Author Topic: My new toy is on the way.  (Read 4246 times)

Big Frank

  • NRA Benefactor Member
  • Top Forum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11624
  • DRTV Ranger
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 1660
Re: My new toy is on the way.
« Reply #20 on: January 07, 2026, 09:21:18 AM »
I was lying in bed last night when it occurred to me I might be able to tighten up my old X-Products upper if I dimpled the bottom of the lugs with a center punch. So I started working on it at midnight, AND IT WORKED! I put 3 dimples on each lug, but the first one in the center of each lug was a hair too deep on both of them. Then I put the 4 other dimples on the lugs. It fit my lower so tight I had to pound the pins in with a mallet, and use a punch to knock them back out. Then I spent maybe a half hour with a half-round Swiss-pattern (jeweler's) file, filing down the bumps in the bottom of both holes. I now have a hand-fitted upper, that I previously had no use for, because it was such a sloppy fit. You can see where the 6 dimples are, which I covered with a paint pen.

I chucked a piece of a bolt into a cordless drill, and stuck a used blank case on it. Then I used toothpaste with it to polish the chamber in the nozzle. The Armscor blanks still stick a little bit if I press them in as far as they'll go, but G.I. M200 blanks have a little wiggle room. I used blue Loctite to screw the nozzle into the X-Fore tube that's inside the aluminum free-float tube. Then I screwed the tube on really tight. I put a spare charging handle with an extended latch in, and when I get the other nozzle, I'll be putting it on the forged flattop upper. I just put a prototype 4th slot Hard Charger side cocking handle on the forged upper, to replace the 3rd slot tactical mount that was on it. The carry handle that I cut a space in the bottom of was mounted back 1 slot from where it's supposed to be. The back was hanging over just a little bit, and now the carry handle is mounted in the right place, up to the front of the rail.

I got a text from UPS at 6 am saying to expect my package from X-Products next Tuesday. After I get the new nozzle installed with the Can Cannon in this upper, I'll have one upper with the Can Cannon always mounted, and the other upper with the X-Fore always mounted. Now all I have to do is find my red-dot optic and Picatinny riser to put on it. Then when I switch uppers, all I have to do is swap out the bolt carrier group. I have an extra one so I don't have to take one out of my rifle uppers when I want to use the Can Cannon or X-Fore, and I'll use the same BCG for both of them. When I get these 2 uppers and attached launchers finished, I'll post pics of them.

Since I don't have the quadrant sight on the carry handle anymore, I didn't need the hex nut on it that I used to replace the front knob that was in the way. I decided to put the knob back on, but the threads don't go all the way to back of it. The back of the knobs are counter-bored and there wasn't enough left of the shaft on the carry handle to screw the knob onto. So I threaded a bolt to fit the knob and cut the head off, then chucked it in a drill. I ground the back of the knob off by spinning it perpendicular to the bench grinder until it was just about to the threaded part. It was enough to screw the knob on the previously shortened stud.


 
""It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even his personal services to the defence of it, and consequently that the Citizens of America (with a few legal and official exceptions) from 18 to 50 Years of Age should be borne on the Militia Rolls, provided with uniform Arms, and so far accustomed to the use of them, that the Total strength of the Country might be called forth at a Short Notice on any very interesting Emergency." - George Washington. Letter to Alexander Hamilton, Friday, May 02, 1783

THE RIGHT TO BUY WEAPONS IS THE RIGHT TO BE FREE - A. E. van Vogt, The Weapon Shops of Isher

