300 Fireball AR15 (Brass forming - post #150)
- Thread starter Suputin
- Start date
Hey, back off - git yer own sammich!
I got that, but when WE talked about MY build the modification wasn't an option on the table (if I recall our conversations correctly). It's pretty slick that you guys have found a way around that issue. To be honest, I'm actually glad I didn't go HBAR - the balance of mine "as is" with my Bushmaster lower is flawless. I don't know if I'd want to throw any extra weight on the front via a heavier barrel. It wouldn't be too bad, but I sure like it the way it is.
That's an awesome option that is obviously available now though - modification of the JP adjustable gas blocks for an HBAR contour just adds one more layer of 'awesome' to the potential for these .300 Fireball builds.
-M
IIRC there wasn't enough meat in your barrel to fit the large diameter gas block because your barrel started life as an unwanted fragment destined for the garbage. Which was then rescued by me and made into something uber cool.
We now have straight taper blanks which are big enough to accept a large bore GB.
Wait till you see my personal Fireball, it is gonna knock yer socks off.
I'm gonna kick you in the nuts when I see you next, seriously...
We couldn't go with the large bore option on my 'scrap' 1:10, that I recalled as well. But in our correspondence I got the distinct impression that we couldn't run a FF tube AND an adjustable gas block.
I wouldn't change anything, now that I have mine as-is, but it's good to know that your rig is going to put mine to shame... fugger.
We'll have to put 'em up side by side for a fun shoot sometime - it'd be a riot.
-M
P.S. Striker, go superglue Suputin's calipers next time you're in the shop... that'll learn 'im.
We couldn't go with the large bore option on my 'scrap' 1:10, that I recalled as well. But in our correspondence I got the distinct impression that we couldn't run a FF tube AND an adjustable gas block.
I wouldn't change anything, now that I have mine as-is, but it's good to know that your rig is going to put mine to shame... fugger.
We'll have to put 'em up side by side for a fun shoot sometime - it'd be a riot.
-M
P.S. Striker, go superglue Suputin's calipers next time you're in the shop... that'll learn 'im.
NavyShooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- XMU Local .303
Nope, don't superglue 'em, that's mean.
Put 'em in the horizontal grinder and put a slight taper on the jaws....just a couple thou....enough to mess with his head ;-)
NS
Put 'em in the horizontal grinder and put a slight taper on the jaws....just a couple thou....enough to mess with his head ;-)
NS
Kinda true. The extra height of the adj gas block won't fit under a lot of the thinner rails. JP only makes their large bore gas block with the integral picatinny rail which is way too big to fit under most forends. We are gonna have to machine off the pic rail to get the GB to fit under the forend we want to use. This is sort of a "just because we can" thing and we want to try to continually do new and interesting things.
Hey, did I tell you about that "thing" that happened while I was load testing with your rifle? Nothing to worry about really, just took a few blows with a 5 lb sledge to sort out.
This is sort of a "just because we can" thing and we want to try to continually do new and interesting things.
Mainly because snufflers are immoral in Canuckistan,
I am more interested in ejhecting 125 gr .30 cal bullets at about 2400 FPS,
than I am at any really heavy sub-sonic loads.
of course,
YPMMV
Mainly because snufflers are immoral in Canuckistan,
I am more interested in ejhecting 125 gr .30 cal bullets at about 2400 FPS,
than I am at any really heavy sub-sonic loads.
of course,
YPMMV
That is a wee bit above the Whisper's operating envelope. It usually hovers around the 2000 - 2100 fps range with 125gr bullets. With 110gr bullets it'll do near 2200 fps. One of the more interesting loads a Whisper is capable of is a 150gr bullet at about 1700 fps. Lots of close range oomph in that one.
When I was load testing indoors, a shooter next to me commented on how quiet the rifle was. It only had a 9" barrel and he was impressed how much quieter it was than typical short barreled 556 AR's.
