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Mk 13 Mod 0 stock

Alan replied to my email the other day, said he would ship me my parts and deposit back on monday. I wish I hadn't wasted 29 months on him, for several reasons even other than the obvious.

But I have found a new smith, and am happy for this build to actually be progressing now.
 
Alan replied to my email the other day, said he would ship me my parts and deposit back on monday. I wish I hadn't wasted 29 months on him, for several reasons even other than the obvious.

But I have found a new smith, and am happy for this build to actually be progressing now.

Well, that sucks...
Good luck with the new smith.
 
Gosh, that is a bummer. I heard his health has been deteriorating, and thus perhaps its best that you have another person build it. On the upside at least you are getting your money and parts back. Good luck with your new builder. I hope to do a MK 13 in the 2020-21 period.
 
Gosh, that is a bummer. I heard his health has been deteriorating, and thus perhaps its best that you have another person build it. On the upside at least you are getting your money and parts back. Good luck with your new builder. I hope to do a MK 13 in the 2020-21 period.
Buy the suppressor or stock now, thats the best advice I can give you lol.
But yeah I'm mainly angry at how he was extremely uncommunicative about his issues, like others I was quoted 6-9 months. He should have told us or stopped accepting builds or something. I could have had half a dozen built by other smiths by now.
 
What sucks is not that some folks waited for their guns... but that a legendary riflesmith and a really outstanding gentleman who I call a friend... is having health issues... which he hopefully will get through soon so he can get back to his passion for building some of the best precision rifles in the world!

It is a terrible inconvenience for us 'Hide members to have to wait for something that we want... I get that. We have our wants and needs. It is a worse tragedy that instead of showing some patience and some class towards Alan's health... folks are griping that their rifle didn't get done.

I am not sure his status... but will reach out to him and send him a card/note and a Merry Christmas. And if he happens to be reading this thread (he reads a lot... he doesn't respond on forums...) then let me be the first (and hopefully not the last) to wish him the best and hope that he gets well soon!

Sirhr
 
I think that I have been extremely sympathetic to Alan's health issues. Waiting twenty nine months for a paid for rifle build, with maybe 2 or three conversations a year where no new information is given, not even an estimate in months, is nothing if not patient.
I do wish him the best, as I have ever since he first told me of his health.
But health issues aside, when you have a business, full time or not, and problems prevent you from doing a job someone paid you for, for years, I feel you have at least a responsibility to say "hey, I don't think i'm going to be able to make this rifle".
 
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I stumbled across this thread just now and am sorry to hear about Alan's health issues. I hope he does get the better of his health issues and can get back to doing the work he loves. He built me a Mod 5 in 2016 and it is a work of art. Due to an injury I was contemplating selling her but I think i will be holding on to her.
 
It's all about communication and while his health may be a bad, 30-50 phone calls/emails(assuming he even has that many) to his customers who have prepaid is not an unreasonable ask.
 
Curious if anyone has built a replica of suppressed version of the Mk 13 Mod 0 (aka Mod 3), with a KAC Mk 11 suppressor.

These were the two Mk 13 Mod 3's built for the movie, American Sniper. Anybody else try to build something like this?

American+sniper+Mk13_rifles.jpg
 
Curious if anyone has built a replica of suppressed version of the Mk 13 Mod 0 (aka Mod 3), with a KAC Mk 11 suppressor.

These were the two Mk 13 Mod 3's built for the movie, American Sniper. Anybody else try to build something like this?

View attachment 7198147

If you are looking to build the Mod 1, as shown in the pic, check with LRI to see if they would do it. They did a superb job with my Mod 5 recently.

I believe there was a mod 2 or 3 that used a forest green AICS chassis (as opposed to the FDE chassis on the mod 5).
 
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Curious if anyone has built a replica of suppressed version of the Mk 13 Mod 0 (aka Mod 3), with a KAC Mk 11 suppressor.

These were the two Mk 13 Mod 3's built for the movie, American Sniper. Anybody else try to build something like this?

View attachment 7198147

M40a96 on instagram had one done with the actual correct collar, the ones from the movie are only similar.

