obsessiveshooter

You are right, we'll see. I'd love to report back on this. The all metal parts like the FF rail, the offset sights and the mount are all metal and I'm pretty confident in them being rock solid. The electronics in the red dot, I have no idea. This stuff is just to get me up and running and I figured it was worth a shot. Buying clones at 1/10 the cost of an original is not putting a whole lot on the line and if it works out- too cool!

Just out of curiosity, I bought an aimpoint red dot clone from aliexpress.com. It was $30 shipped. The thing actually works- it zeroed in quickly, has pretty clear optics, flip up covers, and comes with a really solid mount. It was worth the cost just for the mount. I don't have a lot of rounds through it yet, but I have no reason to think it will die. Battery life is short though, but batteries are cheap. The reason I bring this up- they also sell ACOG clones for about $60. Word is that they work just fine, and based on my experience with the Aimpoint clone, I think it would be worth a try. I know, someone will crucify me for buying Chinese clones. Honestly, I couldn't have afforded an AR if it weren't for the Chinese parts, i.e. $40 free float rail, $20 offset sights, $30 stainless compensator, etc. I don't feel bad about it yet. This rifle isn't for home defense, and I haven't yet tried 3-gun. The only problems I'm having with the rifle thus far are with the budget American-made parts I bought.

Everything is lubed, including the gas rings. The gas tube went on easily and isn't kinked or under any stress. I touched the gas rings with some 600 grit paper because they felt like there was a burr on them. The bolt doesn't feel so gritty now. the Rings were not all aligned either. a buddy just lent me this new unfired Colt light carbine so that I can try a few different parts in mine and for general comparison. His bolt has a little resistance just before lockup, similar to mine. His buffer spring is just a tiny bit less stiff than mine. So, assuming that his rifle fires and functions perfectly, I may start looking at my gas system. The one thing I haven't looked at yet is the gas hole in my barrel. Sunday I'll be shooting and It should tell me something. BTW, can anyone tell me what the proper size gas hole is for an 18" mid length gas barrel? Even though I only shoot USPSA for now, the entire competitive shooting crowd is just amazingly helpful and I'm really appreciating all the advice I'm getting from everyone here.

The gas block is definitely lined up correctly- I removed it and the carbon circle is perfectly centered with the gas hole. The gun only has 80 rounds through it. The first 40 rounds it didn't eject a single case. The second time out with it, I fired another 40 rounds and maybe 20 of those casings ejected, but the bolt never got far enough back to load up another round. I really think that most of the problem is my BCG. The gas rings are really tight on the carrier and it takes a few pounds of force to push the bolt back and forth in the carrier. If I ease the charging handle forward, the bolt will not lock up on it's own. I'll need to assist it forward to get the final lockup. I'm pretty sure that's a big problem, right?

I shoot a Limited g35 in Limited as well, and I'm always looking to go to a 2011. I hope if I make the switch and spend all that money, I won't go back to my glock. BTW, how on earth do you go 6 years without shooting a classifier? I've never shot a match that didn't include a classifier.

Thanks for the tip. I'll remove some weights and see what happens. I'd be elated if that was all I needed to change up. Still haven't figured out how to post pics here, but I did post some pictures on a Facebook gun page and the responses I got were that the leakage looked completely normal. One person suggested trying to seal the GB with blue Loctite. Is this an insider trick or a really dumb idea?

Yes, pictures of the leaking. I did verify that the GB wasn't partially covering the hole in the barrel. Can someone please guide me on how to post pictures? I'm sure it's right in front of me but I'm just not seeing it.

Okay, I thought I had attached pictures. Sorry. Let me work on this, I've never posted a picture before.

Please AR gurus, does the streaking around my gas block look like a normal amount or an excessive amount? This is from 80 rounds of PMC bronze. I am seriously short stroking with this rifle, which is my first AR build. Another possible source might be my buffer spring. It seems to take a lot of force to pull back the charging handle, compared to an M&P15 I yanked on in a gun store. The buffer moves freely in the tube w/o the spring. These are no-name parts (buffer assembly and gas block).

And brass gen 4 back straps.

