DrkDragon Semi Builds

[Duzell]

Recently ordered some new toys to start some builds. Hopefully all will arrive before the end of the year (and CA B.S. laws take effect) , and as i dont feel like clogging up the forums with too many threads, i felt storing them all in one thread would be the best way to go.

I'll also have videos showing the builds as well as parts reviews and performance of said builds. hopefully it helps some people in their builds.


What will be featured in the thread
ar15/10's, and maybe a ak variant (vepr) if im lucky.
Ill be searching for parts that seem intriguing and beneficial, Listing price, place of purchase

DRKDRAGON youtube channel

questions and help is as always appreciated, as is constructive criticism.

-Duzell

[Duzell]

had some hiccups down the rode, but happy to say she is running great and above my expectations in accuracy


Parts List

TM stripped lower receiver 95$

TM upper stripped 85$

Rainer raptor 89$ replaced with Fortis Hammer 50$

Midwest industries keymod handguard 219.95$

hogue grip 17.98$

Lantac dragon break 308 144$

leitner wise mfg BCG 190$

only issue with leitner wise they have BAD customer service. used the NIB bcg in another build and its pin broke, tried to contact and they ignored emails and phone was "disconnected" very odd

Wilson combat match barrel 1-8 twist 16" 257$


scope
Redfeild battlezone 3-9x 168$(now -45$ rebate) =123$ amazon.com

nikkon m223 XR scope mount 66$

DPMS LPK 70$ local shop

Spikes tacical buffer tube and T2 buffer. 70$ amazon.com

CAA CBSM and ACP 50$ and 21$ via Midway usa

venom tactical 45 offset irons 25$ (just for close combat or emergency)

TOTAL:1483.93$

Overall very good shooter, and out did my expectations in accuracy using gorrila ammo

New parts (cheek riser and grip)

[Duzell]

I was talking to my local shop about 308 semi's , no luck on the saiga or anything else.

then their supplier had one AR10 lower fully completed in stock , so i pounced on it. AND CA's 10 day wait law was counted as UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!!!!! so woot

still have to wait till the background check is done but no other limits there

The details
CMMG AR10 COMPLETED lower (was cheaper than building one myself in cost so i decided to try focusing on just the upper for this project)

has a M4 collapsible stock, its a DPMS styled ar10 lower, and has the CA bullet button

-Purchased a 10 round PMAG in 308 for it


my basic thought process on the uppers parts
-leitner wise 308 match BCG NIB
-TM 308 upper (stripped)
-DPMS SS target barrel 24" fluted
-Midwest ind. Keymod 308

things im still considering
-GAS block
-muzzle break
-charging handle
-sights
-STOCK fixed or keep it collapsible
-grip

overall i hope it to be a good learning experience and a good gun

[Duzell]

Starting a new upper project.

low cost dedicated 556 UPPER

low cost meaning using good parts that are at a decent price
Starting parts
-Upper spikes m4 t top upper receiver
-Rainer raptor ambition charge handle

[Duzell]

New lower hopefully in route.

Its an Anderson stripped lower forged , heard good reviews , thought Id give em a shot.

Also got a SBS stock in route

[dakota.potts]

I like the pictures and reading the specs. Just more shooting pictures/videos and groups posted would be nice! Love to see a couple of these in action -- your Mosin build piques my interest.

[Duzell]

sorry ive been off so long, lots of work and prep

recently my range has become paranoid, so normally not allowed to do videos. also my local range was closed due to a issue with a "bullet" wizzing past someones head at the track. so now they are removing all high and long range targets TT_TT

laguna sega rifle range if you want more info (closed?)

so i haven't been able to shoot at all, and trying to buil;d funds for my builds

ill try my best though to do videos at the private shoots

and black lightning is going strong , that mosin build proved its initial theory of " accurizing " a mosin

[Duzell]

so due to ar10's parts being out of stock ive focused on the second ar15

this is codenamed "rattlesnake"

the reason will become clear

the second ar15 is built using standard parts to make install quick and efficient , and low cost

NOTE:
the firearm in question is in fact CA legal, but the gunranges within CA do restrict rate of fire, semi auto is all i can do at firearms ranges in CA

