Category: Guns

Smith and Wesson released its quarterly statement today.

Rare Breed Triggers is suing the ATF over a cease and desist order. The company claims that their forced reset trigger is not legally a machine gun. The owner of the company says “It’s not how fast the gun shoots, it’s how the gun shoots fast.” Judge for yourself:

I am looking for a Primary Arms scope, because I like the illuminated ACSS reticle calibrated for 308. I want a variable optic with a max near 14x or 18x. Everywhere that normally stocks it is sold out. Anyone know where I can find one?

It looks like the press is about to begin beating the “easily converted” drum to have semi autos declared to be NFA. What do you think, do these look like DIAS for ARs?

Looking for information. I just ordered the parts to complete a DPMS pattern AR308. This is actually the second stage of completing my skirmish rifle project from last year. If you don’t need to read the entire thing, scroll down to the last paragraph for my question. If you are a gun nerd who likes to tinker, read on:

For those who aren’t familiar with the build, I did the upper last year. I took a DPMS Oracle and reworked the upper. I put a new barrel, BCG, and forend on the rifle. I did this because parts were hard to come by at the time, and I did what I could with the parts that I could find.

I reworked it by replacing the 16 inch heavy barrel that came with the rifle with an 18 inch Faxon pencil barrel. Then I added an EDGE 15 inch Carbon Fiber handguard from Brigand Arms, an adjustable gas block, a Nitromet gas tube, and a Gemtech compensator. I also replaced the bolt carrier with a low mass bolt carrier from JP rifles. At the time, JP didn’t have any bolts. They do now, so we will go ahead with that.

I decided to go all out and build my dream AR308. So this is what I have come up with so far:

The upper

• The barrel is an 18 inch Faxon Pencil Barrel. Lightweight, accurate, good heat dissipation. $270
• The BCG is a low mass operating system with JP Enhanced bolt. $450 Let me tell you, Big Country was enthralled by this BCG when he saw it at the blog shoot back in March.
• Extended charging handle, $53
• The upper receiver is an Aero precision from Brownell’s: $170
• A WMB Nitromet gas tube. $18
• An Edge Carbon Fiber handguard from Brigand Arms: $394, plus the sling swivel, which added another $30 to the order.
• The gas block was a spare adjustable one I had lying around the house. I think it cost in the neighborhood of $50.

Total cost for the completed upper was just over $1400, and I completed it back in December. (I had to add a couple of things so that I could reassemble my Oracle. When I am done, I will have 2 AR rifles in 308). The next part of the project will be building a lower receiver.

The lower

I began this build by buying a Freedom Kit from 5D tactical. The whole kit costs $584. The majority of that cost covers the jig and tools needed to complete the two 80 percent lowers that are part of the kit. That also means that I get a 223 lower to practice on before I do the 308 one. I am only going to count $140 of the cost of the kit against the cost of this rifle.

• The buffer tube assembly came from Righttobear.com $80
• Lower parts kit, $50
• (additional parts still needed: Buffer, recoil spring, pistol grip, and fire control group)

I have no relationship with any of the vendors or manufacturers mentioned in this post, other than me being a customer. The prices paid and any discounts I received were those available to the general public.

Here is my information request. I am looking for recommendations for two important parts. I am looking for recommendations for a drop in trigger and a buffer assembly. For the buffer, I am thinking either a captured spring buffer like this one, or a hydraulic buffer like this one. What do you my readers think?