[Shay1911]

...so our club runs some very short distance (5 yards to 30 yards) stages. Lots of ports, walls, angles, in and out type of shooting. Basically, I can shoot those stages faster with my pistol than a rifle.

My normal rifle, 17" SS heavy barrel plus rolling thunder with a Meopta on it, feels a mile long and heavy in those stages.

I am setting up another upper for the rifle and need some advice. I have a 16" middy upper. Was thinking of cutting it to 13" and perma-attaching a Y-Comp to it to make 16" total. Then putting EoTech on a Larue mount so irons are co-witnessed at the 1/3.

The rifle will be short, quick and double as a tacti-cool for home defense (One of the many guns I have used that excuse for).

Doesnt need to be a tack driver, but needs to be reliable. It will not be used to double tap at 50 yards or anything like that.

Does the setup make sense? Do you suggest the normal LMOS with adjustable gas block? Or keep it semi-stock?

[HRider]

I shoot a 20" gun (with irons) so my opinion might not mean much. I still get faster hits with the 20" gun than I do with a quicker handling carbine, even in house clearing stages. Your 16" overall carbine sounds like a fun gun to build/shoot. I would just shoot the iron sights, especially inside of 30yards. I built an 10.5" A2 pistol for fun and to keep under the back seat of my truck. It is fun to shoot, but I have not had the chance to set up some house clearing stages and compare it with my match rifle.
Hurley

[Rustin]

That sounds sick I just don't know if I would waste the time/money to cut the barrel down if you are just gonna put a big ass comp on it.

[shooter steve]

Go on and get rid of the front sight if you are going to shoot the Eotech. It just gets in the way, really no need to co witness, that just slows you down. Just put the dot on it and shoot.

[benny hill]

Send the heavy gun down to my spa resort, will put it on a serious diet & presto, a light gun that wins.

[CocoBolo]

I have won a couple of those style matches running a Marlin Camp 9 Carbine. Short, lite, and the sights sit just over the bore line so no need for hold over. Ammo is much easier to load. The trigger in these rifles is horrible but a good smith can tune it up. 30rd mags need some tuning to be reliable but the MecGar 20 rd mags run flawless. I paid $300 for the gun for the wife but she lets me borrow it and her CZ75 for Carbine matches.

Of course the other shooters bemoaned that it was a 9 but heck they were shooting 22s.

[Charles Bond]

Listen to Rustin.

Your rifle has to have a certain overall length and it might as wll be barrel. There is no advantage to a short barrel if the overall length has to stay the same. The gun will be more reliable, more accurate, able to shoot other matches and have better resale vs chopping the barrel and affixing a permenant extra long flash hider/brake.

[bigbrowndog]

Where in the rules (USPSA) does it say there is a minimum or maximum overall length required?????????????
or is a Law somewhere???? that short rifles can't be used in a match????????
Trapr

This post has been edited by bigbrowndog: 05 November 2009 - 10:32 AM

[XRe]

bigbrowndog, on Nov 5 2009, 11:23 AM, said:

Where in the rules (USPSA) does it say there is a minimum or maximum overall length required?????????????

USPSA rules done. The federal government, however, is another matter entirely....

[Shay1911]

Sorry, will be 16" total with comp pinned and soldered.

Would an adjustable block and low mass carrier help in that short of a rifle?

[hk_mtbr]

XRe, on Nov 5 2009, 01:31 PM, said:

bigbrowndog, on Nov 5 2009, 11:23 AM, said:

Where in the rules (USPSA) does it say there is a minimum or maximum overall length required?????????????

USPSA rules done. The federal government, however, is another matter entirely....

But there is no rule against using my SBR so long as the states involved are Class 3 cool...?

[JoshF]

I'd say do it and let us know what you think. One thing though, I'd skip the optic and try straight irons first. I've shot my 18" w/Meopta set to 1 power against my friends 20" Irons gun and anything under 50yds I am quite a bit faster using irons. If you don't find this a case then you can jump on an Aimpoint or that other thing....

