SgtDog0311

JT, you know my experience level here. As in none. Got differing input so thought I’d go with the most flexible. Hope the rifle length gas system makes the difference then! heminut, thanks. Sure that burnt bronze.

Parts delivered thru this weekend. Still got a flubbed-up order to straighten out with Primary Arms in the morning, a barrel to wait on from Criterion and a KAC front sight to receive, otherwise I guess the next step is to park myself in front of some videos. Sent an AERO bolt I got on sale to Criterion but bought go/no-gauges anyway, since I have more than one .308. There are a lot of images of rifles straight from AERO that would represent my end-state but I've added the following: Superlative Adjustable Gas block. VG6 Muzzle Break 18” ‘Criterion’ Hybrid Contour barrel Rifle length gas system Two Stage LarRue Trigger (desert tan pistol grip) Ambidextrous Raptor Charging handle FTE cerakote 15" Hand guard Knights KAC sights I'm no connoisseur, ascetically, so I hope the FTE or Desert Tan hand guard, stock and pistol grip will look good with the black receiver.

Well, I found a KAC. Wasn’t $40 but closer to $40 than $160. Now just hoping it doesn’t turn out to be a Chinese knock-off! I’ll get some pictures when it comes in.

Hey there COBrien, Googling lead me to a couple sites, albeit 2013 posts, that they are all stolen and KAC is supporting the claims. But dang, I moved from Platoon Sgt over to Supply when I approached my discharge and 45 years later I know DRMO some too. Not sure how KAC could have been certain even in 2013. My supply time would have leaned me toward theft but dealing with DRMO I'da backed off that. And like I said those were all 6 yr old posts. Regardless, the guy I bought mine off of is openly on both ebay and Gunbroker. Evidently ain't hiding. Anyway, my experience was almost spot on with yours. $2 difference was all and in sealed package. I think JT caught your meaning but I didn't. So thanks. And anyway, unless a used front turns up at a bargain it will be Magpul now. My real question was appropriate height. If most folding BUIS are standard I should be ok. But I'll put calipers to the rear before I shop locally. Like I said I liked the spikes but that gradual spire up to a point concerns me. The Blitz point is way more obtuse and I could likely deal with that.

Interesting unforgiven! Also looked at a Spikes folding front last night. Reasonably priced and a good looking design but have to confess, as necessary and helpful as my #1 magnifier bifocals are I think the Spikes post is actually too fine. I can lose a post altogether if it gets too fine due to the Glaucoma so nice option or not I think I'm still leaning toward the magpul. The magpul looks wider than I'd like but at least I'll be able to find it and I'd have the Blitz option available too. I shoot about 16 matches a year and it is amazing how fine the line is between what works for me and what does not. I won't be shooting any matches with this rifle but until I add a scope to it a good combination between front & rear will be necessary to find out how it actually shoots.

Well fellas what I went and did was fall in love with that old school look on this KAC so I already pulled that trigger. Functionality feels good in-hand, looks great on the upper too. Of course hadn’t had it to the range either. https://www.knightarmco.com/1960/shop/sighting/micro-rear-flip-sight-2 So, getting a decent price on ebay and liking what arrived I started looking for this. Ouch on the $$. https://www.knightarmco.com/12657/shop/optic-mount-buis/micro-flip-up-front-sight Now I'm thinking this is what COBrien is talking about and another ouch but not as bad and some seen used. http://armsmounts.com/shop/iron-sights/new-a-r-m-s-40l-f-rail-mounted-folding-front-sight/ Also looked at the Troy which were also on ebay though the concern about both is Chinese knock-offs. Took that risk with the KAC and it paid off. https://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/sights/front-sights/ar-15-flip-up-front-sight-prod101069.aspx I think the most cost effective - and still getting good quality - is 98’s Magpul solution, but for the front sight only. Handled some when I went to get a feel for stocks so now I have them all stacked up here this will probably be my choice unless a KAC micro shows up 'used' somewhere before this is put together. Like I said, I was johnny come lately on a listing for one at $40. DANG! Thanks ALL for the input. These kind of threads do help clarify a guys thinking.

