Wow, the retro carbine runs like a striped @ss ape!
OK, now that I figured out that I had a REALLY senior moment, and put a rifle spring in the NDS lower assembly when I put it together last month, and it would not cycle at all (except with MK262 MOD1), I got my act together. I am totally embarrassed to say I have been working on and building ARs since 1979 when I was an armorer for a USAF SP arms room. I was in the middle of breaking down and rebuilding 4 different ARs at the same time, and had a brain fart and blew it.
I came up with my final incarnation of my California Featureless SP1 AR15 retro Carbine clone.
Final Parts List:
NDS 601 slab side lower
Colt early square forged upper (carry handle type, no forward assist)
Colt charging handle
Standard carbine length 7 hole handguards (maybe Rock River)
Colt 1/7" twist 6420 16 inch "pencil barrel"
Custom Muzzle Brakes "Tactical TriDelta" brake
Early Colt slip ring
Colt carbine gas tube
Complete lower parts kit, including trigger guard, is Colt from an SP1 (FCG) and M16A1 the rest
Solar Tactical kydex paddle for featureless on an M16A1 Colt grip
Colt M4 mil-spec lower receiver extension (buffer tube)
Original 1980s vintage Colt "N"marked Fiberlite CAR15 stock, pinned (UGH!)
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...ee57dd83-1.jpg
After resetting the barrel to remove too much cant in the FSB from over torquing, and replacing the errant rifle action spring with a Colt Carbine spring, I took her up to the woods again today to battle sight her.
Ammo used was:
Centurion M193 (2008 vintage)
Federal/Lake City brown box XM193
21.5 grains IMR4198 with 55 grain FMJBT and CCI #41 primer
25.5 grains IMR4064 with 55 grain FMJBT and CCI #41 primer
Lake City military M855 62 grn
MK262 Mod1 77 grn OTM (Sierra Match Kings with chanular)
I got it about right with some M193 Federal, then finally dialed it in at 25 yards for MK262 MOD1. The MK262 MOD1 was awesome, shooting under 1/2" at 25 yards from a casual rest. This sighting should be good for steel and two legged zombies out to 250 yards, but I will fine tune the sighting when I get to a regular range.
I spent about an hour and a half in the woods after that bouncing pop cans and pine cones from 35 to 60 yards or so, off hand, standing position. Function was 100% with both a standard 3.0 oz buffer and a 3.6 oz H Buffer. As far as felt recoil, I prefered the H Buffer, and will run it. That, coupled with the TriDelta really tamed it for rapid fire.
After about 300 yards of mixed ammo,, including some rapid fire mag dumps, I have 100% confidence in this as a defensive carbine!
