I'm not an expert on these. Stumbling through my first AR pistol build.
These days,with a lot of "out of stock,no backorder" a certain amount of flexibility is necessary.
I suggest carefully reading and understanding the BATF 2017 memo on AR pistols. There are some helpful vids on youtube.
BBL is a 10 in Aero
Handguard is a slim Midwest with a top rail only,M-Lok I forget exact length. About 8 in.
AR Stoner muzzle device. Linear. 5/8 24 thread. Looks like a 2 in long,slim 22 cal revolver cylinder. Blast blows downrange. No side ports. 20 something dollars.
I have a fixed detachable handguard mount front sight. I have a XS Sights tritium white stripe front sight post.OK,I initially bought a SARCO carry handle,figuring on chopping it for a rear sight. 30 some dollars. Height is short. Darn. I ordered another handle from Aero. Its coming.
Then from Midway I bought a off brand (Maybe UTG? $18) fixed front handguard rail sight. Amazing! Its short height,too! My plan almost came together. Almost.
The UTG front sight base offset the detent 45 deg for real estate reasons. Thats OK with a round front sight post.
But I had ordered an XS sights tritium front sight blade. Won't work with a 45 deg offset detent.
Was considering just cutting a new detent notch in the XS sight. So,I'm thinking about breaking the tritium vial when I put it in the mill vise...and I remember the Aero carry handle is coming. Hmm. Its probably a better rear sight than the SARCO. It will be standard height. OK, I put myself on the "notify" list at Midway for either a Daniel Defense or Midwest fixed front sight base.
Why didn't I just go with a Daniel Defense or Midwest rear sight? Fair question. "Not in stock" played a part.
A regular sight post will have 4 detent positions,each (IIRC) 1.5 MOA with a standard sight radius. The tritium blade requires a full rev of adjustment,or 6MOA at normal sight radius. The pistol,with shorter sight radius,will be a coarser adj. Maybe 8 or 9 MOA per full rev "Click" OK for bore sight,but I want elevation clicks in the rear sight.
I want rigid,vs folding sights. The Daniel Defense and Midwest rear sights have no elevation adj.
I ordered the Aero carry handle and I'm going to chop it ahead of the rear clamp. Brother is set up to Cerro-Coat. I also ordered from XS a replacement modified flip/flop rear aperture. I got the one with the open sight notch added on top.
Why? Read the BATF 2017 memo about AR pistols. Speaking to placing a pistol brace on your shoulder,they said if the brace was engineered for pistol use,the incidental placement on the shoulder did not re-engineer the brace.
OK. The point,f
Features of the gun must be engineered toward pistol use. They even say "Holding it one handed" Any feature that would dictate firing it from the shoulder is potentially a problem.
My interpretation,if I use the standard dual aperture flip GI rear sight insert... I just cannot see through the peep if I hold it out as a handgun.
Potentially,if I met the right (or wrong) LEO or Agent, with peep apertures,
a case could be made that my pistol was non-compliant. Rifle sights. Not useable for pistol use.
By adding the open sight notch equiped insert, my rear sight is handgun appropriate.
I'm just trying to stay out of trouble. Tritium irons will do for now.
And I have the front sight set back a little over 2 inches on the top rail.
I'm thinking,later on, a compact 500 lumen Shurefire laser/light will fit there.
I figure I could probably ID my target with a smaller 75 lumen light,but I imagine its a lot harder for the threat to aim at a 500 lumen light than a 75 lumen. His eyeballs might start smoking.
I put a Magpul M-lok Angled fore grip on it Between the handstop on the AFG and using the front sight post as a top handstop, My left hand knows where to be. Especially since I put a Magpul steel sling attachment ring for the HK snap hook a little over 3 in from the rear end of the forend on the top rail. It might be hard to envision.but if my left hand find the sling,it slides down the sling to find the same grip on the forend ,AFG,and sight post every time.I need a section of rail cover on the top rail behind the front sight.
Brace is a Tailhook. Its mounted about 1 1/2 in fwd the end of the tube.
