COBrien

Ugh. Those pics were all in order before I finalized the edit. Whatever...

Pulled this old beast out of the safe last night (wife had me get her heirloom Mauser 98k out, was going to put it back, and decided to re-organize...bad idea). After the poor showing the CSASS made at the range, I knew there was something going on. Pulling the rifle out of the safe, I glanced down the barrel at the gas block. Not even close to centered up, so I corrected that, using the dimple on the barrel as a guide. Should help a bit. I also got curious about the buffer system, to I pulled the buffer and spring and ran tape on them. Uhh... Buffer measured 2-1/2”. Didn’t weigh it, was too shocked at the measurement. Spring measured 11-9/16”, 30 coils. Tube measured 6-15/16”. All Fulton parts, all designated by them as “FA-308” parts. WTAF is Fulton doing?? Now I know $55 of my CovidCash is going to Armalite... To be clear, I don’t expect the buffer system was the culprit of my short-stroking. If anything, it should have been bottoming out (and peening my lower in the process...), assuming no gas issues. Having said that, it seems I lucked out on that front. Otherwise I’d be pissed for a whole different reason. EDIT: Pics. Don’t give me sh!t about how I measured the buffer tube. None of my measuring tapes have a small enough end to fit inside the tube, so I used a 1/2” drive extension...😂

You obviously haven't researched hard enough...

Are you planning on running a suppressor in the future? Because that'll make up your mind for you...

So I signed up for a Stock Watch notification at Davidson's for a Tavor 7 in FDE about a month ago. Just checked my junk mail yesterday, and they sent me an e-mail on March 5 saying they had some in stock. Texted my gun pusher this afternoon to ask if he'd heard anything -- his response? "Yeah, they had a few show up at Davidson's 2 weeks ago and they were allocated in under 10 minutes. Haven't heard anything from RSR or Sports South. They're all sold out of semi-auto rifles!" Gotdam CoronaVirus...

Make no mistake -- I have not and will not shop at CTD after Newtown. Nor do I support their business decisions. But I have had friends who have justified increasing (often drastically) their prices during times of panic buying by saying they were attempting to curb the craziness. They didn't sell a single item at the ridiculous price, so I guess they accomplished their goal...

Just playing devil's advocate here for a moment... If I'm a retailer who believes people are needlessly panic buying and want to stem the tide of that panic buying, what's the easiest way for me to do that?

Let me start by saying I tend to be a cheap-ass, with expensive tastes. While the Wheeler armorer's vise is a neat product, you can accomplish the same thing with a set of vise blocks and a hold-open device: https://www.fulton-armory.com/cleaning-hold-open-device-ar-15-308-ar-j-dewey.aspx (That's a link to Fulton Armory, but it's a Dewey product -- you can find those lots of places, for less than Fulton wants for it...) As far as a torque wrench, I'll probably get lambasted here. But oh well -- it works for my builds. I use a mid-range click-type 1/2" drive torque wrench (the same one I use for automotive projects). Most recommend a beam-type, but I used what I had and I haven't had any issues yet. To be clear: I'm not recommending you use a click-type torque wrench, as that's technically incorrect. I'm just saying I've used it on 4 complete builds and at least half-a-dozen handguard and/or barrel swaps, and so far none of those rifles has been set alight by the ghost of Eugene Stoner... Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away from 308ARs (the 10/22 galaxy), I bought a pre-loved Proto 6106 torque driver on that all-too-common-yet-not-linkable-here online auction website -- with a calibration statement -- for, like, $70. Brand new, they run $275ish. I've heard mixed reviews of the Wheeler FAT Wrench. But, while Googling, I did come across this Husky 1/4" hex torque screwdriver that has some pretty good reviews: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-1-4-in-Hex-Inch-Torque-Screw-Driver-H4DTRQ/204772217