Kinda true. The extra height of the adj gas block won't fit under a lot of the thinner rails. JP only makes their large bore gas block with the integral picatinny rail which is way too big to fit under most forends. We are gonna have to machine off the pic rail to get the GB to fit under the forend we want to use. This is sort of a "just because we can" thing and we want to try to continually do new and interesting things.
Hey, did I tell you about that "thing" that happened while I was load testing with your rifle? Nothing to worry about really, just took a few blows with a 5 lb sledge to sort out.
A-HA! That's quite an innovative solution to a "best of both worlds" problem. Nicely done!
And I wondered why the barrel on my upper points to the left... I thought it was for CQB shooting around corners, and the dents were a light-scattering camouflage?
ANDDDDD... remind me never to screw with NavyShooter (or at least not if he has access to my garage and machinist's tools). THAT, sir, is an EPIC prank.
-M
In .300 Fireball,
a shorty AR makes WAY more ?PRACTICAL? sense than a 5.56 shorty.
I currently have a 10.5" LMT in 5.56,
and I do say that 10.5" is a great size for a fast handling AR paper puncher.
But in 5.56,
with the increased noise, decreased velocity, and light 5.56 light bullets,
a super shorty AR isn't really all that ?Practical?
PS: this opinion is coming from some one who built two 7" ARs, and had a Dlask built mini Moose before he got his 10.5" LMT.
When I brought in my two SS 16" Oly .300 Fireball barrels, I originally thought I'd do one up as 16" and cut the other to 7" or 10.5".
that way I'd have all the bases covered.
PPS: My OLY barrels cost me only $200 US for both barrels....
and a very interesting discussion with the US border patrol.
but that was then and this in now!!!
[;{)
LAZ 1
a shorty AR makes WAY more ?PRACTICAL? sense than a 5.56 shorty.
I currently have a 10.5" LMT in 5.56,
and I do say that 10.5" is a great size for a fast handling AR paper puncher.
But in 5.56,
with the increased noise, decreased velocity, and light 5.56 light bullets,
a super shorty AR isn't really all that ?Practical?
PS: this opinion is coming from some one who built two 7" ARs, and had a Dlask built mini Moose before he got his 10.5" LMT.
When I brought in my two SS 16" Oly .300 Fireball barrels, I originally thought I'd do one up as 16" and cut the other to 7" or 10.5".
that way I'd have all the bases covered.
PPS: My OLY barrels cost me only $200 US for both barrels....
and a very interesting discussion with the US border patrol.
but that was then and this in now!!!
[;{)
LAZ 1
Doc, this one is for you.
She isn't quite finished yet as the muzzle needs to be threaded and the SPEX installed but you get the idea.
And yes it is nearly identical to my 556 carbine. So I have a 556 upper and a 300 FB upper that look almost the same.
She isn't quite finished yet as the muzzle needs to be threaded and the SPEX installed but you get the idea.
And yes it is nearly identical to my 556 carbine. So I have a 556 upper and a 300 FB upper that look almost the same.
Oh that is HOTTTTT!
The Noveske rail... delicious!!!
And, I think I'm going to follow your lead and "white-in" my SPEX brake... it's all coated black now, but I like that white fill. The logo design is WAY too awesome to leave it understated.
I did some more .300 FB shopping today - while I wait on my dies, I was able to locate a few powders to try for load testing.
My ideal list was as follows:
H110
VV N110
VV N120
VV N130
AA No. 9
W296
Lil' Gun
Well, I found W296 and Lil' Gun at P&D Enterprises today and they also had the H110. For everything else I'm out of luck for now... but I think I should be able to find SOMETHING that will work between those three powders.
Now, if only the dies will hurry the hell up and get here from Sinclair...
-M
The Noveske rail... delicious!!!
And, I think I'm going to follow your lead and "white-in" my SPEX brake... it's all coated black now, but I like that white fill. The logo design is WAY too awesome to leave it understated.
