Re: just playing around(so far), homemade bullpup m14?

76
it was very handy. if someone had pointed john garand in this direction in 46 or 47...

notice that just about every bullpup design has some sort of carry-handle/sight system

IMO, there's no point in having a rifle i can't at least try to shoot accurately. so i'm planning to put sights of some kind on it, and not be such a cheapskate about it, either. now, what kind? i've never been a fan of rifles without iron sights. so i'm shopping Scout Scope Rails (SSRs) and mounts and AR-style Back-Up Iron Sights (BUISs). once that's sorted (or i get stuck or bored) will probably revisit that ugly stock.

this may never go back to GI configuration. fortunately, poly is chinese so the purist in me is consoled.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: just playing around(so far), homemade bullpup m14?

78
wings wrote: Sun May 09, 2021 8:10 pm Nice! :clap: How's that trigger linkage?

Have no doubt you can bastardize some sort of functional sighting system.
the trigger linkage works great! pretty much just like mashing on the trigger directly. the return spring holds it in with just enough tension and it floats freely in its groove. the linkage was actually the easiest part of this.

i've been shopping for rails and AR15-type BUISs, think i've found what i need to cobble something up with a little epoxy at sportsmans warehouse and optics planet for under a c-note. at this price i might just order up a USGI walnut stock to butcher, too!
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: just playing around(so far), homemade bullpup m14?

80
linky no workie. i've been looking at the magpul and UTG-leaper items, which run mid-$30 each and 60-some for the pair. which leaves the rail. i can spend 200+ for a very pretty canadian machined handguard w/ integral rail ("lowest of the low", which is actually a bad thing) or i can "bastardize" something for a 10th of that. the money is not an issue: it's the principle of the thing. and i'm ch.. er, frugal. i REFUSE to pay 10 X for a thing.
https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gea ... /p/1404789

what i think really needs to happen is some sort of BUIS in the back and a GI AR front sight "tower" on the front, just behind the flash hider. but i'm having trouble finding one that will fit the .562" barrel (maybe if i remove the flash-hider? oops, that reveals another problem) and also these vendors are atrocious about not listing specs on their products, so it may be difficult/impossible to get the front and rear to line up elevation-wise.

so i'll build it on the cheap, and try to improve it later, once i have some of it on hand.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: just playing around(so far), homemade bullpup m14?

82
"The requested page could not be found." aha, i see,something about amazon. sadly for me i don't do amazon, guess i'll just have to pay more. i'm amazed how much some sites are asking for picatinny rail, and the vast majority in 2 to 4 inch increments.

i don't think a suppressor is in my immediate future.

i gave up, rather than continue to debate about it, i've ordered the flip-up sights and 14" rail from opticsplanet. and a spare magazine for my plinkster .22 rifle. may have ordered the wrong one. we'll see if any of it works, next week most like. may need risers as well.

the fun is in the building. now that this is marginally shootable and the tiger guppy is done, i'm at a loss. not necessarily a bad thing, i cleaned my 1911 yesterday to fill an idle hour. ordering parts puts a light on the horizon, but nothing to do yet but wait. waiting puts me in a mood to order more parts.

i could have paid the $200 for the hanguard/rail, bolted it on and be done. but what's the fun in that?
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: just playing around(so far), homemade bullpup m14?

83
obviously, i don't know what i'm doing here with these sights. i've been out of the AR world so long that i remember wondering what was the big deal with these new-fangled flattops with their plethora of rails and doo-dads hanging off of them. the rail and front/rear set i ordered came, and while the rail meets expectations, the sights... well... the rear sight is noticeably shorter than the front, and while there's windage adjustment, there's no elevation. so these are not going to work together on the same rail. is this normal for flattops? i'm going to have to back up and reconsider this, maybe even spend money again. i hate that. actually, no, it's waiting for the stuff to arrive. there's a song, tom petty and the heartbreakers.
LUGO2652.JPG
meanwhile, i wanted to get a notion of how poly compares with the AR platform. here they are, together.same length overall, poly is heavier, longer barrel even with the flash hider. sight radius to be determined. maybe put a carry handle on poly :see_stars:
LUGO2645.JPG
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: just playing around(so far), homemade bullpup m14?

86
lurker wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 6:34 pm yes it will have a trigger guard. i reckon i can bend a strip of aluminum or steel to work. i'm planning to hold off on that until i get the sights working. unless i get bored waiting for parts to arrive.
no, the m14 is not a lefty-friendly design.
The m14 is as left friendly as an M1 Garand. This thing will shoot cases in your temple if you’re a lefty.
LoL.
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: just playing around(so far), homemade bullpup m14?

