Had a spare charging handle, so..... M16A4 clone right?

[Opie]

Going through my parts box and had a new colt "take-off" charging handle in there. It only makes sense to build another rifle if you already have a charging handle right? Then, I came across a new old stock FN M16a4 upper with a P&S rail system locally. It only took me a couple days of pondering before I decided that was something I was going to need and grabbed it. Once I started looking around, I discovered PSA had released an M16a4 marked lower that is pretty darn nice. It is marked more accurately than the AERO version in my opinion. The AERO says "Property of USA" and this one says "PROPERTY OF US GOVT". While I put this together as a fun "clone" rifle, I went ahead and bought only top quality components so it's GTG if I ever needed it for serious work.

***UPDATE 9/8/20 Finally got it out to the range last week. I put 90 rounds of XM193 through it to sight in and function check. Running 100% and a almost no felt recoil compared to the lighter AR's I normally shoot. Not sure I am going to shoot it very much, but it was a fun build and a 20" AR is still pretty darn effective. People talk about how big they are, but it is the same height as my 18.5" barreled Remington 870P, and I have no trouble clearing a house with that one!

FN M16a4 NOS upper
FN carry handle
FN BCG and CH
Schmid tool LPK
PSA m16a4 lower
RRA A2 stock kit
BFG USGI Vickers sling with correct attachment
Surefire M961xm07

 

[KJQ6945]

Good looking build sir. I have considered putting together a full length clone for nostalgia purposes, but I don’t think I would get it out of the safe enough to justify it.

 

[snorko]

Parts are like seed crystals. I've had whole guns grow from magazines. Nice rifle.

 

[Alamo]

Rock Soup for ARs.

 

[Opie]

Parts are like seed crystals. I've had whole guns grow from magazines. Nice rifle.

I have a spare A2 buffer spacer and an extra take down detent pin. I'll drop them off to your office next week. What are friends for...

 

[snorko]

I have a spare A2 buffer spacer and an extra take down detent pin. I'll drop them off to your office next week. What are friends for...

Eeeww, ARs are gross. They might touch my AKs and give them cooties.

 

[rugertoter]

Well, I would say you built a pretty darned nice rifle....seeing as though it was made from some lone charging handle!

 

[ACC]

I too have done the "oohh, I have a charging handle" build. Very rewarding.

 

[BGDave]

Got a couple flash hiders. A1-A2 and a 3 prong. They are plotting against me.

 

[johny5]

The only thing on here that is not really clone correct is the Schmid nickel teflon trigger...

I carried one like this a few years back. It had a side sling mount that attached to the front sight base. Do you know if there were some set up with the standard swivel (as yours is)?

Great build, by the way!

 

[Opie]

I carried one like this a few years back. It had a side sling mount that attached to the front sight base. Do you know if there were some set up with the standard swivel (as yours is)?

My understanding is the M16a4 rifles didn't come with the side sling swivel unless they were using (or had used) the M203 on it. The M4 carbine does have the side sling mounts.

I am open to correction on that if I am off-base...

 

[johny5]

My understanding is the M16a4 rifles didn't come with the side sling swivel unless they were using (or had used) the M203 on it. The M4 carbine does have the side sling mounts.

I am open to correction on that if I am off-base...

I'm looking at pics on the webernets and cannot find a single picture of an M16a4 with the side sling swivel like the one on my service rifle. Crazy. I wonder if the one's we had were originally meant to bear M203's. It never occurred to me before that this may have been the case.

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

Nice looking build. I hate it when a charging handle turns into a complete rifle.

 

[Expat]

Very nice, congrats.

 

[churchmouse]

Nice looking build. I hate it when a charging handle turns into a complete rifle.

Yup. Has happened more than once and several 1911's as well.