I like the disclaimer at the beginning. I know other people also disclose but they try to downplay how that affects them. And that makes them seem so slimy even if they’re honest.
Hop, I think you're an honest and genuine enough guy to tell thousands of people that your buddy made a crap rifle. And if he's any sort of weapon builder he will take honest criticism without having his feelings hurt.
Re: The Disclaimer at the front of the vid It's nearly impossible to not make friends in the industry once you've been in it for awhile. I think where I personally draw the line is with giant fucking corporations. With a friend who runs a smaller company (like Militaworks), forming a close personal relationship with them where you can give them honest feedback that helps them improve their product is only a benefit and given that you've got a solid track record for being open, honest, and upfront with your personal opinions, I don't think there is anything wrong with reviewing or accepting reviews from friends in the industry.
*common misconception about A5 REs is that they allow extra length of travel for the BCG, which is not true. The RE is slightly longer than a carbine but the buffer is also longer so the length of travel is the same. However, it allows you to use a rifle length spring in a slightly shorter than rifle length RE so you get a little more tension in the spring opposing the BCG.
Check out the Tubbs flatwire buffer spring, it’s rifle sized but can fit in a carbine tube, you get basically a5 performance without special buffer tubes and buffers.
Not sure if you'd know the answer to this, but couldn't exactly the same effect be achieved by just using a slightly higher tension spring in a carbine RE? I know things like flatwire springs already exist, but I'm wondering why people seem to like the A5 over higher tension carbine springs.
I am from England and do not shoot anything but the occasional twelve gage and 308 hunting rifle (both for hunting), but I still love these videos. The build quality and attention to detail on these tools and within this industry as a whole is just unmatched. It’s like fine watchmaking.
There are times when I am baffled by the sheer amount of iterations, innovations, minor adjustments, and in some cases truly significant additions, by so many different companies, that the AR-15 continues to receive to this day, in spite of being as old and omnipresent as it is. And then I remember swords.
The differences between 9310 and Carp. 158 are minimal and both appear in each other's 'substitute steel' list for most applications. The real difference is that Carpenter 158 is a registered trademark of Carpenter Technology Corporation of America, while 9310 was developed in Europe. Both steels share similar characteristics (strength, hardness, toughness) and both offer similar performance (resistance to impact, resistance to abrasion). Both steels are suitable for small arms bolt head applications.
Glad to see people enjoying those rails out there. Used to work for Centurion and made many thousands of the C4 rails and the FCD versions, as well as a lot of the CM4 rifles that are out there.
..love quads, and HAVE an M-Lok DD V7p .300 BLK. There’s a place for BOTH. With my DD M4A1 I have the ‘RISII’..wouldn’t believe there’s a better rail than THAT one anyway!
Is this the: “we have mk18 at home”. This thing looks awesome. Great Job Hop, I honestly don’t have to tell your father this time. Seriously Awsome rig. Thank you !
One thing worth mentioning - if you’re going to dedicate a traditional high backpressure suppressor to a carbine gas 11.5, you can get away with a MUCH smaller gas port than you might think. My main squeeze rifle is an 11.5 criterion core with a YHM turbo k - buffer is a VLTOR A5-H2 and a sprinco green spring. I bought an ez-tune gas tube from BRT and let them pick the size - they sent me the tube with the .057 port (roughly equivalent to .055-.056 on the barrel). With the turbo k, the gun shoots incredibly soft and 100% reliable, even with steel case ammo. Unless you’re using a very low backpressure suppressor, the truly optimal point for tuning is so far apart between unsuppressed and suppressed that I don’t think it’s worth it trying to get an AR set up for both.
For me, I found the Bootleg Adjustable Gas carriers to solve those different port flow requirements for me. It has 4 positions that can be set with a small flat head screw driver through the ejection port. You don’t even need to disassemble anything. I put 3 of them some of my 6.5 Grendels. I have no affiliation with the company other than customer. Wish they would have been around a long time ago.
REALLY nice build. Very high-end, I’d be thrilled with it. Seems NOTHING’S been left to chance for a quality AR. As for the ‘extras’..great call on the list of those mentioned EXCEPT FOR..the SB4. Personal choice there for me. Everything from the SF light, Arisaka mount, the handguard TO the Vltor A5 b/tube, VERY nice. Great video and editing to boot!
Man I had no clue ALG discontinued their rails. That's extremely sad to hear, the first AR I ever built (and only one I own) has one and it's one of the few components I've never considered changing. Easily over 20k rounds through that AR and almost every other aspect of that rifle has been changed over the years except that rail because it's just perfect.
