WOW Augee is that an issue rifle?  If not, that is the most loved personal AR I've ever seen

Double Tap

I think the ones that I saw get chewed up and break were MI and KZ

But if your saying the cqd mounts are a different material that would put my worries at ease because the MI and KZ were soft as hell

The CQD mount is steel.  I'm not familiar with KZ mounts - but looking at a picture, it looks like a re-branded retread of the MI add-on mount, which is aluminum.  

I will say - the CQD mount holds up better over a year than an MI after four months.  

The MI mount's good for when you need a short term, temporary solution, and you absolutely cannot simply replace the end-plate.  Otherwise, regardless of type or style, I would consistently recommend replacement end plates over retrofits - it doesn't hurt that most of them are steel, either.  

Lower is a personally owned 6920 on a Form 1 with "big pin" SSA installed.  

~Augee

We were issued the MIs and KZs before deployment and were not allowed to have our own end plates on. Most of the ones I saw break were in predeployment training, saw one break in Iraq but by then most of us had bought our own better ones.

I've used CQD mounts on and off since 2005.

One of my most used CQD rail mounts has worn out a HK snap hook.  It has also cut its way thru a few nylon slings.  Other then lots of surface rust, it looks mostly new.

A couple more of the mount and the hooks - and some of what the hooks do to the surrounding area.  Hooks are Gear Sector.  

One thing about Krylon of course being, it shows wear real quick, and it really shows where the most common wear points are.  

The "lip" above the storage tube on the SOPMOD is "beveled" thanks to HK hooks and using the CQD mount, as is a lot of the paint wear on and around the castle nut and receiver extension boss:









~Augee

That sir is just a beautiful set up. Good job.

Where does one get on of those anyway?  Anyone selling any? If it is a prototype won't the price be through the roof?

Don't get on often here in afghanistan, but i was able to order it and already got my shipping confirmation from Midway! Thanks for the heads up.

Should the M3X be in xenon or LED?

I believe the NSN issued kit is Xenon... that being said, get the LED if you can!

While I find the LED model on my 1911 to be brighter, I like my Xenon M3X on my M4, the ability to focus the beam makes it a quick aiming device.

I haven't tried my Xenon that way, I'll have to give that a shot! I much prefer LED's in general for their 'cleaner' light output and better battery life across the board. I only have the one M3X on my PR Clone and saw some M600 Scouts on Block II's so my other clones all have Surefire Scout lights.

Hell I'm thinking about just painting my black one since i got it for $145 from dvor

6920 cut to 14.5", permanently attached Surefire FH556-212A, shaved FSB - all done by ADCO

Right on man!

Sweet now add a Eotech 553 and the correct Surefire Weapon light and your done.

 

Looks Great! Adco does good work. They did all my uppers.

Surefire 212 vs 215 vs new socom 3 prong?

212 has some legitness as seen from some photos, the 215 was the one the recent contract surefire won was for right? Is the newer 3 prong part of the contract too or no?

From what Ive read, SOCOM is using the new cans now with with a different older 4 prong mount.  The new 3 prong is said to be a better design, but came into existence after the SOCOM 4 prong was adopted.  SF does not intend to sell the SOCOM 4 prong design to the public as they feel the new 3 prong is superior.

You mean the 215A? Or is there some secret squirrel different one you are talking about?

My understanding is that SOCOM (with the new can) is using a 4 pronged mount with the new mounting design.  So not the 215, not the 3P.  Something in between.

I have an early 215 with the grooves cut in it.  It ring louder and worse then a vortex.  Honestly I find it annoying.

Gotcha.

Did the barrel shortening cut off any of the barrel stamps? I was thinking of going the route since I can find a few 16" socoms but wanted a 14.5".

double tap

What are the correct back up sights for the Block II rifle?

Rear; KAC or Matech and which model or number?

Front; KAC ? what model or  number?

Its in the very first post on the very first page.

Rear sight:
KAC 300m
KAC 600m
MaTech

Front sight:
KAC flip up in tan
standard front sight base (if early Block II with M4 RAS)

Rear:

http://www.operationparts.com/KAC_Knights_300_Meter_Flip_Up_Rear_Iron_Sight_BUIS_p/97082.htm

http://www.operationparts.com/KAC_Knights_600m_Flip_Up_Rear_Iron_Sight_BUIS_p/98474.htm

http://www.operationparts.com/Matech_AR_15_M16_Usgi_Backup_Iron_Sight_p/100-003-702.htm

Front:

http://www.operationparts.com/KAC_Knights_Armament_RAS_Front_Folding_Sight_TAUPE_p/99051-taupe.htm

Yes, the cutting and contouring I had done indeed took off the barrel markings/stamping near the muzzle.  



I gotta get some non-Iphone pics

Thank you for your helpful information and links!

crap.

i feel like giving up on this damn build.

