Deceided to jump in and build a Car 15 look-alike.

D

dahermit

New member
For those who read my posts in the Semi-Auto, pump section https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=603060 I have decided to go ahead and use a barreled upper (not complete upper), and an Andersen stripped lower to build a .223 reminiscent of the Car 15's of the Vietnam war era. I don't want to mess with attaching the barrel, but assembling a lower, butt stock, carry handle [SIC, rear sight support], and lower kit, etc. will keep me busy this Winter.

I do have a couple of questions though...I see barreled uppers for sale on the internet with what looks like a bayonet lug. Are those lugs fully machined to accept a bayonet?

Can anyone post a site where they sell a mil spec (Vietnam era), Carbine Butt Stock?

I thank those who gave me input on my original post and those who will lend a hand on this thread.
 
T. O'Heir said:
That's what an M4 is.
I think the one on the top row currently on sale is what you want. Their Number 080-000-941WB
https://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/stock-parts/buttstocks/index.htm
This'll help more than anything.
https://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=39
Click to expand...
When I saw how short the barrels were on the true Car 15's (11.5 inches or so, with every long flash hiders), I changed my mind. Although I have decided to go with the Carbine stock, I am going to go with a standard 16 inch barrel and gas tube, but with a short front handguard. I never realized how short those Vietnam era carbine barrels really were.
 
I have got the lower and the lower kit finished. The completed upper is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday the 13th. Both from PSA. It is a "flat top" so I also order and have received a carry handle with A2 sight. At this point I have $441.16 which includes two 30 round aluminum magazines.
I am beginning to regret selling my Colt H-Bar Target Competition .223 and dies, extra mags (20 rounders for competition), dies, shell holders, cases, bullets, etc. What the hell was I thinking?
 
The PSA Classic M4 Freedom Upper arrived today. I attached a "carry handle", assembled it and I now have my Carbine. It is a lot heavier than I thought it was going to be. Tomorrow, I hope to get it sighted at 25 meters (27.34 yards). I have 20 rounds of factory 5.56 and 250 empty once-fired Remington .223 cases.
 
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I have the AR battle sight set (25 meters), and have been firing my starting handloads at 100 yards. In all, it is a great gun. The only thing I am not crazy about is the heavy and very creepy trigger. I don't want to dump another $200 into a Timney trigger, but am considering something like this: https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-2-stage-nickel-boron-trigger-assembly1.html After all, I intended this to be more of a combat style weapon than a target weapon and that trigger assembly got pretty good reviews.

Addendum: It seems that it is generally held that Mil Spec AR 15 triggers are case hardened. Given that, on another forum I read a post where some guy talked about how heavy and gratuitous creep on his AR 15 was improved by dry-firing. That begs the question, given that case hardening leaves the surfaces very hard (I would imagine about 67 on the Rockwell C scale), it is seemingly NOT likely that dry-firing would have much effect.

So are the AR 15 Mil Spec triggers case hardened and would dry-firing do much good?
 
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