The Franken-SlagleRock Monster

OK, Ok, so I know, I have been guilty of spotty posting over the past few months. Ever since my ex-wife and I separated/divorced last year I have been too busy to post like I used to. I've recently been made the NonCommissioned Officer in Charge of my section, and I have a wonderful Fiancee who keeps me very busy! I have tried at various times to get back in the groove, and have even promised to post more regularly once again only to fall flat. So, I have decided, no more promises on great posts daily. I will simply post when something strikes that is worth posting.

That said...

I'd like to introduce you to my monster....

Just a note, this IS NOT my equivalant to the crazy Jihadist pictures you see on the internet where an AK-47 is photographed in front of the Quran (Koran). I just wanted something other than the white wall in the background and I thought this small painting from my Grandfather would suffice.

Before I get into the breakdown of this beast I'll give you a little background information. For those of you who have been following my site since it's inception you probably already know that I am a firearms expert in the Air Force, for those of you new to the site read this...

Who is SlagleRock?

OK, now that the introductions are out of the way you all should understand my interest in firearms. I think I have the coolest job in the world. I get to teach our service men and women the tools necessary to properly employ their weapons systems and defend themselves as well as their brothers/sisters in arms.

Now, back to the Franken-SlagleRock Monster...

I'll just start up front (the muzzle) and work my way back. My new rifle features an A2 style compensator (flash suppressor, flash hider, birdcage etc.)

Keep working rearward and you'll see a 16" Stainless Steel National Match Grade Heavy Barrel (HBAR) from Olympic Arms. Nothing beats the added weight for stability when firing precision shots even from a carbine barrel that is only 16”. I hold groups with this gun at 100m that are easily concealed with a single dime. My 300m group can consistently be covered with a quarter. Keep in mind I don't have any kind of scope or other optic for this little devil. I am shooting these groups with an A.R.M.S. #40 standard Back Up Iron Sight (BUIS). This is a shooter!

Next on my list of goodies is a Knight Armament M4 Rail Adapter System (RAS) for any standard 14" or 16" barrel with a carbine gas system. Remember, I have an HBAR on my gun, the Knight RAS took a little persuasion to make fit, but the precision milling I pulled off makes it a snug fit! This four sided rail adapter allows quick attach/detach of any accessory equipped with the "picatinny" (M1913 for you purists) or "weaver type" mount.

Further rearward you come to the body of the carbine so to speak, the receivers. My lower receiver is the Mega Gator from the Mega Machine Shop company in Tumwater, WA. Gator refers to a checkering type feature that Mega adds to the front of the magazine well. These lowers are beautiful. When I went to purchase my receivers I had almost endless options. I looked at Colt, Bushmaster, Rock River, Olympic Arms... I got to hold and inspect nearly, if not every manufacturer of AR-15 receivers and believe it or not the best looking receivers in the lot were from Mega. There were no tool marks, no imperfections. It was just plain clean. In fact, the Mega was better looking than the original, the one and only COLT! My upper receiver is a “flat top” M4 style upper from Mega as well. Ok, enough about my receiver choice.

Continue rearward and you will find a very comfortable collapsible stock. My carbine features a Crane SOPMOD stock. This thing is like an Egyptian linen pillow with a 500 thread count. In short it is the most comfortable stock I have ever rested my cheek on. If you can't get comfortable and find a solid cheek (or stock) weld with this stock, it just isn't going to happen for you! The SOPMOD stock also has two internal storage compartments for batteries for your accessories.

The guts of this gun are from Rock River. Its complete lower receiver parts group is from Rock River. The bolt carrier group however, is from Olympic Arms.

Now, let’s talk additional accessories. I have a Surefire M900A Vertical Foregrip Tactical Flashlight seen in the main pics of my carbine. The M900A is the pinnacle of tactical lighting for CQB (Close Quarter Battle) operations.

Now, I know what you are thinking, but SlagleRock your carbine has a Heavy Barrel (HBAR) and you can't use it for military purposes anyway, so why have a foregrip light?!? Because it Kick's ASS, that's why. Have you ever heard the expression, perfect practice makes perfect? If I can tote an HBAR carbine that is 2" longer than my government issue Colt M4 successfully, it can only make it easier to use my govt. issued weapon when the time comes. Practice people, practice.

I also have a set of "Universal Bipods". This is where I went cheap, only temporarily. These are nice for prone firing and zeroing the sites in. They are quick release and easily attach/detach from the Knight Rail Adapter System.

Other little touches in this gun...

I have the Heavy Duty "Green" extractor spring from Specialized Armament part #SA05006. This is the "mother" of all extractor springs. This heavy duty extractor spring is infinitely more powerful than a factory spring ensuring proper extraction of spent cases and greatly diminishing the possibility of a failure to extract.

I also have the "Red" heavy duty magazine spring from Specialized Armament part #SA09002. These heavy duty springs are specially designed so that they won’t lose tension even if the magazines remain loaded for long periods of time. They are also designed specifically to hold only 28 rounds in any standard 30rd magazine bodies such as those from Okay industries. These things feed great!

One other feature, and a personal favorite is the Magpul MIAD Modular Full Grip Kit fully adjustable grip (seen second picture down in the link). It features an adjustable forestrap and backstap as well as a built in oversized trigger guard. It also has a small compartment cleverly located in the grip that stores "emergency" ammunition.

It is kind of funny really. I have been in the Combat Arms career field for nearly 7 years. I have built/rebuilt literally thousands of M16's and it's variations (A1, A2, M4, M4A1 etc.) for the government over the years. I have even built around 30-40 civilian AR's over the years for friends, but this is the first time I have built one for myself. This one is mine so it makes it kind of special.

Below are some additional pictures of my baby...

So, what would it cost you to build a beast like SlagleRock's?

- The upper and lower receivers will run you anywhere from $250-$500 for both
- The Rail Adapter System from Knight is $300-$325
- The Lower Parts Kits will run $75 and up
- The Crane SOPMOD stock kit is $199
- The SureFire M900A Foregrip Light is $616
- The HBAR 16" Ultramatch Carbine Barrel runs $229
- A.R.M.S. #40 standard Back Up Iron Sight (BUIS) $95.95
- Magpul MIAD Modular Full Grip Kit $44.95

So, no labor involved and a few minor parts ommitted this gun would run $1850-$2050 to complete.

So you are thinking how does an E-6 in the Air Force afford a $2000 AR?? Well, I built it myself. I have the know how, experience, tools and equipment to safely build my own. As for the cost of parts. Most of the parts and accessories I have in my Carbine were either given to me, traded for or earned through gunsmithing labor. I did however spend about $150 on my receivers and lower parts kit. I have a friend who is a licensed gun dealer so I got a huge discount on the few items I had to purchase.

You'll notice, I am missing one important accessory for any good Tactical Carbine... A solid optic sight system. I am a big fan of both Aimpoint and EOTech, but they are pricey. The one I want will run right around $400 (that's more green than I have invested in the entire rifle).

Anyone want to help me finish this beauty???

Click Here To Donate!!!!!

If enough donations come in to help this old Sarge complete his baby, I will most definitely post the pictures of the optic mounted on the Carbine.

Well, that is my Franken-SlagleRock Monster. I just thought I'd share. Any thoughts? Comments? Questions??

Thanks for reading and check back from time to time and see what else I am up to or what else has just plain pissed me off!

lagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at June 3, 2006 10:09 AM | TrackBack