SLR15 AR-15 / M-16 / M-4 / AR308 Armorer Course
When: May 1-2, 2019
Where: La Crosse, Wisconsin
We conducted a 2-day (16-hour) AR-15 / M-16 / M-4 / AR308 Armorer Course that was hosted by the La Crosse Police Dept. This was our 4th class here, and we look forward to many more. The training room offered plenty of table space, decent lighting, and a projection system with large screen that we were able to project powerpoint & detailed pics of the weapons systems and parts, especially when looking at finer detail things like machining, stress cracks & wear.
This class was a mix of Law Enforcement Officers from all over Wisconsin, and a Technical Support Specialist from Midwest Industries.
Rifles represented in this course were Bravo Company, Colt, Midwest Industries, Bushmaser, DPMS, Rockriver, Sig Sauer, Ruger, Smith & Wesson, Windham Weaponry, Palmetto State Armory, Anderson, and a few custom builds.
Day-1 started the day by going through the course manual that all students are given. Students were supplied with their own set of basic tools that are necessary to do 95% of the work on their rifles (short of restocking and rebarreling, of which wrenches and sometimes fixtures are necessary), Slip2000 "EWL" Extreme Weapons Lubricant and #725 Cleaner Degreaser, etc. A short session of nomenclature was covered, at which time covered every feature and exterior piece of the rifle to include all the hidden design features that most people are not aware of, and everyone prepped the rifles for disassembly work. Everyone was taught the procedure series of checks that we recommend.
Everyone was taught our recommended way to field strip a rifle, and whey we do it this way so as not to cause damage, premature wear or stress on anything. We covered maintenance of where and what to clean, and what needs lubrication to keep it running. We showed why not to use the firing pins as tools. We showed everyone our recommendation of how to remove fouling and why, and everyone got to use our methods.
The entire bolt carrier assembly was covered, to include inspections, maintenance, upgrades, 3 types of gas rings, and differences in finishing and machining. carrier key (gas key) installation and staking, ejector systems, etc. Everyone was introduced to the different types of gas rings. We went through what each types does, and their proper installation order.
Note: We went through proper carrier key staking. Upon inspection several people with bolt carriers from Bushmaster, DPMS and Rockriver found that their gas keys had staking where the stake marks weren't touching the screws. We supplied everyone with a MOACKS and Sully Gas Key Staking Tools, and people put them to good work.
We got into the lower receiver assemblies, starting with the fire control group (trigger group). We teach this in a building block format, starting with baby steps of getting things out and in, then build into how things work. Everyone learned how to install and remove things so you don't cause damage. We went through detailed inspections of all the sear engagement surfaces, spring types, single stage, and two stage trigger systems. At the end of the day everyone put their rifles back together, making sure that everything was in proper working order.
Note: One Officers rifle had a charging handle latch that fell out of the charging handle. Upon closer inspection it was found to be a standard charging handle, that someone had installed an oversized Badger Tac Latch into. The latch had come loose. The roll pin that holds the latch was broken, with only a small piece left. We supplied him with a new roll pin, of which was reinstalled, and it was back into working order.
Note: One Officers Rockriver was found to have a broken hammer spring. We supplied him with a new one, and got the gun back into proper working order.
Day-2 started with a review of everything that was covered on day-1, with some greater details and myths covered. We then went back into trigger groups in great details, covering single stage, 2-stage, good and bad triggers, differences and options in spring systems, diagnosing problems when semi-auto turns into burst, and showing the differences in quality of triggers that are on the market. Once done with semi-auto trigger systems, we went into select fire trigger groups covering full-auto and burst trigger groups, to include replacement and diagnosing and repairs when experiencing malfunctions.
After trigger systems, we went through the rest of the lower receivers. Everyone in this class had collapsible stocks. We covered the proper mounting & gauging, and proper castle nut staking. Everyone stripped their lower receivers, which allowed a chance for further inspections, and we went through a session on troubleshooting. Once everyone was comfortable with the entire lower receiver assembly, the were put back together, inspected, and made sure everything is in proper working order.
We then got into a session on the timing. This is where we cover proper cycling, covering what effects timing, and how & what happens when it is out or proper time, dwell time, suppressor issues, etc, and how to get things into proper timing. This also led us into piston systems. Nobody had one in class, but several Officers stated that they had personal owned ones. We covered how the piston system works, break down and maintenance of the system, how to properly adjust for timing changed, and trouble shooting.
