Registered a while back, first post...

[OMCHamlin]

Howdy. It looks like I registered a year + ago, which might line up with about when I blundered into my local pawn shop and decided I "needed" an older DPMS 308 AP4 Carbine. Honestly, I thought it was good raw material to piddle with, and at around $500, I figured it was "okay". I still think so, because it's a decent shooter and responded well to the look I was trying to achieve. Heavy though. 

Here it is, though that RR rear sight might get turned into a KAC 300/600 BUIS that I have tucked away. For LPVO clearance.

Anyhow, the gun was dirty and literally loose. I found, while taking it apart, that things like the flat top gas block screws were loose, the barrel nut wasn't "in spec" tight, buffer tube, etc... Well, okay, I'm in there now, swap what I want to swap, check what I need to check and work my way back out. Even had that ugly curved DPMS M4 curved buttstock.

During the course of events, I changed out the buffer tube (receiver extension) for an older matte anodized 6 position one that, coincidentally, measured 7.75" long. I put the original DPMS spring and 2.5" stock buffer (3.8 oz, I think) and while shooting it alongside my Spanish FR8 bolt gun, I noticed the thing was kicking harder then the 308 bolt gun! It also ejected out at ~1:30-2:00, 3-4' away.

I happened to have a stash of 308 AR parts from a guy on another forum, including a Sprinco Orange (seriously looks Red to me?) spring in a tube labeled ".308 CARBINE DPMS PATTERN EXTRA POWER BUFFER SPRING", plus, I figure, now that I know I have an A5 length tube on there (7.75"), I can use a carbine H3 buffer at 3.25" long and see between the two (Sprinco and H3), if I've improved the recoil and maybe tweaked that ejection pattern some towards that beloved 3:00-4:00 pattern. 

I feel like the Sprinco and H3 were good on felt recoil and ejected okay, but when I subbed in the Sprinco and an H2 I perceived the felt recoil was still okay, but it ejected closer to ideal at about 2:30-3:00 with I had laying around to test (M80 ball & some Perfecta 308). I also have some commercial hunting stuff and some M118 LR and M852 to test. Of the ammo listed, which do you guys figure would be most likely to give cycling challenges? The gun's not fancy, but it's accurate enough, BUT, it needs to be reliable above all.

All throughout this little tuning session the bolt locked open on the last round as it should.

Should I stop, leave the Sprinco and the H2 or H3 in the gun and just go shoot it?

 

Oh, and since this is the intro section, we relocated from Virginia a few years ago to Tennessee. With VA's current political climate, I have no cause to second guess that decision, although I hope it's only temporary! I'm retired Navy, wife only did four, gave it up to marry me. Bad call on her part...

And, we have a dog.

 

 

[98Z5V]

LASSIE!!!   

Welcome aboard, man, literally.  Nice work on the gun.  Keep the Sprinco Orange, or run a Sprinco Red, and put the H3 back in it.  The Red with the H3 in the longer extension is pretty much the Armalite AR-10 carbine spec from the factory - if only you could find the Armalite EA-1095 recoil spring.  Doesn't matter, The Red is an identical performing spring.  Orange works just fine, it's just made for the shorter AR15 carbine extension and the short 2.500" buffers.  

If it's running, let it run.  I don't think any of the ammo you listed will give you any cycling issues...  

Edited Monday at 02:45 AM by 98Z5V

[shooterrex]

Welcome from Ky. Sounds like ya got it running.

[OMCHamlin]

Good morning, going to check it out today, hopefully!

[Armed Eye Doc]

Welcome from Texas. 

Give a report on how it goes.

[Rsquared]

Welcome aboard from Maryland. It's always good to hear that a rifle is running properly.

Keep it up brother. We love happy endings around here.

[Cunuckgaucho]

Welcome aboard from BC

[OMCHamlin]

8 hours ago, Rsquared said:

Welcome aboard from Maryland. It's always good to hear that a rifle is running properly.

Keep it up brother. We love happy endings around here.