Also skip the low mass carrier on the short range gun. I've got to try out a 14.5" gun w/a surefire brake on it using a standard carrier and the recovery was perfectly acceptable for close in stuff. I will say though that the report from the brake is insane on a 14.5" gun. The adjustable stock is also nice for weight but mainly to shorten the length of pull up so you can square up easier on more aggressive courses.

After all is said and done you really won't know if you like it till you build it. Even if you don't you'll learn something.

Shay1911, on Nov 5 2009, 12:08 PM, said:

Sorry, will be 16" total with comp pinned and soldered.

Would an adjustable block and low mass carrier help in that short of a rifle?

[Revopop]

From my reading of the original post, he's looking at getting another upper, not cutting down the one he's got. Makes more sense to me, that way he can have one for each type of match. I've strongly considered doing the same thing myself.

[Shay1911]

Revopop, on Nov 5 2009, 04:09 PM, said:

From my reading of the original post, he's looking at getting another upper, not cutting down the one he's got. Makes more sense to me, that way he can have one for each type of match. I've strongly considered doing the same thing myself.

Yes:)

[Shay1911]

Just a quick update...

I ended up with a middy upper from Rock River, heavy profile. I removed the A2 sight, installed a PRI adjustable gas block and a DPMS vented free floating handguard. I was going to go with JP stuff, but they are way behind and I have the patience of a 2 yr old. Very impressed with the PRI block and DPMS tube for the price.

So now the handguard covers the gas block and only the comp sticks out. The weight distribution is much further back and my support hand is very close to the end of the barrel. I have not adjusted the gas block yet, running it full blast.

I shot a match tonight, stand and shoot, move and shoot, some open, some tight targets at 50 yards or so, nothing up close. I REALLY enjoyed running this setup, I can't wait to shoot it in closer target type stages. I was able to manipulate the gun much faster.

The Y-comp surprised me in a good way, was impressed with it, was very stable, my other upper has a rolling thunder on it. The RO, on the other hand, is going to the dentist tomorrow to check his fillings

This upper is on the cheap, meant for club level monthly matches, but I really like it.

[blkbrd]

benny hill, on Nov 5 2009, 09:47 AM, said:

Send the heavy gun down to my spa resort, will put it on a serious diet & presto, a light gun that wins.

+1

[Revopop]

Shay1911, on Nov 18 2009, 03:22 AM, said:

Just a quick update...

I ended up with a middy upper from Rock River, heavy profile. I removed the A2 sight, installed a PRI adjustable gas block and a DPMS vented free floating handguard. I was going to go with JP stuff, but they are way behind and I have the patience of a 2 yr old. Very impressed with the PRI block and DPMS tube for the price.

So now the handguard covers the gas block and only the comp sticks out. The weight distribution is much further back and my support hand is very close to the end of the barrel. I have not adjusted the gas block yet, running it full blast.

I shot a match tonight, stand and shoot, move and shoot, some open, some tight targets at 50 yards or so, nothing up close. I REALLY enjoyed running this setup, I can't wait to shoot it in closer target type stages. I was able to manipulate the gun much faster.

The Y-comp surprised me in a good way, was impressed with it, was very stable, my other upper has a rolling thunder on it. The RO, on the other hand, is going to the dentist tomorrow to check his fillings

This upper is on the cheap, meant for club level monthly matches, but I really like it.

Excellent. I'm glad it worked out for you.

[Jaxshooter]

I shooy my 9mm AR at matches like you described. It has a 16" barrel and an Eotech. Works great on short tight courses.

[EkuJustice]

I have a 10.5 inch light weight SBR for those stages. On the short guns you don't want a light carrier. You actually want weight or you can get bolt bounce. Alot of SBRs will use an M16 carrier and a H-Bufffer. If you cut it down I would go with 14.5 with a break to take it to 16 overall