If you are looking to build the Mod 1, as shown in the pic, check with LRI to see if they would do it. They did a superb job with my Mod 5 recently.

I believe there was a mod 3 that used a forest green AICS chassis (as opposed to the FDE chassis on the mod 5).
LRI is great people.
That's the Mod 2 that you are thinking of I believe, with a vortex flash hider instead of suppressor and OD chassis.
 
LRI is great people.
That's the Mod 2 that you are thinking of I believe, with a vortex flash hider instead of suppressor and OD chassis.

Yep, it’s the Mod 2, commissioned to be built at Crane by the 75th Ranger Regiment, per Steve Reichert‘s website.
 
I’m not on Instagram, but thanks for the tip re the other replica. Any pictures that could be posted on this thread would be much appreciated.

For clarificrion re Mk 13 Mod 1 thru 4:

Mod 0 - right handed action, non supressed.
Mod 1 - left handed action, non suppressed.
Mod 2 - AIC green chassis, right handed action for Rangers.
Mod 3 - right handed action, suppressed version of Mod 0.
Mod 4 - left handed action, suppressed version of Mod 1.

Hope that info helps.
 
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Edit - Per the operating manual, here is an image of Mod 0,1,2. Mod 1 is showing as left handed. So far this is the only image and pic I have come across of the mod 2
FA5C1DCE-1313-416D-9DE3-E60CB6276BD6.jpeg
B51518F3-1EF3-4F6F-9226-E3D242AE04BF.jpeg
 
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I’m on Alan’s wait list and thought I’d be up soon but sounds like I need to scout for a builder. Any recommendations?
 
I’m on Alan’s wait list and thought I’d be up soon but sounds like I need to scout for a builder. Any recommendations?

What Mk13 Mod are you wanting to build?

I used Long Rifles, Inc. for my Mod 5 and they did fantastic work. Turn time was just under two months, which is pretty good for a complex build and in-demand shop like LRI.

Raven Rifles in VA also does Mk13 spec builds (I know they do Mod5’s but would check with them if they build any other Mods).

If doing a Mod 0,1,2 or 7, I would think any competent smith can put one together assuming all the right parts were in your possession and/or available. If doing a mod 3 or 5 (requires contouring/mk11mod0 suppressor fitment) then either of the above two mentioned builders should work.
 
What Mk13 Mod are you wanting to build?

I used Long Rifles, Inc. for my Mod 5 and they did fantastic work. Turn time was just under two months, which is pretty good for a complex build and in-demand shop like LRI.

Raven Rifles in VA also does Mk13 spec builds (I know they do Mod5’s but would check with them if they build any other Mods).

If doing a Mod 0,1,2 or 7, I would think any competent smith can put one together assuming all the right parts were in your possession and/or available. If doing a mod 3 or 5 (requires contouring/mk11mod0 suppressor fitment) then either of the above two mentioned builders should work.

mod 0. I have all the parts so I may give LRI a call. Thx.
 
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LRI trued and barreled both of my MK13 Mod0s. I just sent them in using the Rem 700 group buy. Action finish was left as is on one with a original bolt and barrel was bead blasted.
 
Not sure if High Caliber Sales still does them or not. You supply the action.

Not anymore. In fact Kevin may have retired. Last time I spoke with him (appx 8 months back), he advised as much and directed me to Alan for mk13’s who’s situation is discussed earlier on in the thread.
 
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Very nice job on the Mod 3 replica(!). Regarding the barrel collar, did you wait until you fitted the suppressor to make the machine cuts for the latching mechanism? I'm glad that RWS put one of these together. FWIW, I've been collecting parts for a very similar build, but I haven't ordered the KAC Mk 11 suppressor or the barrel yet, but I've made some progress lately regarding parts collection, including a marked bolt. (I've probably use the later Leupold rings rather than the earlier ones seen in this pic):

Mk 13 bolts and parts1_122019.jpg

Here's my DRMO'ed Mk13 transport case and a take-off stock.
300WM_project_parts2.jpg


...I'm hoping this will be a 2020 project...I might reach out to RWS Gunsmithing once I have the Lijia barrel and a proper donor action.
 
