Crusader Arms Backland Hunter Competition - NR AR ergonomics in a definitely-not-an-AR platform

1ABNDT said:
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So you butchered your magwell with that less than stellar work , & now complain about magazines being loose & Crusaders fit & finish.🥴🤌
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It wasn't me who butchered it.

Did you even watch the crusader video you linked?

This rifle already had the magwell shaved when the video was filmed. The butchering already happened before I received it.
 
Feminist said:
It wasn't me who butchered it.

Did you even watch the crusader video you linked?

This rifle already had the magwell shaved when the video was filmed. The butchering already happened before I received it.
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Who did that magwell mod? I can't even begin to understand how someone could do such a bad job, haha. I modded a Crypto and you just start with a dremel and then go to a file and it ends up looking good. That looks like it was done with a chainsaw, haha.

I can't speak to the AR bits they added cause I haven't tried the comp. I shot Gatehouse's Backland Elite back in April and I agree with your impression of the stock. I had to shoot it fully collapsed as well. I'm not sure why the notches are where they are but maybe it's an M4 thing? No idea. This Comp with an AR trigger is definitely tempting given that the shotgun trigger in the Elite is pretty gross (was still able to shoot a 1 moa 10rnd group with it though). Gatehouse's rifles are all over 5k rounds now so I'll probably borrow one again and see if it still shoots tight 5k rounds later...
 
Canada but the rear stock assembly’s with tube/recoil spring and the triggers on the normal and elite models are Turkish
The Comp model still has the Turkish back end but the trigger assembly is an ar type
 
I modified the magwells with just a couple of files. They are nice and smooth, took about an hour or so? Much nicer than that dremel job that is posted.

I extend the stock to the first notch. Hundreds of people have shot them that way and not had any trouble. I find fully collapsed too short, actually. But I'm not shooting from prone, either.
 
Gatehouse said:
I modified the magwells with just a couple of files. They are nice and smooth, took about an hour or so? Much nicer than that dremel job that is posted.

I extend the stock to the first notch. Hundreds of people have shot them that way and not had any trouble. I find fully collapsed too short, actually. But I'm not shooting from prone, either.
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If you have a elite version and not the comp, your length of pull will be shorter, even if the stock is in the same notch on the buffer tube.

Both of these images show the stock in the same position relative to the receiver and buffer tube (fully collapsed on the tube). But as you can see the distance between the grip and back of the stock is much shorter on the elite.

splbacklandhunte-1.jpg
BACKLANDELITE 3-1500x850-0.jpg
 
Yeah. That’s work that should be done with a file.

I was going to pull the trigger on one of these but they still seem a bit troublesome.

My Carmel is running like a sewing machine.
 
Feminist said:
It wasn't me who butchered it.

Did you even watch the crusader video you linked?

This rifle already had the magwell shaved when the video was filmed. The butchering already happened before I received it.
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How did it run tho?

I wonder if you can order up a new lower and do a cleaner job yourself? - then again, if she runs fine, don’t fix it.
 
JeffMan said:
How did it run tho?

I wonder if you can order up a new lower and do a cleaner job yourself? - then again, if she runs fine, don’t fix it.
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It will run if I let the magazine hang. Had a few stovepipes if I deliberately grab the magazine and cant it.

That's kinda beside the point though.

On a modern, in-spec STANAG rifle with quality magazines, you SHOULD be able to monopod it off the magazine. A rifle that can't do that is a cope gun IMO.
 
Feminist said:
Well boyos I fell for the krooooosader shills and bought the rifle this guy used in the video.

Initial impressions are not great. Magazine fitment is EXTREMEMLY wobbly both side to side and front to back compared to proper STANAG specs. But that might be because of the uneven dremel job.

The carrier gas key is staked in this totally jank pattern. There's a bunch of weird peening in many places like the charging handle slot and back of the bolt carrier, and the tip of the bolt carrier rat tail. Indicating some possible dimensional interference.

One of the rear pins for the upper receiver fell out and had to be glued back in. Idk how long it will hold.

The back of the lower receiver right behind the safety selector is unchanged from the original backland hunter variant. Problem is that it's too wide and needs to be filed down to keep it from interfering with actual proper actuation of the safety. In one of the posts from crusader's instagram page you can see the back of the receiver that's been ground down with a dremel.

