DekNgo Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Time for something a little different. Put this one together for a guy. Built off of a factory 11791 dark earth model. Threw a whole slew of top shelf parts at it like; OEM Collapsible Stock Noveske/Limbsaver Buttpad IWC MOE QD Sling Mount FFT Trigger, painted black FFT disconnector FFT Wolff trigger pack spring kit FFT OEM Reproduction handguards, black DMW oversized safety, modified spring weight TTI Shell Elevator, painted black TTI stainless bolt knob, painted black GG&G oversized bolt release Carriercomp full length titanium dark earth magazine tube, Wolff Spring and Carriercomp Follower Ava Tactical Mod 1 mount, painted dark earth IWC M600 backbone light body painted dark earth Surefire KE2-A 500 lumen output head, painted dark earth Surefire Scout tailcap, machined to remove the shroud, then painted in dark earth (including the plastic locking ring) Meprolight Night Sights, new front sight nut Scalarworks top rail, painted dark earth OEM aluminum trigger guard, painted dark earth With this build, I swapped a lot of parts out that I have on hand that are NP3+ coated to add to the corrosion resistance, ease of cleaning, and smoothness of operation. While it's not as smooth as a full H2O Extreme build, it's pretty close. Parts that were visible from the exterior were then painted on just the visible areas. Such as the trigger, the shell release button and the shell elevator. Some of the parts swapped out for NP3+ ones; Trigger Pin OEM Hammer Hammer Spring Cap TTI Shell Elevator FFT Disconnector Trigger Bushing Safety Detent Disconnector Plunger Shell release button Breech Latch Pin Recoil Tube Plunger Bolt Extractor Claw Extractor Claw Pin Firing Pin Firing Pin Retainer Carriercomp Magazine Follower Three piece front handguard retainer spring I sent the aluminum trigger guard, the rear sight housing and elevation deck, front sight shroud, the aluminum portion of the collapsible stock, IWC MOE sling mount, the Ava Tactical light mount, IWC backbone light body, Surefire tailcap, Surefire KE2-A light head, rear handguard hanger and the Scalarworks top rail in to be painted in the dark earth color. I'm not a huge fan of the dark earth color, but overall it looks pretty awesome. Doesn't the Noveske/Limbasaver Buttpad prevent the stock from fully collapsing? Or are you modifying them to make it work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DekNgo Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 Time for something a little different. Put this one together for a guy. Built off of a factory 11791 dark earth model. Threw a whole slew of top shelf parts at it like; OEM Collapsible Stock Noveske/Limbsaver Buttpad Doesn't the Noveske/Limbasaver Buttpad prevent the stock from fully collapsing? Or are you modifying them to make it work? Are you modifying the Noveske/Limbsaver Buttpads to allow the OEM collapsible stock to fully collapse? The factory Benelli buttpad has a hole on its backside to allow the stock to fully collapse. Are you somehow doing the same with the Noveske/Limbsaver? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerDanger Posted May 8, 2017 Author Share Posted May 8, 2017 I modify the Limbsaver buttpad to allow the receiver extension to pass inside the buttpad. It's as simple as drilling out the approriate size hole in the buttpad. I modify the Noveske brackets by cutting them. The only parts needed are the ends with the additional mount positions. The single fastener is all that is needed to hold each end in place. Bolting the pad to the two pieces of the Noveske plate keeps everything rigid. Loctite all the things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerDanger Posted May 8, 2017 Author Share Posted May 8, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DekNgo Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 I modify the Limbsaver buttpad to allow the receiver extension to pass inside the buttpad. It's as simple as drilling out the approriate size hole in the buttpad. I modify the Noveske brackets by cutting them. The only parts needed are the ends with the additional mount positions. The single fastener is all that is needed to hold each end in place. Bolting the pad to the two pieces of the Noveske plate keeps everything rigid. Loctite all the things. Thanks for the detailed response. That seems simple enough - I might go down this path too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerDanger Posted March 11, 2018 Author Share Posted March 11, 2018 (edited) Added some new pictures to show the current changes to my original M4, 11703. Added a TangoArms set of stippled Freedom Fighter Tactical forearms. Swapped out my black type 1 RMR RM01 with a type 2 FDE Cerakote model RM06. I took the old black RMR over to a gen 5 Glock 34 I'm building up. Scalarworks rail was swapped out with the Sync model. I had the visible portion of the shell elevator painted carbon black. The visible area of the Freedom Fighter Tactical trigger was painted in carbon black Cerakote. The Ava Tactical mod 1 mount was installed with a Surefire M600U 500 lumen output lamp on a IWC M600 body, and a Surefire Scout Light tailcap that I machined. The unit was then painted in burnt bronze Cerakote. Edited March 11, 2018 by StrangerDanger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerDanger Posted March 11, 2018 Author Share Posted March 11, 2018 Optic view targetting my Bob with a Jerry t-shirt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topleft Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 Added some new pictures to show the current changes to my original M4, 11703. Added a TangoArms set of stippled Freedom Fighter Tactical forearms. Swapped out my black type 1 RMR RM01 with a type 2 FDE Cerakote model RM06. I took the old black RMR over to a gen 5 Glock 34 I'm building up. Scalarworks rail was swapped out with the Sync model. I had the visible portion of the shell elevator painted carbon black. The visible area of the Freedom Fighter Tactical trigger was painted in carbon black Cerakote. The Ava Tactical mod 1 mount was installed with a Surefire M600U 500 lumen output lamp on a IWC M600 body, and a Surefire Scout Light tailcap that I machined. The unit was then painted in burnt bronze Cerakote. Nicely done! I have a couple quick questions: 1. How is the traction of the forends you changed in relation to originals? 