CIVILIAN M4 CONCEPT SPERG, Readiness rifle, SCDR?

Create the recommended minimal Specification guidance for a civilian fighting (Go to war) rifle.

Task:

Purpose:

In response recent world events and rising tensions, this project is to provide Technical standards (And the reasons behind them) to the American population so they may equip themselves easily and readily with a cost effective, simple, reliable, reputable, robust, capable, Semi-universal fighting rifle to safeguard the land of the free from threats foreign and domestic.

Application:

Guidance in the project is to be applied to a new firearm purchase for civilian defense use AND is to be applied to ones already owned fighting rifles to evaluate its technical specification and for the owner to assess the need to upgrade certain parts or the system as a whole.

• The AR-15 is the most prolific, widely supported and adopted rifle in the united state. Its light, simple, user friendly, user serviceable and is a well refined, mature system. Due to the massive production of the platform it has also significantly dropped the price of the firearm over the past 10 years as mass production has increased.

• No other platform compares the price to features that the AR15 has and if it does it introduces other issues or friction points.

Platform: AR-15, 556 Chambering (Or 223 WYLDE)

Bottom line up front, tech specs list: (TLDR)

• Specifications will be divided into Upper, lower, accessories

• Each point will have a recommended specification or features as well as some acceptable deviations, deviations will be identified with a -1 -3 -5 to indicate the significance of each acceptable deviation, You as the operator will have to determine how many downgrade points, if any, you are comfortable with for your given rifle and the level of risk you wish to assume by deviating from the specifications set forward in this outline.

• (-1 Minor downgrade/compromise) (-3 Moderate downgrade/compromise ) (-5 Major downgrade / compromise)

Specifications overview:

• Muzzle Device:

  A2 Birdcage

• Barrel Length:

  16" Alternatively 14.7 P/W A2 (-1)

• Twist rate:

  Preferred 1:8 Alternative: 1:7 or 1:9 (-1)

• Barrel Profile:

  Government, Medium, SOCOM, ect. (NOT HBAR or PENCIL)

• Barrel Build:

  4150 steel, CHF AND OR Chrome lined.

• Gas Block:

  Preferred low Profile may be pinned OR FSB pinned. (Adjustable not needed)

• Gas Profile:

  Midlength OR Carbine

• Handguard:

  Free-Float; Mlok attachment style with uninterrupted Picatinny rail at 12 o'clock (Top) to end of handguard, handguard length to extend at minimum past the gas block, handguard is to have anti rotation tabs at minimum 2, ideally 4 or multiple pins, bolts or added surface area to interface with upper receiver. Drop-in: Ideally drop in, zero-able quad rail Mlok or picatinny rail, Drop in clam shell alternatively with Mlok slots around the 3 and 9 o'clock position minimum.

• Upper receiver:

  Forged Mil-Spec (Forward assist optional)

• Charging handle:

  A2 (Mil-Spec)

• Bolt Carrier Group:

  Meets or exceeds Mil-Spec, Nitride OR phosphate

• Upper parts kit:

  Mil-Spec

-UPPER-

-ACCESORIES-

• Lower Receiver:

  Forged, meets or accedes Mil-Spec, recommended "Closed ear" trigger guard.

• Lower parts kit:

  Mil-Spec

• Trigger:

  Mil spec, Polished Mil-Spec OR Larue MBT (Avoid drop in)

• Buffer Assembly:

  Mil-Spec tube, Carbine spring, Carbine or H1 DEAD-BLOW Buffer (Reciprocating weights, not solid)

-LOWER-

• Buttstock:

  User preference (Mil-Spec, Magpul, B5, Choose established brands with sling attachment points)

• Pistol Grip:

  User preference (Mil-Spec, Magpul, B5, Choose established brands with sling attachment points)

• Magazines:

  30 round, Stanag, Magpul ect.

-PERIPHERALS-

• Sighting Systems (Optics):

  Sig Romeo XT4 PRO , Trijicon 3X Magnifier , Magpul Mbus 3 front and rear.

