Finally... a .308 AR, PA-10.

[wyntrout]

Thanks, Greg. I did mention the damage in an email to PSA, but heard nothing back... no biggy, since it was in an unnoticeable area that I could touch up. It was just luck that the damage was limited to that area.

I took the IMI stock and add-on rubber pad off my still unused MechTech .45 carbine and put it on the PA-10 lower. Then I sold the MagPul one that came with the lower at the last show we vended at. I'm pretty sure that I swapped out the recoil parts for the .308. The AR15 buffer is too long... the problem with the bolt not locking back when I received the upper and tried on the lower. I have spares for those coming in with my CDNN order.

I still have the wire stock for the carbine and ordered add-on aluminum pop-up sights for the carbine's long top rail. Maybe somebody will buy it like that next chance I get to vend at a show. There's no place to attach a sling at the end of the receiver or on the wire stock, though.

The Morocco Temple where our favorite, though smaller venue, show was held has been sold, so I don't know where the next show will go.

We really lucked out on the weather this trip. One of these days we're going to run out of that luck, though. I don't want to travel in blizzard or blizzard-like conditions! My vehicle can handle a lot, but it can still be stuck in one of those jams of traffic stuck in deep snow. Or, we could be hit by people traveling too fast for conditions!

We were watching the weather and could have cancelled our northern routing and visits on the way back, and stayed further south. Last year we had to stay further north to avoid the flooding in Texas and Louisiana by keeping on I-20 until we were east enough to step down to I-10. We have to make allowances for Mother Nature!

[wyntrout]

I got a Radian Raptor Ambidextrous Charging Handle and after installing that, my AR-10/PA-10, M4 style is complete. The charging handle is much easier to access and use than the smaller left-side-only stock version. I took some more pictures and weighed everything.

The M4-style PA-10 upper has an 18" barrel and weighs 8.5 pounds when assembled to the lower with the IMI stock. Adding the Bushnell TRS-25 brings the weight up to 8.93 pounds. A loaded 10-round MagPul magazine weighs .764 pounds and a 20-rounder 1.41 pounds, so the total with the 20-rounder is 10.23 pounds. The flip-up rear sight works with the Bushnell red dot.

The rifle with the Tru-Glo 1-6x Scope weighs 10.23 pounds and adding a loaded 20-round magazine brings the total up to 11.64 pounds... still over 1.1 pounds lighter than the 20" M-Lock upper. The scope weighs 28 ounces and the flip up sight doesn't work with it. The scope would have to be all the way forward and then it looks at the bottom of the scope's eyepiece, not through it. On 1x the scope can act as a red dot with or without illumination, and with a red or green reticule. I like the scope and the BDC turret for the .308 at 168 grains is installed. The elevation and windage can be adjusted without tools or removing any caps. The turret body is pulled away from the scope about 1/8" or so and then you just turn the turret as required. The direction is marked on the top of the turrets. Just push the turret body back down to lock it in place.

I prefer the red dot sight since I can use it out to 100 yards around here... and, it's much smaller and lighter.

I needed some pictures for insurance purposes, so I put everything out with the rifle.

One of these days, when we have warmer weather, I need to get to the other side of town and try sighting in this rifle and a few others at 100 yards or so. I really need more of a platform than I have at the usual range... hardly a "benchrest" condition.

At the rear of the receiver and ahead of the castle nut, I added a dual sling attachment allowing me to use my single-point sling or my "trickier" Ready Tactical Sling.

[wyntrout]

I added a Radian Raptor Ambidextrous Charging Handle and a Trijicon Tritium Front Sight Post, but I still haven't fired the shorter rifle. The popup sights, the Bushnell TRS-25, and the LASER bore sighter all seem to line up well. The red dot is coincident with the Trijicon dot and centered in the small rear peep sight, so it should work for close range.
I really like the Raptor for working the bolt... much easier... and from either side or both.

The AR-15 front sight tool I bought(upper left in photo) doesn't seem to fit, but Trijicon included a thin-walled sight tool with 4 and 5 prongs which works well with the 4-pronged end.

For home defense, I think I'm better off with the red dot sight. It's lighter and makes for a cleaner-looking weapon system. I haven't sold the 20" upper and still think about just mounting the scope on it, but would rather sell it.

[wyntrout]

Update! I wasn't successful in selling the 20" M-Lock upper by itself, so I decided to part with my lower and make it a whole rifle. I hated giving up the IMI Stock, but we were vending at a gun show locally and I finally found a buyer on Sunday, June 9th. I probably lost about $100 including the 20-round MagPul magazine and an UpLULA for the same, at my cost. I got $585 cash, so that took care of my new version.

We did well that gun show and took in enough to cover shortages in our budget from our May/June travel and casino visits!

Anyhow, I took some pictures for our insurance and left out a few items I forgot, like the Mag UpLULA and slings.

Yesterday, July 11, I finally got to the range... 25 yards indoor... to test and sight in the rifle.

The table isn't deep enough for a rear anchor point and I had to stoop or lean over to sight without the best cheek weld.

I fired 100 rounds... 80 Remington UMC 150-gr FMJ and lastly, 20 rounds of Federal Sierra Match King 168-gr BTHP that I got for use with the BDC scope, as that was the bullet weight, but I don't know that I would ever use the scope... 1-6x24 variable with a bullet drop compensator, as well as range-compensating reticules and red or green illumination. It weighs 28 ounces! The Bushnell TRS-25 works fine, though I forgot the instructions for it and became confused over whether the adjustments were to the POI or the reticule movement. I eventually got it sorted out and did well enough with the iron and the red dot sights... good enough that I think I can use it for defensive purposes out to 100 yards, at least!

I checked the User's Guide for the TRS-25. It makes NO mention of what the knobs direction of turn do! How helpful!

The rifle weighed 8.9 pounds as fired, not including a mag or ammo. The scope would be over 20 ounces more!

The iron sights... M4 front and popup rear peep:

I'm happy with that 6-shot group and a similar on with the red dot. It was like shooting offhand with a bad or no cheek weld, having to lean over.

I did have a self-induced malfunction... a jam with the fired case held halfway back by the bolt. We managed to get the pins out and unpair the upper and lower. The buffer detent was mashed alongside the hammer and the spring was gone. I managed to find the spring behind the sales counter and got a replacement detent from the pistol range and sales there... no springs, though, so it's good that I found mine. The detent only cost 69¢ plus tax. I put the stock back on with one more turn which goes right up to the pin and covers the rear of the detent and prevents the detent from ever popping out again. I didn't use enough turns when I put the dual-sling attachment forward of the castle nut... live and learn!

It was a nice outing and I was there at least 4 hours. I did shoot the P380 and P40 a little just to see where I'm slinging the bullets these days. I managed to get a small slide bit on my left thumb as I tried a different grip to try to get the +P Underwood Gold Dots closer to the center of the target... as WITHIN the rings!

[wyntrout]

Ideally, for my .308, POI would be about .9" below POA at 25 yards for a 100-yard zero, so I didn't mind just being in the area without a benchrest and 100-yard range. That bending over and trying to get a cheek weld was NOT an ideal situation! But, I'm ready for the limited range I might need for home defense.

I still don't have any .308-sized magazine pouches, though.

I need to get all of my accessories on and take a picture of myself suitably attired and equipped for a short stint at TEOTWAWKI.

Wynn