The adjustable stock is basically a lie. In the fully collapsed position the length of pull is similar to a M16A1, the notches on the buffer tube are weirdly spaced and the next position makes it way too long. Look up videos and pictures of the backland hunter comp. Everyone runs it fully collapsed. Which begs the question, why not just have a M16A1 style fixed stock instead of the turkish snagmaster 8000?

Anodizing on the receivers is thin and fragile, which when combined with the 6061 aluminum construction makes it significantly less durable than a typical 7075 aluminum MSR receiver with a quality hard coat anodizing (type III hard coat is harder than underlying aluminum).

The magazine well is already showing significant wear from just regular reloading. Magazine catch that comes with the rifle is a UTG ambi mag catch that pivots against the outside of the receiver. It has already worn through the anodizing and is digging into the raw aluminum just from normal use. The bolt catch is a strike industries bolt catch, but the bolt catch slot is too wide and bolt catch roll pin needed to be shimmed with a washer to keep it from wobbling like crazy.

Also idk where kroosader got the charging handle from, but it came had a steel latch. Which is NOT proper spec and causes accelerated wear of the charging handle locking lug, especially with 6061 aluminum and thin anodizing. Mil-spec and quality commercial charging handles have aluminum latches.

This is an initial impression. Went to an indoor range just to function test and rough sight-in on paper. Haven't had a chance to run it too much yet. The rifle is...functional? It feeds and goes bang. But the whole thing just seems jank not gonna lie.

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Wow, that's a whole bunch of suck. And seriously, speaking as a guy who built a number of Cryptos and modded the magwells with a flat file JUST to the point that mags dropped free, who the fvck butchered that magwell? And what was he on? Meth??
 
Feminist said:
It will run if I let the magazine hang. Had a few stovepipes if I deliberately grab the magazine and cant it.

That's kinda beside the point though.

On a modern, in-spec STANAG rifle with quality magazines, you SHOULD be able to monopod it off the magazine. A rifle that can't do that is a cope gun IMO.
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But it specifically doesn't have a Stanag magwell to get around that retarded new rule in C-whatever. So you have to file out the ribs. If you do a careful job so that pmags (which are fatter than metal mags) just drop free, then it works fine. Whoever butchered yours wrecked it...
 
I have hit over 6000 rounds with 2 of the Crusader Elites (Gen 2?) so 2x 6000 rounds (12K rounds in total) and I ran a running commentary on the other thread about them. My last post has a summary and soon RugbyDave will slap an obscenely large scope on them and use extremely accurate ammunition that was handcrafted by virgin elves in Narnia to do a follow up accuracy test from when they were new. They still hit a 6" gong at 100M with a red dot but I'm interested in seeing the true accuracy comparison.

You can see my summary of the good, bad and ugly of these rifles on the last page of this thread https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/crusader-arms-backland.2542514/page-22#post-21425115
 
I got to handle a few rifles at Taccom today. Was interested in the comp model. In Hand it does not feel well put together. The mag does not go in well and requires a lot of force. The finish is ruff. Can almost cut yourself on the rail.

Compared to the Kodiak defense Alcor I was also looking at and the Makasi and Carmel this would be last on my list in terms of fit and finish. Was pretty disappointed as I was going to buy it at the show. But decided against.
 
CanMike said:
I got to handle a few rifles at Taccom today. Was interested in the comp model. In Hand it does not feel well put together. The mag does not go in well and requires a lot of force. The finish is ruff. Can almost cut yourself on the rail.

Compared to the Kodiak defense Alcor I was also looking at and the Makasi and Carmel this would be last on my list in terms of fit and finish. Was pretty disappointed as I was going to buy it at the show. But decided against.
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The mag either needs some filing on the rough edges or just about 100 times slamming it into the magwell. So far I have shot 120 rounds of PMC bronze 223, 20 rounds of winchester 556, and 20 rounds of Federal 223.

I had 2 malfunctions with the PMC bronze, both were double feeds.

I bought my comp from Italian Sporting goods bc "Spectre Ltd. Crusader Arms Backland Hunter Comp 223 Wylde, 18 3/4" Barrel 1-8 Twist SPLBACKLANDHUNTERCOMP"

Prior to shooting I removed most of the factory grease and applied a generous amount of Ballistol Universal Oil.

Will be shooting another 100 rounds again today.

Edit: I do agree that the finish is rough and there are definitely places to be filed/lightly sanded down.
 