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Very nice job on the Mod 3 replica(!). Regarding the barrel collar, did you wait until you fitted the suppressor to make the machine cuts for the latching mechanism? I'm glad that RWS put one of these together. FWIW, I've been collecting parts for a very similar build, but I haven't ordered the KAC Mk 11 suppressor or the barrel yet, but I've made some progress lately regarding parts collection, including a marked bolt. (I've probably use the later Leupold rings rather than the earlier ones seen in this pic):

View attachment 7207730

View attachment 7207734

...I'm hoping this will be a 2020 project...I might reach out to RWS Gunsmithing once I have the Lijia barrel and a proper donor action.
Wow, that is awesome man! I've never seen a marked mod 3 bolt before, only mod 0's.
 
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I got lucky with the bolt, and happy to have it....just wish I could get a KAC Mk 11 suppressor for a nice price.
 
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I have two mk11 suppressors here at the shop that I use to fit. I will say when customers send there suppressors to be fit on the mod 5's I also check fit with the shop's and have to admit that they all fit real close to each other.
 
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I got lucky with the bolt, and happy to have it....just wish I could get a KAC Mk 11 suppressor for a nice price.


Their out there, just be ready when they pop up!

I picked up an OG Vero one this year for basically MSRP. Period correct, laser etched, & serial number below 50.
 
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Any updates on the health of Allan Brown? Anyone else been in contact?
He sent me my first set of parts back unopened on the 26th of dec, then my stock back a day or two before shot show. An acquaintance that sent his stuff to him like 6 or 8 months after I did got his gun back last month, so he is well enough that he is still building.
 
If anyone is doing a build and wants a dead-nuts correct Mk 4 Leupold 10x fixed... the as-issued scope on the Mk13 Mod 0's.... one has shown up at my local gun store.

It is minty... been mounted but I don't think ever shot. No scope ring marks that I saw. PM me and I'll put you in touch with them.

I looked for 2 months to find mine (and only through an awesome forum member did I get one!)

Cheers,

Sirhr
 
I sent Alan Brown my parts and he received them in October of 2017. It is now March of 2020 and nothing. I have emailed and called asking for updates and here recently for my parts back. I have not received anything. Anyone close and could check on the buzzard to see if he is breathing?
 
I sent Alan Brown my parts and he received them in October of 2017. It is now March of 2020 and nothing. I have emailed and called asking for updates and here recently for my parts back. I have not received anything. Anyone close and could check on the buzzard to see if he is breathing?
Good luck, just keep emailing.
 
Sent this off to RWS to get skim bedded and finish being put together. Will post pic once completed.
 

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What Mk13 Mod are you wanting to build?

I used Long Rifles, Inc. for my Mod 5 and they did fantastic work. Turn time was just under two months, which is pretty good for a complex build and in-demand shop like LRI.

Raven Rifles in VA also does Mk13 spec builds (I know they do Mod5’s but would check with them if they build any other Mods).

If doing a Mod 0,1,2 or 7, I would think any competent smith can put one together assuming all the right parts were in your possession and/or available. If doing a mod 3 or 5 (requires contouring/mk11mod0 suppressor fitment) then either of the above two mentioned builders should work.

I’m actually looking for a smith for a Mod 5 build. I spoke with Raven Rifles as Mark is in my home state. LRI also has a great reputation. How was your experience with the build? Were they able to contour the barrel for the suppressor? I know Raven can do it he just needs the suppressor.
 
I’m actually looking for a smith for a Mod 5 build. I spoke with Raven Rifles as Mark is in my home state. LRI also has a great reputation. How was your experience with the build? Were they able to contour the barrel for the suppressor? I know Raven can do it he just needs the suppressor.

Sending the rifle to @LongRifles Inc. is a no-brainer. Chad and his team did a superb job on mine, communication was great throughout (they have a progress update email that goes out to your email with pics each time the build progresses to the next stage) and the thing is a laser to 1500 (the furthest I have taken it). They contoured the barrel to the suppressor and installed the indexing pin per spec. The crown itself is also correct (I have seen various pics of mod 5s on the web with incorrect crowns)...My particular rifle is 95% to spec as I already had a Sako extractor and decided to keep that vs doing the M16 extractor...LRI had the rifle for less than two months.
 
