I started my 20" flattop build

[Big Frank]

The only pump I ever owned was a Mossberg 500 Bullpup and I didn't like it. I've always been a fan of semi-autos. 19+1 rounds of buckshot in this gun should intimidate anyone who's close enough to see it, and who knows what it is. But the 12-round mags are easier to handle than the 19s. The 7-round and 12-round mags are easier to carry in pouches on a belt too. I have 3 of each size mag and 6 mag pouches, so I can carry all 3 7s and all 3 12s while there's a 19-round mag in the gun. And I can toss it on the ground when I reload, instead of trying to put it in a mag pouch where it sticks out in the way.

[Big Frank]

I finally replaced all 4 of my extractor and ejector springs with Tubb's extra-power chrome silicon springs. They should last the rest of my life, and the life of the rifles. The extractor springs are about 80% stronger than stock and don't use any D-rings around them, so I have 2 D-rings and 2 O-rings left over. And I replaced the extractor in my Can Cannon too, since it has my original AR-15 bolt from about 30 years ago. The bolt ejector tool I bought from Windham Weaponry made the job so easy I couldn't believe it. They don't sell it anymore, but it's similar to the SINCLAIR AR-15 BOLT VISE.

My ex-army co-worker, Marshall Dillon at Brownells shows how to use their AR bolt ejector tool. We used to do this using our hands and no tools other than a hammer and punch. We had to borrow a hammer from someone else, and made all our punches out of firing pins and guide rods and things in the shop. He was the only good worker I had out of 4, and I think we did 99% of the work. "Munchie" was always on a smoke break or grabbing a bite to eat from the Roach Coach. Part of the reason he never got promoted, and I was promoted 3 times until I was his boss. I wonder if he still hates me? "Heckle and Jeckle" weren't allowed in the shop. One of them had a note from the doctor forbidding him from touching a weapon, so he pushed a broom in the open bay outside the shop until someone needed him for something else. And the conscientious objector sat at a desk in the room outside our cage and answered the phone for me. I didn't trust him to fix any of the weapons our lives might depend on. I still think it was the right call. It was kind of weird having my own secretary, and a janitor too, when I was still a teenager. Then, when I got to Germany I was low man on the totem pole with no chance of being promoted over the other two guys. I did more than my share of the work there too.

P.S. I soaked a pipe cleaner with Hoppe's gun oil and lube the inside of the ejector spring holes before I oiled the springs and inserted them. It's the perfect tool for the job. Q-tips are way too big and I didn't even try using one for it. I have regular pipe cleaners, and extra long pipe cleaners for swabbing out the gas tubes if they ever get plugged up with carbon.

https://www.brownells.com/tools-cleaning/gun-tools/fixtures-blocks/sinclair-ar-15-bolt-vise/



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlGVwb7yIUA

[Big Frank]

I'm nearing the final configuration for this rifle. I put a Devil Dog Concepts Hard Charger side charging handle on it. This is the Original Hard Charger that mounts to the 13th rail slot (front) and has the Tactical handle on it, like the Tactical Hard Charger (3rd slot) mounted on my Can Cannon. Both are in the 3rd and 4th pics. Besides being more convenient, these seem to reduce cocking effort. If I used the 3" offset Vortex cantilever mount, it would be all the way back, and I could put the SIG Romeo MSR on T.REX offset mount on the upper instead of on the rail. But it would be too close to the turret on the Vortex Vanquish scope's turret to make windage adjustments. And I couldn't mount the UTG flip-up 45-degree offset rear sight. I couldn't use the Tactical Hard Charger with this sight because the sight has to mount in slot 2, not slot 1, and they overlap.

Since I couldn't mount the red dot on the upper and it would have to be on the rail, I used the shorter Athlon cantilever instead. Then I could mount the rear sight, but I had to file a clearance notch in the mount to go around the Hard Charger. That's the red triangle in the 3rd pic. The Vortex mount is straight horizontal, not angled like the Athlon, and easily clears the Hard Charger. When I got it all mounted up, I added the red dot to the rail a couple slots ahead of the upper, but it didn't line up with the flip-up backup sights. I turned the mount around and moved the red dot to the left side. It didn't seem very practical, and I covered the flip-up lens caps with fingerprints squeezing them closed. So I took it off and put a ladder type ERGO rail cover over the empty slots.

I took off the useless (on my rifle) SIG bayonet mount, and remounted the featherweight bipod further back so the M-LOK screws and nuts aren't hitting the gas block. Then I swapped out some of the M-LOK rail covers for different colors and textures, going all black with smooth covers for all rows below the Troy Squid Grips, except for textured rail covers at 5 and 7 o'clock. Then I put the 6" MultiCam GrovTec Rail Wrap back on. I didn't tie any knots in the paracord. I just pulled it really tight and crossed it over, then tucked in the ends.

The featherweight bipod is made of plastic, including the adjustment knobs, and I stripped out one of the holes the knobs go into. I melted the plastic and tried to close it up some to tighten up the fit of the knob. It didn't work. Then I tried again, tapping out the hole to make good threads. It still didn't work. I took the inner adjustable half of the leg out of the fixed half while I was doing that, and accidentally broke the hook off the end that's supposed to stop its travel. Frustrated, and with no idea how to properly fix it, I glued the leg in with automotive GOOP, drilled 3 holes 1/8" diameter through both parts, and Pop riveted it together. Then I ground off the embossment where the adjustment screw went in, and ground off the long end of the rivets. I did the same thing with both legs, and painted the whole bipod with black spray paint. Other than being a fixed length now, it works as it should.

https://devildogconcepts.com/product/hard-charger-black-anodized/

https://www.trex-arms.com/store/T-REX-Offset-Mount/



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aG5C6TQiE8