I did some more .300 FB shopping today - while I wait on my dies, I was able to locate a few powders to try for load testing.
My ideal list was as follows:
H110
VV N110
VV N120
VV N130
AA No. 9
W296
Lil' Gun
Well, I found W296 and Lil' Gun at P&D Enterprises today and they also had the H110. For everything else I'm out of luck for now... but I think I should be able to find SOMETHING that will work between those three powders.
Now, if only the dies will hurry the hell up and get here from Sinclair...
-M
Actually that particular SPEX had the logo machined in after it was blued so that is shiny raw steel not white paint. That was the very first unit to come off the CNC machine and it had a small mistake so it couldn't be sold. So I got it.
My other SPEX is also special in that the logo is machined on the opposite side, making it one of a kind. I also have the original straight test model kicking around somewhere. Benefits of being the designer.
I gotta try and find some W296 and Lil Gun. IIRC those were the ones that worked the best with the subsonics.
I spent the afternoon sizing up 221 brass amongst other things. Only lost 2 in 100.
I have also decided to try neck turning the 200 223 derived brass I have to see how that works and to avoid wasting perfectly good brass. So I got the neck turner all set up to start turning tomorrow.
Doc, this one is for you.
She isn't quite finished yet as the muzzle needs to be threaded and the SPEX installed but you get the idea.
And yes it is nearly identical to my 556 carbine. So I have a 556 upper and a 300 FB upper that look almost the same.
...I just went from 6 to 12 and got 2nd degree burns from the zipper...
My dies SHOULD be waiting for me when I get back home for days off...
I gotta try and find some W296 and Lil Gun. IIRC those were the ones that worked the best with the subsonics.
I spent the afternoon sizing up 221 brass amongst other things. Only lost 2 in 100.
Well, I'm going to white-in my SPEX just because I like the way it looks. Damn you and your awesome prototype-iness.
I bought 2 more bags of .221 FB brass ($68 @ P&D, board sponsor - if anyone's looking... compare at $84, Edmonton WSS) and am going to size them tomorrow. Spent the afternoon reloading .45 ACP so I could shoot tomorrow... but with the snow, I'm not too sure if it's going to be a go. Yes, it SNOWED in Edmonton today... serves me right for chuckling at the Calgary weather reports yesterday.
If you need W296 and Lil' Gun, Higginson has 'em in stock for about $24 per pound ($45 shipping for 3lbs of powder, btw) or P&D has 'em for $35 or so a pound - and has 16 and 24lbs (well, 15 and 23) of each now, after I went and bought some. I saw the stock list when I was chatting with Scotty today as he grabbed them for me. For me, locally, there was a net gain buying at P&D... and I was there buying a 1,500 pack (yes, 50 pounds!) of 230 grain Hornady .451" RNFP's to feed my 1911.
I've got a bunch of .223 cut off at the shoulder via my bandsaw and an improvised work stop (I taped a milling 'parallel' to the stationary jaw of the vise) but can't neck turn until I get the dies to size 'em. Come ON, Sinclair!!!
After I finish processing the two additional .221 FB bags, I should have slightly fewer than 300 cases ready to rock. I'll prime 'em, and make my way out to the range with some bullets, my chrony, a powder scale and measure/trickler, and my Lee hand press to seat the bullets.
And a BIG logbook.
-M
I spent the afternoon sizing up 221 brass amongst other things. Only lost 2 in 100.
I shoot a .221 and I've made brass from .223. While my situation isn't exactly the same as yours, I think you might want to plan on a combination of neck turning and reaming.
The problem I ran into was that the neck turning doesn't go far enough into the neck/shoulder junction, and I was left with the dreaded "donut".
I found the Wilson reamer the best choice and used it on the fired cases so it barely touched most of the (already outside-turned) neck; but cut away a surprising amount of brass at the neck base.
Altho if you are never going to seat the full-diameter of the bullet below the neck base, you might never notice it.
