98Z5V

Updated my original review of this little beauty. <thumbsup> http://308ar.com/forum/index.php/topic,391.0.html

Update: Having shot this, I'm impressed. The quality of the parts, the machining, the fitment and finish - all first class. Battle Arms Development has been shipping these for awhile now, and they've got more lever options made now, with even more in the works. Some vendors will even sell the package a little cheaper, considering that you only get two levers in that package (you still get to pick which two). As far as operation, the center section is very nicely machined. Recently (after I got mine) Battle Arms started including a precision-ground KNS stainless steel safety detent in the deal. As it is already for the older version, it is incredibly smooth in operation. It's gotta be even better now with the KNS safety detent. The way the center section is made gives the levers a little bit of "standoff" from the receiver surface, which will definitely eliminate any possibilities of the lever dragging against the receiver at all - I've seen this happen on some of my builds, with cheap, run-of-the-mill selectors. Mild clearancing always helps, if it's a problem. Not gonna happen with the BAD-ASS setup. This is just a really, really well made piece of hardware - not something you'd usually put much thought into, until you try one of these beauties. Buy with confidence. <thumbsup>

Here it is, ss: <thumbsup> http://308ar.com/forum/index.php/topic,709.0.html

Genuine Armalite AR-10 charging handle and the identical-length BCM .308 Gunfighter both measured out at exactly 8". The 5.56 Gunfighter measured out at 6 13/16" long. Those measurements are tip-to-tip. <thumbsup> (posted this in the other thead, too)

Genuine Armalite AR-10 charging handle and the identical-length BCM .308 Gunfighter both measured out at exactly 8". The 5.56 Gunfighter measured out at 6 13/16" long. Those measurements are tip-to-tip. <thumbsup>

Welcome aboard, VC!!! <thumbsup>

THAT is funny!!! <laughs> <thumbsup>

Drew, here's a YHM .936 lo-pro gas block, some kind of DPMS lo-pro .936 block, and a PRI .936 lo-pro block - I used the PRI on my .308 build, onto the Fulton SS barrel. Just from pics, I'd say focus on gas tube centerline over barrel centerline, just for the comparison. Best I can do from pics, brother... ;D

Is that because of the mounting height of the gas tube, at the gas block? Wall thickness of that DPMS SASS block, height-over-bore of the gas tube hole, which is higher than anything else with a .936 block... Which will also mean you need the DPMS SASS-specific gas tube with a different bend in it... <dontknow> I'm wondering if you can trench that barrel towards the shoulder, to accomodate a "standard" gas tube bend and "standard" .936 gas block? The gas tube would actually go down into the trenching, and right into the regular .936 gas block hole. All the crazy stuff I've seen on the 'net is about a "tapered" gas block - which would be a huge problem if you planned on fitting a "standard" .936 block. If it's just offset due to DPMS' idiotic proprietary thinking and movement, then that can be overcome with machining tools... ;D

The SBR is chugging along, slowly, but it's gaining some ground. Parts on it: Aero Precision stripped upper and lower (love that stuff), DPMS standard lower parts kit, Midwest Industries T-10 rail. Mil-spec buffer tube, ST-T2 buffer, carbine spring. Magpul MOE grip and MOE stock, MOE trigger guard, ASAP, BAD lever, sights, and AFG 2. Undetermined if it'll stay this way for awhile, or if I go into the pistol route, whilst waiting for the paperwork. Nothing has been sent in yet, due to moving back to Arizona. Once that's done, the paperwork goes in. Big delay on my part due to that, but once the move is made and residence established, the Form 1 goes in and I start tracking it all. Ultimately, it'll have a BCM Standard 11.5" carbine barrel, run a carbine gas system, have an A2 flash suppressor initially (and switch that out for a YHM QA Phantom for the YHM SS Suppressor). The YHM lo-pro gas block, BCM large latch Gunfighter, BCM BCG, and BCM parts for the forward assist and dust cover. Micro red dot, probably a Vortex Sparc initially, then moving to an Aimpoint T1 later. None of that stuff is on it right now - staying stripped down for the time being. The barrel will only protrude about 1.5 inches from the end of the rail, as it sits now - that's with all the mounting tolerances in play. I'm right at the ATF 26" minimum now, before barrel install. Here's how it parks in the safe:

The dust cover on the .308 is larger/longer than the 5.56 version - that needs to be a .308-specific part that you order. With that longer cover goes a longer pin/rod for the cover. The dust cover spring is the same as the 5.56. The forward assist assembly is the same as the 5.56. When I installed my forward assist on my DPMS .308 upper, I found that the hole size for the rollpin was 0.080" (80-thou). My punch sizes were 0.060" and 0.090", so neither would work properly to hold the forward assist in place, whilst I drove the pin in there (think, inserting something in there to hold the forward assist in it's position, while you tap in the rollpin). What I found that worked perfectly was a 4d nail, 1 1/4" long. It was a perfect fit into one side of the rollpin hole, held the forward assist assembly in place (under spring pressure), and I could tap the rollpin in there and capture the forward assist assembly for good. If that's confusing, I can explain it again. Hell, I think I confused myself with what I've said... :o