Hope he recovers a-ok. Hard to see our little buddies suffering. As we get older and get into the ibuprofen more it's a good caution to chase down everyone dropped one dropped on the floor because those will KO a dog. My niece's elderly step-dad dropped one and their little dog got it. Bad news!

Thanks fellas. COBrien, the ARMS was one I was considering so thanks for the "F" info.

Anybody here using these? I see some rear KAC rear sights for a reasonable price on ebay. Now in fishing around I see a matching front sight is not gonna be so easy to find. Missed a $40 dollar listing on another sight but not sure if that's a common thing or if I ought to just look for a different brand for a front post. I like the KAC rear adjustment options but have no idea if other brands would pose issues in matching heights. Troy looks reasonable. I like the thin post on the proprietary KAC but unless I get lucky with a used price that's looking unlikely. Any ideas?

JT, you've probably solved your problem by now but I was fishing around for some iron sight options/discussion when I happened on this. For the last three years I've shot BPCR & BPTR with Montana Vintage Arms peeps and struggled with advanced glaucoma as well as plain old aging eyes. You have to adjust windage and sometimes elevation between each shot so having a 2.5 magnification is necessary for me to even see my setting as I make adjustments. Yet my glaucoma has got progressively worse and my front sight progressively less sharp, especially this year. I finally got a #1 magnifier at the top edge of my shooting eye lens to achieve the sight-picture 98 describes, and a 2.5 bifocal on the bottom left lens of my shooting glasses in order to read calibration on my staff for between-shot windage & elevation adjustments. Not sure how that would work if you are already wearing corrective lenses but so far its working for me.

Thanks for the education fellas!

Hey there JT, I'm just curious since I don't know any more (maybe less) than Scrubbs... will that mean he'll likely want to tune the gas system with a rifle length buffer and mid-length gas system? I ordered the Armalite 6 position but will be running a rifle length gas system. I did order a Superlative adjustable so I'd be at least able to tune, but I've never been will clear on the likely necessity or not.

The May Tornado here in 99 killed 41 people I think. They clocked 318 mph winds with that one. I'd lived in Oklahoma more than 20 years and never seen more than circulation overhead. That one was on the ground for 40 miles or more. Picked up cars and a horse and put them on the roof at the High School my son and daughter went to. I saw cars no bigger than a frig and you couldn't see what color they'd been. Took out the north end of our neighborhood and the next year one got the south end of our neighborhood. Started to feel like it was getting a vector check on me. I live in a house now that was taken down to the bottom plates in that 99 tornado. Rebuilt in 2000. In 2013 I watched from the Storm Cellar steps as another come boiling down on us for what looked to be a direct hit. I climbed down in the storm cellar and when we came up it had veered north about a 1/4 mile and another mile East of us killed seven grade school kids at Plaza Towers where my kids had gone to school. 20 years without seeing one and then a raft of em that came way too close.

Thanks JT, I ordered one of their sets a couple hours ago. Its all new to me but coming together the more reading I do. Appreciate the input.

Welcome Oklahoma/Northern Idaho. And Semper Fi! Grew up there, first 6 years in LA, then Northeast of Bakersfield till Jr High, then back to LA before the Marine Corps (72-76). Never went back but for short visits. Few years ago I was there and on the freeways where I learned to drive and where I hitchhiked all over the southern part of the state. Man, I wouldn't go back again. Those freeways were from hell for an old man.

Thanks RedRiverII. Didn't know if people thought that ran a risk of marring the barrel extension or not. Looks like a good way to isolate the torque utilizing the vise for another set of hands. I'm sure there are a few ways to get the job done. Of the two methods of holding the receiver in a vice was especially curious about the PlastiX vs the Receiver block insofar as ease of work went and protecting the receiver from torque. Think I'll go with the PlastiX and learn for myself. btw... 37.99 it was!

