The "A2.5"

[EssOne]

This is a story about an AR build project that turned out really well. First, here's the culprit, my plain as mud "A2.5"

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For a number of years I’ve been stuck on the idea of an AR “short rifle” instead of a carbine. I envisioned a beautifully balanced, proportional little rifle that would have a 16” government contour barrel (not the M4 style) and a conventional fixed butt stock. As far as I know, nobody ever tried to market such an animal, at least I couldn't find one anyway. So I finally got my gumption up and put one together myself. (Actually I only built the lower, Spikes built the upper.)

What I did to arrive at my ultimate end, my “short rifle,” was to take a Spike’s Tactical 16” mid length flat top upper receiver assembly and mate it up with a standard, A3 lower receiver assembly. And boy does it mount, point, and swing like a million dollars. I've had the chance to wring it out on the range now and it shoots every bit as good as it looks, coming in at roughly 1.5 MOA with iron sights. Here's another view of it to give a better idea of its proportions. I think it's a pretty handsome rifle, myself.

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In the hands of a six foot, 190 pound shooter

One of my biggest goals was to keep it mechanically clean, simple, and relatively unsophisticated. Mission accomplished. The Spike’s upper receiver assembly came with an M16 bolt carrier group and a 16” government contour CMV/CL barrel with a 1:7 rate of twist, and a MagPul MOE forend. The rear sight is an LMT stand alone unit. The Spike's lower receiver is set up with a Geissele SSA trigger, an Armalite ambi selector and lower parts kit, a MagPul MIAD pistol grip, and a JP Enterprises tuned buffer spring. To preserve the look I was after I topped it off with a (gasp) black M1/M14 sling. So as such things go today, it’s a pretty plain Jane rifle that won't turn a lot of heads at a gadget convention, but then I don't care much for luggage racks and running boards on my cars, either.  

 

For my first accuracy tests I fired  four 100 yard bench rest groups with Outback and Privi 69 grain and 75 grain target hollow points. They were fired with iron sights and with the rifle resting on my range bag. They all measured right at 1 5/8" per each four shot groups. A 3x scope put them into an inch. I've sat at the bench with common XM193 ammo and, shooting off my elbows without a rest, dinged the 12"X18" dingers at 240 yards with egotistically pleasing regularity. Heck, at my age I'll settle for that! Here is one of the groups I mentioned.

 

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I've tried several borrowed scopes on it and only one of them worked well and didn't louse up the balance and make the gun want to get "tippy". That was the Burris A332 Prism sight, but I haven't bothered to photograph the gun with a scope on it because I'm still not convinced I'm going to keep it scoped. I just like the balance better with the irons.

 

What's the "A2.5" all about? Well, it looks a bit like a cut down A3, so I just shaved off a half point and called my "A2.5." It's kinda neat having a gun nobody else on the block has, even if it is a little plain, and especially since I got to set it up the way I wanted the rifle to be. Like George Peppard use to say on "The A Team" I love it when a plan comes together.
 

EssOne 

Edited April 26, 2015 by EssOne

[gjohnsoniv]

I think I just figured out what to do with my spare A2 lower without upper.

[btq96r]

I'm  putting together a cheap man's SPR build, and I've been considering using an A2 stock on it, instead of the standard six position w/SOPMOD buttstock. 

 

Your experiences are making me like the idea more and more.

[Murgatroy]

I have to say I like it, not only because I do, but because I just built the same thing over Christmas.

 

I used a 14.5 barrel, and all Magpul furniture and then topped it with a carry handle. It is a joy to shoot, virtually no recoil and is very compact.

 

[hipower]

Great looking build. For both of you. lol Edited April 27, 2015 by hipower

[peejman]

Copycat! 

 

 

 

 

;)   Nice rifle. 

 

Mine is the TGO lower, PSA upper, Cavalry Arms C1 buttstock, Primary Arms red dot.  It wears a Hogue pistol grip now and a USGI sling.  I love the way it handles but unfortunately I'm yet to get it sighted in. 

[EssOne]

Nice rifle yerself!! I guess it's true what they say about great minds traveling in the same gutter. :rofl:

 

My bet is that the PSA government contour FN barrel will shoot like a house afire. The thing I don't like about the AR332 scope is that I can't get a BUIS to work on it unless I move the scope farther forward than I really like it and I'm not into spending a hundred bucks on a mount. Guess I'm just a grouchy olphart who likes irons too much.

Edited April 27, 2015 by EssOne

[peejman]

Nice rifle yerself!! I guess it's true what they say about great minds traveling in the same gutter. :rofl:

 

My bet is that the PSA government contour FN barrel will shoot like a house afire. The thing I don't like about the AR332 scope is that I can't get a BUIS to work on it unless I move the scope farther forward than I really like it and I'm not into spending a hundred bucks on a mount. Guess I'm just a grouchy olphart who likes irons too much.

 

 

Thanks, its my first AR.  I can see my BUIS through the PA red dot pretty well (lower 1/3 co-witness).  It would be nice to have some magnification to aid accuracy, but I'm not a good enough shot for that to matter a whole lot.  Minute of paper plate at 200 or so would suit me fine.   

 

Does your butt stock have the storage compartment?  Mine does and it's cavernous...   I can easily fit two 10 rd stripper clips in there and can squeeze a 3rd in there if I don't need to get them back out in a hurry.  :D   Adding a little weight to the stock helps offset the nose heavy nature of forward mounted scopes.  Balance is more important than overall weight. 

[EssOne]

Thanks, its my first AR.  I can see my BUIS through the PA red dot pretty well (lower 1/3 co-witness).  It would be nice to have some magnification to aid accuracy, but I'm not a good enough shot for that to matter a whole lot.  Minute of paper plate at 200 or so would suit me fine.   

 

Does your butt stock have the storage compartment?  Mine does and it's cavernous...   I can easily fit two 10 rd stripper clips in there and can squeeze a 3rd in there if I don't need to get them back out in a hurry.  :D   Adding a little weight to the stock helps offset the nose heavy nature of forward mounted scopes.  Balance is more important than overall weight. 

Yes, mine is a Rock River stock and has the standard GI compartment. I keep extra parts, oil, and an Allen wrench for the iron sight in it. I'm trying to come up with a compact wrench to store in there for the scope mount I'm using. I keep the iron sight in the case and it returns to zero pretty accurately every time I remount it. But if I ever get into something where I need to do a sight swap in a hurry, I'll be running to fast to do it!

 

And I really agree about the balance too. Any time you mount a scope on the AR it wants to tip right or left and that drives me nuts, so I'm not too fond of scopes on them. The Burris AR 332 is basically a poor man's ACOG, but I do like it very much, and it tends to tip less than others. It's a 3X and goes for $400, but they occasionally run sales for $100 off, which is how I bought mine.

 

Minute of paper plate at 200? I should be so lucky!!! Try minute of car door! :pleased:  

Edited April 27, 2015 by EssOne