vtecpaoche

The 13.8 just covers the gas block. I like it although the openings in the handguards are a bit sharp. I put the squid grips on mine to provide some extra grip and cover the sharp openings where my hand would be. To be honest, this thing is heavy. I doubt I would be running and gunning with this. Keeping the weight down is ideal. Now I know what to look forward to. I started over a year ago. I've been acquiring something new every so often. Wife is angry with me for spending all the time working on them. Good thing she does not know how much I'm spending.

I have the 13.8" version of the TRX and it definitely covers the gas block. I have a 20" barrel with the rifle length gas system.

If you are going with JP, another option for springs/buffer would be the JP Silent Captured Spring (JPSCS-10). I have that one on my build. I also have the JP adjustable gas block. It functioned well once I adjusted the right amount of gas. This only takes a few shots. The only knock is that the adjustment was on the side which was covered by my Troy handguards. Not that big of a deal as I just drilled a hole in the handguard to allow the allen key to adjust the block. I'm not sure if the MKM set would have that issue. I've seen people recommend Syrac which is adjustable from the front. I couldn't wait for JP to provide me with a bolt carrier. I had one on order since January and finally decided to cancel it. It was available on Brownells recently though but I already picked up one from GB. If you like the concept of a BAD lever, the Magpul one will not fit. I opted for the Phase 5 Tactical one. I'm a big fan of the Geissele triggers. I have the SSA-E one on my Maten. This is a 2 stage trigger vs the JP which is a single stage trigger.

Pin them to 10 rounders. Mag Block sells the blocks to limit the magazine to 10 rounds. I'm not sure what the policy is in MA. NJ does not allow the mags to be shipped but certain states allow you to receive mags if they were disassembled. http://www.magazineblocks.com/magento/products/magblock-kits/ar10/pmag-lr-20-magblock-10-20-308.html Another option is to ship it to a place that pins the mags. MidwestPX offers this service.

I'm using a standard DPMS style BCG. My Maten upper does not have a forward assist. The 308 BCG usually is heavy to push the round in without the need of a FA. I did have some issues where I ride the charging handle in. If you just let it go, the bolt will most certainly chamber the round. You usually pull the BCG by the charging handle. A BCG with the side serrations for the FA to catch onto should work on an upper without the FA. A lightened BCG like the JP one that does not have the side serrations would still work on an upper with a FA but the FA will not work. The only one I know is different are the side chargers.

Nice, I fired my Maten build a few weeks back for the first time with the same BCG. I have an adjustable gas block on the build. I dialed the gas way down for the first shot. After firing the round, the BCG was pretty much lodged. I tugged at the charging handle and no luck. My brother in law had to use a piece of wood and hammer to tap the BCG out. This happened a few times until I dialed the gas to lock the bolt back. I was able to chamber the 7.62 round in but did not fire it. I'm pretty sure it would not have been an issue. Like mentioned above, I plan on getting my money's worth on this one.

Seems to be normal when you get an upper at PSA and BCM. The good thing is they have bolt carriers available at $189.99 each. No charging handles though. http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/featured/m16-bolt-carrier-group-13009.html

I'm not sure where to post this so I figure I'd put it here. Palmetto State Armory has American Eagle .308 Win 150gr FMJ-BT 20 rd box (AE308D) in stock. It's $17.99 for a box. http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/federal-308-win-150gr-fmj-bt-20rd-box.html They also have Federal Gold Medal Match .308 175gr Sierra MatchKing BTHP 20 rd box (GM308M2). It's $29.99 for a box. I'm not sure if this is a good deal though so perhaps others can chime in. Seems like it was about a $24.99/box according to what I read in another thread here in November last year. http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ammunition/rifle-ammunition/308-7-62/federal-gold-medal-match-308-175gr-sierra-matchking-bthp-20rds.html Some people may have had negative experiences with PSA and their delayed shipping. I think they have improved recently as my buddy ordered some stuff from them recently and got it in a few days.

Did you remove the extractor and the ejector before testing? That's concerning that it does not close on the go gauge. As for tightness, my barrel is very tight. I have a hard time extracting the snap caps.

Glad to hear that it ran well with the bolt carrier group. I recall reading on the Harris Tactical site that because it is Nickel Boron, you should use something like FireClean on it. I purchased a bottle out of curiosity in the past and just put a few drops on the BCG. I've yet to shoot my build yet but it still looks wet after sitting in the safe for a few weeks.

Very nicely done. Look forward to the range report.

I run the Ergo Tactical Deluxe grip on mine. I've got big paws and like that the Deluxe grip is wider than any of the other grips I've tried. The MIAD for me is comfortable also but it just seems a bit skinny for my mits.

Strange, if a modern 308 barrel is meant to accept 7.62x51, wouldn't the 308 barrels all fail the 308 no go gauge test? My guess is that the no go would be at least 1.6355 (go gauge for 7.62x51). Since, I could not turn the bolt with the 308 no go gauge, I guess my barrel/bolt combo does not meet the go gauge for 7.62x51.

Just got it today. No markings on mine either. It does pass the go/no go 308 gauge test on my barrel so I'm pretty happy.

I have the 20" stainless steel Rainier Arms Selec .308 Barrel. The link to the barrel specs are below. It's listed as 308 but the testing by LoneWolfUSMC showed that his barrel was able to accept 7.62x51. I guess not all the barrels/BCG combination would allow 7.62x51. http://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/detail&product_id=2691 I just want to know if I can use 7.62x51 as I purchased 500 rounds of it.