-all parts purchased through LOCAL CA FFL dealers

- i have in fact documents from the ATF (full documentation on its legality), that comes with the stock
-CA legal policy states parts cannot increase rate of fire, and an ar15 can do this without the stock and was ruled by atf to not be full auto, or to alter its rate of fire
-BUT i must have the documentation on hand when using the firearm at ANY range


setup ar15 rattlesnake
-ar15 lower, by anderson , teflon coated -103$

-rainer arms raptor (reused part) -65$

-spikes tactical upper stripped forged -108$
( reused part, and was problem part of 300 blackwidow)

-bushmaster LPK(lower parts kit) 45$

-battle arm,s takedown pins (enhanced) 25$

-brownells buffer kit- 49$

-lowprofile gas block, long -20$

-CARBB button - 15$

-strike fire dust cover (quick install) 18$

-stainless gas tube 15$

-midwest industries 12" keymod rail 199$ (quick install, and off and on rails)

-aero precision nib bolt

-1/8 twist 556 mil spec barrel standard -107$
-sights magpul flip irons

-large muzzle match break style 20$

AND THE FINAL PART
-SBS stock 299.99$
http://www.slidefire.com/


now this is the (BASIC) build
i am planning to upgrade the bolt, the irons, the break, and the barrel

-HBAR barrel ss 1/7
-lietner wise NIB bolt
-daimondhead sites
-break????


it should be completed soon and ready to run a test at a private range

overal looking forward to it

(blackout, ar10, and the little brother)
(widow, wyvern , rattlesnake)

[Duzell]

the ar15's big brother

not standardized makes this build hard to locate fit parts.

its an MK3 style ar10 after the DPMS ar10 mold

CMMG ar10 build
drk wyvern

658$ completed lower cmmg

-new stock
-ss fluted 308 barrel
-TM ar10 upper
-leitner wiese BCG
-rainer raptor 308 model
-scope vortex IR

may get the slide fire stock in 308 on this

[Ritz]

Slidefire....when you absolutely positively want to pi$$ away $100's of dollars of ammo in the shortest amount of time.

Interesting design.

[Duzell]

True, my thoughts were to test out the design and see it's use and how controllable it is

[Duzell]

Drk Wyvern: Update

TM is currently out of stock in uppers but the manufacturer states they have a few being anodized and shipping will occur soon

im also looking at juggernaut tactical uppers, as well as barrel manufacturers


RATTLESNAKE:UPDATE
due to my klutziness, i lost my front takedown pin, the battle arms quick installs are in route so, that will fix that issue

the bushmaster LPK had a out of speck pin for the safety selector, used a standard DPMS and the issue was resolved



BLACKWIDOW: used gorrila varmegedon again , had 3 bad casings that failed to eject, tested my BCG and extractor with 300 BLK snap caps (red) no issues, so im chalking it up to flukes

still recommend the controlled chaos for best reliability and accuracy out to 400 yards (havent gotten to try past that yet)

[Duzell]

battle arms takedown pins arrived

installed in like 2 seconds ....

so worth the price to reduce the hassle

available at brownells on sale for 28$ish zone?

better then standard 50$ pricing ....

and now they have titanium ones ?

[Duzell]

so rattlesnake is finished (when my keymod gets in.....from midwest)


mission statement: LR308

(NOTE , must retool design do to cmmg lower being an LR308 and not a typical ar10)

accurate, long range rifle, meant to handle target shooting or long trecks


The drk wyvern project will be focusing on accuracy, but reliability is another top teir goal.

initial setup
CMMG completed lower MK3

STAGE 1
parts to aquaire:
-juggernaut tactical/TM upper DPMS lr 308
-juggernaut tactical keymod lr308
-match barrel stainless fluted
- leitner wise match BCG
- stock (collapsible)
-OPTICS (leopold/redfield or vortex)
-grip
-charge handle: rainer raptor or juggernaut tac
-gas system
STAGE 2
TBD


(i want to point out i am not a hunter, only a target shooter, but i do act as spotter on hunts, so i design my rifles to be reliable and durable as if i would use them for hunting, as i know many in the forum are both do i choose my parts carefully and test them)

[Duzell]

setup ar15 rattlesnake
-ar15 lower, by anderson , teflon coated -103$

-rainer arms raptor (reused part) -65$

-spikes tactical upper stripped forged -108$
( reused part, and was problem part of 300 blackwidow)