Two regarding clamps for builds or barrel installations. 1. Are there strong preferences here on which is best for securing the receiver? I see a pretty good variety of options. https://secure.arnzenarms.com/product/wheeler-engineering/ar-15/ar-15-upper-vise-block-clamp https://www.plastixrevolution.net/collections/ar10-upper-receiver-vise-blocks/products/308-upper-receiver-vise-block-ar10-sr25-lr308 or even the reaction lug type with vice slats, though this is not gonna hold a receiver steady for lapping purposes. https://www.ebay.com/p/10025582091?_trkparms=aid%3D666006%26algo%3DPRP.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D40719%26meid%3D970e8b351a3f40e8943c635e106ee014%26pid%3D100697%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D4%26pg%3D2322090&_trksid=p2322090.c100697.m4697 2. Also, do you guys go to the trouble of bedding along with lapping?

Mill property sounds promising. I've hunted some up in Boundary County (last County North in the Idaho Panhandle). Some of that selective logging leaves room for some longer shots. The rest of the county is heavily wooded and can be hard to get close enough with the wolves having them stirred up the way they are further north. They are playing havoc on the calves for both Moose and Elk. Changing their patterns considerably too. I live in a cabin in Boundary County out in the woods for about five months of the year. Three years ago I'd see a moose about twice a month from the cabin. In the last two years I've seen one. This year I was on trails the wolf tracks were so heavy it looked like dog sleds had been through there.

That's what I understood and being my first rodeo putting one together I've been glued to this screen long enough to overdose but I'm done now but for a front sight (optics and a bipod will have to come when I have $$). I'm waiting on an ebay delivery of a Knight's KAC rear sight to be sure that's gonna be what I want and the front is way to high to think I'm going there for the front sight. Nearly everything I got was on sale but being crammed into this last week they were not all at your price points. Still, wanted to get it done and inbound. Got just enough set aside for a few tools I won't have being from another shooting discipline.

RedRiverII, Thanks for the reminder. Hadn't checked individual prices yet. Just saw the set price so far.

Looks like you did well on prices! Good on you! From someone who has been shopping for two weeks.

Well AERO don't exactly have a blow-out on Black Friday do they. Fortunately some others do. Ravenworks, thanks for the heads-up on Primary Arms. Found some much needed movement on prices there. Everything but tools are ordered (and I think I got a handle on what all I don't have) so I can set this aside and get to work on a Peterson Ballard that's in desperate need of attention. Appreciate the pointers from everybody!

Thank You Ravenworks. I just might take you up on the offer. I'll watch some more YouTube 'build' videos and then pm you. I did watch a couple YouTube videos already and I see a barrel nut wrench (no name given) and some kind of big black block for holding the receiver that goes in a vice - then there was tool with a rod to line up the gas tube. I was hoping to find a thread that put a name to those tools. Maybe some are not necessary but I guess I better go watch some more videos. Right now I don't even know what to call tools to do good searches with. Regarding the lapping tools, there is a post about 12 up from here, time Posted Sunday at 01:42 PM, that lead me to believe the M5E1 and M5 were different in that the M5 allowed/required lapping but the M5E1 did not. In fact the AERO chat support told me that if I lapped my M5E1 that I'd void any warranty. I'll poke around and get back with you. Thanks for the generous offer.

Just two here helimut, son and grandson. But grandson is still young. Slow with puberty and you can see the difference when they walk out on the mat. He’s hanging tough so far but the whole family are slow bloomers. We’re early in the season yet. My younger son (now 38) was a 2x All American at Fargo, 192lb back then. It’s a way of life for sure.

Well this thread woke right up. In the mean while I did buy a few things. Not too sure if I did real well on prices since Black Friday may prove me premature. But I'm up to 9.5lbs so I'm punching in the middle weight division best I can tell. Tools will be next. Any pointers to a link that has a fairly comprehensive list here? Off to the grandson's wrestling tournament.