AR-15 Lightweight Carbine

This project started out with me having an old Colt "Sporter" stripped upper receiver. This is the style that has A1 sights, but no forward assist. I had had the thing lying around for YEARS, and had never done anything with it. One day, I was cleaning the shop and found it. I stopped for a minute and wondered, "Hmmm, what to do, what to do"? Then inspiration hit me like a sledge-hammer, and the plans for a simple, lightweight carbine came to me.

I wanted to build it on the cheap, as I was planning on using it for a "truck gun", a total beater. One that I wouldn't mind getting dinged up, or which didn't have to shoot sub minute of angle shots at 1000 yards. Just something to "have" when I needed it.

I hit the local AR shop, and after some cajoling, the fellow behind the counter remembered he did have one "pencil" barrel in back, but it was used, and didn't have a sight on it. "How much?", I asked. "$60" he said. SOLD!

This was going to be easy!

 

Now all I needed was a new front site base, and I'd be in business. Wow. Trying to find an A1 style front sight is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I found new ones for only $24.99, but you had to drill the taper pin holes yourself, and without a drill press, or some sort of squaring jig, I figured that would just be frustration and a waste of money. So I kept looking. I went to the big gunshow in the next town thinking at least one of the big parts venders would have a pile of old ones that I could mix and match...wrong. I'm ten years too late. The only thing I found that was .625" was a flat top gas block, which was just going to look stupid with my "Sporter" upper.

So...I threw the "Sporter" upper back in the parts drawer, and went and picked up a matched Aero Precision upper and lower, and built the rifle shown here.

It's not quite what I had in mind, but it came together nicely, shoots minute of pop can at 100 yards, and is very light and handy.

The YHM gas block had no provision for a front sling mount, so, being the enterprising (cheap) bastard that I am, I decided to make one.

I ground the bottom of the YHM flat, and welded two metal tabs in place. Not being much of a welder, this small detail work was fun. I love my little Lincoln wire feed.

Then it was just a matter of banging the thing around on the grinding wheel a bit, and baking it with some Norrell's Moly Resin, and adding a swivel from A 1903 Springfield.

While not cosmetically perfect, it's good enough for me, for my "truck gun".

It all worked out in the end. Except I still have that unused "Sporter" upper out in the shop...Hmmm, what can I build with that???

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