-bushmaster LPK(lower parts kit) 45$

-battle arms takedown pins (enhanced) 25$

-brownells buffer kit- 49$

-lowprofile gas block, long -20$

-CARBB button - 15$

-strike fire dust cover (quick install) 18$

-stainless gas tube 15$

-556 tactical BLACK keymod rail 199$
not so quick install(bad instructions) but wanted to give them a shot, heard lots of good things about the company. its solid and i like it

-aero precision nib bolt 199$

-1/8 twist 556 mil spec barrel standard -107$
-sights magpul flip irons 85$

-large muzzle match break style 20$

-bravo company keymod grip

-SBS stock 299.99$
http://www.slidefire.com/

[IMG]setup ar15 rattlesnake
-ar15 lower, by anderson , teflon coated -103$

-rainer arms raptor (reused part) -65$

-spikes tactical upper stripped forged -108$
( reused part, and was problem part of 300 blackwidow)

-bushmaster LPK(lower parts kit) 45$

-battle arm,s takedown pins (enhanced) 25$

-brownells buffer kit- 49$

-lowprofile gas block, long -20$

-CARBB button - 15$

-strike fire dust cover (quick install) 18$

-stainless gas tube 15$

-midwest industries 12" keymod rail 199$ (quick install, and off and on rails)

-aero precision nib bolt

-1/8 twist 556 mil spec barrel standard -107$
-sights magpul flip irons

-large muzzle match break style 20$

AND THE FINAL PART
-SBS stock 299.99$
http://www.slidefire.com/[/IMG]

[Duzell]

Two projects completed this year

Blackout widow-completed

Rattlesnake-completed
(tests fire has been delayed due to extensive rain and storms)

the Later project for next year will be the CMMG LR-308

I've been trying to guess what I plan to do with this firearm, pure target rifle , or would i design it to be also used out in the field. i always want my rifles to be accurate and reliable, but designing it for specific uses is what i try to go with

as the application of the 308 will out-range my ar15's, it should be design around mid to long range engagement.

The environment is usually a desert or flat earth grass , so color should be matching to break up the outline

the key points of this rifles accuracy will be the barrel and the BCG


so im renaming the project from DRKWYVERN to Desert Dragon

build will start with the cmmg lower

-TM upper (black)
-NIB bcg
-20" stainless barrel
-(still unsure of charging handle)


FDE
- mako GL stock (cheek riser) with the monopod(black)
- rubber grip
- midwest industries KEYMOD rail
-possibility of battlezone scope with adjustable parallax (as the blackouts scope has shown great performance)
and again the possibility of break will depend on the barrel

my hope is to keep the price lower then 2k

i may also have parts FDE cerrakoted

[MagnumWill]

I would highly recommend finding better lower parts kits than a $45 Bushmaster kit. I put a Windham LPK in my 3-gun AR; the trigger does not do me any favors, and noticeably impedes accuracy - a Spike's kit is around 80 bucks, but worth every penny and the trigger pull shows it (I can only imagine what a Geissele feels like). So if you'really planning on doing a nice, accurate .308 - get a decent LPK and you'll thank yourself later. Trigger's better, springs are better, roll pins are better... needless to say, I have a Spike's NiB trigger assembly coming to replace my Windham trigger.

[Duzell]

I totally agree. I designed the rattlesnake around some basic parts, I intended on all my ars to drop in better trigger groups. For now I just want them functional and then I'll go from there with accuracy mods to improve them.

I personal don't like spikes as I had a bad experience with the upper I used in the rattlesnake, originally in widow. I eventually gave up on their joke of a warranty and customer service. So I'd buy any other brand but them, I realize many have had good purchases with them , but it was a very bs situation that they clearly did not want to fix. So much so most of my local gunshops won't stock their parts anymore

[MagnumWill]

Hmm. Noted. So far i've gotten good stuff from Spike's, but i'm not sworn to them by any means. Regardless, you can expect a good trigger to make the rifle a hell of a lot more repeatable, and an improved trigger pull just makes the rifle feel, well... higher quality as a whole.

