In the never ending quest to make the VZ-58 easier to operate and more ergonomic, I’ve replaced the factory magazine release with an aftermarket option. Specifically I’ve used the VZ-58/CZ-858 Extended Magazine Release from Dlask Arms Corp. of Delta British Columbia.
Dlask Extended Magazine Release installed
Got my NEA package in the mail today. This will be the core of my SPR build.
NEA 18″ heavy barrel and match receivers
I picked up the NEA-15 Z marked matched billet upper and lower from SFRC for a great deal. NEA is a relatively new Canadian based AR manufacturer that has had mixed reviews over the last few years. I have had a chance to shoot several of their rifles and a have one of their bolt carrier groups. For the price, nothing else could come close to the NEA receiver set. The upper is, surprisingly, complete. The lower however is stripped, as expected. I’m not super sold on the colour of the receivers, the finish is a dark grey.
I also ordered an NEA 18″ heavy barrel. Originally I was planning on exporting a White Oak Armament 18″ SPR barrel out of the US. Again the NEA product was priced incredibly low. This barrel is made of 4140 CMV, and features 1:7 polygonal rifling, and ARC+ finish. The NEA 18″ heavy barrel is set up as a mid length gas system, and while I was planning on using a rifle length system, I’m willing to try the mid-length to get an idea of the quality of the NEA barrel.
I found a sweet deal on a new Northeastern Arms bolt carrier group. Made in Canada by North Eastern Arms, these are a little different from your run of the mill BCG. I picked this BCG up to finish my 11.5″ upper. No more swapping BCGs between uppers for this guy.
assembled NEA bolt carrier group
Techwell TGO promo image from techwareusa.com
I’m taking a carbine course this weekend and expect to burn through 800+ rounds of 223 with my 11.5″ AR15. I’m not really into blowing through that many reloads when I can’t find powder to make more, and factory ammo is going for 50 cents around or more. At one of my local shops I found spam cans of Norinco 223 brass cased 55 grain full metal jacket. Each can holds 800 rounds and was selling for $240. Crates of two cans were also available.
Norinco 223 Ammo
This is the third and final installment of the AR15 Upper Receiver Group build series. In Part 1 we looked at parts, tools, and some other considerations. In Part 2 I documented the assembly process. Finally we’ll look at whether or not I assembled a working rifle and review some lessons learned.
The author and the 11.5″ AR15 at a practice
Welcome to Part 2 of the 3 part series in which I show you how I assembled a new Upper Receiver Group for my AR15. In Part 1 we looked at design considerations, legal issues, and tools. This article will cover the assembly process. Seasoned AR15 operators will know that the AR is essentially Barbie for men. AR owners can accessorize and modify their rifle with minimal training or tools. As I’m demonstrating, even the untrained can assemble the parts to build a working rifle. The AR15 is one of the few platforms where many manufacturers work within a specification and build mostly interchangeable parts. Continue reading
Welcome to Part 1 of the 3 part series in which I show you how I assembled a new Upper Receiver Group for my AR15. The series will examine the tools used, the design choices I made, the build process, and my thoughts on the project.
I’m not a gunsmith, professional gun fighter, or all that mechanically inclined. I’m your average Canadian by day and an avid shooter and firearms enthusiast in my spare time.
Most of the parts laid out
Remington 870 Tactical
I call shotgun! The shotgun has been in use for well over 150 years, that shows the versatility of the design. Of course the shotguns of today don’t share too many common elements with their 1850’s contemporaries, the coach guns of the Old West. Much like the Glock of today has a little, but not much in common with the Colt 1851 Navy. Shotguns are still are still smooth bore and measured in gauges. That’s about where the similarity ends. There are so many shotgun designs available today; side by side and over under break actions, pump action, lever action, bolt action, semi-auto. What I want to examine is building a “good enough” tactical shotgun for 3 Gun and IPSC shotgun matches. It could probably be used to hunt with, or shot clays, but this shotgun will excel at a tactical roll. This would also make a stellar home defense gun, but of course the legal issues of using a firearm for self defense in Canada make it a complex legal issue if you ever brought it to bear. Continue reading
After going through the disaster of getting the plunger tube on my old 1911 replaced under warranty I decided to sell that pistol and replace it with something a little better. My original plan was, and still is to go to an STI Lawman, but since there is a minimum 6 month lead time and I need a 1911 now I opted to purchase the Remington R1 Enhanced. Unboxing and initial impressions after the jump.
Left side of Remington R1 Enhanced. Extended magazine release, bevel in grip for mag release, extended safety, front strap serations