Its rigid,but opens like a pocket knife opening 1/2 way. I like it. No strap to mess with. I can hold this contraption like one handed bullseye shooting. Compliance! I may put a crutch tip on the end of the buffer tube.That way it will be less "scooty" if I lean it against something.
I figure I'll keep a 2017 BATF letter in the trap grip.
Harbor freight had the little $37 2 in blade chop saw back in stock for cutting 5,56 brass to 300 blackout. The fixture designed to work with that saw to cut 5,56 brass to length was on Amazon for about $20.Forming is essentially necking down the case body from approx 35 cal size to 30 cal size.No big deal.Trim and chamfer,of course.
I found a 4lb jug of Lil Gun. And Speer 30 cal 125 gr TNT bullets for $ 20 a hundred. Got a few Nosler 125 gr BT's,too.
The plan is coming together.
I had some false starts,and wasted some money on junk. Its hard buying stuff online you cant touch. And buying cheap does not often work out.
Before you tell me "Why didn't you just...." Because I was finding my own way.
I figured I'd write this to share my wrong turns and the things that worked.
At some point,it will likely get a Streamlight laser/light ahead of the front sight on the top rail. My thumb will be in the right place to operate it.
And I may try a red dot on it,too. But it will be a while. Wallet is getting thin.
Oh..Trigger. I decided to try the cheaper Timney monoblok trigger. I wanted a single stage and short reset,not too light. As far as pull,I think this trigger will be fine. Hammer is wired EDM'd S-7 and sear is CNC A-2. IMO,those are optimum steels and processes.
The only annoying thing about this trigger is tightening some setscrews that are placed inside the trigger monoblock under the tails of the hammer spring.
As you can't put the allen wrench through the wire of the hammer spring,the tail of the hammer spring must be lifted to gain access. Once you get that done,you have to go back and install some little bitty jam set screws on top of the screws you just tightened. It will be OK,but its not a piece of cake.I am waiting on cerro coating the mis matched green lower I had in stash. Brother does that. No point in assembling it twice.
These days,with a lot of "out of stock,no backorder" a certain amount of flexibility is necessary.
I suggest carefully reading and understanding the BATF 2017 memo on AR pistols. There are some helpful vids on youtube.
BBL is a 10 in Aero
Handguard is a slim Midwest with a top rail only,M-Lok I forget exact length. About 8 in.
AR Stoner muzzle device. Linear. 5/8 24 thread. Looks like a 2 in long,slim 22 cal revolver cylinder. Blast blows downrange. No side ports. 20 something dollars.
I have a fixed detachable handguard mount front sight. I have a XS Sights tritium white stripe front sight post.OK,I initially bought a SARCO carry handle,figuring on chopping it for a rear sight. 30 some dollars. Height is short. Darn. I ordered another handle from Aero. Its coming.
Then from Midway I bought a off brand (Maybe UTG? $18) fixed front handguard rail sight. Amazing! Its short height,too! My plan almost came together. Almost.
The UTG front sight base offset the detent 45 deg for real estate reasons. Thats OK with a round front sight post.
But I had ordered an XS sights tritium front sight blade. Won't work with a 45 deg offset detent.
Was considering just cutting a new detent notch in the XS sight. So,I'm thinking about breaking the tritium vial when I put it in the mill vise...and I remember the Aero carry handle is coming. Hmm. Its probably a better rear sight than the SARCO. It will be standard height. OK, I put myself on the "notify" list at Midway for either a Daniel Defense or Midwest fixed front sight base.
Why didn't I just go with a Daniel Defense or Midwest rear sight? Fair question. "Not in stock" played a part.
A regular sight post will have 4 detent positions,each (IIRC) 1.5 MOA with a standard sight radius. The tritium blade requires a full rev of adjustment,or 6MOA at normal sight radius. The pistol,with shorter sight radius,will be a coarser adj. Maybe 8 or 9 MOA per full rev "Click" OK for bore sight,but I want elevation clicks in the rear sight.