[Duzell]

so took the toy out to a private range and let loose with 100s of rounds via many 10 rounders coupled (kalaforniastan did not impede my fun)

the slide fire
unlike traditional shooting if your more relaxed it works better or faster as it were . a tight setup in shooting will make it fire slowly and very controllable and accurate

did an 6+ hour shoot with it , barrel got nice and HOT

using the federal green tip surplus ammo , was very entertaining and satisfying to burn through ammo

now the wiggle in the stock actually didn't make much different when shooting semi instead of slide, i put a few rounds at roughly 150 yards into a plate close to center

very fun way to have a shoot and just was enjoying the performance.

about 8:30pm pacific the gas block failed and is no longer functional

so im moving to a Geissele Gas Block Low Profile. which has a set screw in the side which will work better on my 16" GI standard barrel

and thinking to adding a lantac dragon for better fire control

[Duzell]

weve got an aero precision forged FDE upper it looks nice but needed a little wearing down on areas due to thickness of cerakote

Just got a new FAXON firearms 20", .308 (DPMS Pattern), 416-R Stainless, Black QPQ, Heavy Fluted, barrel

im glad i got one while it was in stock , haha

next is to get a midwestindustries keymod

lantac dragon , and some higher end gas system

charging handle (ambi) and BCG (aero precision nib)

Change stock to an LMT
http://www.lmtstore.com/bolts-carrie...ps/dmr556.html

Then I will have parts cerakoted FDE (lantac, keymod, stock)

[Duzell]

I was so nervous , this was my first time testing the rattlesnake and slidefire

even forgot to switch off the safety

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2tFQAwBt7I

[Duzell]

So an update to project and parts

Rattlesnake:
the 556 gas block had an issue , so I exchanged the basic block for a geissele gas block. the roll pin included was over sized and did not work for install (tossed it) and then i installed basic roll pin in my GI barrel /gas block pingment system. held nice and tight now

ran 100+ rounds and no issues , in semi it hit a 257 yard plate (irons magpul flip), and in slidefire hit a 100 yard target fairly well (hit the target and that works for me)

contemplating installing a devil dog concept charge handle. it would make the slidefire setup more fluid i believe

Black Widow:
issue has arose
the leitner wise MFG nitride enhanced bolt failed , extractor is over clamping and not releasing brass , and now causing double feeds. exchanged BCG with a aero precision (used in the rattlesnake) and the 300 AAC ar15 ran perfectly(using same magazine and everything)


so eliminating other parts on further inspection shows excessive wear on the extractor. contacted leitner wise and they no longer make nitride bolts (sad) but offered to replace mine with their NIB enhanced bolt with a nitride extractor. I accepted this and hope to have my leitner nitride BCG back in action soon

I just like to keep what happens in the open and so people can see what issues have arisen and possible solutions

so far the LR308 is on back burner again (hope it can progress soon)

[Duzell]

a few friends of mine wanted some custom guns built. so I offered ar15 platform as a solution. helping them select parts and build it to their specifications

project titles and descriptions below

(if you have recommendations for either project in terms of parts , its depreciated)

Snow Dragon: building for a friend from russia, hes going to have some cool art done to it once its all done so it says "white russian" and has a glass with ice and such

project parameters: white ceracote lower, nib upper, white ceracote handguard. black LMT dmr stock. heavy target shooter, low recoil.

currently we have a 24" inch heavy fluted match barrel (556) to shoot either 223/556 depending on availability and a semi completed lower, going to install the buffer system next
using a yankee hill machine stripped forged lower

this is going to result in a long range 556 target shooter, for competition (hopefully)

were trying to find a good NIB bcg that will be reliable.
so far
aero precision, lietner wise, jp enterprise, and WMD were some we are considering

upper is a NIB scorpion tactical, hanguard is midwest industries 15" keymod

used a cmmg LPK, but entually going to move to a drop in match trigger

Forest Dragon: this is going to be designed for a buddy who wants to go hunting with an ar15 platform

no current parts so far , but the design is to create a ar15 that can be used for hunting (556/223 is preferred) ammo of the user, so im trying to take that in consideration, basically duck hunting with a shotgun normally, but he wants to go for deer next.

were planning to send it in for a camo coating , and use a good hunting optic

[Duzell]

so the aero precision BCG came in

VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWpV9Wvq0m8

its very nice

also have the phase 5 ambi lr308 charge handle on the way

also have a surprise for this design, but that will wait