Hop, I’m not sure if I should thank you or be upset. I just spent over $1200 building an (almost) complete receiver set from militia works because of this video 😂
@@nastysoda9212 I can guarantee if I bought all the same parts and put it together myself it would not be as good. I’m not a total idiot, but I don’t have access to a proper shop and am not as autistically focused on detail. The final product would have issues, whereas I doubt that with these.
@@schizosaint777 It's a lot easier than you think, and you would have it exactly how you want it. Even in the video he had to swap out buffers and dial it in to his liking. Also paid a massive premium for no reason wwhich could have gone into a better trigger or optics.
@@schizosaint777 if you buy all the same exact parts and put it together. Then it not turn out as good. Then you probably are a idiot. Even a child can put a small Lego kit together correctly. It's a AR not a custom 1911 or AK where the final fit and finish determine the final product. You don't need a big shop and tons of tools to assemble a AR put together with pre manufactured parts.
First AR I bought was a factory build. I ended up replacing every single part (including receivers) on it except the buffer tube and spring. Was literally able to rebuild the gun out of my scrap pile. Gun had alot of problems from the factory, burred feed ramps, gas block misaligned etc. Not sure if I'll ever buy another factory built AR to be honest. After building several AR"s I honestly don't think there's anything they can do better in a factory than I can do in my garage. I've never had a single problem with any AR I've built so far. Just do your research and buy good parts. Great video btw.
It's neat. Cool to see what different companies do. Not super interested in it, but I like seeing new configurations companies make that may have slight benefits in certain areas.
You need to try the Wrenchman mlok rail...there was two versions...one version had a longer barrel nut to have a more rigid rail. Sadly, I think only the smaller barrel nut version is available, but if ANY Wrenchman is available, buy it! It's rail was so snug, I had to use a hair dryer to install it and it is solid! It was made by PWS for Brownells.
The reasoning behind the Centurion/FCD rail is similar to why i initially went with a Daniel Defense Omega 9.0 quad rail, tho i specifically went with it since it works with a delta ring and doesnt hinder a fixed FSB nor did it require the sight base and handguard cap to be removed for installation. The fact that it only works with factory barrel nuts was a bonus. The gun never got setup for low light/night stuff like i had planned on though cuz my wife shot it on its first day at the range, decided she wanted it, but didnt like the quad rail lol. I threw a drop-in mlok HG from B5, so it definitely isnt going to hold a PEQ or DBAL solid enough to bother trying.
............. put a pic rail section on it and then put an atpial c (peq's are not available to civilians ) the d bal needs a metal rail section to grab properly the atpial will work on a kydex pic rail section.... so basically you are just making BS excuses
@@Hoplopfheil LMAO they work just fine for me Hoss, you are talking to a gun smith btw so dont try to argue, i have a lot more rounds under my belt than you do. try some Loctite on those threads before you install the pic rail buddy, that means you got to take it apart and actually apply the stuff to the threaded screw that goes in the locking device so that the vibration from the barrel doesn't cause it to come loose. same with optics. furthermore the top rail is always solid so you could just mount the device on the top if you just cant trust the Loctite. quad rails were replaced to reduce overall weight with all the gadgets on board, but just like anything that is held on by screws, you need thread locker.
@@stevej9636 Hmm do I listen to NSWC Crane or some random dipshit gunsmith, which is barely a real job? I think I know my answer to that. MLOK isn't going to hold zero, it's not designed to.
@@stevej9636 I was about to lookup some product I was going to buy for my AR, then I read this stupid comment and it made me forget. So thanks Stevie Wonder the "GuNsmIth" Hold that zero hoss dog.
This look reminds me of my Sig 516 rifle. I got a 516 upper on g-broker late 2019, just before the plandem^c/ for only $340 shipped. I threw it on a basic forged Anderson lower with PSA kit parts and it has been a killer piston setup for dirt cheap. I have a 10.5" that I put an Osprey piston kit on, that still has std handguards so I can actually shoot it a lot. People seem to underestimate how bad the new modern rails heat up. I still tend to like a good STD handguard or quad rail myself; even though I do have a dozen modern style rifles too.
Hop do you think it's more worthwhile to do a bit of research and put together a gun from the ground up, or just buy a more boutique version like this militia works? I just build my own from the ground up, and it was bit of a headache trying to source all parts and get everything put together, but it also handles EXACTLY how I want it to. I dunno seems like an interesting topic of discussion
I think every dude should build at least 1 AR to learn the platform. But at some point you may want to just click one button and get a nice, proper rifle. In my experience most AR home builds end up with some idiosyncratic parts on them.
I built my first AR to save money on a high ended noveske. It allowed me to put the parts I wanted on it rather than buy a whole gun and then replace parts.