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Sending the rifle to @LongRifles Inc. is a no-brainer. Chad and his team did a superb job on mine, communication was great throughout (they have a progress update email that goes out to your email with pics each time the build progresses to the next stage) and the thing is a laser to 1500 (the furthest I have taken it). They contoured the barrel to the suppressor and installed the indexing pin per spec. The crown itself is also correct (I have seen various pics of mod 5s on the web with incorrect crowns)...My particular rifle is 95% to spec as I already had a Sako extractor and decided to keep that vs doing the M16 extractor...LRI had the rifle for less than two months.

no surprise there what so ever. I have heard great things and had inquired with them late last week. Still waiting on a response but I’m sure they’re busy. Thanks for the review.
 
I’m actually looking for a smith for a Mod 5 build. I spoke with Raven Rifles as Mark is in my home state. LRI also has a great reputation. How was your experience with the build? Were they able to contour the barrel for the suppressor? I know Raven can do it he just needs the suppressor.

Send it to Raven Rifles, Mark is the only smith I know of who has the actual Mod 5 barrel contour blueprints
 
I hate having to make this post and I don't want to talk shit about a gunsmith, but I need to show the work Alan Brown is currently putting out. Many people have been happy with his Mk13 builds over the years, but this has changed in the past year or so. Multiple people have contacted me regarding the quality of his builds and there's definitely issues with them. So much so that everyone had to send their Alan builds to other gunsmiths in order to be fixed. I'm not sure what's happened to Alan, but I hope he can improve his quality and regain our trust/confidence.

This is not a shit post, I just want my fellow collectors to see the work that coming out of Alan's shop. Money doesn't grow on trees and you should always do your due diligence when selecting a gunsmith for your build. I don't want to start any fights, so I'm not going to say who is currently rebuilding this Alan Brown built Mk13 Mod 2. Until Alan is able to turn his build quality around, I won't be able to recommend him as a gunsmith. There are some great builders out there, I highly suggest looking to them if you need to complete a build.

Lets start with the receiver, which was never trued. It's common practice for gunsmiths to true the receiver, chase the threads and lap the bolt lugs, etc. However, none of that work was done on this receiver, even though it was supposed to have been done. The finish is also subpar and appears to have discoloring or runs in the finish.

m6RtFzo.jpg

aoED4oe.jpg


Next up is the barrel, which was especially bad. My friend said the rifle shot very poorly and that's what really tipped him off to have the rifle checked out by another gunsmith. Alan only cut the front part of the barrel, he didn't remove ANY material from the chamber end. In fact, some of the numbers Lilja stamped on the face of that end are still visible! I've seen this on a few of his other builds, but I've never heard of another gunsmith doing this. A barrel should always be cut at both ends of the blank.

1XUlyaA.jpg


Since the barrel was only shortened from the muzzle end of the blank, this led to another problem. When the barrel is only cut from the muzzle end, you end up with a larger outer diameter at that end. This problem doesn't occur with a properly cut blank that had material removed from both ends. Because the outer diameter was larger towards the barrel's muzzle end, it caused the barrel to come into contact with the nightvision front rail.

This contact led to poor accuracy and scratched the hell out of the barrel. Alan knew about this mistake because he used a dremel tool to remove metal from the underside of the front rail..... and then colored the bare metal with a sharpie marker. After all this extra "work," the barrel was still contacting the front rail!

6dMw13o.jpg

WixKXFT.jpg


The crown/threads were poorly cut and the custom thread protector is an absolute joke. The protective cover has 2 very shallow threads cut into it, so it doesn't do too much protecting when it doesn't stay in place.

NpxGbWo.jpg


This is not a good way to run a business. I don't have any problems with the man living and enjoying his life, I just have a problem with the unprofessional attitude towards his customers. There's been a lot of lies, broken promises, no communication and shoddy craftsmanship. All he has to do is update his customers and put out quality work in a timely manner.

