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I'd love to get the most traditional looking handguards, the triangular ones, on my STAG 15 Retro. Is there anyway to do that? And/or what is involved in doing that? Thanks. (Yes, I know the STAG 15 Retro is a retro/clone purists nightmare, but it is what I have and can afford).
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...134jpgc2-1.jpg
Not sure where you want to go with this. The picture is an A2 rifle, or an A4 rifle if it has the detachable rear sight handle. Appears to be an A4 to me. It has the correct hand guards for that model rifle. The triangle hand guards were on the A1 and earlier rifles.
Read the specs on on the Stag Arms site. Appears to be decently made out of good materials.
Brownells and RetroRifles sells the triangular handguards and retro rifle parts. As it is now, your rifle appears to be correct for an A2 with the handguard. If you are looking for the "M16" look, you are talking handguards, flashhider and upper receiver. I have an A2 clone and I love it. Maybe it would help to define "traditional." Are you talking Vietnam era, Desert Storm era, current military issue,etc? It is beautiful as is IMHO. Changing the drop-in handguards is very easy,especially if you have the special tool do it and there are plenty of videos showing how to do it.
I would think the triangular guards would look slightly odd on the heavier profile A2/A4 barrel. I assume the A1 handguards will fit as is, or do you need to swap out the delta ring and front collar?
The first heavy barrel (1 in 12 twist)that used triangular hand guards was the Colt 606, four variations manufactured. I found this upper years ago in almost new condition.Attachment 112087Attachment 112088Attachment 112089Attachment 112090
Interesting, so the barrel is heavy profile to the 'A' sight/ gas block and then reverts to standard profile.
Would I be right in saying (from dimming memory) that the A2 HBAR had a heavy profile to the flash eliminator, with a different 'A' block?
No...it's heavy all the way up. Have a look at any early M16 for comparison.Quote:
Originally Posted by mrclark303
The Colt 606 heavy barrel was designed for automatic fire and the first attempt to use a heavy barrel on the AR-15/M16 receiver. The twist was 1 in 12 on the barrel.
I have fired this barrel at 100 yards slow fire using a Colt Sporter SP1 semi auto lower made in 1974. Accuracy was the same as the light barrel.
I think these Colt 606 uppers are not common as I really have seen too many over the last twenty yearsAttachment 112100Attachment 112101Attachment 112102
You will need to install the triangular handguard cap to be able to install the triangular handguards.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...yqkL_AC_-1.jpg
I should probably clarify that. Both A1 and A2 GI issue rifle length hand guards will normally fit the triangular end cap. Some makers install only the triangle end caps which makes it easy to swap for the style you prefer. If you have the round end caps, only the round fore ends will work unless you change the endcap. This requires removing the flash hider and front sight block as well as ensuring you have the correct hole to fit your barrel diameter.
get a receiver from Nodak spud and put together a correct retro , i have 2 Stag rifles and love them , a LR308 and their Varminter 15
NoDak Spud Retro Lowers
love triangle hand guards.
The one thing about Colt Sporter platform which most folks do not realize. Is Colt never throws out obsolete and unusable parts from their military contracts. You can track their use of obsolete parts in their production of the Colt Sporter. Have ever wondered why Colt was still using the slab sided lowers and uppers on their Colt sporter long after the military adopted the upper with the forward assist and lower with the full fence? The reason is quite simple Colt subcontracted for the upper and lower forging in large numbers not realizing that the US military may want to change the upper with a forward assist and a lower with a non-removable front takedown. The original lowers front pivot pin was removable from the lower. The US military did not like that feature and redesigned the lower with a partial fence to retain the front pivot pin spring and plunger to hold the front pivot pin to the lower. This design required a new lower forging. So what do you all of the slab sided lower forgings that you have. Easy you make Colt AR15 sporter out of them until the supply of forging runs out. My understanding is they had so many Model 601 forgings left over they did not run out until the mid 1980s. That's probably over 20 years after the changed to the Model 101 and 602. The HBAR barrels was Colt attempt at making a Squad Automatic weapon which the US military did not buy, so you make a "special" Sporter called an HBAR. Same with the Colt AR Carbine. Most of the parts were from the XM!77E1 and E2 SMG programs which the Army cancelled after the Vietnam War. The barrels of course cannot be used as they are 10.5" or 11.5". But the collapsible buttstock and a new 16" barrel can be used, thus you have the Colt AR15 Carbine. The Carbine provied to be so popular Colt continue to keep making the parts long after the XM177E1 and E2 SMG were history.
Got to say, even back then the 14.5" barrel carbine was my favorite.Quote:
Originally Posted by fjruple
You can still use the shorter barrels, as long as you pin and weld a muzzle device on them that takes them out to the required 16" length. I recently completed a retro XM-177 commemorative build for a friend (his father carried one in Vietnam while with The Big Red One). We used the original length 10.5" barrel then had my gunsmith pin/weld the 5.5" muzzle device used on the XM-177s which brought it to the legal 16" limit. It was personalized to his father with his name, rank, dates of service, Big Red One logos and the Big Red One motto. Turned out really well and brought tears to his father's eyes when he was presented with it. The scary part is it actually works and his 74 year-old father is still pretty damn good with it!!Quote:
Originally Posted by fjruple