In Colorado, the outdoor matches I've shot typically have 12-15 people on a squad. A few people tape, a few pick up brass and it all gets handed to you or put in your brass bag that you dropped near the starting position. It works and people are getting their own brass back. I would be pretty unhappy if I used really expensive brass or shot an odd caliber and wasn't getting it back or had to rummage through a giant pile at the end of the match.

I have the aluminum dp ice in my g35. I wish I had spent more on a heavier magwell.

So, Magpul is releasing mags for the g17 this year. Please join me in emailing their customer service and requesting that they make a 20 or 21 round 140mm mag for the g22/35/24. Maybe if we show some interest we could eventually buy Limited-ready, reliable, off the shelf mags for 20 bucks. email them at: magpul@magpul.com

How about some suggestions on other forums such as this one, with more gurus like kneelingatlas?

I figured as much, but was hoping there was something out there that was under my radar.

Maybe this is not the right place to post this... I enjoy flipping through FrontSite and would like a monthly magazine that deals well with tactical pistols and related equipment. Any recommendations, ones to avoid? I'd prefer a magazine that isn't afraid to say something sucks if it does in fact suck. What brought this up is I got a thing int he mail from Guns and Ammo advertising a 2 yr subscription for $15...

Definitely not from PO. Just my thoughts on sponsorship.

Benefits I can envision from more sponsorship: Better stages in the big matches, which will trickle down to the local level. Prize tables at smaller matches More regional matches big matches might become televised--- big win for the 2A culture People will actually know what the hell USPSA is People who might be well suited to compete will find it and start competing Gun manufacturers might start tending to our sport more with specific models- competition will drive down the cost of entry into Limited and Open

Same recoil spring, mag springs are wolff +10%(typical). Looks like I'm recrimping my rounds tonight and I'll see how she does at in indoor match Sunday night. Thanks for the help!!

berry's 180 fp. My taper crimp- that's a great idea. I'm gonna check it... yup, I have a sharp edge. If that is the problem, then I'm glad it's something I can fix, unlike an over-crimp.

Okay, so my g35 is jamming with the projectile hitting the top of the chamber. Not limp wristing. I'm loading to 1.135. It doesn't seem to happen when I am shooting fast, mainly when I am taking a slow deliberate shot. This may be a coincidence. Shooting slowly it can happen like every other round. I tried to cleaning my mags and completely breaking down the gun cleaning everything. This is a newer problem and the mag springs have less than 600 rounds of use. I did have an aluminum mag release that opened up the notch in my mags the slightest bit. I'm back to the original mag release now and the mags seems to be seated up reasonably tight. Maybe 1/31-1/64" or vertical flex. I do plan on replacing the mags, but I have a feeling the problem is something else. There was a recent thread with a similar issue- I tried messing with the screw on my dawson ice magwell and there doesn't seem to be any flex from tight to loose, so I don't think that is the problem. I'm hoping this is a common thing with an obvious fix.

Time, then instruction. I'll be forever a C until then. But with two little boys that I don't get to spend enough time with, shooting will always have to take second priority to family. Till the boys are old enough/responsible enough to join in, I'll just keep shooting one match a month for the fun of it. Getting some instruction this Spring will be fun too, and it might prevent me from getting locked into bad habits.

MarkCo, I have been thinking about this long-term adjustability thing. From what I have read, carbon builds up and locks the set screws in place. I'd like to set it and leave it, but that seems to be a sure thing for eventual lockup. Would it be a matter of removing the set screw every X number of rounds and running the threading tap through the hole again to clean out the threads? Also, do these screws tend to move in and out durin initial use?

Mark Gale, care to elaborate? Drilling a hole and threading it is not difficult.

I searched for info on this here to no avail... How hard can this project be? I have a drill press, drill bits, a tiny budget and a need to tinker and do things myself. Low-pro gas blocks can be had all day from ebay for $10 shipped. I have ordered a steel gas block but should I do aluminum instead? AL is easier to drill, but won't a steel set screw lock up against the AL eventually? My idea is that I can drill it from the muzzle end so that I can adjust it w/o removing the freefloat rail. Maybe even put in a knurled knob screw instead, like the Colt GB. This will be my first AR, and I want it to be useful for 3gun. Are there any things you all would advise me of before I do this? I am aware that there might be something I am overlooking...