Well, probably not, but it sure feels like it to me.
I put this mutt of a gun together to compete in my very first Run & Gun and the goal was to build a rifle capable of any situation that might be thrown at me. It would need to have typically opposing capabilities such as lightweight vs reliability or maneuverable vs capable at range.
Many would say those are called compromises and while its true a specialist weapon will be better at any particular situation, I feel I have struck a nice balance. While I may have had to make compromises on certain aspects of capabilities, I did not compromise on how the parts worked for me. Parts went on this gun and then came right back off if it didn't work exactly as I wanted. One example was the Geissele Airborne Charging handle that I originally bought for it...turns out it stabs you in the chest if you have to cinch it up tight. So I purchased the Radian SL that is short and flat.
Another example is changing from the Ferro Concepts Sling to the Blue Force Gear. I had much more adjustment available in the Blue Force Gear and found the padding superior so the Ferro Concepts went in the drawer. I also tried the Reptilia grip, but my hand just doesn't want to sit right on the safety like it does with a no-tang design...in the drawer it went. The burn proof cover was a nice addition as the first time I spent significant time with the gun, I couldn't hold it as it was not only hot from the barrel, but also from the sun. I really like how these covers work.
I saved weight everywhere I could. The Noveske upper houses a 13.7" Ballistic Advantage barrel in the Hanson Profile. The less barrel length I could get by with the better, for both weight and length. I wanted a LPVO and the Kahles K16i is simply amazing and only weighs 16.9 ounces. The Nightforce 1.125 high mount, is one of the lightest on the market at 4.8 ounces. The K stock and grip are some of the lightest pieces available as well. The Heathen System bipod legs and full size barricade stop weigh 3.5 ounces, total.
If you notice, my LPVO mount is LOW, just the way I like it when I must go prone or when shooting off of barricades. Given my low cheek weld, it works just fine for me shouldered as well. Because the mount is so low on the Kahles, the Delta Point Pro, piggybacked up top, sits at a perfectly comfortable 2.5" high. There is no hunting for the dot once the rifle is shouldered, its just there.
I took the gun out to 800 yards a month or so ago and it was very consistent running 73 grain ELDM's. Honestly I was shocked at the ease with which the K16i 1-6x and this gun rang steel at that distance on IPSC and Reduced IPSC sized targets.
I was hoping to have a scoped rifle, with mini red dot AND bipod at 7 lbs 15 ounces but I missed the mark by 3 ounces. Maybe I will find a way to shave that some day. Alas, the gun is "almost" complete anyway. The lower is being borrowed from my Barrett SBR since the 13.7 barrel is not pin and welded yet, but I have a dedicated Noveske lower on the way to finally make this gun its own complete package and I will P&W at 16.1" at that time.
The final result is a weapon I just absolutely love and have full confidence in. Its capabilities exceed my own limited abilities by quite a bit, so I guess there is not much more I can ask for.
I put this mutt of a gun together to compete in my very first Run & Gun and the goal was to build a rifle capable of any situation that might be thrown at me. It would need to have typically opposing capabilities such as lightweight vs reliability or maneuverable vs capable at range.
Many would say those are called compromises and while its true a specialist weapon will be better at any particular situation, I feel I have struck a nice balance. While I may have had to make compromises on certain aspects of capabilities, I did not compromise on how the parts worked for me. Parts went on this gun and then came right back off if it didn't work exactly as I wanted. One example was the Geissele Airborne Charging handle that I originally bought for it...turns out it stabs you in the chest if you have to cinch it up tight. So I purchased the Radian SL that is short and flat.
Another example is changing from the Ferro Concepts Sling to the Blue Force Gear. I had much more adjustment available in the Blue Force Gear and found the padding superior so the Ferro Concepts went in the drawer. I also tried the Reptilia grip, but my hand just doesn't want to sit right on the safety like it does with a no-tang design...in the drawer it went. The burn proof cover was a nice addition as the first time I spent significant time with the gun, I couldn't hold it as it was not only hot from the barrel, but also from the sun. I really like how these covers work.
I saved weight everywhere I could. The Noveske upper houses a 13.7" Ballistic Advantage barrel in the Hanson Profile. The less barrel length I could get by with the better, for both weight and length. I wanted a LPVO and the Kahles K16i is simply amazing and only weighs 16.9 ounces. The Nightforce 1.125 high mount, is one of the lightest on the market at 4.8 ounces. The K stock and grip are some of the lightest pieces available as well. The Heathen System bipod legs and full size barricade stop weigh 3.5 ounces, total.
If you notice, my LPVO mount is LOW, just the way I like it when I must go prone or when shooting off of barricades. Given my low cheek weld, it works just fine for me shouldered as well. Because the mount is so low on the Kahles, the Delta Point Pro, piggybacked up top, sits at a perfectly comfortable 2.5" high. There is no hunting for the dot once the rifle is shouldered, its just there.
I took the gun out to 800 yards a month or so ago and it was very consistent running 73 grain ELDM's. Honestly I was shocked at the ease with which the K16i 1-6x and this gun rang steel at that distance on IPSC and Reduced IPSC sized targets.
I was hoping to have a scoped rifle, with mini red dot AND bipod at 7 lbs 15 ounces but I missed the mark by 3 ounces. Maybe I will find a way to shave that some day. Alas, the gun is "almost" complete anyway. The lower is being borrowed from my Barrett SBR since the 13.7 barrel is not pin and welded yet, but I have a dedicated Noveske lower on the way to finally make this gun its own complete package and I will P&W at 16.1" at that time.
The final result is a weapon I just absolutely love and have full confidence in. Its capabilities exceed my own limited abilities by quite a bit, so I guess there is not much more I can ask for.