The market for custom built rifles has absolutely exploded over the past decade and a simple Google search puts people in contact with dozens of amazing gunsmiths. There is absolutely no reason why anyone has to wait 2+ years for a build, with no communication and terrible quality. I get texts and emails from people every single week asking me if I've heard from Alan and we've seen people ask the same question across a few forums.

Even if he's older and not in the best health, the business problems he has can easily be remedied, but apparently he's just choosing not to do anything about it. I've personally sent 50+ people over to him for Mk13 builds, I had the trust and confidence in him to take care of my friends and customers. I also waited 2 years for my rifles be built and I got sick of the runaround, so I asked for my parts back a few months ago. I can't in good conscience recommend him for builds.

I hope you guys find this information useful and I hope Alan is able to turn his shop around. Do not wait 2+ years for a build with this type of work!
 
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Send it to Raven Rifles, Mark is the only smith I know of who has the actual Mod 5 barrel contour blueprints

LRI also has the diagram with measurements for the contour. I would think LRI’s diagram, dimensions etc. would be identical to the original/actual mod 5 blueprints that is what Mark at RR has.
 
LRI also has the diagram with measurements for the contour. I would think LRI’s diagram, dimensions etc. would be identical to the original/actual mod 5 blueprints that is what Mark at RR has.

I didn't know they had a copy and I'd love to see a pic of their finished barrel. LRI does some amazing work, so it's good to hear cloners can add another gunsmith to the list for extremely accurate clone builds
 
I didn't know they had a copy and I'd love to see a pic of their finished barrel. LRI does some amazing work, so it's good to hear cloners can add another gunsmith to the list for extremely accurate clone builds

Here is a couple. I can take more barrel-specific pics tomorrow and PM you if you would like.
FB4D8F11-CF29-404E-A3B0-0E35E1820E7B.jpeg
0C9DBA02-81E7-4DEE-A762-04D1242E730A.jpeg
 
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no surprise there what so ever. I have heard great things and had inquired with them late last week. Still waiting on a response but I’m sure they’re busy. Thanks for the review.


Kalli has been chewing through the emails. She said she made it back as far as Mid March. If we overlooked you, please resend it.

Happy to help.

As for the "MK" thing:

I'll be the first to tell anyone/everyone that I have not spent a great deal of time researching and annotating every little nuance unique to the MK lineage. My staff however does know them inside/out. My involvement began in 2012 when I was bucking for a contractual job with the DoS. I met many folks while working in Baghdad as a contractor and that lead to some contacts. I was asked to build an MK13 Mod7 for a friend who is a DoS RSO. He was my boss in Irag. He then planned on using it as a demonstration piece to the powers that be. This all came about after an ugly incident in Afghanistan. In July of 2012, some may recall the US Embassy in Kabul getting the shit kicked out of it after the "Tally's" set up a recoilless rifle from about 1400m and began ventilating the outer walls. This created an issue because the DoS is not a military organization. The mission is hearts and minds, not waging war. The incident however compelled those in charge to look at precision weapon systems offering increased standoff.

The 338Lapua Magnum was out. Too expensive to shoot, too hard to get a steady supply of ammo. The MK248 Mod 1 that Lake City was producing was/is suited to tasks, the problem was the rifles. For whatever reason, the chambers were causing pressure. I was told by more than one range officer on Pendleton that Team guys simply refused to use them because of the liability in the field. Some guys were reported to literally carry dead blow mallets to knock the bolts open.

So, that was the first problem to solve. Farting around with ND's and Freebores got it licked. I ran every Heat/Casualty test scenario outlined in the Pub. (DXS JNN CO8 1604) and then exceeded them by 10%. Stuff worked. All that remained was convincing State to thaw out a credit card or two. That unfortunately never happened. The experience gained proved to be very valuable though.

Anyways. The Remmy versions are easy for us to build as well. I don't like Sako extractors one bit though. I really lean hard on people to allow us to use the M16 we make combined with the dual ejectors. It's just a much more reliable system and it gets the ejection angle of the fired case back towards horizontal so that cases aren't bouncing off scope knobs. I've been on a crusade for over a decade now to rid the trade of Sako Extractors in M700's. It's a great way to lose an eye if you sneeze a case.