• Sling:

  Magpul SL1

• White light:

  8650 Series Light Kit:

  Head: Malkoff HTL Black

  Body: 18650 Black

  Tailcap: Arisaka Momentary

  Light Mount: Offset Scout Mount M-Lok

  Battery None

  Light Cover None

The WHY: (Explaining the spec/ build)

• Muzzle Device: A2 Birdcage

  The A2 is light, cheap, short, and does everything you'd want from a muzzle device without well without introducing friction points that being:

  Mainly: Muzzle flash reduction, Debris disruption reduction

  Secondarily: Recoil mitigation

  The A2 Birdcage is the best muzzle device for general, unsuppressed use and that's why it comes on most rifles from the factory

• Barrel Length: 16" Alternatively 14.7 P/W A2 (-1)

  The 16" Barrel Is the minimum length for a firearm to legally be considered a rifle. This means you will not have to worry about State to state restrictions on pistols or federal regulations on AR pistols or doing the additional paperwork to register your firearm as an Short Barrel Rifle. 16" gives you great velocity out of all types of ammo (Which 556 is often dependent on to get good terminal ballistics) while still remain handy and widely, furthermore 16" Of barrel is a lot of length for the distribution of heat, Increasing the barrel life span and reducing wear on other components in the rifle due to a less aggressive gas system needed to cycle shorter barreled AR's. The recoil impulse of the 16" Barrel is light, the concussion from the end of the barrel is minimal and it's the default length for most production line AR-15s. It is plenty usable in most scenarios from CQB to shooting past 300 Yards and is one of the best barrel lengths for a readiness rifle.

  -Without going too in-depth, a 14.7" Barrel with a permanently attached (Via pinning and welding) A2 birdcage muzzle device will meet the legal requirement of a rifle length barrel as the length of the A2 birdcage brings the total to 16 or 16.1" Doing this does shave off some weight and make the rifle a little bit shorter in over all length and the muzzle velocity is only marginally reduced, however you are missing out on some barrel material to absorb heat/mitigate recoil, and you are locked into an A2 muzzle device (Which is one of the best muzzle devices luckily) BUT it can not be changes out or removed meaning you are locked into using a suppressor that is only usable to interface with the A2 muzzle device (Which are very few and far between. The 14.7 p&w is also far less common than the 16" usually costs more and locks you into the A2 & handguard in most cases, limiting your options when it comes to configuring the rifle in the event you need or want to.

-UPPER-

-ACCESORIES-

• Lower Receiver: Forged, meets or accedes Mil-Spec, recommended "Closed ear" trigger guard.

  The lower receiver is where most of your controls are going to be located, as long as it is Mil-spec and in spec, from a reputable manufacturer it is acceptable. Very similar to the upper receiver this is a location to save on cost and choose the proven, standard mil-spec lower receiver. Billet or other alternate geometry lowers are generally not worth the cost of the deviation from the military specification and can introduce parts incompatibility and or ergonomic issues. Having a "Closed ear" Lower receiver, where the trigger guard is a part of the lower and not an additional removable part will provide more space on the trigger guard for gloved hands and increase rigidity, however, an open ear trigger guard is completely acceptable as well.

• Lower parts kit: Mil-Spec

  Deviating from the Standard Mil-spec lower parts increases cost for parts or performance that can cause friction points with the rifle internally or when interfacing with the environment/load bearing equipment, keeping the lower simple and standard keeps things cost effective and simple.

• Trigger: Mil spec, Polished Mil-Spec OR Larue MBT (Avoid drop in)

  This rifle is not a precision rifle, lighter or more refined triggers are often if not always far more expensive than a standard Mil-spec or Polished Mil-spec trigger and can wear out faster than standard Mil-spec parts as well as potentially making the rifle non-drop safe where the rifle can fire from a drop or when hit off a surface without the trigger being pulled or the intention of the shooter to fire the weapon.

• Buffer Assembly: Mil-Spec tube, Carbine spring, Carbine or H1 DEAD-BLOW Buffer (Reciprocating weights, not solid)

  If you're buying a pre-assembled lower or rifle from a manufacturer, they will likely have the appropriate buffer weight and spring housed inside of a Mil-spec carbine spring, to function with the gas system in the rifle. Ensure it is a dead-blow style buffer where the weight moves inside of the buffer housing and not a solid buffer.

