So this is how it started about 2 weeks ago when I finally got some time to sit down for a couple evenings. Just had a vision of what I wanted based on some of the rigs I'd seen on this thread(and there are a lot of very sweet iron on here) so started ordering parts and this is where I ended up...
and here is the by-product...
There were a few guidelines for the build 1) minimal practical sweeping arc (I wanted a stubby

) while maintaining sufficient ballistics to be usefull when required (ie 2 - but not too stubby), 3) reliability and 4) robust to the point of bomb-proof. It's not put together in consideration with anything over 200m, more likely 25 to 100m. That and I wasn't interested in throwing cash for brand names; function over form.
It ended up being an 11.5" CMMG Piston Upper w/ chomed bolt from Questar on a stripped Dlask Anniversary lower (thanks Joe). Most of my research indicated that terminal ballistics drop off significantly under the 11.5" barrel length so shorties were out.
I'd paid for an Accuwedge but tossed it as the two pieces married flawlessly. The M4 fatty forestock shroud has been tossed in favor of a Daniel Defence Piston Omega 7.0 Rail. The folding BUIS are from an HK MP7. I liked how they were metal and not plastic, had pistol blades when compressed for quick acquisition and flipped up to M4 height for long ranges and to cowitness the bottom third of a Aimpoint Comp4(still on in transit).
Low Pistol Blades w/ Night Sights
Extended for rifle sights and to co-witness
The butt stock is the Ace M4 SOCOM. In one word 'solid'. I liked the look but that's not the motivation. You can literally breach anything from a door to a forehead with it; it's 6 times stronger than any buttstock utilizing a milspec buffer tube. The buffer tube has a much thicker OD and is a proprietory part of the stock(ie the OEM milspec buffer tube gets tossed out and replaced). The locking clamp secures the buffer to the lower(replacing the now obsolete the castle nut) and also spreads the load out over the entire lower endplate. This increases the bearing and decreases the stressing on the lower which in short makes a buttstock that can hit like a hammer(I particularily like the meat tenderizer on the lower stock, great for giving the zombies a tattoo... I hates me zombies

). Particularily good for CQ entry and 'saying hi'. It's a concept that's has heavily influenced the design of the new Magpul UBR. The buffer tube is
never a piece you ever want to bend on an AR...
The rest of the kit is as follows
Noveske KX3 'Flaming Pig' Flash hider
Magpul MIAD, PMAG w/ Ranger Baseplates, Enhanced Trigger Guard, ASAP w/ MS2 sling(the ASAP took a bit of redesigning and custom fitting to make it work with the SOCOM as it was designed to be used with a castle nut, which doesn't exist on the M4 SOCOM.
LMT ambi selector (I'm a righty, but felt its important to be able to utilize any firearm from either side/hand)
Phase 5 Bolt EBR ver.2 (I filed down the rough edges to make it easier on the fingers)
Tango Down Stubby QD vertical grip and ladders
3lb trigger pack
several beer, plenty of swearing, some more beer, a little patience, and more swearing for a some custom paint on the reciever...
My
favorite part was Dlask hooking me up with the custom serial number

Good on you Joseph!
Still waiting for the MI forward sling attachment point and the offset flashlight mount to come in, next week maybe...