Building your own ARs is the quickest and costliest way to learn you should have let a good builder make your first. I'm not upset that I have only ever built my own or that I own more tools as a consequence, but it for sure cost me a LOT of time and money to start approaching the level of knowledge that MW has. And forget about SOTAR etc. I didn't even fuck up, my builds came out great and I still learned I don't know shit
@@sluttybutt Well being a mechanic I wasn’t scared nor did I need many tools. What concerns me is that a lot of teachers tell horror stories of home builds failing during classes. Factory builds tend to be more reliable seems to be what I keep hearing. I’m going to run mine through a class and see what works and what don’t. I know my weak point is my adjustable gas block so I’d like to figure something different there.
It will take you at least 4 or 5 builds to figure out which parts/features that are actually reliable and worthwhile. But that time, you could have probably bought 2 very high end, off the shelf platforms and saved yourself a lot of hassle and frustrauion.
I'm glad you brought up Midwest Industries rails. They make a decent product as far as quad rails...but boy are they FAT. I had a drop in set that I later sold because they were just TOO pregnant for me.
I ran a stock buffer tube and h2 buffer initially on my 11.5 URGI upper. It failed to lock open a few times which bothered me alot. I threw on a A5-1 buffer and its amazing. I am convinced it really increases reliability while also making it smoother!
Hey Dane also sold me a 13.7 gun too! I'm at 700 rounds, I'm gonna make a video when I get to 1000 myself to also vouch for it. All this from joining Brass Facts' server lol. Edit: lol my buddy who works at LMT immediately shit all over it, said the stake job was blown out and many other gripes lol.
I like it. Personally doing an ambi bolt-release seems like a waste of a potentially good ambi bolt-lock/release, but that's just me. I'm looks for an LMT lower to swap with my milspec, and I run an A5 so I'm glad to see that on here.
I don’t believe their tubes are adjustable. They just make custom sized gas tubes to work in tandem with your specific port size and ammunition to create as smooth of a shooting experience as possible.
Flub’d is correct, its just a gas tube with a smaller hole for folks who can’t easily use an adjustable gas block (such as someone with a pinned gas block or a fixed front sight block). Its not meant to be a go to device, its sort of a work around if you have a gun that is over gassed and you also cant use an adjustable block.
@@jimyeats yeah, I know what it is, I was lazy with my wording, but you are correct. The tube is not "adjustable", you get on their website and answer a series of questions and they make a gas tube with a smaller diameter for your particular overgassing issues.
One of my rifles is one of those 12-13 pound range with less capability ones. Sling, magnifier, red dot, and Modlite. The problem? LMT LM8 upper has a 16 inch heavy profile barrel. Any more weight added is just silly, because it's already so forward heavy, so I don't bother using it with NV.
My only question on this would be if they allow special requests. Because I would love to get my hands on one of these with the superlative arms short stroke piston
Most "deep-mind" AR guys won't run adjustable systems, usually due to poor experiences with the products on hard use rifles. I can't say for certain if the SA products carry on as poorly as a lot of other adjustable gas systems. The rule of quality requires builders to question, "Is the product good enough that I would put my name on it?" TDP plays a huge part in how professionals put guns together.
Can really appreciate companies that know when to not reinvent the wheel. Using BRT barrel, VLTOR A5 RE, FCD/Centy rail, and other industry leading parts makes it really nice instead of say Sig which has to make literally every part but worse and says TREAD That being said, I'm at the point in AR buying that I'd build this instead of buy it
Is there a advantage to a chrome lined barrel over one that is QPQ? On paper (literally, issue #13 of Recoil, which was the first issue I ever bought, had a article on firearms finishes which included a 'tale of the tape' comparison chart) they are very evenly matched. The only things I could think of would be a accuracy advantage for QPQ and maybe the chrome being more resistant to heating up? This has become my top guntube channel, no bullsheet
@@Falconguygaming Chrome lining is physical more durable than QPQ (salt bath nitride). So if the material is physically stronger, it will take longer to wear out.
On the other side a Nitrided barrel has been cited as being more accurate as the process is a metal treatment instead of adding material to the barrel. Pick your poison.
Noice. Rifle. I made my 14.7 my do everything rifle. It’s a piston LWRC A5, eotech exps3-4 and g45 magnifier, surefire 640DF Turbo, full power PEQ-15 and a Saker 556k suppressor. She’s chonky (11.5 pounds.) but she’s capable and she is mine.
If you tune it right a vltor A5 buffer with a suppressor is the smoothest shooting gun ever. Went with it on my LMT specwar build, it helps that its a midlength gas system too. I don't know what spring it has but I'd recommend a Tubbs flatwire
