How to beat a $2,000 upper with a $300 Bear Creek (and $200,000 in machining equipment and a $100,000 metrology lab)

[RR Hunter]

This is a placeholder for a thread I'll be finishing later on, when I get on my computer.

I am mostly putting this out there just to archive the process and maybe help others achieve similar results. Read it or not, I appreciate you nonetheless.

I own a couple machine shops and a QC lab here in Georgia. I have always been infatuated with making an inexpensive thing feel and perform like an expensive thing. If you know me from my Trading Post stuff, you know that I also enjoy expensive things just as well. I already own a myriad of Knights Armament, HK, SIG, LWRC, etc.. But what I prefer over all of those are my science experiment-like project rifles.


The requirements I set out with and the methodology behind them:
1. It had to be a *reciprocating side charger upper. The tactile satsifaction of a well tuned, all metal side charge is unmatched. Service is much faster, problem solving and clearing malfunctions is much more intuitive.
2. There couldn't be any gap or rattle in any of the parts. (If you know AR10/LR308's, you know this is more difficult than it sounds.
3. It had to shoot a .75 MOA or less from a rest at 100 yards. 5 round groups, subtracting 1.
4. The total weight of the rifle had to be less than 9lbs.
5. A premium, duty-rated trigger had to be used.
6. It had to feel nice in the hands. Light, but solid. Satisfying to operate. What's the point if it's not enjoyable to operate outside of just pulling the trigger?

First I'll upload the (mostly) finished piece and then I will put the process and the results in the comments.

 

[Paxdad]

In

 

[User170512]

In for the story.

 

[medium187mph]

I read it all and now I’m invested to see this to the end.

 

[boomer]

Subscribed

 

[shell_waster]

I’m a sucker for a good story.

 

[RR Hunter]

The build begins.

I started by ordering a complete Palmetto PA-10 lower and a complete BCA-10 16" upper.

My plan was to eventually build out a stripped Aero M5 lower, so that I could have a reliably high quality lower, but I needed a baseline experience to compare the end result to.

IE:
If I wanted to build a premium feeling rifle without bias, I needed to feel what the lower side of things had to offer.

So I figured the PA-10 lower with stock BCA-10 upper would be the perfect place to start.

I put down 120 rounds of decent ammo and had groups everywhere from 1.3 to 2.0" the 1:10 16" barrel definitely preferred the medium grains. 150-168.

 

[RR Hunter]

The lower(s) came in, but the Larue triggers did not. So I scrounged ODT for a CMC trigger locally so that I could begin on the M5 lower. I was tired of waiting.

The stock and receiver extension tube also came in. I decided to go with the Hera CQR because I am a sucker for featureless/thumbhole stocks on everything.

Not pictured is an Armaspec captured recoil buffer, because if you want an action to feel more premium, that is the biggest bang for buck improvement you can make in my opinion.

Also pictured is my POF P-308. In my personal opinion, this is the peak of Factory built AR-10 style rifles. This is going to make people upset, but the KAC SR-25 really doesn't hold a candle to the older POF P-308's. The amount of engineering they did inside those fully Ambi receivers is just mind blowing.

 

[RR Hunter]

Before the process began, I decided to upgrade my cramped work bench by outfitting my entire armory room with stainless trinity Pro work benches.

The wall control panels are for current project rifles.

Surely the extra tool storage space will lead to a cleaner work area....right?

 

[Gixxer]

I am so in for this one.

jUsT aS gUd meets dOn'T bE pOoR and I love it.

Also, what's yer TV for the cat?