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.

(Update - July 2012) Magpul Products' Availability in the Philippines

Three months after I posted my first blog about the availability of genuine Magpul Products in the Philippines, I was finally able to buy some of these products. Below is a picture of some of them:

From left to right: Magpul MIAD Grip, Magpul MOE Trigger Guard and Magpul BAD Lever


The parts seem genuine, the packaging is complete and top notch, and the parts themselves seem to be made of genuine high quality Polymer that Magpul is known for, instead of the lesser quality Polymer or even ABS Plastic materials that the copies are made of.

'ebay.ph'
I bought the above items from ebay.ph, from a seller in the US. The prices were great, just a couple of dollars above the typical retail listed prices for these items, way better than the ridiculous prices the local gun stores sell them for. The only problem with these parts is that the availability tends to be inconsistent at best, and this is mainly because the sellers are mostly individuals, not stores, and therefore could only have a few items at a time on their stocks.

My guess is that they buy these on sales, and turn around and sell them online. The available parts on sale is probably only limited, and their budget is also limited, and thus could only stock a few items at a time. So if you see one being sold, I suggest you grab one immediately as they may not be around for long.

My Review for the M4 Collapsible Stock for Glock

After the fiasco of using a Magpul UBR Stock copy for my Glock, which turned out to be too heavy for the unit, I wanted to use the lightest possible M4 Stock available to pair with my Endotactical Tactical Stock Adapter - Glock (TSA-G). After looking around some firearms forums, it turns out that the stock or factory standard M4 Collabsible Stock is among the lightest available.

I chose the standard Mil-spec M4 stock mainly because it was available, and cheaper than the other light stocks like the Colt Super-Stoc of Magpul CTR. In terms of looks, it doesn't look too bad either. I got the "ribbed" version (as opposed to the "dotted" or "ultra-thin" version. Oh, wait, those are for other things, sorry), which I assume to be the more modern one as it allows various accessories to be fitted to the stock if you so desire.

I wasn't able to measure the weight of the stock, but information from the forum threads say they are around 6 ounces, or less than half a pound. Material is reportedly some sort of ABS Plastic, and the workmanship was fantastico! No flashes or other imperfections to be found anywhere on the stock. The finish was quite good, best seen in actual because it doesn't translate very well into digital pictures.

M4-Based Short Barreled Rifle Barrel Selection Considerations

I am planning to assemble my first Short Barreled Rifle (SBR) based on the M4 Carbine platform of my own, and I have been trying to do a lot of reading about how to go about. In the course of my research, I have come across various interesting aspects that I would like to share with other newbies out there.

One of the more interesting facts I found out are the factors one has to consider when choosing the barrel length for an SBR. First, just a quick review of the term "Short Barreled Rifle": It is taken from the United States' Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) definition of any shoulder-fired, rifled firearm with a length of less than 16".

Also, note that the standard M16/M4 barrel comes in four general classifications. Below are a listing of them, with the maximum length for each classification noted down next to it:
- Rifle Length, 20"
- Mid-Length, 16"
- Carbine Length, 14.5"
- Pistol Length, 7.5"

My Endotactical TSA-G Review

'Endotactical TSA-G'
The Endotactical Tactical Stock Adapter - Glock (TSA-G) was actually the main reason for my buying a full-sized Glock. The TSA-G fits only full-sized Glock at the moment, and I felt it was much superior than the GLR440 Stock I used on my Glock 23 as it attaches to the Glock on 2 points, compared to the one point on the GLR440. Because of this, you will have better control of the Glock during recoil.

Another advantage of the TSA-G, is that you can use much more solid stocks built for the M4 Carbine, as opposed to the relatively flimsy 1" width Polymer stock of the GLR440. These two advantages I felt will enable much better control of the weapon during full-auto, not resulting in that diagonal climb to 1-2 o'clock that I found when using the GLR440 stock.

I got what is likely to be a China-copy of the TSA-G from a shop at the Makati Cinema Square (MCS). The reason I think it is a China-copy, are three things: First, is the price. The original sells for USD 150 in the US, while I bought it for only P 3,500 (approximately USD 81). Second thing is that the Retaining Pin that secures the unit to the Glock is made of Polymer, while the ones I saw on the videos for the original TSA-Gs are made of Stainless Steel. I don't think this will be much of a factor on the function of the unit, though.

Third is that there is no small ball chain that secures the Retaining Pin to the TSA-G, while the original always had one. I had to buy a small ball chain from the SM Department stor to secure that Retaining Pin to the TSA-G, and keep it from getting lost during handling.