-LOWER-

• Buttstock: User preference (Mil-Spec, Magpul, B5, Choose established brands with sling attachment points)

  Mil-Spec, Magpul, B5, Choose established brands with sling attachment points, keep it simple and reputable, don't give into any gimmicks, the CAR/A2 options will be the cheapest and the most proven.

• Pistol Grip: User preference (Mil-Spec, Magpul, B5, Choose established brands with sling attachment points)

  Mil-Spec, Magpul, B5, Choose established brands, keep it simple and reputable, don't give into any gimmicks, the CAR/A2 options will be the cheapest and the most proven, Magpul and a few other brands offer pistol grips with on board storage and its as much onboard storage as one should have on a general purpose rifle to keep a small bottle of CLP or needed tools / a spare battery for the rifle.

• Magazines: 30 round, Stanag, Magpul ect.

  Reputable magazines is the most important thing, polymer vs metal both have there own pros / cons.

-PERIPHERALS-

• Sighting Systems (Optics):

  Sig Romeo XT4 PRO , Trijicon 3X Magnifier , Magpul Mbus 3 front and rear.

• Sling:

  Magpul SL1

• White light:

  8650 Series Light Kit:

  Head: Malkoff HTL Black

  Body: 18650 Black

  Tailcap: Arisaka Momentary

  Light Mount: Offset Scout Mount M-Lok

  Battery None

  Light Cover None

• Twist rate: Preferred 1:8 Alternative: 1:7 or 1:9 (-1)

  Twist rates are something that really does not matter much unless you are doing precision shooting, how many inches it takes for the bullet to do a full 360 rotation in the barrel. 1:7 Is the most common and is what the M4 (US Army's current standard service rifle) Because it is best suited for the heavier projectile weights the Military has moved to (Mainly M855A1 and 77 Grain projectiles) However the civilian market of 556/223 is mostly M193 aka 55g FMJ which is some of the cheapest and most available ammo most people train with and stock up on. That lighter bullet does not need the more aggressive twist rate of 1:7, the civilian market is also full of variety and having a barrel that will get the most accuracy out of a wide spread of common ammunitions would be nice, 1:8 Does exactly that which is perfect for a general purpose CIVILIAN rifle where the ammunition you can get your hands on may be varied and inconsistent. In all honesty, real world practical applications, it doesn't matter much if you aren't

• Barrel Profile: Government, Medium, SOCOM, ect. (NOT HBAR or PENCIL)

  Barrel profile is how thick the barrel is and in what areas, the heavier the barrel, the more heat it can soak up from a larger volume of fire but it also means, it weighs more. There are many barrel profile choices and so long as your not picking a "Pencil" or light weight profile, or an "HBAR" Heavy profile you should be fine. The rifle should be light but should also be capable of firing a few magazines quickly without the barrel getting so hot you cant hold the handguard or the barrel experiences excessive wear and point of impact shift.

• Barrel Build: 4150 steel, CHF AND OR Chrome lined.

  There are 3 major features that go into the composition of a barrels materials / manufacturing process wise and they directly correlate to barrel durability

  Barrel Material: Either 4140 OR 4150 OR 4150 ChromeMolyVanadium/CMV (Usually)

  Manufacture process: Button rifled OR Cold Hammer Forged / CHF

  Chrome lining: Non chrome lined (Usually not specified or explicitly said) OR Chrome lines (Almost always explicitly said)

  4140 is a cheaper softer steel that a lot of cheaper manufacturers use, it is the least durable of the 3 barrel materials, 4150 may be mil spec and moderately more durable and 4150CMV is just 4150 with the presence of vanadium which also adds to the barrels durability and IS mil-spec (Bonus points)

  Button rifling is just a method of barrel manufacturing that is marginally more accurate than CHF in most instances but is cheaper/easier. Cold Hammer Forged barrels are better tempered in the manufacturing process and that process means the barrel is better suited to resist ware from heat.

