derek huffman, azexarms
November 26, 2001, 15:05
Of course, like everyone else I am watching the debate with great interest. I hope WAC does what they have to do to regain the confidence that they deserve.
First impressions, Wow. What a nice job, nice cuts, everything looks good. Tough to get over how light the damn thing is.
Started putting her together. Wanted, originally to build a post-sample and REALLY test this bad boy out but a customer calls and HAS TO HAVE, the one I have in stock so I go about building him a rifle.
I take an exc stg bbl and cut the bipod flanges and the front handguard ring from it. Cut it back and index a moses brake to where it will form the front flang for the handguards. Total bbl length. 15.5". With brake 17".
Customer calls the day I'm getting ready to solder on the brake and wants a fold-down rear sight installed. Blast! So, I put a short gas tube on a new argie gasblock and solder it in, and install the whole deal on this bbl and set the pin. Thankfully the new argie gasblock has a sight and spring on it as well so I don't have to order that.
So, time for the barrelling. I relieve the shoulder to allow the bbl to hand time to about 11 o'clock and torque it on. Nice. Feels good.
Headspaced a bit on the large side at .263. I install a .262 factory LS and ahh...nice lockup. Doesn't even begin to close on a No-go.
Took the bbled upper to the bead blaster and lightly dusted the alum reciever, but remove the finish from the LS on both sides and inside where it locks so I get a good park on it.
Bead blasted the rest of the bbl as normal.
Parked the bbled action with reciever in place, of course the reciever didn't turn or bubble in the park.
coated everything and baked it up.
Put it all together and went out on T-giving with some friends 4x4ing out in the woods in the CUCV.
Stopped in a quiet place and put about 80 rounds through her.
A bit tight at first with the rounds "dragging" on the dividing guide in the reciever. About about the 3rd magazine this cleared up. Not a big deal, I've seen Imbels do this occaisionally. Had it persisted, I would've taken a cratex wheel to the divider and deburred all the edges top and bottom for better "slide" as the rounds make the transition from magazine control to bolt face.
I had opened up the gas port to .118 and that was turning out to not be enough. The rifle would only function reliably on 2 or 2.5. I went home and put the finishing touches on it. Opened up the port to .123 and on the next outing it ran like a champ on 4 and 5. Locked open reliably at those settings.
My two minor complaints. 1. the top cover slots were very tight. As a general rule, on all my builds I deburr the top cover ridges with a Scotch-brite deburring wheel so that they fit better and smoother. Even so, this baby required some tapping (as if someone gently rapping) with a plastic hammer to seat the top cover. With the introduction of the scope mount, I now understand why these are so snug.
2. The numbers, numbers and letters on this reciever (WAC150xx) are not deep enough to hold paint well.
All in all, I'm impressed. This kind of innovation will benefit us all.
Now, if we can just get some independent, unbiased testing of the recievers done, we'll all feel happier.
D. www.azexarms.com (http://www.azexarms.com)
[ November 27, 2001: Message edited by: EMDII ]
First impressions, Wow. What a nice job, nice cuts, everything looks good. Tough to get over how light the damn thing is.
Started putting her together. Wanted, originally to build a post-sample and REALLY test this bad boy out but a customer calls and HAS TO HAVE, the one I have in stock so I go about building him a rifle.
I take an exc stg bbl and cut the bipod flanges and the front handguard ring from it. Cut it back and index a moses brake to where it will form the front flang for the handguards. Total bbl length. 15.5". With brake 17".
Customer calls the day I'm getting ready to solder on the brake and wants a fold-down rear sight installed. Blast! So, I put a short gas tube on a new argie gasblock and solder it in, and install the whole deal on this bbl and set the pin. Thankfully the new argie gasblock has a sight and spring on it as well so I don't have to order that.
So, time for the barrelling. I relieve the shoulder to allow the bbl to hand time to about 11 o'clock and torque it on. Nice. Feels good.
Headspaced a bit on the large side at .263. I install a .262 factory LS and ahh...nice lockup. Doesn't even begin to close on a No-go.
Took the bbled upper to the bead blaster and lightly dusted the alum reciever, but remove the finish from the LS on both sides and inside where it locks so I get a good park on it.
Bead blasted the rest of the bbl as normal.
Parked the bbled action with reciever in place, of course the reciever didn't turn or bubble in the park.
coated everything and baked it up.
Put it all together and went out on T-giving with some friends 4x4ing out in the woods in the CUCV.
Stopped in a quiet place and put about 80 rounds through her.
A bit tight at first with the rounds "dragging" on the dividing guide in the reciever. About about the 3rd magazine this cleared up. Not a big deal, I've seen Imbels do this occaisionally. Had it persisted, I would've taken a cratex wheel to the divider and deburred all the edges top and bottom for better "slide" as the rounds make the transition from magazine control to bolt face.
I had opened up the gas port to .118 and that was turning out to not be enough. The rifle would only function reliably on 2 or 2.5. I went home and put the finishing touches on it. Opened up the port to .123 and on the next outing it ran like a champ on 4 and 5. Locked open reliably at those settings.
My two minor complaints. 1. the top cover slots were very tight. As a general rule, on all my builds I deburr the top cover ridges with a Scotch-brite deburring wheel so that they fit better and smoother. Even so, this baby required some tapping (as if someone gently rapping) with a plastic hammer to seat the top cover. With the introduction of the scope mount, I now understand why these are so snug.
2. The numbers, numbers and letters on this reciever (WAC150xx) are not deep enough to hold paint well.
All in all, I'm impressed. This kind of innovation will benefit us all.
Now, if we can just get some independent, unbiased testing of the recievers done, we'll all feel happier.
D. www.azexarms.com (http://www.azexarms.com)
[ November 27, 2001: Message edited by: EMDII ]