NOOO!  Mine took forever and it's still not done.  And I have several other projects that are taking forever.  It'll be worth the wait!

What do you need for it? Mines not going to be exact but it will be close.

i know i could just get a midlength barrel for it, or an M4 profile, but everytime i look at it i will have just a LITTLE bit of regret. and so, i still need:

colt M4 upper
colt 14.5" SOCOM barrel (i am not paying $600 for a barrel)
DD gas block
surefire 212A
DD ris II

other than that, i'm peachy. got a lower with an FDE lmt sopmod, got the KAC 2-600m buis, have the KAC taupe front sight on the way, and an eotech. i think i went backwards

 Have you considered going DD and ordering a custom upper from them if not dead set on the Colt?  I took that route after having problems trying to source the parts.  (I did go the midlength route).

I am building a block II clone but I'm not strictly adhering to all the guidelines. I was wondering since the mk 18 gas block is more expensive and harder to find right now, how would it stack up to the BCM gas block that looks almost identical? Thoughts anyone?

BCM Low Profile Gas Block

No bad Nape!

Dont give up on your build. It'll take time to get what you need but you'll get there.





Look at my 2nd block 2 build. Ive had every but the BCG,CH,frt sight & rear sight and I just managed to snag 2 BCG (didnt plan on the 2nd )




Dont let the friction interfere (hehe)

i dont know why, but if i am going to do this i want it to be all colt. just for my personal enjoyment. plus, i dont have a colt anything, so might as well do this one. (at least the upper, fuck the lower.)

hard to find? DD has them in stock on their site.

This too shall pass.  

I've never paid more than $300 for a Colt RO921HB barrel.  It just takes time and patience.

If no other consolation - you've already got the serial numbered part.  

You've got the hard to find/hard to get finishing touches that usually stymie everyone else so close to the finish line.  

If you want it, you can build it exactly the way you want it, and without spending a used car's worth of the king's gold.  

Heck, I started planning my MK 12 MOD 0 build in December of 2011, and it's probably still at least another ten months from completion.  If things go well.  

I have an M231 clone pistol build that I've been working on since 2009.  

Long builds are always the best ones, IMHO.  Makes you appreciate 'em that much more.  

~Augee

Hey Nape, guess what?  You can't see the barrel contour or gas system when it's shoved under the handguards.  Buy a goddamn barrel already and get this shit on the road, ya hear?  You got until Page 500 to get that piece of shit finished, got it?


 

The BCM block looks pretty similar to many of the generic low-profile gas blocks out there like the Troy and YHM, enough so that I'm not fully convinced they're not all the same OEM.  

It will differ from the MK 12 (Crane SOPMOD, DD, KAC) gas block in the general profile (narrower base where the set-screws are and a more gradual transition from the gas tube area to the barrel OD portion) and not having the gas tube hole go all the way through.  The biggest difference, however, will be that the Crane/DD/KAC gas block is made of 416 stainless steel and oxide coated, versus the [presumably] carbon steel, phosphate coating of the BCM.  

Now - without getting into a discussion of which is better or which is more worth the money -

- There is little reason to believe that the BCM gas block would be a poor substitute, or would not work for the intended purpose.  It will work.  A gas block is a pretty pretty simple piece of machinery, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist from NSWC-Crane to get one to work

- Even though to those who are quite familiar with the Crane gas block and its differences from another gas block, for a Block II SOPMOD build, it will, by its very nature, be almost invisible to anyone.  It would take very careful observation in person to tell the difference - and you could literally lie about it and post pictures here, and no one would know but you.  You would get morale points for being unswerving in your devotion to clone perfection - but no one would even know unless you told them.  

I am currently running on Block II uppers - 1 ea. KAC, 1ea. LaRue, and 1ea. Damage Industries (originally advertised as a DD gas block for $30... I took the risk and bought one, turns out it was a parkerized carbon steel gas block, only cut to the shape of a Crane gas block - Damage has since changed their description to read MK12 style, which torqued me for a little bit, until five minutes later, I realized - I hadn't paid a DD price for it, and... well, it was a freaking gas block, and I needed a freaking gas block).  

Will the next low profile gas block I buy probably be a DD?  Yes.  Is it important enough to disassemble two perfectly functioning uppers that I already have to install the "correct" gas block so that I can have warm and fuzzies about what's hidden under the rail?  Probably not.  

So - don't know if I made the choice easier or harder for you - but there you have it.  

~Augee

Thanks Augee, in a weird way that actually helped hahaha

I'm going with this. Only people that are into block clones will know when they look at it. Nobody else will know the difference. Both of my block II rifles have been midlengths.

I had my barrel cut and restamped



In my opinion, a shaved FSB is better

How? I also snapped up a colt n1 stock for this build. I don't know why but why not?

I too,  am guilty of having a shaved front sight w/ mid length gas system.