I am all up in there like swimwear... <lmao> I'm ready for the AR-15 trig. What pull weight can you get? If possible, I'd like to go with another 2lb trigger like I did on the .308. That thing is badass... If there are specific weights you can get that are close (provided 2 is unavailable), I'll take what's closest to 2, man. <thumbsup>

ghitch, I put the 2lb version in my .308, straight from bandit - it transformed the firing of the gun completely. You will LOVE that trigger, man. <thumbsup> There's lots of adjustments to make to set it up (3 or 4, can't recall exactly), and you need to dial it in to your gun specifically, but the printed instructions are great. Follow those steps and make the adjustments in the order they say, and you can't go wrong. What a great trigger. <thumbsup> I'm super-stoked about putting one in the 5.56 20" gun. ;D

I am QUITE good with that! ;D <thumbsup>

Getting ready to move back to Arizona - so I can slay some pigs (javelinas) and some coyotes. <thumbsup>

Right on, Jim - bolt guns rule! ;D There's only really a few internal parts on the .308 ARs that are different than the little brothers - bolts and bolt carriers, bolt catch, buffers and buffer springs, ejection port doors and pins, and takedown/pivot pins. Unless I'm forgetting anything, the other internal stuff is interchangeable. Since you're used to the bolt guns... you'll like this thing... <thumbsup>

Genuine Armalite AR-10 handle on top, BCM .308 handle in the middle (neither Armalite nor DPMS specific, just ".308"). AR-15 on the bottom. Correctomundo. <thumbsup> I didn't get length measurements today due to "Hostile Girlfriend Actions," but I will get them on Monday sometime. <dontknow>

Ar-15 forward assist is the exact part you need - twins, for the two varients. You can pick up all the parts from Brownells, Fulton Armory, or DPMS. Brownells would be the fastest for shipping, with Fulton Armory close behind (prices would make the difference to me, on where of the two to buy from), and you might get the DPMS parts fast, or slow - and you won't get shipping or tracking info from them. They're not bad, but you don't know how fast it'll be. Consider that stuff in the purchase, otherwise, they're all alright.

Post anywhere you want, man - it's all good. Welcome aboard! <thumbsup>

Sometime on Sunday afternoon, I'll grab measurements of the AR-10 charging handle and the BCM Gunfighter .308 charging handle. Hell, I think I posted pics of this previously - let me check. EDIT - Yep. Armalite AR-10 on top, BCM .308 large latch in the middle, and BCM 5.56 large latch on the bottom. I'll grab lengths on Sunday afternoon.

Cerberus.

One of the very few places you can go radically wrong in a .308 AR build is with the buffers. What's gonna happen in a .308 build when you use a buffer from an AR-15? I usually assume (wrong on many occasions) that most people building a .308 AR have built an AR-15 previously. Just the sheer size of the bolt carrier on the .308 tells you something - much bigger than the AR-15 little brother, both in diameter and length. That means something - more to some people than others, I hear. The receiver extensions (buffer tubes) used on the .308 builds are typical AR-15 stuff, either Rifle (A1 length) or Carbine. "A2" is not a receiver extension length, either, it's an A1 length extension with a spacer and longer screw, in order to fit an A2 length stock. OP, this isn't a slam on you, by any means. It's information for others - many, MANY people are getting into the .308 ARs. This is just a heads-up to them, should they read this. Disclaimer finished... .308 AR buffers are shorter than AR-15 buffers - because .308 AR bolt carriers are longer than AR-15 bolt carriers. Receiver extensions are the same length. That extra bolt carrier length has to fit in the same receiver extension when the gun is fired, so the buffers cannot be interchangeable. The problem you saw was from the use of the wrong buffer, considering the shooting platform. I'm just glad you didn't shoot it, and saw the problem beforehand. <thumbsup>

Sounds alot like the difference between a 5.56 charging handle and a .308 charging handle to me. That's about the length difference between the two flavors. I actually ran an Armalite AR-10 charging handle in my DPMS-based .308 for a few days, whilst waiting for the arrival of my BCM Gunfighter .308 large-latch handle. The factory Armalite part fit my DPMS just fine. The Armalite handle and the Gunfighter handle are the same length. I don't have a stock DPMS .308 handle to compare anything to, however.

I'm pretty sure that if you use the JP Low Mass bolt carrier, you need to use the rest of the parts that are designed as the group. The whole Low Mass Operating System, so Low Mass Buffer and buffer spring, too. Just having a light carrier would make the thing kick more, I'd think.

Hmmm... That's 0.0625". Seems small when I think of AR-15 gas port sizes, but this is a .308. survivalshop (hope you're reading this, man! ;D) - did you happen to measure your gas port hole in your 16" Fulton Krieger rifle-gas barrel? Again guys, this isn't major - it's just my curiousity. :o Nothing bad, I'm just trying to see what the different manufacturers are doing. my Fulton Krieger 18.5" barrel kicks like Van Damme, and I didn't think to measure the gas port hole before I put it all together. I do on every other build since then, though. <thumbsup>