- Location
- 54°52'56"N 112°10'7"W Alpha Bravo
The Plan
A Vltor M4gery, all the parts are on route and I figured I'd post in detail the progress of this build as I go through it. This is my first attempt at trying to build a quality version of the M4A1 with all things being equal except for the select fire capability of course. I will update this original post as the build progresses.
The Dealers
For the first time ever, the moons aligned and I was able to get every part I was looking for. Most of the parts came from our site sponsors with the exception of two dealers. It's nice to see our Canadian dealers stepping up with AR-15 inventory, the AR market in Canada is alive and well.
Arms East
ATRS
Target Sports
Armtac
Brownells
Warriors & Wonders
The Manufacturers
I tried to keep this build as streamline as possible, no franken' AR here. After a lengthy conversation with a tech guy over at Vltor I was able to find out the origin of their milspec parts that make up their complete rifles. Vltor uses CMT aka Continental Machine & Tool, not a total shocker considering CMT produces parts for many AR manufacturers aswell as the US gov't. With that knowledge I sourced the barrel and BCG along with some other small parts through Stag via Arms East. As some of you may know Stag is CMT, they use the Stag name for their civilian/LE sales while their gov't sales fall under CMT. The end result should resemble a legitimate Vltor rifle with the only exception being the barrel. ER Shaw is the barrel manufacturer for Stag and from what I've been reading they're a legend in their own right with a long history of building barrels for the US gov't. So although the barrel won't match Vltors spec, I'm confident the Shaw barrel will match or exceed Vltor standards.
Vltor Weapon Systems
CMT Continental Machine & Tool
ER Shaw
Aimpoint
Surefire
Magpul
Daniel Defense
Troy Industries
Tangodown
The Blueprint
Optics & Lighting
Aimpoint CompM4s Sight
Surefire M952V Weapon Light
Lower Receiver
Vltor VR Forged 7075 Lower
Vltor/CMT LPK
Vltor A5 Extension Tube
Vltor A5 Spring & Buffer Kit
Magpul MIAD Grip
Magpul CTR Stock
Magpul Extended Buttpad
Magpul Trigger Guard
Upper Receiver
Vltor MUR Forged 7075 Upper
ER Shaw 14.5" CL 1/7 Gov't Barrel w/M203 Notch
Vltor Gunfighter Charging Handle
Vltor/CMT Bolt Carrier Group
Daniel Defense OmegaX 7.0 Rail
Tangodown Vertical Battlegrip
Vltor/CMT Front A2 Sight Assembly
Vltor/CMT Carbine Gas Tube
Vltor/CMT A2 Flash Hider
Troy Di-Optic Aperture Rear Flip Sight
The Parts & Components
Vltor MUR-1 Upper Receiver
The MUR-1 is the definition of heavy duty, produced from a 7075-T6 forging then machined with a thicker wall to increase strength and rigidity. Fitment between the upper, lower and rail is perfect. Everything is dimensionally correct as per Vltors guarantee. I'm seriously impressed, a nice start to this build for sure.
Vltor VR Lower Receiver
Being kind of rare in Canada, I was pretty excited to be able to get my hands on one. Having a matching upper and lower set makes this build that much better. The Vltor lower comes equipped with a couple of unique features... A custom machined oversized mag release, grip enhancing cuts on the front of the magazine well and a side saddle QD sling plate which features 3 mounting points. Additionally, the lower also came with their "V" marked milspec extension tube, lower parts kit, H2 buffer and spring. Overall I'm extremely satisfied with this lower, flawless fit and finish and the bold "V" markings everywhere give it a very sharp look.
Magpul CTR & MIAD
Milspec CTR Stock with extended recoil pad and MIAD grip with enhanced trigger guard.
Tangodown Vertical Battlegrip
This grip is a nice piece of kit, not too narrow and not too bulky. The grip features a side pocket designed to fit the Surefire tape switch, the fit is pretty tight and keeps the switch securely in place. The overall design is very slick, I'm impressed.
