My Planned M4-Based SBR Build

A couple of months ago, I got rid of my Norinco AK-47 because for the two years it was with me, I was unable to even test fire it in that time due to the change in the political system that caused a tightening of the Permit To Transport for High Powered Rifles (HPRs). However, things have loosened up lately, and it is now easier to get a PTT for HPRs, and this is one of the reasons why I have decided to do an M4 Short Barreled Rifle (SBR) build.

Would it have been more sensible for me to just wait a little longer rather than disposing my AK? Not really, because the lack of the PTT is just one of the reasons I got rid of it. I also found the AK-47 to be a little bit too heavy and front-heavy for comfort. I felt I still would've gotten rid of it in the end.

Lastly, there is one thing I could do with the M4-based SBR that I could never do with the AK-47, and that is to build the rifle from scratch, using my own chosen specifications and parts. There are very few firearms that one can build from the ground up, at least in this part of the world, and one of them is the M16/M4 rifle. This is because the M4/M16 rifle has a lot of users both in the military and civilian sector, which therefore means more demand for parts. This in turn drives manufacturers to make more parts, which become then more easily available in the market.

Its not that you can't build other rifles from the ground up like the M14, or even AK-47. But their parts are harder to find, and they will be more expensive. The only other firearms which are the easiest to build from scratch are the 1911 platform, and Glock pistols, both of which are handguns, by the way, as opposed to the M16/M4 which is a rifle.

'Budget and Buying Philosophy for the Build'
Would be cheaper and easier for me to just buy an rifle in the market, and just slowly dress it up? Not really. One problem with rifles here in the Philippines is that they tend to be very expensive. The cheapest, brand new M4 rifle you can buy in the Philippines is the one from a local company called "Metroarms", which sells their units for Php 85k (approximately Usd 2k). And that is just for the basic, functioning unit, not including the licensing. If you want to change some items, you will end up spending even more.

My intended budget is at Php 75k, slightly less than the price of the M4 rifles out there. By building a rifle from the ground up, I can pick and choose which items I want to put on the gun, thereby hopefully saving some money. There is absolutely NO WAY I can meet that budget, though, if I buy from the local gunstores, mainly because of availability and price.

Availability of parts made by local manufacturers are scarce, almost non-existent, except for some major parts that have become available recently. Imported parts maybe available, but most of them are marked up at ridiculously inflated prices by the local gunstores, going for at least a couple of hundred percent their normal selling price. Brands like Magpul, Daniel Defense, Noveske, etc. have become status symbols for the rich like the Macbooks and iPhones as they are the only ones who can afford them here. As a result, you end up with USED rifles that are in the Php 100k to Php 250k range (Usd 2.3-5.7k).

Because of this, I will strive to buy most of the parts online, where I think these will be generally cheaper. The key will be to visit the gunstores, canvass the prices, and compare them on the prices online, and then choose the cheaper ones.

'Parting Shot'
I want to build an SBR with barrel length of no more than 11.5" basic. I find anything more than that to be a bit too long already, but this is just my personal opinion. I may even get one with a 7.5" build, mainly because of the price. The 7.5" barrels are the cheapest ones I could find as of now.

I don't mind having such short SBRs despite the reliability, stopping power and noise issues they have, these can still kill people if needed. And on the plus side, they are VERY handy, light, and aesthetically great-looking pieces of equipment.

This will be a slow build, it will not happen within the next couple of weeks, but likely the next couple months, depending on how my sourcing goes. I'm not even sure if I can complete this build, though I certainly hope to do so. I plan to make updates as I complete each section, with the corresponding costs and source of each part. If I make it thru, I will try to discuss in more detail how I sourced the items to end up with the complete build.

RELATED POSTS:

--> My M4-Based SBR Build: Buttstock Assembly

--> My M4-Based SBR Build: Upper Receiver Assembly

--> My M4-Based SBR Build: Sighting System

--> My M4-Based SBR Build: On Hold Indefinitely