m16a1 style build

[YoungMilsurpGuy]

Tell me this is a bad idea but

I recently handled and fired an original m16a1 style colt AR-15 and was impressed on how light and well balanced it was(less weight up front like heavy barrels, muzzle breaks, flashlights, vfgs etc) , and the pleasant shooting characteristics (less muzzle blast and noise, less recoil even though a 14.5 pinned AR is also quite mild). I also like the ballistics of 5.56 better with the 20 inch barrel.

Im thinking of building an AR and getting the furniture to match the m16a1 but also use more modern internal parts and a nice trigger, as well as seeing about mounting a modern 1-5x type variable power scope on it on the carry handle. Anyone have any experiance mounting carry handle optics, or getting a1 hand guards and buttstocks to more modern AR parts? Also anyone know where to get good colt or repro parts for a reasonable price? And where to get relative thin 20" barrels with the faster twist rates?

 

[HoughMade]

So what you're saying is, the original design may have had some advantages that the tacticool crowd has missed out on.

Go figure.

I'm not going to talk you out of it. I've been thinking of doing this since I turned my A1 in.

 

[YoungMilsurpGuy]

So what you're saying is, the original design may have had some advantages that the tacticool crowd has missed out on.

Go figure.

I'm not going to talk you out of it. I've been thinking of doing this since I turned my A1 in.

Yeah, also I think it was a mistake to go away from the rifle length gas system and longer barrels since 5.56 was designed for them. Instead of going for the m4 carbine, we would of been far better going with short-stroke gas piston gun in a slightly larger caliber like 6.8 SPC or .280 british, sort of like what the europeans originally wanted to do with the FAL, but that would be admitting we were wrong lol

 

[red_zr24x4]

My only AR is an A2 style. Fixed carry handle, 20" pencil barrel. Classic design.
I've thought about doing a 16" carbine the same way.

 

[BogWalker]

Any opinions on the NoDak Spud A1 style upper and lowers?

I remember maybe 1-2 years back when there were Vietnam-era A1 parts kits on the net pretty commonly. I think Apex had them. Should have grabbed one up. They were rough, but you can't get much more original than the original.

 

[Thor]

Well, luckily you have a few decades of improvements to incorporate...because I would only wish an original on my enemies. Except for the collectors value of course.

 

[jinks]

Tell me this is a bad idea but


Im thinking of building an AR and getting the furniture to match the m16a1 but also use more modern internal parts and a nice trigger, as well as seeing about mounting a modern 1-5x type variable power scope on it on the carry handle. Anyone have any experiance mounting carry handle optics, or getting a1 hand guards and buttstocks to more modern AR parts? Also anyone know where to get good colt or repro parts for a reasonable price? And where to get relative thin 20" barrels with the faster twist rates?

Using a scope mounted on the carry handle requires a cheek piece or a chin weld rather than cheek weld. The scope is mounted too high. I have a Colt Delta HBAR R6600 that came with a carry handle mounted scope and cheek piece. I find the Colt difficult to use with the scope and cheek piece. I built an AR15 with a surplus M16A1 upper for my grandson and he uses a scope on it and he shoots with his jaw on top of the stock. He is OK shooting that way but he shoots a scoped flat top much better.

 

[YoungMilsurpGuy]

Using a scope mounted on the carry handle requires a cheek piece or a chin weld rather than cheek weld. The scope is mounted too high. I have a Colt Delta HBAR R6600 that came with a carry handle mounted scope and cheek piece. I find the Colt difficult to use with the scope and cheek piece. I built an AR15 with a surplus M16A1 upper for my grandson and he uses a scope on it and he shoots with his jaw on top of the stock. He is OK shooting that way but he shoots a scoped flat top much better.

So bascially you shoot it with a chin weld like a PU sniper or AKMS? Im good with that as I shoot both of them quite well

 

[jinks]

So bascially you shoot it with a chin weld like a PU sniper or AKMS? Im good with that as I shoot both of them quite well

Yes the scope is mounted too high to shoot with a normal cheek weld. After many years shooting conventional rifles, shooting a rifle with very high or off set sights is unsettling to me.

 

[Hkindiana]

You can join AR15.com forums, and they have a special "retro" forum that is devoted to offering help with retro builds. I am currently in the process of building a prototype-type Armalite AR15 with cocking "trigger" underneath the carrying handle. I'm also trying to build one of every model AR used in Vietnam. The "EE" (Equipment Exchange) on AR15.com, and Gun Broker are great sources for all of the parts you will need for your build. Good luck with your build, and try not to get "black rifle" fever. I know I have a serious case of it, and fear it is incurable.

 

[red_zr24x4]

Using a scope mounted on the carry handle requires a cheek piece or a chin weld rather than cheek weld. The scope is mounted too high. I have a Colt Delta HBAR R6600 that came with a carry handle mounted scope and cheek piece. I find the Colt difficult to use with the scope and cheek piece. I built an AR15 with a surplus M16A1 upper for my grandson and he uses a scope on it and he shoots with his jaw on top of the stock. He is OK shooting that way but he shoots a scoped flat top much better.

I have 2 "z" mounts I bought down at Knob Creek a few years ago, with these you could mount an aimpoint type sight. You look through the rear sight and channel in the carry handle, just like you normally would. The red dot is right on top the front sight,kind of co-witness, red ball on top of the sight post.

 

[curraheeguns]

NoDak is GTG.

They are are hard to get sometimes due to demand (hence they don't have dealer pricing) but the product is great.

 

[curraheeguns]

I think a 20" with A3 upper and redot would rock. True battle rifle.

 

[jinks]

I have 2 "z" mounts I bought down at Knob Creek a few years ago, with these you could mount an aimpoint type sight. You look through the rear sight and channel in the carry handle, just like you normally would. The red dot is right on top the front sight,kind of co-witness, red ball on top of the sight post.

I have tried the Z type mounts with a red dot on a fixed carry handle AR but looking through the sights at a red dot is redundant.

 

[Bfish]

I like a good 20" AR heck I'd even leave the standard hand guards on it too! They are fun to shoot and shoot well really. Something nice about it and it just seems simplistic... Go for it OP I think Reid Hendricks has something like that he did a video on not too long ago. You may check it out.

 

[tradertator]

I think my favorite barrel length for an AR is 20", and I love the fixed stock. Mounting an optic off of the carry handle however, sucks.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Been dialing in the authenticity of a Colt 602 model myself. Old A1 upper with no forward assist or deflector, triangle guards, thin 12" twist barrel, the lot. I need to make one of my 80% lowers to spec, and I've been trying to track down a 20rd waffle magazine. I do have some more modern internals, though.

 

[goneshooting]

Go buy an older Colt SP-1 already done.

 

[BGDave]

How about pictures? Not a good one. Even has a fake Colt scope.

 

[throttletony]

Sounds like a great build -- I can't event try to talk you out of it.
My only suggestion would be to consider a flattop receiver to bring the scope down, otherwise keeping it like a M16a1 sounds great!