  Chrome lining is the process of lining the barrel and chamber with chrome which is the best way to add heat resistance and durability to a barrel, but is also the most expensive.

  Having 2 of the 3 "Barrel hardening" Features is recommended (Usually that will be 4150/4150CMV + CHF OR 4150/4150CMV + Chrome lining)

• Gas Block: Preferred low Profile may be pinned OR FSB pinned. (Adjustable not needed)

  Low profile gas blocks have been proven durable and reliable and are the most unitive/flexible options for an AR15, FSB gas blocks remain acceptable as well and there drawbacks (Added weight, Non-free float handguards, obscured sight picture) are mitigated by the upsides (More robust, More material to absorb heat, integrated front sight) Both are acceptable and comparable to each other.

• Gas Profile: Midlength OR Carbine

  -Reputable and quality manufactures will properly tune there rifles to where the gas length does not matter too much, in general carbine length gas on a 16" gun will make the rifle cycle a bit harder/fast (Increasing felt recoil and parts ware slightly but increasing reliability in adverse conditions) While mid length is usually a bit softer but still completely reliable

• Handguard: Free-Float; Mlok attachment style with uninterrupted Picatinny rail at 12 o clock (Top) to end of handguard, handguard length to extend at minimum past the gas block, handguard is to have anti rotation tabs at minimum 2, ideally 4 or multiple pins, bolts or added surface area to interface with upper receiver. Drop-in: Ideally drop in, zero-able quad rail Mlok or picatinny rail, Drop in clam shell alternatively with Mlok slots around the 3 and 9 o'clock position minimum.

• Upper receiver: Forged Mil-Spec (Forward assist optional)

  So long as the upper receiver is mil-spec and in spec, from a reputable manufacturer, that is all that is needed. This is an area where you can save some money if you are building your own rifle or where manufacturers can save some cost as well. A Mil-spec upper does everything you need of an upper and nothing you don't. There is no need to spend more money on fancy features, cuts/shapes or alternate metals/billet receivers. The forward assist is mostly a vestibule of the original military requirements for the rifle, it can be omitted to save a small amount of weight and cost but having it is a non issue.

• Charging handle: A2 (Mil-Spec)

  The standard, Mil-spec, A2 charging handle is the perfect balance of surface area to interface without sticking out so far that it becomes a snag hazard on gear. The A2 charging handle is also very affordable and prolific, another location to save some cash on. Larger charging handles can be easier to interface with, however they also protrude from the body of the rifle and can easily get caught up in load bearing equipment or your sling.

• Bolt Carrier Group: Meets or exceeds Mil-Spec, Nitride OR phosphate

  The BCG is often called the "Heart" of an AR, it is not a location you want to cheap out on. Ensure your BCG is made of Mil-spec materials and built in accordance with the Mil-spec standards from a reputable manufacturer. The preferred finish types are nitride (black nitride) or Phosphate, both are very cost effective and do not introduce additional friction points or consideration that other finish types may. Phosphate is Mil-spec and is generally cheaper while still being very durable, however, it generally needs additional lubrication while nitride is similar in price and durability but generally does not require the additional lubrication.

• Upper parts kit: Mil-Spec

  The Mil-spec upper parts kit has been the standard for a very long time and any potential benefits of deviating from it will not outweigh the cost to do so, it's simple and cost effective to stick with it. Trying to reduce weight in your dust cover or change the shape of the forward assist is simply not enough of an improvement to ergonomics to be worth investing in and open your rifle to additional potential issues.

Price (GOAL UNDER $2500)

Hunting for a Deal

Rifle: $950
Optics:$850
Sling: $20
Light: $250
SUB-TOTAL: $2070

PERSONAL UPGRADES
Onward research sling: 70
AERO MOD 4 Handguard: 200
QD-Sling swivel set: 50

GRAND TOTAL: $2380

Retail

Rifle: $1000
Optics: $1000
Sling: $50
Light: $250
Sub-Total: $2300

PERSONAL UPGRADES
Onward research sling: $70
AERO MOD 4 Handguard: $230
QD-Sling swivel set: $50

GRAND TOTAL: 2600