That's a good start. Inevitably, no matter how many tool recommendations you get, you'll find something you forgot (while you're in the middle of a build, and probably late on a Saturday or Sunday night...). You will need a torque wrench, BTW. And I like to have an inch-pound torque driver/wrench on hand, as well for gas block set/clamp screws, handguard hardware, sights, scope rings, etc. Having said that, and I'm trying to be careful here... Caldwell makes good "starter" tools. I'm not talking about the vise blocks and other fixtures -- those are probably good to go. Their hand tools, though... Eh. IME, the Caldwell roll pin punches are prone to bending, and the paint (yes, paint...) won't last through the first build. After bending or mushrooming a couple of punches from my Caldwell set, I picked up a good set of punches from Grace USA: https://www.opticsplanet.com/grace-usa-16-piece-ar-15-punch-hammer-set-w-bench-block.html They're not cheap, but they're damn fine tools. And they come with a bench block and a quality hammer. Buy yourself a good magnetic bench block, as well. I have a few, but find myself reaching for this one 90% of the time: https://www.opticsplanet.com/real-avid-smart-bench-block.html For vise blocks, I use a set from No-MAR: https://www.plastixrevolution.net/collections/ar10-upper-receiver-vise-blocks/products/223-ar-15-308-ar-10-upper-receiver-vise-block I also have a No-MAR lower vise block: https://www.plastixrevolution.net/collections/ar15-ar10-lower-receiver-vise-blocks/products/ar10-sr25-lower-receiver-vise-block All used in a 4" bench vise, bolted to my workbench. With magnetic vise jaws: https://www.amazon.com/Vise-Jaws-Multipurpose-Reversible-Available/dp/B018QNM7V2/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/139-3663406-1318522?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B018QNM7V2&pd_rd_r=2524bca2-6a82-48a1-9313-f2e33cdfa375&pd_rd_w=0lSYy&pd_rd_wg=KJLG5&pf_rd_p=fd08095f-55ff-4a15-9b49-4a1a719225a9&pf_rd_r=5DA9FV1WES5ZG25ZHMPA&psc=1&refRID=5DA9FV1WES5ZG25ZHMPA The Gas Block Genie is a great tool. I'm still waiting for them to release their 0.625" and 0.875" versions... Also, if your barrel nut requires aligning a relief or hole for the gas tube, this tool from Squirrel Daddy is amazing: https://www.squirreldaddy.com/Gas-Tube-Alignment-Gage-Pin-p/sd20-196.htm Finally, a good pivot pin detent tool will save you a ton of heartache... https://www.squirreldaddy.com/308-Detent-pin-and-spring-installation-tool-p/sd20-181.htm I am an admitted "tool queer," so I could go on. And on. And on. But between what you've posted and what I've shared above, you should be able to get your build rolling with the bare minimum of yelling, cussing, and throwing shite.

Do you travel with money for medical bills? Because Momma may shoot my sorry ass when she discovers a Hebrew Sledgehammer in the gun safe!

🤣🤣🤣 Sure, "safety."

I can always count on these guys when I need a helping hand!

I did ask my dealer about pricing. Looks like I'm gonna be in the $1,800 range. "Frequent flyer," "We grew up together," and "Mutual back-scratching" discounts applied, of course... I'm willing to wait for a $300-400 difference in price. 😉

Alright, so... Local pusher says Tavor 7s are allocated through all his distributors. All are awaiting a new shipment, apparently. He's gotten himself on the list at all the distributors -- first one that shows up will have my name on it. I should probably talk to SWMBO about this. Right?

@blue109, it sounds like the radius from the barrel to the gas tube hole in the barrel nut is off. He's saying at 12 o'clock, inside the gas tube hole in the barrel nut, the top of the X or cloverleaf in the upper receiver is blocking the tube from being inserted. @hondo, am I reading you correctly?

Right? I found one on GunBroker. One. It was listed above MSRP...😳 I’ve been waiting to see if accuracy reports improve. Not that I’m thumbing my nose at a 2 MOA bullpup, but...

I did just say "I'm gonna see..." 😂 From what I can tell, they appear to be out-of-stock everywhere. So it'll be awhile before I can get my hands on one -- there's still time to talk me out of it!

https://gunstuff.tv/product/iwi-us-tavor-7-308-win7-62-nato-16-50-201-flat-dark-earth-fixed-bullpup-stock/ Out of stock, but I'd gladly pay that price for it. I'm gonna see if my local pusher can get me one -- in FDE -- and put it on layaway with him. It'll rest in his safe, right next to my 30SD... 😑

