The Accidental AR

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I've been keeping my eye out for a 223, ideally a Mini 14. I saw this posted on an auction site and bid the opening of $400. A few days later it's mine. It looks like it might have been a demo. No signs of shooting but a little wear on the bolt. I had the red dot. laser already so I popped it on and took it to the range.

This has the heavy bull barrel that adds a pound or so over the tapered barrel. I can surely tell it's front heavy. The butt pad is hard plastic and has small cleats and a storage door to keep your stash.

I don't have loads of experience with ARs but it seems the recoil was a little lighter than the smaller barrels.

My big downer with this is the full-tilt blinding flash. No flash hider and it's just pure electric white out. I was shooting Hornady training ammo.
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$17.95 per 50.

I think I'll post it on some local boards to see if someone wants an even trade for a mini-14.
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Puffing up is no substitute for smarts but it's a common home remedy

Re: The Accidental AR

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shinzen wrote:You could always change the barrel, easy to do on the AR. Or have it threaded and toss a flash suppressor on it.
I thought of that but I think I'd be happier by not putting another nickel into it and using it as $500+ trade value.
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Puffing up is no substitute for smarts but it's a common home remedy

Re: The Accidental AR

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Well, now you can say you owned an AR. ;)

The tinkerer in me can see the appeal, but I just hated the charging handle setup, including the metal scraping sound made when pulling the bolt back.

I've been dreaming of getting an M1A lately. With a scope and a 5 round mag, it could pass for a deer rifle. ;)
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Re: The Accidental AR

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senorgrand wrote:Well, now you can say you owned an AR. ;)

The tinkerer in me can see the appeal, but I just hated the charging handle setup, including the metal scraping sound made when pulling the bolt back.

I've been dreaming of getting an M1A lately. With a scope and a 5 round mag, it could pass for a deer rifle. ;)
me too! i've been trying to thread the needle and find a deer rifle and a tactical rifle in one package. i'm strongly looking at the FNAR competition, except the mags are expensivo.

http://www.fnhusa.com/products/autoload ... mpetition/

Re: The Accidental AR

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tincankilla wrote:
senorgrand wrote:Well, now you can say you owned an AR. ;)

The tinkerer in me can see the appeal, but I just hated the charging handle setup, including the metal scraping sound made when pulling the bolt back.

I've been dreaming of getting an M1A lately. With a scope and a 5 round mag, it could pass for a deer rifle. ;)
me too! i've been trying to thread the needle and find a deer rifle and a tactical rifle in one package. i'm strongly looking at the FNAR competition

http://www.fnhusa.com/products/autoload ... mpetition/
I have the FNAR Standard, and I love everything about it - except that I haven't been able to get the 1 MOA out of it promised. At this point I'm thinking it's not me but the rifle; need to have it confirmed by lending it to a real rifle shooter to try.
I carry for Kitty Genovese.

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Re: The Accidental AR

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tincankilla wrote:
senorgrand wrote:Well, now you can say you owned an AR. ;)

The tinkerer in me can see the appeal, but I just hated the charging handle setup, including the metal scraping sound made when pulling the bolt back.

I've been dreaming of getting an M1A lately. With a scope and a 5 round mag, it could pass for a deer rifle. ;)
me too! i've been trying to thread the needle and find a deer rifle and a tactical rifle in one package. i'm strongly looking at the FNAR competition, except the mags are expensivo.

http://www.fnhusa.com/products/autoload ... mpetition/
Ooohhh....I like it. Do they make flush-fit mags? Cheaper than an M1A match.
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"Person, woman, man, camera, TV."

Re: The Accidental AR

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WilsonLNU wrote:
senorgrand wrote:Ooohhh....I like it. Do they make flush-fit mags? Cheaper than an M1A match.
No flush-fits that I'm aware of. The 5-round mag is just a 10-round body with a factory block installed.
Too bad. Can the front rail be taken off? It would have really clean lines without the Lego brick up there. ;)
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"Person, woman, man, camera, TV."