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TheBigMacccc said:
The mag either needs some filing on the rough edges or just about 100 times slamming it into the magwell. So far I have shot 120 rounds of PMC bronze 223, 20 rounds of winchester 556, and 20 rounds of Federal 223.

I had 2 malfunctions with the PMC bronze, both were double feeds.

I bought my comp from Italian Sporting goods bc "Spectre Ltd. Crusader Arms Backland Hunter Comp 223 Wylde, 18 3/4" Barrel 1-8 Twist SPLBACKLANDHUNTERCOMP"

Prior to shooting I removed most of the factory grease and applied a generous amount of Ballistol Universal Oil.

Will be shooting another 100 rounds again today.

Edit: I do agree that the finish is rough and there are definitely places to be filed/lightly sanded down.
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How did the range day go?
 
Feminist said:
Well boyos I fell for the krooooosader shills and bought the rifle this guy used in the video.

Initial impressions are not great. Magazine fitment is EXTREMEMLY wobbly both side to side and front to back compared to proper STANAG specs. But that might be because of the uneven dremel job.

The carrier gas key is staked in this totally jank pattern. There's a bunch of weird peening in many places like the charging handle slot and back of the bolt carrier, and the tip of the bolt carrier rat tail. Indicating some possible dimensional interference.

One of the rear pins for the upper receiver fell out and had to be glued back in. Idk how long it will hold.

The back of the lower receiver right behind the safety selector is unchanged from the original backland hunter variant. Problem is that it's too wide and needs to be filed down to keep it from interfering with actual proper actuation of the safety. In one of the posts from crusader's instagram page you can see the back of the receiver that's been ground down with a dremel.

The adjustable stock is basically a lie. In the fully collapsed position the length of pull is similar to a M16A1, the notches on the buffer tube are weirdly spaced and the next position makes it way too long. Look up videos and pictures of the backland hunter comp. Everyone runs it fully collapsed. Which begs the question, why not just have a M16A1 style fixed stock instead of the turkish snagmaster 8000?

Anodizing on the receivers is thin and fragile, which when combined with the 6061 aluminum construction makes it significantly less durable than a typical 7075 aluminum MSR receiver with a quality hard coat anodizing (type III hard coat is harder than underlying aluminum).

The magazine well is already showing significant wear from just regular reloading. Magazine catch that comes with the rifle is a UTG ambi mag catch that pivots against the outside of the receiver. It has already worn through the anodizing and is digging into the raw aluminum just from normal use. The bolt catch is a strike industries bolt catch, but the bolt catch slot is too wide and bolt catch roll pin needed to be shimmed with a washer to keep it from wobbling like crazy.

Also idk where kroosader got the charging handle from, but it came had a steel latch. Which is NOT proper spec and causes accelerated wear of the charging handle locking lug, especially with 6061 aluminum and thin anodizing. Mil-spec and quality commercial charging handles have aluminum latches.

This is an initial impression. Went to an indoor range just to function test and rough sight-in on paper. Haven't had a chance to run it too much yet. The rifle is...functional? It feeds and goes bang. But the whole thing just seems jank not gonna lie.

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So the new AR trigger pack with the magwell extension, they must have had to modify the lower receiver where on the previous model of Backland Hunter had the shotgun trigger pack, because I doubt the Hunter Comp’s AR trigger pack drops right in by how it looks in the photos, especially because of the AR safety selector, am I right? So far there are no photos with the Hunter Comp trigger pack separated from and next to the lower, where can I find photos or video with the Hunter Comp trigger pack separated from the lower, like you were able to do with the previous Backland Hunter?
 
So I decided to file down the magwell to use the LAR-15 pistol mags.... The proprietary crypto mags work still but I am kind of worried as they have a bit more play now when seated in the magwell.

Shot another 200 rounds comprised of 20 winchester 556, and 180 rounds of Barnaul .223 REM 62 gr hollow point boat tail. There were some hiccups in the beginning but that was due to my mod to the mag well and have the BCG not fully going into battery (a lil rough in the beginning) and occasional trigger not resetting.

The trigger not resetting properly was some of the filling/debris causing the disconnector to snag on to the hammer coupled with some debris also stuck in the trigger reset spring. After 100 rounds or smth the gun is running smooth and my LAR-15 pistol mag is feeding fine.

The only problem i have now, is that it's going to eat up ammo faster now...
 

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