87
picked up some aluminum bar stock to make a trigger guard.

having perused many, many websites, (you have to read them very carefully, the AR platform has become much more complex than i remember) i think i've figured out this much: the detachable front sights come in two varieties, low and high. the high (which it appears i ordered this last time) is for attaching to the gas block, not the rail. so i've ordered another matched set, this time with the "low" front sight, and a carry handle at the rear. the description says they both attach to the handguard rail, so i'm hopeful.

speaking of handguards, since the GI fiberglas is a bit too floppy for optics for my liking. i've decided to get some 1" aluminum tube (lowes is out, i'm told to try TSC) and make an aluminum handguard, and attach the rail to that. . so i guess i should change my forum id to "kluge" or maybe "bubba"?

also speaking of handguards, this time i've ordered from AR15handguard.com. we'll see how it plays out. paid $4 extra for priority shipping, because i'm tired of all of this waiting around.
Last edited by lurker on Wed May 19, 2021 9:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: just playing around(so far), homemade bullpup m14?

89
tracking says the carry handle and low profile front sight are in transit, which means the post office has it in their possession. delivery expected thurs or fri.

i'm not satisfied with the stability (or lack thereof) of the USGI fiberglas handguard at the front, where it fits loosely up under the front band. it wiggles. a screw should fix that. i lack the skills and/or tools to fabricate an aluminum handguard, may come back to this later. buy more tools or something.

so i've fallen back to plan a, glue and screw the 14.5" picatinny rail to the 13" GI handguard, stabilize the front end, mount the carry handle/rear and the front sight. the rail is a couple of inches longer than the handguard and hangs out over the barrel in the front: may cut off the excess. later, after i see how it works.

so now the question is getting the rail aligned just right on the handguard. fortunately i still have the GI irons to co-witness to. working on it. there's been a couple of times when i've been almost ready to say "F it, i'm gonna buy the $200 piece". almost.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: just playing around(so far), homemade bullpup m14?

91
mark the end points. this is an imprecise manual process, i'm certain a cnc machine could do this better.
LUGO2660.JPG
LUGO2659.JPG
use the rail to locate the holes, and drill them out using the next smaller bit so the screws will cut their own threads (yes, should have used a tap).
screw the rail onto the handguard. note, no screws in the first or last segment of handguard. at the front, the handguard curves and would distort the rail, and at the back, the barrel profile precludes fully tightening the screw. i may add another screw in the middle, we'll see.
LUGO2666.JPG
and at some point i'll come back and epoxy it all together.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: just playing around(so far), homemade bullpup m14?

92
still waiting for my detachable front sight and carry handle, but i do have an adapter and scope i can test-fit, or even shoot with if delivery is delayed.
LUGO2667.JPG
still working on the trigger guard.

ETA: added a sorta-trigger-guard. on closer inspection, i put the rail on slightly canted to the left ;) . will fix tomorrow. should be much easier now that i kinda know what i'm doing. and my parts should arrive tomorrow, too!
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: just playing around(so far), homemade bullpup m14?

93
added a rough (what part of this isn't rough?) trigger guard.
LUGO2669.JPG
carry handle and low-profile front sight came. glued on the rail, prepping to drill and screw it on.
LUGO2670.JPG
there's a problem. as usual. the carry handle is too small, my manly fat fingers won't go in any further than this:
LUGO2671.JPG
corresponding with the vendor. "milspec"? what's that? if there's a taller carry handle, the "hi" front sight might work with it.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: just playing around(so far), homemade bullpup m14?

94
here's the carry handle they sent. note the height inside the handle, 0.72 inch. not enough.
LUGO2673.JPG
and for comparison, here's my ancient A2 carry handle, inside height 1.14 inches. ample space.
LUGO2674.JPG
so i'll be looking for a taller carry handle. having been burned twice on this, i'll try a gunshow where i can actually "handle " the thing.
ETA: sarco has what appears to be a mil-spec carry handle. sarco. so i ordered it. please, beat me again. more, more, harder, harder! ooh, yeah, baby! hurts so good.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: about done (so far), homemade bullpup m14?

96
lurker wrote: Wed May 26, 2021 7:34 pm as it is today, rail, carry handle, front sight, scope. front sight and carry handle may be revised, and i'm thinking a kydex cheek rest over the bolt opening. may redo the stock so the grain's a better match
LUGO2684.JPG
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