Knuckledragger

I’m still undecided about glass on mine, @98Z5V (and anyone else who wants to chime in). At the moment, Athlon is at the top of my list, but I’m open to about anything, I’d just rather not spend a metric a$$load on it. I’m not against used glass, either. I’d prefer a Christmas tree/grid reticle, but again, I’m open. Thoughts?

Good enough. I want that bipod out as far as I can get it.

Something I’ve been pondering... You can see in the pic of the Warcomp that when the bipod is folded up, the feet are right in line with the open sections of the flash hider tines. I currently have the bipod mounted at the forward-most MLOK slot on the HG, as it’s the best choice when the bipod is deployed. I’m thinking of moving it back one slot because I’m concerned it might screw up the feet if I fire without it deployed. What say you, oh wise and learned gurus?

I keep trying to talk Roger into making an EPC for the AR10, but he’s not having any of it so far 😢

Hello again, all. I found myself starting too many threads concerning this thing, so I figured I’d condense it all right here. Parts List: Aero M5 Stripped Lower - Aero LPK w/ Forward Controls RBF, EMR-HC AA LaRue MBT-2S Trigger Aero M5E1 Stripped Upper - Forward Controls LDFA AA, V Seven Port Door (Attempted... more on that later) Aero M5 Enhanced Gen 2 Handguard Ballistics Advantage 20” Heavy Modern Profile Barrel .308 1:10 4150 CrMoV, gas port unknown yet. Toolcraft BCG Nitride - pin measures .0755”, hole is proper fit Spike’s Rifle length melonite gas tube Luth AR Rifle Receiver Extension David Tubb Flatwire Buffer Spring Rifle Buffer - 5.38 oz. Magpul PRS Gen 3 Stock & K2+ grip Superlative Arms .750” Adjustable Gas Block Surefire 7.62 Warcomp Radian Raptor LT CH Radian Talon Safety I got the lower together without issue. Loving the trigger. Might swap out the Radian Talon for one of Roger’s Quacks when he gets them back in stock. Upper is another story. It’s been one headache after another. FedEx lost barrel in transit and build put in hold while warehouse made a claim and all the Covid drama kept everything at a snail’s pace? Check Barrel install put on hold because the reaction rod took a 💩? Check Attempted to install a V Seven Port Door and found out it smacks and rubs the lower receiver, and the detent won’t engage in the upper? Check and double check Got annoyed with the gap I was getting between the handguard and M5 receiver, so I impulse bought a blem M5E1? Yup, big check Not satisfied with the fit of the spacer and shims on the Warcomp? Again, check New tools arriving soon, and I’ll update as things progress and I make yet more fü¢kups. Any comments, advice, observations or just pointing and laughing at me is encouraged and appreciated. Cheers

#16 is incorrect. It’s called getting old.

It’s a 20” Ballistics Advantage Heavy Profile. The Warcomp threads and fits great. Wonder if this is some kind of weird relief cut.

I’m currently mocking up my M5 (now M5E1) build, and while dummying up the muzzle device for correct clocking, I realized the spacer and shims are about .060” oversized. Instructions with the Warcomp show using internal shims instead of the supplied external+spacer. Anyone else come across this, and does anyone know the correct shims to use internally? Attaching pics to show how the spacer fits about as well as a hula hoop on a drinking straw.

Whole assembly is aluminum. Supposedly 7075 for the tip and 6061for the body. No info on heat treating.

Agreed @98Z5V. This was definitely not the best investment I’ve made in tools. Honestly, had it been made in one piece, it’d probably work just fine. Just another learning experience. Thankfully not an expensive lesson. If I find someone who’s decent at TIGing aluminum, I might have them weld it up and then turn it on a lathe. Not high on the priority list, though.

https://ar15discounts.com/products/presma-ar-10-barrel-vise-block-rod-black/ I’ll get out to the shop and take some pics where I had to beat the thing to get my upper off it.

