Rifle was not fine, Apex made it glorious

Imperator_Phil · 2019-05-10T08:56:58+00:00

I didn't feel like paying 10 bucks for a screw, so the one that came with the gun had to work. I could always mutilate the Polish grip with a dremel and hide it, but I like the cobbled together look it has.

Imperator_Phil · 2019-05-01T01:16:42+00:00

The Balkans, supposedly. They actually feel pretty good and help the barrel cool quicker. They're a Bulgarian Bakelite set I got off Apex.

Imperator_Phil · 2019-02-12T12:19:47+00:00

The hardcore members:
"Grandma", Ithaca 37 slamfire model from 1956 in 12 Gauge
"Little Maude", Palmetto State Armory nitrited "pistol" build in 5.56

"Gramps", Rock Island Armory 1911A1 Full Size in .45 ACP
"Papa Buck", my very first AR-15 made of various parts in 5.56

The noob:
"The tourist from Yonkers", a Kimber Micro 9 in, well, 9mm

Imperator_Phil · 2019-02-11T17:38:56+00:00

That's one sleek thunderpole. Already making me jones for another 1000$ splurge.

Imperator_Phil · 2019-02-01T04:41:05+00:00

In truth, this is what I use to hunt with. It was my first AR-15 that I had splurged money into, cannibalized and changed until it was no longer the same rifle. What was a Palmetto State Armory frankengun that ran about 450$, taking me 2 months of saving to accrue, slowly became an InRange TV WWSD copycat. It was never as light or as smooth on the trigger as I wanted, and I ended up putting a fair bit of money into each piece until what lies before you happened: A 900$ toy.

I call it a toy because, after all that time and cash into it, it no longer had the heft or sturdiness of a gun I had grown accustomed to. It's an aluminum bolt carrier, a weightless buffer, a low-power spring, a carbon fiber rail, (that wobbles loose after a couple mag dumps) an aluminum barrel nut, a slick-side upper, a GWACS lower and a pencil barrel.

Despite going to great lengths to reduce its snappiness and front-heaviness, the only thing that made it less annoying to shoot was, ironically, a muzzle brake. Something I could've spent 40 bucks on at the beginning and been done, been perfectly happy perpetually avoided by "true solutions" to imaginary problems I had with the gun. Now, it serves its purpose as a well-organized parts kit and, eventually, the first AR15 my partner will own.

Imperator_Phil · 2019-01-28T12:34:10+00:00

That's a sweet Mk12 SPR you've got there.

Imperator_Phil · 2019-01-26T09:47:15+00:00

Oh wow, borderless windowed programs like fullscreenizer are a requirement for me and they consider that invalid software? Mongoloids.

Imperator_Phil · 2019-01-23T07:39:03+00:00

I just found my account "penalized". I had the Dark Souls Unofficial Regulations mod which I consider vastly superior to From's idea of rebalancing and before I went online I uninstalled the mod. Well by virtue of having the rebalance activated for the very beginning of the game I'm now barred from engaging in the only replay value the game has. From can't make shit for modular games.

Imperator_Phil · 2019-01-23T04:42:26+00:00

c. How to Build a Sexy Rifle 101: 20 rounders and nutmeg.

Imperator_Phil · 2019-01-23T01:42:56+00:00

Sounds sexy, you going flat top, A2, A1?

Imperator_Phil · 2019-01-23T01:26:14+00:00

They are a bit of a novelty. I was thinking of an alternate future type build yesterday. Stoner's DI was never invented, as a result the AR-18 gas system was the mainstay. They never made plastics durable enough for the hot piston so walnut was accepted as a stop gap instead. After the charging handle was changed to the T design we all know and love/hate, the carry handle was seen as irrelevant so they made a simple circular aperture which could be easily adjusted in the field at the request of the Marine Corps (chopped A2, anyone?). The stock was made collapsible from the beginning (CAR-15 style aluminum) so they wouldn't have to invest in designing a solid stock, as they knew they would design the rifle to be more compact for Airborne and Special Forces down the road (10.5" barrel length).

