Friday, December 5, 2014

Building a rifle for my wife


I've had a lot of fun today assembling components for an AR-15 rifle (or, to be more accurate, a carbine) for Miss D.  Click the picture for a larger view.




(I apologize for the poor photograph - it was a hurried snap with a cellphone camera.  Oleg Volk I'm not!)

It started life as a Cavalry Arms CAV-15 Mk II lower receiver and handguards in what I can only describe as a pulsatingly passionate purple color.  (Hey - she likes it!)  I mated to these a Palmetto State Armory upper receiver chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO, with a 16" barrel, mid-length gas system and Picatinny rail.  I 'borrowed' a bolt carrier group, charging handle and folding rear sight from another rifle to bring Miss D.'s weapon to functioning status.  Still to be added is a red dot sight on an elevated riser to allow it to co-witness with the iron sights.  (I've already bought them - just got to mount them.)

I guess we'll both be too busy before Christmas to go to the range, but as soon as we have time we'll put a couple of hundred rounds through it to make sure everything fits and functions as it should.  At some future date I may consider refinishing the metal parts and some magazines to match the lower receiver and handguards - Duracoat offers the Cavalry Arms shade of purple, so that won't be too difficult.  (I'm considering refinishing one of my rifles in South African Army brown, just for the memories - but I'm not sure I want too many of those memories to come back . . . )

It's kinda nice building one's wife a rifle.  I can see I'll have to do this more often.




Peter

7 comments:

Old NFO said...

Looking 'good'... :-) And what will she want next??? :-)

Angus McThag said...

Nothing wrong with purple ARs!

http://mcthag.blogspot.com/2014/04/im-your-huckleberry.html

Snoggeramus said...

No arguments with your wife now, eh?

Snowdog said...

I threatened my wife when I built hers with a hello-kitty pink AR. She reminded me that the couch is lumpy and uncomfortable to sleep on. So her's is basic black.

John in Philly said...

Peter,

Good job! My wife's rifle is wearing one of the light brown colors.

And are we old enough to remember the song, One Eyed, One Horned, Purple People Eater?

Her red dot is one of the Bushnell Multi reticule sights.

I did change the latch on the charging handle to a slightly bigger latch for a little more ease of operation.

A couple of years ago, we were on a driving trip to Florida, and drove past one of the Palmetto State locations. Even thought the car was acting like a space craft in too close proximity to a black hole. I fought free of the temptation. I still regret my failure to yield to that temptation, next time I am near one of their stores I am going to succumb. "But honey, we NEED a trash can full of blemished lowers!"

John in Philly

Sherm said...

Luckily my wife wanted black. She got it for mothers day. Naturally, once I finished the rifle, she had to accessorize it. She started with a red dot scope. I don't know where she'll finish. (Her .38 revolver grew into a stable of five handguns at last count.)

DaddyBear said...

Looks pretty sweet!