I want rigid,vs folding sights. The Daniel Defense and Midwest rear sights have no elevation adj.
I ordered the Aero carry handle and I'm going to chop it ahead of the rear clamp. Brother is set up to Cerro-Coat. I also ordered from XS a replacement modified flip/flop rear aperture. I got the one with the open sight notch added on top.
Why? Read the BATF 2017 memo about AR pistols. Speaking to placing a pistol brace on your shoulder,they said if the brace was engineered for pistol use,the incidental placement on the shoulder did not re-engineer the brace.
OK. The point,f
Features of the gun must be engineered toward pistol use. They even say "Holding it one handed" Any feature that would dictate firing it from the shoulder is potentially a problem.
My interpretation,if I use the standard dual aperture flip GI rear sight insert... I just cannot see through the peep if I hold it out as a handgun.
Potentially,if I met the right (or wrong) LEO or Agent, with peep apertures,
a case could be made that my pistol was non-compliant. Rifle sights. Not useable for pistol use.
By adding the open sight notch equiped insert, my rear sight is handgun appropriate.
I'm just trying to stay out of trouble. Tritium irons will do for now.
And I have the front sight set back a little over 2 inches on the top rail.
I'm thinking,later on, a compact 500 lumen Shurefire laser/light will fit there.
I figure I could probably ID my target with a smaller 75 lumen light,but I imagine its a lot harder for the threat to aim at a 500 lumen light than a 75 lumen. His eyeballs might start smoking.
I put a Magpul M-lok Angled fore grip on it Between the handstop on the AFG and using the front sight post as a top handstop, My left hand knows where to be. Especially since I put a Magpul steel sling attachment ring for the HK snap hook a little over 3 in from the rear end of the forend on the top rail. It might be hard to envision.but if my left hand find the sling,it slides down the sling to find the same grip on the forend ,AFG,and sight post every time.I need a section of rail cover on the top rail behind the front sight.
Brace is a Tailhook. Its mounted about 1 1/2 in fwd the end of the tube.
Its rigid,but opens like a pocket knife opening 1/2 way. I like it. No strap to mess with. I can hold this contraption like one handed bullseye shooting. Compliance! I may put a crutch tip on the end of the buffer tube.That way it will be less "scooty" if I lean it against something.
I figure I'll keep a 2017 BATF letter in the trap grip.
Harbor freight had the little $37 2 in blade chop saw back in stock for cutting 5,56 brass to 300 blackout. The fixture designed to work with that saw to cut 5,56 brass to length was on Amazon for about $20.Forming is essentially necking down the case body from approx 35 cal size to 30 cal size.No big deal.Trim and chamfer,of course.
I found a 4lb jug of Lil Gun. And Speer 30 cal 125 gr TNT bullets for $ 20 a hundred. Got a few Nosler 125 gr BT's,too.
The plan is coming together.
I had some false starts,and wasted some money on junk. Its hard buying stuff online you cant touch. And buying cheap does not often work out.
Before you tell me "Why didn't you just...." Because I was finding my own way.
I figured I'd write this to share my wrong turns and the things that worked.
At some point,it will likely get a Streamlight laser/light ahead of the front sight on the top rail. My thumb will be in the right place to operate it.
And I may try a red dot on it,too. But it will be a while. Wallet is getting thin.
Oh..Trigger. I decided to try the cheaper Timney monoblok trigger. I wanted a single stage and short reset,not too light. As far as pull,I think this trigger will be fine. Hammer is wired EDM'd S-7 and sear is CNC A-2. IMO,those are optimum steels and processes.
The only annoying thing about this trigger is tightening some setscrews that are placed inside the trigger monoblock under the tails of the hammer spring.
As you can't put the allen wrench through the wire of the hammer spring,the tail of the hammer spring must be lifted to gain access. Once you get that done,you have to go back and install some little bitty jam set screws on top of the screws you just tightened. It will be OK,but its not a piece of cake.I am waiting on cerro coating the mis matched green lower I had in stash. Brother does that. No point in assembling it twice.
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