In theory, maybe. The pin is deforming and pushing out, and at torque levels well below max for a barrel nut. I got lucky in that it pushed out the ejection port side rather than inboard, so I could pound it back in to get the receiver off the tool and the pin didn’t gouge the interior. The theory makes sense, but in this case the body of the tool is extremely soft and the pin they chose to use is a coiled spring pin that is one hard mf’er. The splines themselves look fine and not deformed at all. I think it’s a combination of questionable design, inferior material and/or heat treating on the tool body and a poor choice in the coiled spring pin.

@Anderson3754 that is much appreciated, and I’ll take you up on it. The rod is not a solid piece but, for some ungodly reason, has the splined end attached to the body of the rod via a coiled pin. 😒 Not the most intelligent design I’ve run across. Had I known that from the outset, I wouldn’t have bothered purchasing it. A solid aluminum rod would have been just fine, like you said, but this thing is deflecting a good 15°+, and staying there. The pin deformed and pushed out to where I had to get one of my largest pin punches and beat it flat enough to slide the receiver off. Normally with tools I’m a “buy once, cry once” kind of guy. I was more interested in the non-marring claim of the tool than the (admittedly very low) price. Lesson learned. 🤷‍♂️

@Anderson3754 thanks for the info. Yes, I have a reaction bar, but I made the wrong choice and got an aluminum one because “Aluminum won’t mar your upper receiver like steel will”. It’ll also twist like wet spaghetti, apparently. I took a deep breath and walked away from the bench last night and promptly ordered a proper steel reaction rod. I also stumbled across Aero having M5E1 blem uppers on sale & ordered one of those, as well. In a short time, I’ll have the correct tool for the job, a better upper and more forgiving barrel nut to work with, no more damn gap between the handguard & receiver, and oh-gee-darn... a spare upper receiver that’ll undoubtedly morph into a 6.5 CM setup and eventually another complete rifle. Funny how that keeps happening, ain’t it? When I do start on that upper again, I’ll not be using that handguard/barrel nut combo, but I’ll definitely be using the technique you layed out. I agree with you on the fixture vs. reaction rod thing. I’m not comfortable torquing on an upper just supported by the pins. I’m probably overly cautious, but I break less poop that way.

I’ll have to measure mine tomorrow, now. I picked up a Toolcraft BCG for mine, but not sure if it’s big or small. I thought the small hole bolts were for 6.5 CM.

Once fired brass, or multiple trips down the road and back?

Ok. I’ll go back to the bunker and work with those numbers. Thanks @jtallen83

Like to know what ammo blew up in this.

I guess that’s where I’m at then. You don’t think 35-ish is too little for a .308?

65 ft lbs, per Aero

Negative. It has four. One every 90°

Howdy again, all. So. My barrel finally came in today. Barely. Had a hole in the side of the box big enough for it to slide out, but it was in there alright. But that’s another story. I'm trying to install my barrel and for the life of me, I can’t get the nut to line up at torque. Closest I get is what you see in the pic. I’ve tried using the whole shim pack, none of them, and everything in between. I don’t particularly want to keep pushing the barrel nut out further, as I’m already going to hate the gap between the handguard and the upper receiver. Aside from getting additional shims, do I have any options here? Parts being used: Ballistics Advantage 20” Heavy Barrel Aero M5 upper (Not M5E1) Aero M5 Enhanced M-LOK Gen 2 Handguard and barrel nut

I’ve spoken with him a few times now. Great guy. It’s an easy choice to support an American small business that supplies outstanding products, has over the top customer service and is owned by a guy I’d be happy to have a couple beers with on downtime.

Update: More .50 cal ammo cans on the way (couldn’t pass them up for <$10), more reference books, more reloading supplies, and more Forward Controls stuff (I swear it’s a borderline addiction). To be continued....

Everything. I have everything on order and in the mail, it seems. I have the Arrive app on my phone, and it seems I have updates and deliveries daily. If my wife wasn’t so supportive, she’d probably kill me.