BartCarter

Thanks, Brian, I'll start with a standard upper. I can decide later if I want to do something else.

Why does Gibbz need to change the cam pin for their side charging uppers?

So, what uppers will these work with? I am looking at normal 5.56 mil-spec, 9 mm cut slick sided and both that are available in side charger versions. Would a 5.56 work with maybe a little clearance work in the ejection port area for 9 mm clearance? This would mean that I would have functional dust cover and forward assist if I want. Does the system need M4 feed ramps? On the side charger versions, are there differences in the way the side charger cycles the BCG? The GIBBZ uses a different cam pin for the BCGs that need one. I know the CMMG has a different type of cam pin than a 5.56, so am I good to go or would the GIBBZ supplied one work? Is there a different side charger version that does not require a cam pin change? CMMG has not done the trials and fittings of anything but their design, so they were unable to give me any advice on this.

My BCM milspec buffer tube weighed 3.77 oz. As some people can't stand the "sprong" sound of the spring, I can only imagine what the sound would be with a honeycomb'd buffer tube.

Eric, I'm going to need your address so I can send you my guns to get accurate weights. Do you need them disassembled first, or will you do that? I use one of those kitchen type scales that measure food amounts. Pretty accurate for what I need. To get a little more accuracy, I measure in grams and convert. But who knows what the absolute weights really are on these types of scales.

When I put my MFT Minimalist stock on the scale I got 6.07 oz.

Here you go.

Saturday

Hi Brian, what was the weight of the buffer you used and what buffer spring?

Thanks, I like it.

Here are pics of the mag stop ledge.

Can you tell me what stock and buffer tube setup you are using?

The Lucas Pistol Caliber Carbine match is on Shooting USA tomorrow night. Outdoors channel, 606 on my DirecTV. Saw the show today and is interesting.

I wanted to be sure of the Guard's reliability, so I did all the research I could. Of course this was limited to the .45 Guard. One of their tests was shooting 7,500 rounds in one day, cleaning at every 2,500 rounds. Now that is some testing! At the end they could barely move their fingers. Looks like the worst would be preventive maintenance like replacing some springs at certain intervals. So I'm like you, looking for this to be a good alternative. I would like to see a slide charger upper. Lower is fine as is. The normal changes like trigger, grip, stock, handguard, etc. are already available.

I really like the way CMMG designed the mag stop. They could probably do this because the ejector is in the bolt like an AR 15. Other manufacturers didn't have this option because they followed Colt's blowback setup. For me, one more reason to go with the Guard. (But I won't be giving up my Colt style PCCs. )

Hi Brian, As you know, the lower on the Guard does not have an ejector. It is on the bolt like an AR 15. What they did to stop over insertion was to mill a ledge in the magwell that prevents over insertion by using the corresponding ledge on the Glock magazine. I just tested a Glock mag on the lower (disengaging the mag release while testing) and that is the only thing stopping the mag from over insertion. The LRHBO does not enter into this as a possible stop. This ledge / mag fit doesn't allow for over insertion. After trying unsuccessfully to over insert a mag, I would say you can't catch the bolt and you would have no trouble to monopoding. I'll figure out how to post a picture after I can take a few to show the ledge.

Brian, Can I attach files via the forum option? I was left out in the cold when photobucket changed. I can email them to you and you can post, if you like. Maybe I should get a new host service, but I don't want to go through that again.

Hi Eric, From what I have experienced so far, about 500 rounds with no malfunction. I like the way they engineered it. More details on "Anyone shoot a guard thread".

Well, the mail delivered 3 33 round mags Saturday and I took it as a sign that I should shoot the Guard at a steel match Sunday. I put on a new Vortex Viper Saturday night and took it to my local range to sight it in and do some testing. Just dialed it in to be just under an inch high at 15 yards. Ran really well, so Sunday was a go. I really like this gun. Zero malfunctions, easy to reload, pointed well and the mil-spec trigger was a non-issue. There were multiples on some targets and I could shoot them as fast as I could pull the trigger - no misses. On the 8-plate spinning rack, no problem knocking them off. My Colt type shoots just as well, but I have fiddled with mags, springs, buffers, etc. to make it so. If I had to start over, the Guard would be the way to go for me.

I have been down sizing my buffers in my Colt types and buffer + bolt weight is about 20 oz. I have also changed from a solid buffer to sliding weights/dead blow type of buffer. This was a noticeable help. I got the KAK configurable buffer as experimented. So, compared to a normal bolt with a 7.5 oz solid buffer, far softer recoil and better dot control. With my current setup, softer recoil. I don't see how any softer would be any better. As far as dot movement, my current Colt type setup has very little and the CMMG is almost as close. I need to shoot more comparisons side by side. Of course I don't have the super-trick-spring-hydraulic-weighted buffer systems that others report as having practically no dot movement. I would like to shoot one of those one day. But my double taps are getting better and better with more shooting.

Ordered the most basic gun because I wanted to change out to my preferences as to trigger, stock, etc. So, it has been so long that I have shot a mil-spec trigger that I was looking for something awful. I was pleasantly surprised. Feels about 5-6 lbs, fairly smooth, not a bad reset and just a little slack. I will measure trigger pull weight when I have a chance.

Well, I ordered my carbine and 2 days later (Friday) my FFL called to pick it up. I can only compare it to Colt SMG PCC types, as those are the only PCCs that I have built/shot. Took it apart. Weight of carbine w/ 16" barrel is 6lb, 1 oz. with no mag or sights. The buffer is 3.25" long and weighs 2.93 oz. There is no feed ramp as such. The barrel/bolt looks like they modified an M4. You can see the M4 type of feed ramps and the center lug between them has been releaved. The BCG weight 11.78 oz. Combined BCG and buffer weight is 14.71 oz., pretty light.

I used to have problems loading Colt mags on a closed bolt. On one of my uppers, I had to modify the lips on some of my mags to clear the bolt properly on insertion. Upon inspection and trial and error, I found that if the mag was loaded to an odd number of rounds, it could be loaded on a closed bolt. So I figured the bolt was the problem to hard loading when loading an even number of rounds. Yesterday I was at a match with a fellow that had been shooting SMGs for longer than I could believe. When I mentioned the odd/even loading causing a problem with the bolt, he told me the real reason. If you look at the mag catch hole with an odd/even number of rounds, you will see that the rounds stack differently at the mag catch hole. Even rounds interfere with the mag catch and odd rounds allow the mag catch to seat the mag. That is why you sometimes hear of loading the mag down multiple rounds and still having problems. So, for me, loading mags to an odd number of rounds has completely solved my loading on a closed bolt.

Lead Star Arms muzzle brake is 1/2-28. not 1/2-36. At what length barrel does it have an effect?

Ordered one yesterday. I'll post as soon as I get it.