Where at in Maryland? I did my childhood in between Havre De Grace and Aberdeen, dad worked at the Proving Grounds. Back when it was rural woods and farm fields, before the McMansions moved in... Before here in TN, we lived on Virginia's eastern shore, just a spit below Pocomoke and we'd go to Salisbury if we needed something in the "big city".

[Magwa]

Welcome from the Rez in Idaho I have the same Gun and it runs like a swiss watch in 308 and 6.5 CM

[Rsquared]

4 hours ago, OMCHamlin said:

Where at in Maryland? I did my childhood in between Havre De Grace and Aberdeen, dad worked at the Proving Grounds. Back when it was rural woods and farm fields, before the McMansions moved in... Before here in TN, we lived on Virginia's eastern shore, just a spit below Pocomoke and we'd go to Salisbury if we needed something in the "big city".

In the hood section of PG County. Outside of the beltway, but still considered as part of the hood. It's in an area that's in between the Redskins stadium and Fort Meade, as a point of reference.

And yes, I'm just waiting to punch out of here. It's too convenient for work purposes. That's the only reason that I keep that house these days. The old lady and I have another place over in Martinsburg WV. Much better atmosphere over there.

[OMCHamlin]

39 minutes ago, Rsquared said:

in Martinsburg WV. Much better atmosphere over there.

Indeed! Yep, live in MD as a child in the 60s and early 70s, and close to it again 2002-22, so I saw changes... + still have kin in Chesapeake City.

[OMCHamlin]

I felt like I crowded that Rock River iron a little, so I'm considering this KAC 200/600, which I have found to be good, as a BUIS, BUT, I should maybe prefer that nice solid "chopped carry handle" style. Maybe I had the stock in one notch too far. The RR is a better sight.

So, does this KAC make my flat top look too ..."big"?
I also subbed in a Velocity Triggers 4# trigger over that bad (even for a GI trigger!) one I had in it. So long as it works, we'll test further...

[OMCHamlin]

Okay, so this Velocity Triggers #4 worked nicely. The H3 buffer with the Sprinco spring still tossed empties farther forward (like 2:00) than the H2 buffer/Sprinco combo. Can anyone explain that beyond "each gun is a law unto itself"? 

 

[OMCHamlin]

And I decided to fit and zero a LPVO to the thing, and found a few I had stored, not on rifles. A Vortex Strikefire 1-6, a Bushnell Elite 3200 1-4 and a Leupold Fire Dot 1.5-4.5. I picked the Leupold because it was the lightest by a long shot. I found a LaRue QD base I had stashed from a trade and I think that’s a smart looking set up. Part of me wants that Vortex’s 6x upper magnification, but it really was heavy. Like “what was I thinking” heavy?

I was walking out the door to try this and a downpour came, so tomorrow for that. I’ll also see how well the Aimpoint mount and LaRue mount return to zero. I’m going to have to clean this thing soon. Or not…

Lousy picture, but that scope comes up nice and clear and full right there.

[Armed Eye Doc]

1 hour ago, OMCHamlin said:

I’m going to have to clean this thing soon. Or not…

I vote not since I am a cleanopphobe like @Rsquared. 

[shooterrex]

I have the same Leopold on a Grendel pistol. Great piece of glass.

[OMCHamlin]

8 hours ago, shooterrex said:

I have the same Leopold on a Grendel pistol. Great piece of glass.

It was planned to be a service rifle optic scope for across the course shooting when they began to allow optics, but I never shot a match after that. Might as well get some use out of it. That Vortex Strikefire 1-6, the reticle seems too busy, and the thing weighs a ton. Might be headed to eBay with that one. The Bushnell 3200 1-4, that's a little lighter weight, and has crisp glass and a simple German #4 reticle with an illuminated center dot. That's still a keeper. 

 

Of course, if the Collie in my first post hadn't come down sick this past weekend (isn't that ALWAYS when?!), I could have put that $$ towards a nice clean used ACOG and been done with it... Darn grass eating chocolate butt fountain of a dog! 

Edited Wednesday at 01:23 PM by OMCHamlin