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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

The Evolution Of A Rifle


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Last year, I decided to build up an AR in .308Win caliber, which I based on the Palmetto State Armory PA10. The PA10 uses a slightly modified DPMS low profile upper and lower. It had a few bugs to be worked out, but over all it was good.

My son first wanted Vietnam A-1 style set up, so we tried that. It originally had the A-2 style butt stock, but it was a bit too long for me, so we went back to the collapsing stock.

PA10M14S_zpsoq25ixpq.jpg

 

We decided we didn't like the triangular hand guard, so we went to a Magpul.

PA10_zpsbxti9wuc.jpg

 

The first time I took it shooting with a scope on it, I found that the front sight was so tall that it made the middle of the field of view of the scope blurry. So, we decided to go a free float tube hand guard, and a different gas block, one without a sight on it. I decided to go with an adjustable gas block, which is supposed to cut down recoil a bit. I did not want a quad rail, with all those sharp corners everywhere. So, I used a free float tube from Leapers/UTG.

I think I've finally got it into its final form.

I just replaced the pistol grip with a contoured grip, with a floor plate allowing storage of allen wrenches. The the mounting hardware for the scope, lazer, and bipod is hex head screws. The free float tube makes it a bit heavier, but I can live with that. The only issue with the tube, is that I would have liked it longer to cover the gas block to protect it, but I am satisfied.

 

PA10D_zpspsvpqnqr.jpg

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Long ways from where it started, isn't it? The triangular fore end is kind of an acquired taste. I recently swapped an old sporter SP1 back to the original triangular just to be "original" and what is today "different."

 

How's it shoot?

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Long ways from where it started, isn't it? The triangular fore end is kind of an acquired taste. I recently swapped an old sporter SP1 back to the original triangular just to be "original" and what is today "different."

 

How's it shoot?

It's showing potential. I went out to sight it in, and get the gas block adjusted the other day, and I found I had a single shot rifle. I had a brain fart one day and installed an AR15 buffer tube on it, and the PA10, being a .308, requires a longer buffer tube. Which is now on the rifle. That's the change from green to black.

But, it is showing it can shoot. But it has less than 50 rds through it so far.

I have a low profile upper, which means the picatinny rail sits low. In order for the small object scope to fit, I had to go the tallest rings I had, and even then I barely have bell clearance. If I go a larger scope, I will have to get extra tall rings. I have a snap on cheek piece for the butt stock, but it won't be used since the scope is so low it's not needed.

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I put a Magpul PRS on the AR I built. It has the adjustable cheek piece. The scope I wound up with on it is a Valdata, and it sits pretty low. The right spot for the cheek piece is all the way down, so no real need to do anything with it. The PRS is still pretty darn nice. Yeah, I kinda went overboard on that build.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Doc, the SP-1's have desirability as a collector's item and also for those that have ATF registered so-called drop-in rock'n'roll trigger parts. I have no idea what's different about 1970's SP-1's but with legal and I guess illegal as well. The drop-in parts work significantly better on the earlier AR's.

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