.
The Phased array gas block looked pretty cool - 3 gas holes on a channel. The G$ gas block sits right up against the shoulder so its pretty easy to space. They also double dimple the barrel. the Gas block was a little tight so I used some light sand paper to prep the barrel so it slid snugly on.
Notable Upper parts:
Brand X thermo fit anodized Upper
G$ 18'' 223 Wylde SPR barrel with Phased Array gas system (rifle length?) - Gas block and gas tube provided with Barrel
Cryptic Gold anodized BCG (Always be cool)
Radian Raptor charging handle FDE
Rail Scales (Always be cool!)
Emissary Development hand stop
KAK Comp (because I'm classy)
MDT Bipod
Right away I knew I had to call her Goldilocks. I didn't know how well that name would fit until I took out to break her in.
I went back and forth between a Cronus Gen 2 4.5x29 optic and a NX8 optic - but eventually I decided That the Nx8 2.5-20x with a 12 o'clock ACRO style* mount would be perfect.
Why you ask?
It certainly wasn't because my scope caps were FDE on my nx8. Def not the reason.
*Thats a chineasium ACRO clone called a Vector. Havn't heard of them? Me neither. Not sure where my brother got it. But, he's using my Steiner MPS on a Glock 20 with a B&T USW pistol frame on it right now and won't give it back. He gave me this to hold its place until he can get his hands on an ACRO. I plan to pee on him in his sleep if its not returned soon.
Range Report:
Sighting in was a bit of a mess - I should always remember to start at 25 -> 50 -> 100. Not start at 50 -> 25 -> 100. But I digress.
It was nice 50 degrees and wind was 18mph from the NW. I was shooting it from a Bipod and rear bag with Defender 77gr OTM (not their SMK) ammo.
Once I (finally) got her sighted in she did this:
That's a 4'' target, 1/8th'' bull at 100 yards. The rando is actually one of the sighting in shots. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
.33 MOA for a 5 round group is probably one of my best gas gun groups ever. I was shooting with a few other people who were waiting for me to go to the tactical range and I didn't have a lot of time really shoot her after the zeroing in misadventure - but with 80 rounds down the tube I'm really excited to see what this one can do!
Gratuitous Fall picture!
- Faylix
I've been using either my Aero M4E1 lower, or my ADM lower for most of my builds. But I've had a LMT MARS-L Tano hiding in my safe just waiting for the perfect build. It was finally time to bring her out.
Because I wished to avoid further beatings, I resolved to use pieces of rifles I already had or stuff I had squirreled away in my safe to complete this rifle.
Because the LMT Tano Lower is a very hard color to match - I decided I would have to make this a 50 shades of FDE build.
Noteable parts:
Driven Arms Co Grip
ATC Gold Flat trigger
Hera Arms Safety kit (different styles on either side)
Forward Controls winter style trigger guard
FAB Defense Impact stock
Strike industries take down pins
Geissele Super 42 Braided wire and H2 Buffer
I hand lapped the upper receiver, I can't remember the company who made it but its in anodized burnt bronze - which only seemed close to matching the buffer tube, but as long as nothing matched but the colors were all close we were in business!
I thermo fit the upper receiver onto the barrel, covered the barrel extension in Green loctite, and cranked down that G$ barrel nut to about 70lbs of torque. I like to go a little higher on my barrel nut after reading one of Big Jakes post's and I have to say its been working for me.
I almost didn't find the two screws that come with the G$ gas block, they were attached to the back of the other side of the tube - not in the main section, but that only caused a minor freak out.
The Phased array gas block looked pretty cool - 3 gas holes on a channel. The G$ gas block sits right up against the shoulder so its pretty easy to space. They also double dimple the barrel. the Gas block was a little tight so I used some light sand paper to prep the barrel so it slid snugly on.
Notable Upper parts:
Brand X thermo fit anodized Upper
G$ 18'' 223 Wylde SPR barrel with Phased Array gas system (rifle length?) - Gas block and gas tube provided with Barrel
Cryptic Gold anodized BCG (Always be cool)
Radian Raptor charging handle FDE
Rail Scales (Always be cool!)
Emissary Development hand stop
KAK Comp (because I'm classy)
MDT Bipod
Right away I knew I had to call her Goldilocks. I didn't know how well that name would fit until I took out to break her in.
I went back and forth between a Cronus Gen 2 4.5x29 optic and a NX8 optic - but eventually I decided That the Nx8 2.5-20x with a 12 o'clock ACRO style* mount would be perfect.
Why you ask?
It certainly wasn't because my scope caps were FDE on my nx8. Def not the reason.
*Thats a chineasium ACRO clone called a Vector. Havn't heard of them? Me neither. Not sure where my brother got it. But, he's using my Steiner MPS on a Glock 20 with a B&T USW pistol frame on it right now and won't give it back. He gave me this to hold its place until he can get his hands on an ACRO. I plan to pee on him in his sleep if its not returned soon.
Range Report:
Sighting in was a bit of a mess - I should always remember to start at 25 -> 50 -> 100. Not start at 50 -> 25 -> 100. But I digress.
It was nice 50 degrees and wind was 18mph from the NW. I was shooting it from a Bipod and rear bag with Defender 77gr OTM (not their SMK) ammo.
Once I (finally) got her sighted in she did this:
That's a 4'' target, 1/8th'' bull at 100 yards. The rando is actually one of the sighting in shots. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
.33 MOA for a 5 round group is probably one of my best gas gun groups ever. I was shooting with a few other people who were waiting for me to go to the tactical range and I didn't have a lot of time really shoot her after the zeroing in misadventure - but with 80 rounds down the tube I'm really excited to see what this one can do!
Gratuitous Fall picture!
- Faylix
