LR-308 Build

[ARBuilder]

This is my first LR-308 build. I started off with a Tactical Machine 80% lower, a 25" Green Mountain Barrel gunsmith blank, and some pieces to make the handguard with a little ingenuity.

The first thing I did was mill out the 80% Tactical Machine lower using my Bridgeport mill without a jig, just using a DRO.

[ARBuilder]

The next step was to turn the barrel from a Green Mountain Rifle blank. I did this in my lathe, taking it slow as to not overheat the barrel and create warpage. I decided not to do a muzzle break and to do a rifle crown on the end of the barrel with the plan of adding a muzzle break later if I am not happy with the crown, but so far I like it better than a break.

[ARBuilder]

The last pic is showing the target crown at the end of the barrel and then now the construction of my handguard based off of some DPMS style carbine handguard blanks. These blanks are knurled in sections and I took 3 handguards, cut them evenly spaced as to make them look like one handguard and tig welded them together. I made it so both ends were threaded and then made an end cap on my lathe to thread the muzzle end to hide the gas block and make it a nice fit and finish.

[ARBuilder]

And finally the almost finished project. I have yet to put a good quality scope and decide whether to Duracoat it or anodize the aluminum parts and melonite or teflon coat the barrel. If anyone has some neat ideas, please post them in this thread. I have a very open mind, and would like to do something cool with the color scheme.
The target is shooting at 100 yards with a cheapy Tasco scope that came stock on a Walmart 30-06
Thanks for looking.

ARBuilder

[DoxaPar]

Seriously wish I had the skill and gear to do something like this. Very impressive.

[Scratch]

Seriously wish I had the skill and gear to do something like this. Very impressive.

+1. Nice job!

[Hoot]

I would have left the end of the handguard open to aid in barrel cooling as I did not see any holes or slots in the handguard itself.

Hoot

[ARBuilder]

I would have left the end of the handguard open to aid in barrel cooling as I did not see any holes or slots in the handguard itself.

Hoot

I get a lot of people telling me that but when you are bench shooting I don't believe the barrel gets hot enough to be concerned with heat but I plan on borrowing our temp gage from work next time I go shooting and finding that out. If it is an issue I had planned on putting it in my mill and drilling holes evenly spaced around the end cap to give it the ability to breathe. Plus the hand guard itself is very long and thin aluminum which should dissipate heat real quick.

[Hoot]

Usually, the barrel nut that the handguard screws onto is perforated on the receiver end, so adding holes to the end cap at the other end should help provide a convective path. While you are correct that aluminum is an excellent thermal conductor as well as radiator, the layer of dead air between the inside of the handguard and the barrel acts like a thermal insulator. When you embed the thermocouple to test the temperature, make sure its glued or taped to the barrel 4-6" from the receiver and on the opposite side from the gas port so it doesn't pick up heat from the gas tube. Measuring the handguard surface temp won't tell you much about the barrel temp and measuring the barrel temp out beyond the handguard may not reflect the temperature beneath it. If you're waiting several minutes between shots or running a forced air cooling system between shots when the ambient temperature is high, then it may not matter.

Hoot

[mmcnx2]

If those targets are 100 yds, I'd be question what is going on 2 of those 3 groups are huge.

[ARBuilder]

If those targets are 100 yds, I'd be question what is going on 2 of those 3 groups are huge.

This was the first time shooting this rifle with a $50 Tasco scope at 100 yards. 2 shots were just too hit paper, the shots in the middle were dialing the scope in and the 2 on the bottom left were the last 2 I shot after I dialed it in (the target is sideways in the pic) then decided it's ready for a much better scope. I wasn't going to put a $600 scope on it until I knew it would be a accurate shooter. I guess that made sense to me doing it that way since I'm not rich.

[DoxaPar]

If those targets are 100 yds, I'd be question what is going on 2 of those 3 groups are huge.

This was the first time shooting this rifle with a $50 Tasco scope at 100 yards. 2 shots were just too hit paper, the shots in the middle were dialing the scope in and the 2 on the bottom left were the last 2 I shot after I dialed it in (the target is sideways in the pic) then decided it's ready for a much better scope. I wasn't going to put a $600 scope on it until I knew it would be a accurate shooter. I guess that made sense to me doing it that way since I'm not rich.

Ya think the notations on the target would have been enough.

[pj62]

Nice looking .308. Like it was said in an earlier post, I wish I had the skill. Like the pics of the process. Thanks for posting!