guncats
08-18-2004, 01:22
Is there anybody thinking about using steel 1" weaver rings as clamps to clamp two halves of Aluminum barrel shround/dampener to the barrel?
The two halves acts like an adaptor to allow the use of commercial 1" rings, and will also help stiffens the barrel. This should greatly improve accuracy.
The rings will be mounted up-side-down, with the claws upwards, to grip onto the bottom side of a weaver base. Then on the upper surface of weaver base one can mount sights, LER scopes, aimpoints, lasers and such. This piece of weaver base can be really long and cantilever over the handguard.
By drilling and tapping a hole into the upper surfact of weaver base, one can mount a AR front post as front sight. Then use a Browning Buckmark Target pistol front sight hood to protect it. The hood fits weaver base ( The way it is on Buckmark pistols, no modification whatsoever).
Parts:
Steel rings (vertical split type prefered) : $25-$45 depending of maker and finish.
AR front post: $3(issue), $20 (nite-sight, old CDNN price, not sure if they still have it)
Browning Buckmark Target pistol front sight hood: $9, from Brownell.
Aluminum halves: Priceless, you have to get these made, the center channel size has to fit your particular barrel.
Weaver bases: one can use a steel weaver base blank for this project ($32 from Brownell), or use stock alumium base , such as the M16A2 type scout rail ($15 from CDNN, 11" long). Aluminum is ok here since the stiffening function is mostly done by the aluminum halves (sleeve, adaptor, shround, whatever one might call it).
The difficulties:
1) Boreing the center channel of aluminum halves to the right diameter.
The way to do it is turn an aluminum bar to 1" outer dia., drill deep hole at the center (we are talking about at least 6"), then bore the hole to ABOUT the same size as your barrel outer dia.. Then cut the bar into halves;
if your barrel dia. is nowhere close to any standard bit size, then adjustable reamers will have to be used, and they are not cheap;
Requires using lathe and possiblely an adjustable reamer.
2) Making a double sided Weaver rail.
The stock weaver rails are one sided, you can only mount stuff on the upper side. One has to modify the stock one so the bottom side can also be use to mount. This requires using a mill to make new bottom surface and cut cross slots.
What you gain: 1) much stiffer barrel, improved accuracy;
2) front scout rail to mount laser and optics;
3)vertically adjustable front sight with steel hood, plus low-priced nite sight option;
4) A super special looking mini, not sure if people will like it or not :blink:
Possible total cost: from $55( just parts) to who knows how much.
Anyone with the same thought?
The two halves acts like an adaptor to allow the use of commercial 1" rings, and will also help stiffens the barrel. This should greatly improve accuracy.
The rings will be mounted up-side-down, with the claws upwards, to grip onto the bottom side of a weaver base. Then on the upper surface of weaver base one can mount sights, LER scopes, aimpoints, lasers and such. This piece of weaver base can be really long and cantilever over the handguard.
By drilling and tapping a hole into the upper surfact of weaver base, one can mount a AR front post as front sight. Then use a Browning Buckmark Target pistol front sight hood to protect it. The hood fits weaver base ( The way it is on Buckmark pistols, no modification whatsoever).
Parts:
Steel rings (vertical split type prefered) : $25-$45 depending of maker and finish.
AR front post: $3(issue), $20 (nite-sight, old CDNN price, not sure if they still have it)
Browning Buckmark Target pistol front sight hood: $9, from Brownell.
Aluminum halves: Priceless, you have to get these made, the center channel size has to fit your particular barrel.
Weaver bases: one can use a steel weaver base blank for this project ($32 from Brownell), or use stock alumium base , such as the M16A2 type scout rail ($15 from CDNN, 11" long). Aluminum is ok here since the stiffening function is mostly done by the aluminum halves (sleeve, adaptor, shround, whatever one might call it).
The difficulties:
1) Boreing the center channel of aluminum halves to the right diameter.
The way to do it is turn an aluminum bar to 1" outer dia., drill deep hole at the center (we are talking about at least 6"), then bore the hole to ABOUT the same size as your barrel outer dia.. Then cut the bar into halves;
if your barrel dia. is nowhere close to any standard bit size, then adjustable reamers will have to be used, and they are not cheap;
Requires using lathe and possiblely an adjustable reamer.
2) Making a double sided Weaver rail.
The stock weaver rails are one sided, you can only mount stuff on the upper side. One has to modify the stock one so the bottom side can also be use to mount. This requires using a mill to make new bottom surface and cut cross slots.
What you gain: 1) much stiffer barrel, improved accuracy;
2) front scout rail to mount laser and optics;
3)vertically adjustable front sight with steel hood, plus low-priced nite sight option;
4) A super special looking mini, not sure if people will like it or not :blink:
Possible total cost: from $55( just parts) to who knows how much.
Anyone with the same thought?