I know this isn't the place to ask guys to talk me out of spending money, but... I've been enamored with the Tavor since it made it stateside in 2013. I have a couple of buddies who jumped on the SAR early on. One loves his so much he promptly purchased a 9mm version as soon as it was available. At the same time (and unbeknownst to each other...), his wife purchased a 9mm conversion kit for his 5.56 SAR. So he's got every iteration of the SAR covered. My other buddy had "lots of reliability problems" with his SAR, though he never would be specific. And he's now sold that rifle and dove head-first into PRS and precision bolt guns. His opinion of all "gas guns" is negative -- he turned his nose up at a LaRue that came through his store. So he's no help -- he hates any autoloader... I've been kicking around the idea of picking up a Tavor 7, and I can't seem to shake it. I know it's "Mini-14" accurate. It'll never be a precision rifle. But I think it'd still be a hell of a lot of fun, especially with a can on. Anybody wanna talk me out of this?

I shot a buddy's PRS rifle chambered in 6 Creedmoor the weekend before New Years. What a cartridge! Something like 8 mils of drop at 1,000 yards, IIRC. 6.5 CM is almost 10 mils, .308 Win is almost 11 mils. Never in all my shooting have I fired at a target further than 250(ish) yards away with any confidence of hitting my target. With that rifle, I was reliably and repeatably making hits on steel out to 1,200 yards. My next large-frame build will be chambered in 6mm Creedmoor. If I can convince the wife, I'll probably end up with a bolt gun in 6mm Creedmoor, too...

It's been my experience that if you need to use the forward assist, that will be the last time you use the forward assist -- or the rifle -- until you forcibly extract that case from the chamber. Personally, I'd just as soon run a slickside upper, but the 2 uppers I have that aren't slickside have SSS gas vents installed instead of a FA.

I bought my wife an XD-S 3.3" in .45 ACP 2-3 years ago. She loves it, but generally carries her duty weapon (G19) concealed due to familiarity. My father-in-law, after shooting the wife's XD-S, bought himself an XD-S in 9mm. My mother-in-law now carries it and likes it. Personally, I carry an XD Mod.2 3.3" in .45 ACP daily, and couldn't imagine carrying a single-stack. But everyone I know loves their XD-S.

The problem I had was headspacing. The bolt -- naked -- would headspace just fine on my Criterion barrel. But put that bolt in a carrier, and the assembly would not close on any headspace gauge or a live round. Sent the upper off to Criterion, and they said the headspace was in-spec, and actually a bit looser than they prefer for precision builds. They narrowed it down to the upper receiver (because, after all, there are only so many things that can cause a headspace problem...). I called Gibbz Arms and they offered to look it over. For a price. No thanks. So now the upper is just sitting, stripped, in a drawer in my workbench, waiting for me to get the time, energy, and want-to to un-fvck it.

I don't have anything to add to help your situation, but I am curious to see how those Gibbz receivers work out for you. I had a bad experience with a Gibbz upper (wouldn't allow carrier to close on a live round or headspace gauges -- bolt alone would headspace just fine), and Gibbz wouldn't admit it could be their design. "Has to be a bad chamber," they said. Criterion found otherwise...

Well, we didn't get to hit the range with the can. My gun pusher's shop isn't just for guns and Title II toys -- it's also a jewelry store. So the week of Christmas (before and after the 25th), he's slammed. But he and I did meet up on Sunday, the 29th, at our local 1800-yard range. Started breaking the CSASS in, and couldn't quite get her to cycle. Nonetheless, zeroed the Bushnell Nitro 2.5-10x44 FFP MIL/MIL scope at 100 yards, then shot at 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600, scoring repeatable hits on steel with a good wind call. It all broke down at 800 yards, though. Mostly due to the wind being finicky, partly due to the cold, partly due to fatigue (straight-pull bolt-action mode...). All in all, I like this "little" rifle. Just gotta figure out my short-stroke issue and get 'er broke in. As an aside, I shot my gun pusher's PRS match rifle -- chambered in, uh, 6 GT? Repeatable hits at 1,200 yards for a guy who's never shot PRS or, until then, shot past 300 yards with any seriousness or belief that I'd hit my target. That sh¡t was fun! Now he's trying to convince me to "get my feet wet" and pick up a Bergara + Vortex combo (in 6 Creedmoor) he's got on the shelf, at an entry-level price of $2,500ish...