The MAR's Rails are no biggy and if you have a Stiller MK13 action I can fit an M700 rail without ruining the RF ID tag. We have vetted programs in our 5 axis for doing this. I plug up the old base holes with pins, machine to flush, and when its coated again, no one is the wiser. I also happen to have a dozen or of the rails. New, in the box with the side mount stuff. On that note, for you M40 addicts, I have a handful of never used Iron Brigade clip slot rails. Probably the last new ones ever to exist. Since I'm on a sales pitch now, I also have the last known remaining stock of genuine 40X M700 OEM bolt handles. These were part of the original M40 "thing" that most overlook. There are very subtle differences between them and the other stuff.

Either way, happy to help.
 
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Kalli has been chewing through the emails. She said she made it back as far as Mid March. If we overlooked you, please resend it.

Happy to help.

As for the "MK" thing:

I'll be the first to tell anyone/everyone that I have not spent a great deal of time researching and annotating every little nuance unique to the MK lineage. My staff however does know them inside/out. My involvement began in 2012 when I was bucking for a contractual job with the DoS. I met many folks while working in Baghdad as a contractor and that lead to some contacts. I was asked to build an MK13 Mod7 for a friend who is a DoS RSO. He was my boss in Irag. He then planned on using it as a demonstration piece to the powers that be. This all came about after an ugly incident in Afghanistan. In July of 2012, some may recall the US Embassy in Kabul getting the shit kicked out of it after the "Tally's" set up a recoilless rifle from about 1400m and began ventilating the outer walls. This created an issue because the DoS is not a military organization. The mission is hearts and minds, not waging war. The incident however compelled those in charge to look at precision weapon systems offering increased standoff.

The 338Lapua Magnum was out. Too expensive to shoot, too hard to get a steady supply of ammo. The MK248 Mod 1 that Lake City was producing was/is suited to tasks, the problem was the rifles. For whatever reason, the chambers were causing pressure. I was told by more than one range officer on Pendleton that Team guys simply refused to use them because of the liability in the field. Some guys were reported to literally carry dead blow mallets to knock the bolts open.

So, that was the first problem to solve. Farting around with ND's and Freebores got it licked. I ran every Heat/Casualty test scenario outlined in the Pub. (DXS JNN CO8 1604) and then exceeded them by 10%. Stuff worked. All that remained was convincing State to thaw out a credit card or two. That unfortunately never happened. The experience gained proved to be very valuable though.

Anyways. The Remmy versions are easy for us to build as well. I don't like Sako extractors one bit though. I really lean hard on people to allow us to use the M16 we make combined with the dual ejectors. It's just a much more reliable system and it gets the ejection angle of the fired case back towards horizontal so that cases aren't bouncing off scope knobs. I've been on a crusade for over a decade now to rid the trade of Sako Extractors in M700's. It's a great way to lose an eye if you sneeze a case.

The MAR's Rails are no biggy and if you have a Stiller MK13 action I can fit an M700 rail without ruining the RF ID tag. We have vetted programs in our 5 axis for doing this. I plug up the old base holes with pins, machine to flush, and when its coated again, no one is the wiser. I also happen to have a dozen or of the rails. New, in the box with the side mount stuff. On that note, for you M40 addicts, I have a handful of never used Iron Brigade clip slot rails. Probably the last new ones ever to exist. Since I'm on a sales pitch now, I also have the last known remaining stock of genuine 40X M700 OEM bolt handles. These were part of the original M40 "thing" that most overlook. There are very subtle differences between them and the other stuff.

Either way, happy to help.

I really appreciate this direct reply. I’ll shoot out another email today and look forward to talking with you all.
 
I hate having to make this post and I don't want to talk shit about a gunsmith, but I need to show the work Alan Brown is currently putting out. Many people have been happy with his Mk13 builds over the years, but this has changed in the past year or so. Multiple people have contacted me regarding the quality of his builds and there's definitely issues with them. So much so that everyone had to send their Alan builds to other gunsmiths in order to be fixed. I'm not sure what's happened to Alan, but I hope he can improve his quality and regain our trust/confidence.