The last half of day-2 was spent on the upper receiver assembly. We covered the forward assist assembly, and ejection port cover assembly. One Officers rifle had an ejection port cover spring that had somehow bent, unwound, and would no longer stay in place. We supplied him with a new spring, and it was put back together in proper working order.
We disassembled and reassembled a traditional military style barrel with handguard and front sight base. We also showed built a freefloat upper receiver with low-pro gas block, using a Midwest G3 system in MLOK (We use quite a few of the Midwest G3 and G4 forends), of which we also showed how the locking plate on these work well to keep things in place. We also showed how to properly mount a gas block, using the Sully gas block alignment and dimpling tool. We showed numerous ways to fixture a barrel & receiver into a vise, and our preference as to which fixtures/methods to use when and how. We showed how to mount, then properly torque and gauge the barrel system, which ensures it is in proper working order.
At the end of the day everyone put their rifles back together, everything was inspected and gauged to make sure it was in proper working order. Everyone did chamber inspections, checked & gauged the four gas seals, firing pin protrusion, trigger press, and headspace.
Here is a brief overview of a few things that were covered:
History of the Weapon
Cycles of Function
General Disassembly & Assembly
Identification of Common Problems and Parts
Nomenclature
Identification of Group Components
Semi, Burst, and Full Auto Parts and Conversions
Complete Armoring Disassembly / Assembly
Barrel Replacement
Cleaning and Maintenance
Sight and Distance Considerations
Ballistic Issues
Barrel: Twist, Length, and Profiles
Gas Systems & Piston Systems
Parts Interchangeability, including Brands
Headspace
Firing Pin Protrusion
Trigger Systems
Chamber Inspection and Issues
Troubleshooting, diagnosis & repair
Gauging, Inspections, Stress & Interval Issues
Accessories and Customizing
Tool Options and Selection
SOP/MOD Accessories and Additions
CY6
Greg Sullivan "Sully"
SLR15 Rifles
TheDefensiveEdge.com
(763) 712-0123
When: May 1-2, 2019
Where: La Crosse, Wisconsin
We conducted a 2-day (16-hour) AR-15 / M-16 / M-4 / AR308 Armorer Course that was hosted by the La Crosse Police Dept. This was our 4th class here, and we look forward to many more. The training room offered plenty of table space, decent lighting, and a projection system with large screen that we were able to project powerpoint & detailed pics of the weapons systems and parts, especially when looking at finer detail things like machining, stress cracks & wear.
This class was a mix of Law Enforcement Officers from all over Wisconsin, and a Technical Support Specialist from Midwest Industries.
Rifles represented in this course were Bravo Company, Colt, Midwest Industries, Bushmaser, DPMS, Rockriver, Sig Sauer, Ruger, Smith & Wesson, Windham Weaponry, Palmetto State Armory, Anderson, and a few custom builds.
Day-1 started the day by going through the course manual that all students are given. Students were supplied with their own set of basic tools that are necessary to do 95% of the work on their rifles (short of restocking and rebarreling, of which wrenches and sometimes fixtures are necessary), Slip2000 "EWL" Extreme Weapons Lubricant and #725 Cleaner Degreaser, etc. A short session of nomenclature was covered, at which time covered every feature and exterior piece of the rifle to include all the hidden design features that most people are not aware of, and everyone prepped the rifles for disassembly work. Everyone was taught the procedure series of checks that we recommend.
Everyone was taught our recommended way to field strip a rifle, and whey we do it this way so as not to cause damage, premature wear or stress on anything. We covered maintenance of where and what to clean, and what needs lubrication to keep it running. We showed why not to use the firing pins as tools. We showed everyone our recommendation of how to remove fouling and why, and everyone got to use our methods.
The entire bolt carrier assembly was covered, to include inspections, maintenance, upgrades, 3 types of gas rings, and differences in finishing and machining. carrier key (gas key) installation and staking, ejector systems, etc. Everyone was introduced to the different types of gas rings. We went through what each types does, and their proper installation order.