Troy Industries DOA Rear Sight
The DOA aperture is very nice, I find it a little easier to see and acquire the target. Overall construction is as expected with Troy product, incredibly solid and well designed.
CMT Bolt Carrier Group, Front A2 Sight & A2 Flash Hider
Everything is "CM" marked, MP tested and the carrier gas key is properly staked. The overall quality is top notch, tolerances and finish are exceptional.
Vltor/BCM Gunfighter Charging Handle
This version features the mod 4 latch, it gives just enough extra room to clear the rear flip sight. The function is smooth and alot easier to manipulate compared to the standard latch.
ER Shaw 14.5 1/7 Chrome Lined Gov't Barrel
This barrel came with an excellent finish, the chrome lining is perfect. It's marked and chambered in 5.56 NATO and features a 1/7 twist rate. The barrel extension also features M4 feed ramps.
Daniel Defense Omega X 7.0 Rail
This rail is a work of art down to the smallest details, I'm once again very impressed with the machining quality. The little things are what make this a great rail... The picatinny rails have a slight beveled edge which makes them a lot more smoother. The profile of the rail is also very slim, which gives the rifle a more streamline look. The rail uses a proprietary barrel nut and mounts extremely solid to the rifle. Overall I'm satisfied.
Surefire M952V Weapon Light
This light is new from Surefires millennium line, the light packs 150 lumens of LED lighting technology and 120 nW of Infrared. The tail cap not only features a tape switch but also includes a regular push button as a backup. This light is built extremely well and it's one piece design and heavy duty QD mount make it one tough setup.
Aimpoint CompM4s Weapon Sight
This version features the lower battery location, alot more streamline and overall has a lower profile. The sight co-witnesses with the supplied QRP2 mount and riser, this mount is very solid and features a torque limiter to ensure the correct tension without over tightening. Aimpoint claims 8 years of continuous use off of a single AA battery, it would appear they've managed to make their sights even more efficient, I guess only time will tell. Overall the sight seems like a win, heavy duty construction and high tech rolled into one.
The Finished Product
This project turned out great, it came together exactly how I had envisioned it. This is my interpretation of an M4A1...
A Vltor M4gery, all the parts are on route and I figured I'd post in detail the progress of this build as I go through it. This is my first attempt at trying to build a quality version of the M4A1 with all things being equal except for the select fire capability of course. I will update this original post as the build progresses.
The Dealers
For the first time ever, the moons aligned and I was able to get every part I was looking for. Most of the parts came from our site sponsors with the exception of two dealers. It's nice to see our Canadian dealers stepping up with AR-15 inventory, the AR market in Canada is alive and well.
Arms East
ATRS
Target Sports
Armtac
Brownells
Warriors & Wonders
The Manufacturers
I tried to keep this build as streamline as possible, no franken' AR here. After a lengthy conversation with a tech guy over at Vltor I was able to find out the origin of their milspec parts that make up their complete rifles. Vltor uses CMT aka Continental Machine & Tool, not a total shocker considering CMT produces parts for many AR manufacturers aswell as the US gov't. With that knowledge I sourced the barrel and BCG along with some other small parts through Stag via Arms East. As some of you may know Stag is CMT, they use the Stag name for their civilian/LE sales while their gov't sales fall under CMT. The end result should resemble a legitimate Vltor rifle with the only exception being the barrel. ER Shaw is the barrel manufacturer for Stag and from what I've been reading they're a legend in their own right with a long history of building barrels for the US gov't. So although the barrel won't match Vltors spec, I'm confident the Shaw barrel will match or exceed Vltor standards.