Big Frank

  • NRA Benefactor Member
  • Top Forum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11624
  • DRTV Ranger
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 1660
Re: My new toy is on the way.
« Reply #21 on: Yesterday at 03:57:02 PM »
I still can't find the red dot and 1/2" Picatinny riser it's on. I found the other riser, but not the one with the red dot. I took photoes today of the X-Fore launcher on the old X-Products upper without the red dot. Imagine it like it is, but with the sight and risers from the 2nd pic back on it. I plan on putting a Hard Charger side charging handle on it too. The Can Cannon will look about the same as the 3rd pic, but without the quadrant sight, and without the X-Fore tube in it. You can see in this pic how the carry handle was 1 slot back from where it' supposed to go on the uppper.
""It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even his personal services to the defence of it, and consequently that the Citizens of America (with a few legal and official exceptions) from 18 to 50 Years of Age should be borne on the Militia Rolls, provided with uniform Arms, and so far accustomed to the use of them, that the Total strength of the Country might be called forth at a Short Notice on any very interesting Emergency." - George Washington. Letter to Alexander Hamilton, Friday, May 02, 1783

THE RIGHT TO BUY WEAPONS IS THE RIGHT TO BE FREE - A. E. van Vogt, The Weapon Shops of Isher

Big Frank

  • NRA Benefactor Member
  • Top Forum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11624
  • DRTV Ranger
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 1660
Re: My new toy is on the way.
« Reply #22 on: Today at 10:36:52 AM »
I finally found my big, cheap, red dot optic and 2 Picatinny risers it's mounted on. It was on my VRF14 "not-a-shotty" firearm. I forgot I put it on there right after I put the flame-roasted VFG on, so I took it off and put it on the X-Products upper with X-Fore launcher. When I thought I found 1 of the 1/2" Picatinny risers, that was actually a 3rd one that used to be on my Carbine Conversion Unit before I got a 15.25" long Monorail, and 2 Mini Quad Rails for it. The charging handle was hitting the top of the Magpul ASAP QD - Ambidextrous Sling Attachment Point QD, so I ground it down and filed it flat. I took just a hair off the top of the lower receiver where the lower receiver extension screws in while filing the ASAP QD.

https://magpul.com/asap-qd-ambidextrous-sling-attachment-point.html?mp_global_color=118

Now all I need to put on it is a Hard Charger side charging handle. They work smoother than a rear charging handle. The charging handle with extended latch was binding up really bad until I realized I was pulling slightly upward as I pulled back on it. Once I made a conscious effort to pull down on the left side as I pulled the handle back, it worked okay, after the work I did on the top of the ASAP QD. But the Hard Chargers guide the handle straight back all the time, every time. I'll probably get an Original Hard Charger that mounts to the 13th rail slot at the front of the upper. With a Tactical handle on it to match my other 2 side charging handles. I'll have to move the red dot and risers back a couple of notches, but there's plenty of room on the upper. If anyone wants to buy a Hard Charger, I can get a commission if you use this link. I'll never buy another flattop upper and NOT put a Hard Charger on it. They make adjustable ones for billet uppers too, not just G.I. forged uppers.

https://devildogconcepts.com/?ref=BigFrank

I forgot to put rail covers on the upper before I took the pics but have since taken care of it. I put 1/3 of a black ERGO 18-SLOT LOW-PRO LADDER RAIL COVER on the back half of the upper to cover all 6 slots. Then I cut a piece 2 slots long to go on the front of the top riser. These are my favorite Pic rail covers so far, and a 3-pack is only $19.99. If there's anything else cheaper I don't know who makes it. They come in 15 different colors, but I've only bought black and OD green for my guns.

https://www.ergogrips.net/shop/ergo-18-slot-lowpro-ladder-rail-cover-3-pack/



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Td3374SOQ8
""It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even his personal services to the defence of it, and consequently that the Citizens of America (with a few legal and official exceptions) from 18 to 50 Years of Age should be borne on the Militia Rolls, provided with uniform Arms, and so far accustomed to the use of them, that the Total strength of the Country might be called forth at a Short Notice on any very interesting Emergency." - George Washington. Letter to Alexander Hamilton, Friday, May 02, 1783

THE RIGHT TO BUY WEAPONS IS THE RIGHT TO BE FREE - A. E. van Vogt, The Weapon Shops of Isher

 

SMF spam blocked by CleanTalk