Whiskey Two Four has made their WTFix Attachment System Straps available in black on a trial basis. These MOLLE attachment straps are just as thin, light, durable, and easy to thread as their previously available Coyote Brown counterparts (shown below).
Check out the WTFix Attachment System Straps at Whiskey Two Four.
Coyote Brown Shown
T.REX ARMS will be releasing a holster for ALG Defense 6 Second Mount equipped Glocks. The holster is based on their yet to be released drop leg design with their slick swiveling leg strap anchor.
The holster will be compatible with a number of attachment systems including Safariland’s ubiquitous 3 hole system. This will give the user nearly countless options for how they attach the holster to their gear and make it possible to fine tune the ride height.
The holster body is molded from .125″ kydex which is the thickest material you see in common use for holsters. This thickness should provide plenty of protection for the firearm. It is not a concealment holster to the use of thicker material is appropriate and welcome.
Keep an eye on the T.REX ARMS website for more details.
Triple 7 Gear’s CORE Nano Wallet Kickstarter campaign smashed all expectations, raising over $39000. If you missed the chance to fund the production of the CORE Nano Wallet but you still want to get your hands on one, the pre-order is open now.
Ruger’s new Ruger Precision Rifle (RPR) is ambitious to say the least. It manages to shoehorn a staggering amount of features, interesting design elements, and forward thinking modularity into its steel and aluminum chassis. If it manages to live up to its marketing, it could turn the market on its ear.
Ruger has not received enough credit for how they have improved the quality of their barrels. They are hammer forging many (if not all) of their rifle barrels in house and they have seen accuracy improvements across the board including in the Mini 14, which is now MUCH more accurate than the internet thinks. Even Ruger’s budget American Rifle exhibits excellent accuracy so it makes sense that they would build this new precision rifle around one of their hammer forged barrels.
Barrel aside, the RPR’s real headlines are being generated by its chassis. The receiver is steel which rides in an aluminum chassis. The barrel can be changed and headspaced with a standard AR-15 armorers tool and headspace gauges which is more than just a little cool. This use of a barrel nut that is compatible with AR-15 armorers wrenches also means that the RPR can accept AR-15 rails like the Samson Evolution KeyMod rail that is included.
The RPR’s top rail has 20MOA of elevation built in. It is attached to the receiver via screws and easily replaceable.
The chassis allows the use of AR-15 buttstocks via a carbine receiver extension. The RPR ships with an adjustable Precision MSR Stock that appears to be very well suited to intended use of this rifle. The user could also use the stock of their choice as long as it is compatible with an AR-15 carbine receiver extension.
The grip and 45 degree selector are standard AR-15 parts so the user can customize them to suit their tastes. The included selector is reversible for left and right hand use.
The Ruger Marksman Adjustable trigger is externally adjustable from 2.25 – 5 pounds via a wrench that is stored on the rifle.
The innovation continues to the magazine well where you will find an adaptable system that can be made to work with 3 different types of magazines that are common to long range precision. The RPR can accept SR-25 pattern magazines like those from DPMS and Magpul’s PMAG LR. It can also accept AICS magazines and some M-14 magazines.
The RPR is loaded with even more meaningful features than I can cover here outside of a review. It is well worth looking through Ruger’s RPR website to get more information. As amazing as all the engineering and features that are crammed into this rifle are, the price may be the most impressive. It will be available chambered in .308, 6.5 Creedmoor, or .243 Winchester for an MSRP of $1399.00. The actual street price will likely be down around $1200.
This is a strong offering from Ruger, especially following the release of the strangely packaged and marketed SR-556 Takedown.
After I completed my Sub 6 with a Twist build, I received an email from a someone who stated that anyone could make a lightweight rifle if they had “unlimited funds like you”. This gentleman obviously doesn’t have access to my bank statement but I took that email as a personal challenge to prove him wrong.
The mildly infamous Sub 6 with a Twist Build
My goal was to build a good quality, reliable carbine that weighed around 6 pounds and cost around $1200. I acknowledge that $1200 is a lot of money but it is still less than some stripped-down, off-the-shelf carbines. The plan for this one was going to be far more ambitious than just iron sights and plastic hand guards. In order to prove this guy wrong, this project would have to have a 12″+ hand guard, a weapon light, and a quality optic. To really prove him wrong, every part would have to be scrutinized for cost in dollars, cost in weight, and quality so that not only was this build affordable, it was also functional.
I am proud to say, I nailed the weight and came in just over $1200 on the price. However, the prices are all listed at retail. A savvy shopper could easily bring the price below $1200.
I’ll start with the lower as it is an easy one that can be knocked out at one vendor and then move on to the upper parts which requires more thought. Finally, I’ll wrap up with the accessories that make this into an exceedingly useable carbine.
