Hi, there!
This is my second post, and I wanted to put in something fun, so here's what I'm working on. It's a 5.56x45mm, manually-operated handgun on a P80 AR lower. It isn't finished yet, but it's starting to look like it!
The idea is a cut-down bolt carrier that can move back and forth within the upper. I used a Spikes Pistol Plug instead of a buffer tube. If you want to learn more about the concept, go to solo300.com, which is where I got the idea. There are some YouTube videos on the concept, as well.
I still need to drill/tap the left side of the bolt carrier. I'm making my own operating handle. I also have to machine a slot in the left side of the upper. Soon as that's done and a red dot's added, I can find out how it shoots!
BTW, the gas block is on backwards, covering the gas port. The upper is an Anderson Sport Upper, and the barrel is an 8.5-inch AR-STONER, with a Ruger "A1" short flash hider. Grip is a MagPul K2 I got on sale for $12. Lower parts are mil-spec, except for the non-walking trigger/hammer pins (easier to install without hammering -- hammering pins into a polymer lower isn't something I recommend), and an ambi safety.
I'm looking forward to shooting it! I'm sure this dog is gonna bark real loud!
Regards,
Dirty Bob
Here's the story (short version):
I was going to build an AR pistol with a brace and a Law Tactical folding system.
Then the BATFE decided braces were evil!!, so I had to change course. I decided the simplest way to stay within the law was to make this a true pistol (that people not familiar with the weird gun laws in the US would recognize as a pistol).
The purpose of the original build was for the day I'm either (A) one of the intended victims of a mass shooting, or (B) caught in the middle of civil unrest. I've had really bad (or really great) luck in my life. I had someone try to murder me with a hatchet as a teenager. Since then, I've had numerous brushes with violent crime, including a failed home invasion (they gave up before my front door did). The home invasion attempt was the most frightening one.
I see the Solo pistol concept as something I can carry in a normal sized backpack, without any of those "stealth carry" bags. A middle-aged dude with a skateboard bag is gonna stand out like Steve Buscemi trying to pass as a high school student. ๐
I know I'll probably try to deal with any problem with my EDC carry and will likely never have a chance to touch anything in a backpack, but I keep thinking of the shot Stephen Willeford had to make in Sutherland Springs, TX (not far from here; we even both used The Blackhawk Range for practice, though I've never met Mr. Willeford).
The issue with the current build is that it feels rather long and muzzle-heavy. I've already started lusting after the Faxon 5-inch 1:5 twist barrel in 300BLK! Mated with a KAK Type 42 muzzle device, it would be shorter and lighter. As a bonus, it would look even more like Harrison Ford's BlasTech DL-44 pistol!
I do really want to shoot this pistol! I see this more like a Thompson Center Contender right now, a Contender that can be reloaded really fast and could possibly be used as a long-range target pistol or varmint/pest eliminator. I'd like to swap a shorter barrel onto the pistol and see what kind of difference that makes. ๐
Sorry for rattling on for so long!
Thank ya'll for your kind words!
Dirty Bob