Retro XM177E2/CAR15 Finished!!

[imarangemaster]

Well, I finished my retro XM177E2 / CAR15 lightweight Carbine! 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 needs the rear blast washer re-attached before I mount it. Preliminary photos tomorrow when I can take them in the daylight.

-S&W M&P 15 Lower, receiver treated with dark gray Rustoleum primer to match upper
-M16A1 Colt upper with tear drop forward assist
-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 M16A1 pistol Grip (NOS)
-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 and/or 30 round aluminum magazines

I have a Vietnam era M14/M16 OD nylon sling en-route.

Information

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[jmoore]

Don't forget a range report!

[imarangemaster]

Promising pics, that I have to wait to take! Weapon at property in Illinois and camera in Mississippi with me. All three of us won't be in the same place until Sunday... Argh.

[cda97]

I'm looking forward to the pics. I recently completed a Retro Colt 653 clone.

[imarangemaster]

Very sweet! Is that an original Colt aluminum 4 position? I would love to pick one up. Mine is fiberite, not plastic, and you can se the fibers in the polymer. I believe mine is an 80s vintage Colt fiberite. I will eventually pick up a Nodak Spud receiver to replace the M&P 15 one. The real XM177 I had was like yours, with no magazine button fence.

[cda97]

I fooled you with the stock

It's actually a commercial stock that I painted with Krylon Fusion gloss black. Original Colt aluminum stocks are not easy to come buy and demand a premium price. The lower is a Nodak Spud XM partial fence.

---------- Post added at 07:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:50 PM ----------

Also, check out the Retro forum on ar15.com and retroblackrifle.com

[Griff Murphey]

About 30 round magazines during the Vietnam War... I had some for my AR-180 (AR-15's got real hard to find about then) in those days as a college boy '67-'71, and it puzzled me why the men fighting in Vietnam did not have them. I asked one of my ROTC instructors, an Arty Captain, about that, and he said there were a few in-country, generally used with the CAR-15s, and he said the few 30's (Maybe one or two to a gun) were kind of passed down with the CARs to new owners as people rotated in and out. So I am thinking you COULD use a 30 in it but your display should include 20 rd. mags and pouches.

I think I can tell you exactly when the 3rd Mar Div quit using 20's. I was assigned to the third Marine Division on Okinawa in 1975 and checked out a bunch of 20 rd. magazines (the only type they had) for a rifle team, in February, for a Match in March. I tried turning them back in after the match and they did not want them as all the 20's were gone and they had switched fully to the 30's. Incidentally... about that time they were cleaning out warehouses and there was a huge dumpster of ARVN jungle boots and everybody dug out pairs of them to send back to kid brothers etc. for hunting.

[imarangemaster]

In basic in 1974, we used 20s, as well as when I was permanent party at Fort Ord. Saw some 30s about 76. WHen I was an SP in Air Guard/AF Reserve 79-81, we used 30s in M16s, GAU5/A/A's or GAU-5/P's.

[imarangemaster]

Here is a lousy low-light flash picture. Just wanted to prove I really did it! 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. I forgot to mention the M16A1 pistol grip is NOS still in the wrapper from Bill Rica. "C" marked inside. The comic book cleaning manual is an original I grabbed in the early 70s when I was in the service.

[imarangemaster]

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.