The obvious choice for the lower was a GWACS Armory CAV-15 MKII. Their one piece polymer lowers are extremely durable, very lightweight, and economical considering that they include the pistol grip and buttstock. I have used them extensively and have come to trust them. The lower itself costs $129 and the lower parts kit adds $64.95. If you can find a few extra dollars in your budget, GWACS Armory’s new lightweight pivot pins will save you even more weight.
The upper receiver is where much of what makes an AR-15 reliable happens. This is perhaps the most delicate balancing act between cost in dollars, cost in weight, and quality. Fortunately, we live in a bit of a golden age for the AR-15 and there are no shortage of choices.
The barrel was an easy choice. Faxon Firearms makes great AR-15 barrels that are VERY affordable. I have one of their 16″ midlength, lightweight 4150 barrels that has been a real performer for me. For this build, I used a 16″ midlength, lightweight profile 416R stainless barrel with QPQ finish which has been an impressive performer and will be the subject of a full review later. It is accurate, lightweight, very reliable, and at just $189 – a perfect choice for this build. If you want to save even more, use the 4150 version of this barrel at just $175 (less if you shop around).
This Faxon Firearms barrel was critical to this build. Much of the weight (barrel profile) and reliability (gas port, chamber, etc.) of your build will come down to barrel choice. It would be more difficult to hit the weight and budget numbers, while still building a reliable carbine, without their barrels.
While I was perusing Faxon Firearms, I also picked up their gas block and gas tube. Buying these with the barrel saves $5 ($29.99 for the gas block and $15.99 for the gas tube). Faxon Firearms’ gas block also happens to be skeletonized which saves weight.
I picked up a blemished stripped upper from Aero Precision. I use Aero Precision’s upper receivers in many of my builds and have come to trust them. Their blem uppers also happen to be a great deal. Watch for sales and shop around for an even better price than the $49.99 reflected in the final price for this article. If you are anything like me, you have a forward assist and dust cover laying around.
Here it is. You can cram a lot of carbine into $1200 and 6 pounds.
It isn’t hard to find bolt carrier groups for around $140. Pick up the one you are most comfortable with and run with it. In that price range, I really like the Sionics Weapons Systems NP3 coated BCG. Add the charging handle of your choice. You should be able to find a plain one for around $15 if you shop around.
When you think of lightweight and affordable rails, you think of the ALG Defense EMR. It isn’t just a decent cheap rail. It is one of my favorite rails regardless of price. I chose the 12″ EMR V0 since it comes with all the rail sections I would need later in the build, costs only $135, and weighs in at a scant 7.84 ounces including the barrel nut!
The ALG Defense EMRs also have integral sling swivel sockets which saves weight and cost. This is often overlooked but should be considered when planning a lightweight/budget build. The EMR V0 comes with a barrel nut, rail sections, and integral sling mounts. It is a good deal on its face but it is mind blowing deal when you consider the cost of those items.
The accessories are what round out this build and make it really impressive for the cost. You can spend more than $1200 for a basic AR-15. If you follow this recipe, that same $1200 builds you an AR-15 with 12″+ hand guard, a weapon light, and a quality optic.
I chose an INFORCE WML for the weapon light. It weighs 3 ounces and has in integral mount which makes its $125 price tag seem even more reasonable. You could go cheaper on the light but it will difficult to find a set up this light in weight.
Magpul’s MBUS back up iron sights are an easy choice for this build. They are affordable and lightweight. A set can be purchased for around $80 (less if you shop around, especially on the secondary market).
The optic that I chose weighs around 6 ounces with its ADM QD mount, has 50,000 hour battery life, rugged construction, has a variety of mounts available, and uses a common CR2032 battery. Sounds expensive, right? It is also backed by some of the best customer service in the business yet it costs only $238.99 (with an ADM mount so it could cost even less with a less expensive mount). The Primary Arms MD-ADS has impressive specs and has proven itself to me as a solid value.
I just used an A2 flash suppressor that I had laying around. If you don’t have one, ask a buddy.
The total weight of the carbine build listed above worked out to 6 pounds even. I was hoping to go under 6 pounds but I am glad I didn’t go over.
The total cost was $1219 going by mostly normal retail prices. Like I said before, a savvy shopper could easily build this for less than $1200.
This build made me realize how blessed we are as shooters/consumers. A build like this wouldn’t have even been possible just a few years ago. Rails were much heavier, barrels were more costly, weapon lights were massive, lightweight optics were more costly, and there certainly weren’t as many choices.
Expensive AR-15s are often expensive for a reason but, in this golden age of AR-15s, you should never feel like you have to settle. There are enough options out there that anyone should be able to build something close to what they want at a price they can afford if they are willing to do some leg work.
