My latest AR is the result of the “Katrina” rifle concept. Katrina rifle you ask? The term came about after Hurricane Katrina devasted the Gulf and left many residents in a state of WROL(Without Rule of Law). Widespread looting, lawlessness, and general civil unrest provide a very dangerous environment. Add to this the absence of law enforcement the need for a Katrina rifle is evident. This single weapon – like in New Orleans – may be used at 25 yards or 250 yards. Yeah – there are a lot of AR’s and other firearms that will fit the bill. A firearm similar to this should be part of every preparedness system. This is merely one example.
Components List:
80% AR low from 80-Lower.com ($60)
Anderson Lower Parts Kit – LINK ($50)
Magpul AR grip ($20)
Strike Industries Charging Handle w/Extended Latch ($40)
PSA Full Auto Bolt Premium Carrier Group – LINK ($70 – SALE)
Standard M4 Stock/Buffer Tube
16″ Mid State Firearms Specter .223 Wylde AR Upper w/12″ Gen3 Slim Rail – LINK ($279)
Vortex Crossfire II 1-4X24mm Rifle Scope w/Mount – LINK ($210)
TruGlo Micro Laser – LINK ($70)
2-Point Sling – still yet to purchase
Lower: The 80% lower started this project. No particular reason I used an 80% other than it was sitting on my shelf. The fact that there is zero traceable paperwork connected to it is just the icing on the cake. While many may fear to attempt an 80% build jigs and instructions provide an avenue for the manufacture of the lower with minimal equipment.
Mine came from 80-Lower.com and the finish is fantastic and I have zero fit/function issues.
Upper: The 16″ Mid State Firearms Specter .223 Wylde upper is amazing. The slim configuration along with available picaninny attachment rails offer tremendous comfort as well as real estate for attachment of accessories. This is my second Mid State Firearms upper and couldn’t be happier. Free float barrel and a 1:8″ twist rate provide a high level of accuracy with a variety of bullet weights. I shoot 55-grain almost always with 62-grain making an appearance periodically. Accuracy? I readily admit that I am not the best shot and every gun I own will shoot better than me. So far 3 shot groups at 100 yards under 2″ is repeatable with XM193 ammunition. I plan to work with some premium rounds and reduce to 1″ or under.
Charging Handle: Historically a standard AR charging handle has always worked fine for me. With this project, I decided to look and see what was available for a little more than the cost of a standard one. Once I saw the Strike Industries I bit. While a normal charging handle still works fine on some of my other guns the Strike Industries definitely provides a secure grip especially in lieu of the Vortex optic. A standard handle would be more difficult to reach. For an extra $10 or so it was so worth it.
Magpul Grip: I have several AR’s with Magpul MOE grip or a slight variant of it. It simply works and provides not only comfort but a more secure grip than an A2 grip.
Stock: I had a standard M4 stock with buffer tube sitting on the shelf so I used it. Nothing special and it works just fine. I have considered moving on to the Magpul but so far just cannot justify the cost.
Flash Hider: The Mid State upper came with the Specter Flash Hider. I had wanted a flash hider that was more “tactical” than a standard A2 cage. Hopefully “poking” someone is not in the future for the Patriot but if the need arises I like the sharper edges of the Specter. Night time shooting? It’s on par with a standard A2 flash hider which by the way is way better than many aftermarket models costing a lot more.
Optic: The Vortex Crossfire II 1-4X24mm Rifle Scope w/Mount is precisely the kind of optic I was looking for. When set at 1X it is very close to true 1X allowing operation with both eyes open similar to a red dot. For CQC this is great. For longer ranges the power can be twisted up to 4X bringing things closer for more precise shooting. The Vortex is very clear.
Summary:
I’m in the process of selecting a sling. I want something simple and a 2-point rather than my normal single point. I mounted a TruGlo Micro Laser for use at night as being able to see black crosshairs would be problematic at best. Not a huge fan of throwing a bunch of attachments on a gun but the Micro Laser is tiny and super lightweight. I’ve run into a roadblock as about 10 minutes after mounting and during the sight-in process it stopped working. Strange. I am sending it back for replacement and am confident I’ll have a new one mounted soon.
A flashlight has yet to be added though I am considering an Inforce 200-lumen model. We’ll see.
I have the standard trigger in the lower that came with the lower parts kit. It feels very good however an upgrade is likely in the near future. I’ve been using D&H aluminum magazines as well as PMAG’s – no issues.
Reliability has been 100%. At a little over $800 invested I am loving the “Patriot” AR and glad it is part of my battery.
Oh – the small American flag perfectly located on the right side of the lower? Amazon.
Rourke
Looks great.
Now, just need to feed it some of this:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/684264/imi-ammunition-556x45mm-69-grain-razor-core-sierra-matchking-hollow-point
Too bad you can’t build or own this in MA. I have several Mini-14’s from a long time ago that will have to make do.
Roark, I just put my 2nd Specter sling on. 1st is on the Mossberg with Magpul SGA stock. They are fantastic and the guys at Specter are great to work with. Call and tell them what you want and they will make sure it works. I am very partial to the 3 point sling with emergency release as it will let you switch to weak side very easily. Check them out.
Nice build. I like the MagPul Grip… I have big hands and like the Ergo Grips. Very tactile “sticky” wet or dry. I also put on La roux slot covers on the forearm to route and hold still a light and laser wire. Makes a decent tactile grip as well and adds camo color to break up the solid black.. we’ll see after I use it more.
I stick between large field of fire and narrower and magnified.. I like both but they work well only in mission specifics.. To that end I am trying out some quick release adapters for Key-mod too.. we’ll see how that affects accuracy.
Tell me about the laser. Is that just for up-close and in the dark? or are there other benefits?
Sure Matt – I just received my exchange and will mount it tonight and see how it feels. My idea with the laser is simple faster target acquisition when not using the scope. The scope certainly limits close range targeting although in daylight the crosshairs can be used similarly to a red dot. Once my flashlight is mounted that will help at night. Due to how small the laser is I figure – “Why not?”
Can you see the laser in daylight at all? I agree with the concept of “why not”!
Nope – this is nighttime only or near dark.
On the Vortex. How is it in low light or dusk conditions.
3rdMan – I like the Vortex. Being no scope expert and not having a ton of experience I would say it is very good – especially for a $200 scope.
Here is a picture I took as the sun was going down this evening after mounting the replacement laser.
Is the red dot in the picture the laser or is it a red dot feature of the scope?
Laser.
Ok, Thanks