Re: The Accidental AR

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senorgrand wrote:
WilsonLNU wrote:
senorgrand wrote:Ooohhh....I like it. Do they make flush-fit mags? Cheaper than an M1A match.
No flush-fits that I'm aware of. The 5-round mag is just a 10-round body with a factory block installed.
Too bad. Can the front rail be taken off? It would have really clean lines without the Lego brick up there. ;)
The two side rails can be taken off but leave debris holes. Easily fixed with a bit of LocTite Plastic Bonder (not LocTite Plastic, as the stock's Nylon) to fasten the nuts in place. The nuts are ovals with raised circles that fill the holes in the forend, and they'll just fall inside without the rails to pull against.

The bottom rail can also be removed, but it leaves a sharp shelf of plastic protrusion that I find less desirable.

You can also swap forends with a Browning Bar ShortTrac Stalker (same rifle, no rails, different magazine that happens to be flush-fit).

Anyway, the detachable mag combined with the pistol grip makes the Standard illegal in California. Have to go with the Competition there.
I carry for Kitty Genovese.

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Re: The Accidental AR

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WilsonLNU wrote:Aw, crap. Just realized you were talking about the Competition model, senorgrand.

Dunno if its front sight rail base can be taken off or not.

:oops2:
No worries!

Here's a picture for those who are curious as to what one looks like:

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"Person, woman, man, camera, TV."

Re: The Accidental AR

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FN used to make a California-compliant model without the front sight base: http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/prod ... 22+Fixed+B

So its conceivable you could find a used one. They've actually discontinued the 20-inch "FNAR Heavy" too, though it's still on their website.

I think my favorite thing about shopping for the FNAR was that nobody at any of the gun stores around here knew what the hell I was talking about.

Them: [brick-and-mortar gun store name]
Me: Hello, I'm wondering if you have a rifle model called the "FNAR" in stock.
Them: Sure do. Come on by.
Me: OK, well, could you tell me what kind of barrel it has?
Them: Sixteen-inch, mmm... it's got the cutout for a grenade launcher, you know, standard M4 profile, and it's...
Me: Uh, sorry, so you're talking about an Armalite pattern rifle. Yes?
Them: Uh-huh, an AR.
Me: OK. Well I'm actually looking for something else, not an AR-15 but just called FNAR. It's a .308.
Them: Uh... You sure you're not talking 'bout the SCAR?
Me: Nope. It's just Foxtrot-November-Alpha-Romeo.
Them: Gotcha.
Me: Well, thanks for your time.
Them: Sure, whatever.
I carry for Kitty Genovese.

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Re: The Accidental AR

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atxgunguy wrote:A flash hider can be had for $20-30, depending on the brand and style.
It's the barrel threading that's the big cost. A guy nearby does them for $75 and that's on the low end.

This model is deliberately set up with a non-threaded barrel and no flash hider. Shirley, I'm not the only shooter who doesn't get off staring the flash just 16" from my face. .
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Puffing up is no substitute for smarts but it's a common home remedy

Re: The Accidental AR

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Do you like the rifle otherwise? If so, might try some other loads and see if their powders burn more completely in that 16 inches.

PMC Bronze .223 is sub-MOA in my 16-inch AR, and it's inexpensive. But my rifle has an A2 flash hider, so I can't speak to muzzle flash.

ETA: This guy thinks PMC has low flash in his 18" Mini. (He also seems to think flash is an objective measure of power, rather than just how much powder's going to waste.)
I carry for Kitty Genovese.

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Re: The Accidental AR

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WilsonLNU wrote:Do you like the rifle otherwise? If so, might try some other loads and see if their powders burn more completely in that 16 inches.

PMC Bronze .223 is sub-MOA in my 16-inch AR, and it's inexpensive. But my rifle has an A2 flash hider, so I can't speak to muzzle flash.

ETA: This guy thinks PMC has low flash in his 18" Mini. (He also seems to think flash is an objective measure of power, rather than just how much powder's going to waste.)
I like it at $400 so I don't really want to consider upgrades.

I wondered about ammo choices. :thumbup: I need to look at powder traits for flashiness. I don't recall ever reading that as a factor anywhere but I bet someone somewhere has an opinion.
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Puffing up is no substitute for smarts but it's a common home remedy

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