This is not a shit post, I just want my fellow collectors to see the work that coming out of Alan's shop. Money doesn't grow on trees and you should always do your due diligence when selecting a gunsmith for your build. I don't want to start any fights, so I'm not going to say who is currently rebuilding this Alan Brown built Mk13 Mod 2. Until Alan is able to turn his build quality around, I won't be able to recommend him as a gunsmith. There are some great builders out there, I highly suggest looking to them if you need to complete a build.

Lets start with the receiver, which was never trued. It's common practice for gunsmiths to true the receiver, chase the threads and lap the bolt lugs, etc. However, none of that work was done on this receiver, even though it was supposed to have been done. The finish is also subpar and appears to have discoloring or runs in the finish.

m6RtFzo.jpg

aoED4oe.jpg


Next up is the barrel, which was especially bad. My friend said the rifle shot very poorly and that's what really tipped him off to have the rifle checked out by another gunsmith. Alan only cut the front part of the barrel, he didn't remove ANY material from the chamber end. In fact, some of the numbers Lilja stamped on the face of that end are still visible! I've seen this on a few of his other builds, but I've never heard of another gunsmith doing this. A barrel should always be cut at both ends of the blank.

1XUlyaA.jpg


Since the barrel was only shortened from the muzzle end of the blank, this led to another problem. When the barrel is only cut from the muzzle end, you end up with a larger outer diameter at that end. This problem doesn't occur with a properly cut blank that had material removed from both ends. Because the outer diameter was larger towards the barrel's muzzle end, it caused the barrel to come into contact with the nightvision front rail.

This contact led to poor accuracy and scratched the hell out of the barrel. Alan knew about this mistake because he used a dremel tool to remove metal from the underside of the front rail..... and then colored the bare metal with a sharpie marker. After all this extra "work," the barrel was still contacting the front rail!

6dMw13o.jpg

WixKXFT.jpg


The crown/threads were poorly cut and the custom thread protector is an absolute joke. The protective cover has 2 very shallow threads cut into it, so it doesn't do too much protecting when it doesn't stay in place.

NpxGbWo.jpg


This is not a good way to run a business. I don't have any problems with the man living and enjoying his life, I just have a problem with the unprofessional attitude towards his customers. There's been a lot of lies, broken promises, no communication and shoddy craftsmanship. All he has to do is update his customers and put out quality work in a timely manner.

The market for custom built rifles has absolutely exploded over the past decade and a simple Google search puts people in contact with dozens of amazing gunsmiths. There is absolutely no reason why anyone has to wait 2+ years for a build, with no communication and terrible quality. I get texts and emails from people every single week asking me if I've heard from Alan and we've seen people ask the same question across a few forums.

Even if he's older and not in the best health, the business problems he has can easily be remedied, but apparently he's just choosing not to do anything about it. I've personally sent 50+ people over to him for Mk13 builds, I had the trust and confidence in him to take care of my friends and customers. I also waited 2 years for my rifles be built and I got sick of the runaround, so I asked for my parts back a few months ago. I can't in good conscience recommend him for builds.

I hope you guys find this information useful and I hope Alan is able to turn his shop around. Do not wait 2+ years for a build with this type of work!

Someone on ARFCOM just posted pics of the Mod 5 he got back from Alan Brown. This barrel is absolute trash and nowhere near spec. Another example of 2.5 years and a ton of money down the drain.

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Someone on ARFCOM just posted pics of the Mod 5 he got back from Alan Brown. This barrel is absolute trash and nowhere near spec. Another example of 2.5 years and a ton of money down the drain.

edit: unless the owner requested this weird contour perhaps because there are no plans to run the can and didn’t want the aardvark dick profile...

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That is fucking horrible. Don’t even see the indexing pin that’s supposed to be there at 6 o’clock just rearward of the notches...Brown has lost his mind.

For the owner, looks like it’s time for a new Lilja Mod 5 blank and another long wait to get it right.
 
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