Vltor Weapon Systems
CMT Continental Machine & Tool
ER Shaw
Aimpoint
Surefire
Magpul
Daniel Defense
Troy Industries
Tangodown
The Blueprint
Optics & Lighting
Aimpoint CompM4s Sight
Surefire M952V Weapon Light
Lower Receiver
Vltor VR Forged 7075 Lower
Vltor/CMT LPK
Vltor A5 Extension Tube
Vltor A5 Spring & Buffer Kit
Magpul MIAD Grip
Magpul CTR Stock
Magpul Extended Buttpad
Magpul Trigger Guard
Upper Receiver
Vltor MUR Forged 7075 Upper
ER Shaw 14.5" CL 1/7 Gov't Barrel w/M203 Notch
Vltor Gunfighter Charging Handle
Vltor/CMT Bolt Carrier Group
Daniel Defense OmegaX 7.0 Rail
Tangodown Vertical Battlegrip
Vltor/CMT Front A2 Sight Assembly
Vltor/CMT Carbine Gas Tube
Vltor/CMT A2 Flash Hider
Troy Di-Optic Aperture Rear Flip Sight
The Parts & Components
Vltor MUR-1 Upper Receiver
The MUR-1 is the definition of heavy duty, produced from a 7075-T6 forging then machined with a thicker wall to increase strength and rigidity. Fitment between the upper, lower and rail is perfect. Everything is dimensionally correct as per Vltors guarantee. I'm seriously impressed, a nice start to this build for sure.
Vltor VR Lower Receiver
Being kind of rare in Canada, I was pretty excited to be able to get my hands on one. Having a matching upper and lower set makes this build that much better. The Vltor lower comes equipped with a couple of unique features... A custom machined oversized mag release, grip enhancing cuts on the front of the magazine well and a side saddle QD sling plate which features 3 mounting points. Additionally, the lower also came with their "V" marked milspec extension tube, lower parts kit, H2 buffer and spring. Overall I'm extremely satisfied with this lower, flawless fit and finish and the bold "V" markings everywhere give it a very sharp look.
Magpul CTR & MIAD
Milspec CTR Stock with extended recoil pad and MIAD grip with enhanced trigger guard.
Tangodown Vertical Battlegrip
This grip is a nice piece of kit, not too narrow and not too bulky. The grip features a side pocket designed to fit the Surefire tape switch, the fit is pretty tight and keeps the switch securely in place. The overall design is very slick, I'm impressed.
Troy Industries DOA Rear Sight
The DOA aperture is very nice, I find it a little easier to see and acquire the target. Overall construction is as expected with Troy product, incredibly solid and well designed.
CMT Bolt Carrier Group, Front A2 Sight & A2 Flash Hider
Everything is "CM" marked, MP tested and the carrier gas key is properly staked. The overall quality is top notch, tolerances and finish are exceptional.
Vltor/BCM Gunfighter Charging Handle
This version features the mod 4 latch, it gives just enough extra room to clear the rear flip sight. The function is smooth and alot easier to manipulate compared to the standard latch.
ER Shaw 14.5 1/7 Chrome Lined Gov't Barrel
This barrel came with an excellent finish, the chrome lining is perfect. It's marked and chambered in 5.56 NATO and features a 1/7 twist rate. The barrel extension also features M4 feed ramps.
Daniel Defense Omega X 7.0 Rail
This rail is a work of art down to the smallest details, I'm once again very impressed with the machining quality. The little things are what make this a great rail... The picatinny rails have a slight beveled edge which makes them a lot more smoother. The profile of the rail is also very slim, which gives the rifle a more streamline look. The rail uses a proprietary barrel nut and mounts extremely solid to the rifle. Overall I'm satisfied.
Surefire M952V Weapon Light
This light is new from Surefires millennium line, the light packs 150 lumens of LED lighting technology and 120 nW of Infrared. The tail cap not only features a tape switch but also includes a regular push button as a backup. This light is built extremely well and it's one piece design and heavy duty QD mount make it one tough setup.
Aimpoint CompM4s Weapon Sight
This version features the lower battery location, alot more streamline and overall has a lower profile. The sight co-witnesses with the supplied QRP2 mount and riser, this mount is very solid and features a torque limiter to ensure the correct tension without over tightening. Aimpoint claims 8 years of continuous use off of a single AA battery, it would appear they've managed to make their sights even more efficient, I guess only time will tell. Overall the sight seems like a win, heavy duty construction and high tech rolled into one.
The Finished Product
This project turned out great, it came together exactly how I had envisioned it. This is my interpretation of an M4A1...
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