Retro AR15

[RaoulHayduke]

Built mine in December for around $850.00 on a Brownells A1 lower and an overrun Air Force slickside upper with original furniture from Sarco and an SP1 bcg I got off of arfcom from a guy in Fort Wayne. I have it configured as a late Colt 604 right now, but if I ever get another kit, I might swap the lower and flash hider. I've only run a 5-round function test through this rifle; I haven't even zeroed it yet.

 

[BGDave]

Built mine in December for around $850.00 on a Brownells A1 lower and an overrun Air Force slickside upper with original furniture from Sarco and an SP1 bcg I got off of arfcom from a guy in Fort Wayne. I have it configured as a late Colt 604 right now, but if I ever get another kit, I might swap the lower and flash hider. I've only run a 5-round function test through this rifle; I haven't even zeroed it yet.

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You have a very nice 604 clone. I remember your post a couple years ago debating FAL or Retro AR. You hit the Retro AR out of the park.

 

[RaoulHayduke]

You have a very nice 604 clone. I remember your post a couple years ago debating FAL or Retro AR. You hit the Retro AR out of the park.

Thanks! I was going to build a FAL next, but I was too tempted by cheap Romanian AK kits — one of those (along with a Recreator Blanks 80% receiver) is in the aether right now. I'll probably end up building an Imbel eventually, but I'm always on the lookout for a deal on an ex-Rhodesian R1 or a Belgian kit.

Before any that, I should probably get some quality trigger time on the 604, though.

 

[RaoulHayduke]

If you want to go “full retard” you get an 80% receiver, have it “reprofiled” into A1 configuration, and have the correct Vietnam markings engraved onto it. Then, you can finish it out yourself and be as close to the real thing as you can legally get. Mine even says “safe, semi, full” - but of course it is ACTUALLY “safe, semi, semi”. You also have the “added” benefit of No paper trail on the receiver, so it won’t ever have to get lost in a boating accident.

They're backordered like crazy, but NoDak Spud makes correct 80% A1 profile lowers that have the option of being engraved, iirc. If I hadn't taken advantage of a competitively-priced finish blem Brownells A1 lower, I would have gone with that route. They're probably what I'll spring for for future builds.

 

[AlVine]

I’ve been thinking of doing that. Who does the engraving?

 

[Hkindiana]

I’ve been thinking of doing that. Who does the engraving?

You have to get the engraving done by a small engraver on the “hush-hush”. There is nothing wrong with having an engraved Colt lower, BUT Colt has gone after the large engravers with cease and desist orders. Even though it is just a copyright infringement issue, they have even gotten the ATF involved in doing full scale armed raids of the engravers. NoDak spud makes the best retro lowers, but they are still not profiled correctly. If you want it to be perfect, you need to send it off to have it properly reprofiled. Also, if you are doing a pre 1969 clone, you need to modify the bolt catch ears. As they say, “the devil is in the details”.