2. AVA Tactical mod 1 mount, I have the Doberman version, but looking at the flushness compared to your setup. 3. Your shell carrier looks different from my FFT with the structure at the end. Am I over analyzing it, or is yours different? 4. Rear sling attachement mount is made by who? I really like the Cerakote work/contrast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerDanger Posted March 11, 2018 Author Share Posted March 11, 2018 Thanks. Hard to tell she has over 15k rounds through it. 1. The TangoDown stippling is really aggressive. Almost too aggressive. It feels like skateboard tape when you get it. After it tears up your hands some it looses its sharpness with what I imagine is a layer of dead skin. Either that or my hands got tougher. 2. Your Doberman is a lot bigger in diameter and has a much higher rated output. The IWC M600 Light body is perfect for the new Ava mount. One of the mounting lugs is held captive by the mount, so it cannot slip. I then machined the shroud off of the Surefire Scout Light tailcap to permit it to sit so close to the weapon. The light rides so tight that I cannot install the larger diameter Surefire M600 IB lamp I have unfortunately. Another future scalability issue is the newer Surefire lights with the rechargeable batteries require a larger diameter body. Not a lot, but noticeable. I’m curious to see how these work in this rendition of the mount. Since the new Surefires have a rated output of 1500 lumens. I need to see if IWC plans on making a replacement body for these. 3. The shell carrier is from TTI, but they are similar to the FFT. I have noticed some difference between the tips. Some have more curvature downward than others. I don’t have a preference for either one. 4. The sling mount is from IWC, it is a Magpul MOE QD socket that will fit through the existing sling loop without any modifications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black_dog Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 As always, nice work. Looks awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobtanium Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 Thanks. Hard to tell she has over 15k rounds through it. 1. The TangoDown stippling is really aggressive. Almost too aggressive. It feels like skateboard tape when you get it. After it tears up your hands some it looses its sharpness with what I imagine is a layer of dead skin. Either that or my hands got tougher. 2. Your Doberman is a lot bigger in diameter and has a much higher rated output. The IWC M600 Light body is perfect for the new Ava mount. One of the mounting lugs is held captive by the mount, so it cannot slip. I then machined the shroud off of the Surefire Scout Light tailcap to permit it to sit so close to the weapon. The light rides so tight that I cannot install the larger diameter Surefire M600 IB lamp I have unfortunately. Another future scalability issue is the newer Surefire lights with the rechargeable batteries require a larger diameter body. Not a lot, but noticeable. I’m curious to see how these work in this rendition of the mount. Since the new Surefires have a rated output of 1500 lumens. I need to see if IWC plans on making a replacement body for these. I don't believe the new Scout heads differ in mating dimensions. 3. The shell carrier is from TTI, but they are similar to the FFT. I have noticed some difference between the tips. Some have more curvature downward than others. I don’t have a preference for either one. 4. The sling mount is from IWC, it is a Magpul MOE QD socket that will fit through the existing sling loop without any modifications. I've been really liking the 500 lumen M300C. In 15000 rounds, what has broken, and/or needed service or PM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerDanger Posted March 14, 2018 Author Share Posted March 14, 2018 I've found the longer the better for the light bodies on the M4, getting it closer to the muzzle reduces the amount of barrel shadow. This started out as an old 11703 I bought in 2004. Within the first 50 rounds, I snapped one of the gas pistons due to the 4 port barrel. The M4 continued functioning with the snapped piston. The barrel beat the bolt carrier to death and deformed the face of the carrier to the point that it wouldn't cycle properly. So I sent it back to Benelli around 2008 and they gave me a 11707 barrel, new bolt carrier group, and handguards. I replaced the receiver extension with the 3 position unit around 2011. I had to replace the recoil spring at around the 7500 round mark. I should have replaced it earlier since it was causing malfunctions. I had replaced the springs in the trigger pack twice, they were starting to take a set and the pack seemed weak or anemic. Since the big replacement items, I haven't noticed any wear that will cause further failures. Springs are always consumable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobtanium Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 Did you re0pace them with oem, or were Wolff springs available at that time? I recall you saying own springs are not the best, but have you run the Wolff long enough to opine on whether or not they are better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerDanger Posted March 14, 2018 Author Share Posted March 14, 2018 I have Wolff springs in now for about a year, but do not have enough rounds on them to determine how much better they hold up over the oem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les_garten Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 The Ava Tactical mod 1 mount was installed with a Surefire M600U 500 lumen output lamp on a IWC M600 body, and a Surefire Scout Light tailcap that I machined. The unit was then painted in burnt bronze Cerakote. Hey SD, What does the IWC body do for you? I have an Elzetta and am having issues with it. The Elzetta, as strong as it is, has a somewhat thin Tailcap. I think there may be some deformation under the AVA clamp that causes this light to not come on all the time unless I tweek on it a bit. It's also a bit short, so am looking at your surefire deployment here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerDanger Posted March 14, 2018 Author Share Posted March 14, 2018 The lug on the IWC body fits in the recess of the mod 1 perfectly. It’s also lighter than say a Surefire Scout Light body. The Surefire bodies need to be heavily modified to fit, where as this is a drop in unit. I use the IWC’s exclusiviely including on the AR platforms since the body offers fine tuning for shifting the light laterally in the mount to tighten it up against the firearm. This lateral adjustment doesn’t work when sticking it in the Ava mount, but it would if you were using the IWC light mount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scout_21 Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 I have Wolff springs in now for about a year, but do not have enough rounds on them to determine how much better they hold up over the oem. Is that the pack from FFT or somewher else? Still digging the color you finished yours in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerDanger Posted March 15, 2018 Author Share Posted March 15, 2018 Thanks. If doing it again, I’d go with a darker version of the burnt bronze. Yes, that’s the trigger spring kit I mentioned. I tried the ones from TTI, but they caused failure to fire events. The hammer spring wasn’t strong enough to detonate the primers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerDanger Posted March 21, 2018 Author Share Posted March 21, 2018 This morning I took one of the Surefire M600IB 600 lumen output IntelliBeam lamps and stuck it in the lathe and machined off the high spots of the lamp to permit a tighter fit to the Benelli when using the Ava Tactical mount. Unfortunately you have to remove the the light from the mount in order to remove the head, but it does fit with the use of the IWC backbone body. I'm going to order a couple more, then have them painted to hide the machining work. It makes for swapping batteries to be kind of a pain, but I feel it is worth it for the IB technology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awmp Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 What a great thread, I finally finished reading it all. Do you have pics of your light setup? I'm wanting to get to an M4, had one sold it, but I'm curious about the collapsible stock compared to the straight stock. Big difference? This morning I took one of the Surefire M600IB 600 lumen output IntelliBeam lamps and stuck it in the lathe and machined off the high spots of the lamp to permit a tighter fit to the Benelli when using the Ava Tactical mount. Unfortunately you have to remove the the light from the mount in order to remove the head, but it does fit with the use of the IWC backbone body. I'm going to order a couple more, then have them painted to hide the machining work. It makes for swapping batteries to be kind of a pain, but I feel it is worth it for the IB technology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerDanger Posted March 21, 2018 Author Share Posted March 21, 2018 I never cared for the field stock on the Benelli M4 personally. The only real benefit of the collapsible stock is the small storage size. I use the longer length of pull since the sight picture is better for me. The middle position affects the cheek weld significantly. The Sync Mount rides so low that it’s almost like using the iron sights. If it rode higher, the middle position might be more comfortable for me. I’m 6’2, so fortunately the longer length position isn’t an issue for me. I’ll take a picture of the light setup today. The lamps machine easily in the lathe. It only took a few minutes to get it reprofiled. I then hit the machines area with some fine grit sandpaper while it was spinning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerDanger Posted March 21, 2018 Author Share Posted March 21, 2018 Here is the M600IB model installed on my H2O Extreme build that is slowly being built up. Removing the barrel isn't an issue with the close fit of the lamp head. I'll send this unit out for painting to match the H2O soon. I ordered two more of these lights, I'll machine one of them to go on my burnt bronze build, and one is for the AR15 that doesn't need modified. Also attached below is some shots of the barrel shadowing, and the benefits of the IB model light. The output is significantly cut down at close quarters, and instantly ramps up to 600 lumens at further ranges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerDanger Posted March 21, 2018 Author Share Posted March 21, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerDanger Posted March 21, 2018 Author Share Posted March 21, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobtanium Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 500 lumen M300C IB with 1.25 bezel....dream unicorn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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