Note: We went through proper carrier key staking. Upon inspection several people with bolt carriers from Bushmaster, DPMS and Rockriver found that their gas keys had staking where the stake marks weren't touching the screws. We supplied everyone with a MOACKS and Sully Gas Key Staking Tools, and people put them to good work.
We got into the lower receiver assemblies, starting with the fire control group (trigger group). We teach this in a building block format, starting with baby steps of getting things out and in, then build into how things work. Everyone learned how to install and remove things so you don't cause damage. We went through detailed inspections of all the sear engagement surfaces, spring types, single stage, and two stage trigger systems. At the end of the day everyone put their rifles back together, making sure that everything was in proper working order.
Note: One Officers rifle had a charging handle latch that fell out of the charging handle. Upon closer inspection it was found to be a standard charging handle, that someone had installed an oversized Badger Tac Latch into. The latch had come loose. The roll pin that holds the latch was broken, with only a small piece left. We supplied him with a new roll pin, of which was reinstalled, and it was back into working order.
Note: One Officers Rockriver was found to have a broken hammer spring. We supplied him with a new one, and got the gun back into proper working order.
Day-2 started with a review of everything that was covered on day-1, with some greater details and myths covered. We then went back into trigger groups in great details, covering single stage, 2-stage, good and bad triggers, differences and options in spring systems, diagnosing problems when semi-auto turns into burst, and showing the differences in quality of triggers that are on the market. Once done with semi-auto trigger systems, we went into select fire trigger groups covering full-auto and burst trigger groups, to include replacement and diagnosing and repairs when experiencing malfunctions.
After trigger systems, we went through the rest of the lower receivers. Everyone in this class had collapsible stocks. We covered the proper mounting & gauging, and proper castle nut staking. Everyone stripped their lower receivers, which allowed a chance for further inspections, and we went through a session on troubleshooting. Once everyone was comfortable with the entire lower receiver assembly, the were put back together, inspected, and made sure everything is in proper working order.
We then got into a session on the timing. This is where we cover proper cycling, covering what effects timing, and how & what happens when it is out or proper time, dwell time, suppressor issues, etc, and how to get things into proper timing. This also led us into piston systems. Nobody had one in class, but several Officers stated that they had personal owned ones. We covered how the piston system works, break down and maintenance of the system, how to properly adjust for timing changed, and trouble shooting.
The last half of day-2 was spent on the upper receiver assembly. We covered the forward assist assembly, and ejection port cover assembly. One Officers rifle had an ejection port cover spring that had somehow bent, unwound, and would no longer stay in place. We supplied him with a new spring, and it was put back together in proper working order.
We disassembled and reassembled a traditional military style barrel with handguard and front sight base. We also showed built a freefloat upper receiver with low-pro gas block, using a Midwest G3 system in MLOK (We use quite a few of the Midwest G3 and G4 forends), of which we also showed how the locking plate on these work well to keep things in place. We also showed how to properly mount a gas block, using the Sully gas block alignment and dimpling tool. We showed numerous ways to fixture a barrel & receiver into a vise, and our preference as to which fixtures/methods to use when and how. We showed how to mount, then properly torque and gauge the barrel system, which ensures it is in proper working order.
At the end of the day everyone put their rifles back together, everything was inspected and gauged to make sure it was in proper working order. Everyone did chamber inspections, checked & gauged the four gas seals, firing pin protrusion, trigger press, and headspace.
Here is a brief overview of a few things that were covered:
History of the Weapon
Cycles of Function
General Disassembly & Assembly
Identification of Common Problems and Parts
Nomenclature
Identification of Group Components
Semi, Burst, and Full Auto Parts and Conversions
Complete Armoring Disassembly / Assembly
Barrel Replacement
Cleaning and Maintenance
Sight and Distance Considerations
Ballistic Issues
Barrel: Twist, Length, and Profiles
Gas Systems & Piston Systems
Parts Interchangeability, including Brands
Headspace
Firing Pin Protrusion
Trigger Systems
Chamber Inspection and Issues
Troubleshooting, diagnosis & repair
Gauging, Inspections, Stress & Interval Issues
Accessories and Customizing
Tool Options and Selection
SOP/MOD Accessories and Additions
CY6
Greg Sullivan "Sully"
SLR15 Rifles
TheDefensiveEdge.com
(763) 712-0123