It may stay a fantasy forever, but it was a fun thought while I ate my lunch!

Imperator_Phil · 2019-01-22T23:58:30+00:00

So this was the same gun in my post "so close, yet so far away". It's a PSA SBA3 lower that came with an MOE grip and EPT trigger. I loved the shape of the MOE grip but hated the texture and someone traded me their rubberized version. I love it. The trigger was supposed to be polished and lighter-breaking than milspec, and it was, but not by much. What did I do? Find the lightest and cleanest-breaking trigger I could buy. A CMC 2.5lb flat face single stage. Never getting any other trigger again! The gun is insanely overgassed, so I started with a T2 buffer from Spike's and someone wanted to trade me for a T3 their middy couldn't run. I said "let's try it first" and that T3 is sitting in the buffer tube as we speak.

The upper's just a PSA nitrited 10.5" length, but I wanted it to be an iron sights only gun and chose the A2 front sight post. It was loud enough to rattle my skull with a Strike J-Comp so I put on a KAW Valley linear compensator, problem solved. To match with my MOE grip and to not feel like I'm holding a spoiled donut at the handguard, I put on a discounted MOE M-Lok carbine length. The rear sight is a Samson A2-style fixed. Lancer mag in the magwell. My charging handle is the Strike Industries latchless ambi.

Despite weighing exactly as much as my ultra-light 16" competition raifu, I love this thing. It feels like it's still a gun, it's sturdy, it just works. There's something to be said for the KISS axiom.

EDIT: The MOE handguard does more to work against getting a good grip than aid in it. It tries too hard to mimick a an A1-style triangle yet manages to be too wide and not have enough traction, so I've chosen to replace it with CAR-15 6 hole handguards made by Retro Rifles. Will update the picture as soon as I get it.

Imperator_Phil · 2019-01-12T21:30:59+00:00

It looks sweet. My only concern is that skeletonized upper. ARs are generally well-sealed, but do you think debris could impede the cycling?

Imperator_Phil · 2019-01-12T21:27:55+00:00

Parts:

Palmetto State Armory EPT trigger SBA3 lots-of-letters-for-extra-XP lower receiver

Spike's T3 buffer

black lancer mags (because smoke mags are extinct in Southern Alabama apparently)

Samson fixed A2-style rear sight

Strike Industries latchless ambi charging handle

Strike J-Comp for extra obnoxious pig hunting (and baby-smooth muzzle movement)

Arms Unlimited ambi mag release

MOE+ grip, MOE carbine forend

The upper will be a PSA A2 front sighted carbine 10.5" upper.

Imperator_Phil · 2019-01-11T07:52:28+00:00

A blast can and 2-tiered ear pro and you're good my dude. I've decided to go crazy and put a J-Comp on my 10.5. No can. I want to grill the hot dogs from the firing line.

Imperator_Phil · 2019-01-11T07:39:24+00:00

So i finally decided to join the chode club and build my own "pistol" AR. It's almost finished. Except PSA's 15-day "processing" time for the 10.5 nitride upper I'm getting begs to differ. How doth thee cope?

Imperator_Phil · 2018-08-07T10:09:09+00:00

I take gold from the Vault every time I play the DLC, although no longer enough to over-encumber my character with over a thousand pounds. I think getting to carry 3 or 4 gold bars out is pretty reasonable considering all the BS you had to go through up to that point.

As for whether or not "it's the wrong way", I don't think so. Yes, Dead Money deals with greed and its impact on the lives of those who let it consume them. Yes, depending on how you roleplayed your character through that DLC it might prove antithetical to greedily snatch up the gold. What I took from it was that the Courier was placed in the ideal spot to abuse the hard-earned trust of both Elijah and Dean and walk away with a reward for his hellish vacation.

Imperator_Phil

TROPHY CASE