Bwild, this actually makes perfect sense. I've been reading all about guys building their rifles and changing things from mil-spec to the extra-super-dooper-pooper, magic-coated, lightweight yadda yadda yadda, on the FB ar15 forums. And man I gotta say, aside from getting some wild takes on the form and appearance of the Armalite platform, there's very few good ideas that pop up, and even fewer long term modifications that make the rounds.
Your post reminds one that changing the platform from as-designed to "my-spec" brings all kinds of potentially new stress points, wear points, and weak points that were previously designed into the robust machine works of the "original" design. Light weight is nice, but serious engineering should be done to ensure that the necessary materials and strength requirements are met by the new forces placed into the system. I wonder how much of the "broken bolt" label the Grendel got was because of guys making changes to the system in a hasty effort to improve on a proven platform? And as research showed, the devil is indeed alive and well in the details.
Not that I don't understand the draw toward the newest and shiniest, but sometimes the "good old" are really hard to improve.
I am rather rapidly growing into the guy that wants poly belted radials on his 68 GT Fastback because that's how it was originally intended... Gosh, am I getting old Nuggin?
Your post reminds one that changing the platform from as-designed to "my-spec" brings all kinds of potentially new stress points, wear points, and weak points that were previously designed into the robust machine works of the "original" design. Light weight is nice, but serious engineering should be done to ensure that the necessary materials and strength requirements are met by the new forces placed into the system. I wonder how much of the "broken bolt" label the Grendel got was because of guys making changes to the system in a hasty effort to improve on a proven platform? And as research showed, the devil is indeed alive and well in the details.
Not that I don't understand the draw toward the newest and shiniest, but sometimes the "good old" are really hard to improve.
I am rather rapidly growing into the guy that wants poly belted radials on his 68 GT Fastback because that's how it was originally intended... Gosh, am I getting old Nuggin?
Comment