Having worked with the KP-15 for the WWSD2020 project, I got a hankering to know how a tiny SBR carbine would work using a KP-15 lower. There is no option for using a pistol brace, of course so this was built as a registered short-barreled rifle. I used a Faxon 10.5 inch 5.56mm pencil-weight barrel, a Tacstar (?) carbon fiber handguard, a standard KE upper, and a complete WWSD 2021 lower. The hand stop is from Slate Black Industries, and the optic is a Holosun 503CU.
Why not use .300 Blackout? Basically, because 5.56mm is a lot more convenient and I don’t need any of the benefits of .300.
Why use a fixed stock? Weight, strength, and simplicity. I wanted the light weight of the monolithic polymer stock, and it is a stronger design than a collapsing type.
I’m really happy with how the experiment turned out! The WWSD Commando has an overall length of 29.5 inches, and weighs (with the optic) 5lb 2oz (2.3kg). It has a bit more snap and bark than a proper-length barrel, but is not unpleasant to shoot by any means.
The most underrated characteristic of any longarm is handiness.
Suggest a better flash suppressor, perhaps an A2 style with closed bottom, and which reduces dust signature while prone. Dust signature in other positions would seem to validate this. Also provides a minor amount of vertical muzzle compensation, thus reducing muzzle rise.
“(…)most underrated characteristic of any longarm is handiness(…)”
In such situation I can only suggest playing TWILIGHT2000 paper-and-pen game, which does have concept of BULK of fire-arm.
Hmm, 2.3 kg empty? That is really light; less than vz.58 with folding stock (which is 2.7 kg). Of course the kick is light too. All together looks good (that fore-guard is really snazzy). My only issue is the barrel length. In my understanding of .223Rem. caliber, I’d would not go for anything less than 14.5 inch. It can be unpleasantly noisy even with 19 inch barrel. But then again, I am not the owner of this lovely built and no one asked me anyway 🙂
Oh yeah… and that solid stock vs. collapsible? Absolutely, this is the way to go – solid. If any concern about LoP, there should be spacers available by now.
“(…)2.3 kg empty? That is really light; less than vz.58 with folding stock (which is 2.7 kg)(…)”
I do not think this is fair comparison, latter use bigger cartridge (7,62×39) and not polymer was used. If you want to compare with short small-bore polymer-using weapon see MA https://modernfirearms.net/en/assault-rifles/russia-assault-rifles/ma-eng/
It does use 5,45×39 cartridge and weighs 2,5 kg
I think I have seen this carbine couple of years ago; the action runs on steel “spine” which happen to be pic-rail at the same time. It was originally Dragunov’s concept. Pretty clever.
To compare Vz.58 and AR is fair IMO – they both use “intermediate” cartridge, although the M43shot operates with 2/3s of M855 pressure. But I do not intend to spar over the subject.
Update: I checked and MA evolved into AM-17 compact assault rifle
https://modernfirearms.net/en/assault-rifles/russia-assault-rifles/am-17-prototype/
as this is still in development parameters might change
And I always thought that phenoplasts were polymers – silly me 😉
I should limit my statement to SA Vz.58P early model as
https://modernfirearms.net/en/assault-rifles/czech-republic-assault-rifles/sa-vz-58-eng/
SA Vz.58P, has a fixed buttstock, and furniture made either from wood (early models) or from wood-impregnated plastic (late production models)
Mr. Picky is holding a gun to my head to make me write this… It’s a hostage situation, here.
Wouldn’t that be plastic-impregnated wood, rather than wood-impregnated plastic…? I mean, it’s kind of a chicken-and-egg question, really, but I’m just not seeing the wood filling that role in the resultant conglomerate material. I always thought that the “beaver vomit” was wood chip material that had plastic forced into association with it via pressure and heat, but maybe I’m wrong…? Did they force the wood chips into the plastic? Does it matter?
Could be an artifact of technical-term translation issues, too, I suppose.
https://archive.org/details/con00ciseoxforddicfowlrich states that
impregnate permeated (with)
Does it make sense here?
Wow. It never occurred me how light the VZ58 is. How did they achieve that, using 1950 materials and a milled receiver?
Put a flash can or linear comp on that thing, Ian.
Ian, you spent ~6.5 minutes justifying your choice of a solid stock, and then brought it up again for another minute or so. It’s plenty and enough to say, “This is my gun. I like my gun. Anybody don’t like it can smell my shoes. Now lemme show you how I loves SHOOTIN’ it.” First and last rule of gun collecting: Don’t apologize, brag!
How’s it group off the bench at 100 meters?
That would make the video pointless. Ian is not justifying his choices. He is explaining his choices which is what makes his videos so much better than your typical “check out my awesome piece “ video.
I think so too; it is a personal confession/ statement of preference and we should take it with respectful consideration. One old saying goes: “there is no dispute with one’s taste”.
I think it’s just another take on Forgotten Weapons. It’s pretty good because I’ve forgotten about this one already. Joking aside I also would like to see a group at a 100 just because.
One thing we should realize though is what the AR-15 has become – it is a behemoth of small arms development, right next to AK. It appears in uncountable varieties partly due to civilian market and individual initiatives. Ian’s own case is fitting prove of the trend.
I somehow discounted it in past (maybe because of work exposure and as such became critical of it), but recent show in Afghanistan is leading me to think differently – even Taliban adopted it. Yes, AKs are still seen there but in somehow diminishing numbers.
“(…)even Taliban adopted it(…)”
If you want to use captured weapons, you can not be picky.
“(…)AR-15(…)next to AK(…)”
In such situation I can not to link certain comparison https://laststandonzombieisland.com/2014/04/22/ak-vs-ar-vs-mosin/
There are no limits to perfection.
I doubt that anyone will be happy to be with Jan on the next path. The birdcage contributes to this. 😉
If it’s SBR anyway, it might have been possible to shorten the barrel a couple more inches. And spend the vacated inches and ounces on a good closed-type flash suppressor, partially hidden in the forend.
And the work of the automation did not seem very stable to me.
I think a spiral gas pipe will help with this.
An who in the bloody hell is “KE?”
When I was in engineering school, that meant “Keufel & Esser”, who made slide rules?
I am spoda know that? Been building black rifles for decades?
Come on. Stop the name dropping. It is truly irritating.
KE Arms has been building ARs for a some years, yes. More importantly, they have been manufacturing the polymer lower for the WWSD rifles since the project started. In other words: It’s not “name dropping” but rather that you obviously haven’t watched previous videos about WWSD.
Come on. Stop being an asshole. It’s truly irritating.