Retro Carbine - Slightly off topic!

Well, I finished my retro XM177E2 / CAR15 lightweight Carbine! It is a carbine, and it is retro, though not M1! Enough guys on this board may have actually carried one of these to appreciate it.

Talk about a nice, lightweight weapon!!! With the standard M16A1 birdcage FH on the 16" barrel, it weighed in at 5.7 lbs. empty on the postal scale. My heavier "reverse" slip over XM177 flash Hider has the rear blast washer attached.

-S&W M&P 15 Lower, receiver treated with dark gray Rustoleum primer to match upper
-M16A1 Colt upper with tear drop forward assist
-USGI M16A1 pistol Grip (NOS) from Mr. Bill Ricca (Thanks, Bill!)
-COLT/USGI early non-tapered slip ring to retain handguards
-ER Shaw (Model 1 Sales) 16" pencil CAR15 barrel 1/9 twist
-DPMS lower parts kit
-DPMS M16 bolt carrier group (I like the additional mass for feeding)
-DPMS charging handle
-DPMS CAR buffer
-DPMS CAR gas tube
-USGI M4 buffer spring
-Rock River Arms CAR-15 handguards w/heatshields
-4 position fiberlite CAR stock (unk. maker) with USGI castle nut and receiver plate
-Either faux XM177E2 slip over flash hider or M16A1 FH: depending if I am going like the XM177E2 I carried as a LEO or a GAU-5/P as Air Force Security Police (reserves).
-USGI 20 round aluminum magazines
-Vietnam era M14/M16 OD nylon sling
-comic book cleaning manual is an original I grabbed in the early 70s when I was in the service.

Here is a lousy low-light flash picture. My digital camera SUCKS on low light. If I can ever get time for me before the sun is too low in the sky, I will do a series of shots that better show color.

RM, yes it is off topic. and as punishment I am going to take it away and ground you to your reloading room. You will not get it back until after Christmas (or I make 3 trips to the range, which ever comes first).

You did a good job!

Make sure you post pics over at AR15.com! I like the short AR lightweight carbines myself. Here's my "Blackhawk Down" RO 723 clone I made from a Colt 6520
C7 upper receiver, barrel cut to 14.7" and FH permanently attached, Aimpoint 3000 sight.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...100_0169-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...100_0170-1.jpg

Love it!

Very Cool. LE! I have considered cutting it down and welding or blind pinning an M16A1 FH on it to make it close to the GAU5-A/A I had with a 14.5 inch barrel (I thought it was a GUU-5/P, but I found out that the AF still called our 14.5" GAUs GAU-5/A/A - we had both 14.5 and 11.5" ones in our armory, and being the armorer, I got to play with them all!!!). I decided to leave it at 16", though, because it retains 150-200 FPS more than an M4 with a 14.5. Projectile fragmentation range for an M193 from a 16" barrel is 175 to 200 yards, where it is about 100 + yards from an M4. SInce I can't afford $250 for an original Colt 3X or 4X, I spent $32 on an NC Star Colt clone 4X. Had one before and it was great at 100 yards and has a BDC for out to 500 which worked very well.

Here are a couple better daylight pics of the XM177E2 wearing a Colt 4X scope clone with BDC for M193 ammo. The upper is the original, later medium-dark gray pakerized and the S&W lower is coated with Rustoleum dark gray automotive primer. The picture shows that it is a pretty darn close match.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...XM177E2a-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...XM177E2b-1.jpg

First, let me say that I'm not a great fan of Black Rifles....However, that one would fit very nicely between my bed's headboard and the dresser.
Nicely done!

Phil