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Project M1014 is coming together...will update as parts arrive!


Unobtanium

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We tested the real H2O's we built with high speed cameras to test how they were performing through the ejection cycle. The ejected shells end up in about the same place as an un-plated. The cyclic speed isn't increased much from the process. What is immediately felt is how smooth everything functions. One of the new H20's feels like my broken in 11703 with 15k rounds on it. One could say it would be more reliable when dealing with fouling and lack of care. I found the plated models to be more reliable with weaker loads like Winchester valuepack #8 and less prone to short stroking. I definitely shoot the plated ones better over stock.

 

I haven't found the need to re-spring the unit or change the weight of the bolt carrier in any way. No signage of the bolt impacting the rear of the receiver either. When shooting these plated guns, there is an obvious difference between a stock gun and the plated ones. There is less of that mechanical chugging feel as the action is cycles. Where you feel the bolt hit the hammer, then the bolt impacting the back of the receiver, then throwing it forward, picking up the next round on the elevator and finally slamming home. All these high spots in the inertia curve are smoothed over.

 

There are some drawbacks or bad sides to plating;

1. It's a PITA to have done. I don't trust the Robar gunsmiths to properly disassemble/reassemble. The skip a lot of small parts to plate or claim components cannot come apart when they really do.

2. They take forever to do a job. 3 - 4 months is typical.

3. It's expensive.

4. You can have any color you want as long as it's silver. I've had Cerakote applied over the NP3+ with positive results even though they claim it won't adhere.

5. Marginal increase in performance.

 

 

Other areas are dramatically improved like when you unload the M4 by pressing on the inside of the shell release. Every stock M4 is a PITA to get the rounds to come out. Especially the last round in the magazine tube. On the plated units, they're buttery smooth.

 

Cleaning is really easy with the plating. Most fouling just wipes off of the components. Very little effort is required on really bad areas like the pistons. On these H2O extreme builds, I disassemble the ARGO plugs and plate all the internal components except the spring and o-ring.

 

I'm very happy with the A&S Engineering trigger guards. I also prefer an aluminum unit over the polymer plastic ones. These machined units are a step above the OEM aluminum ones. The color matches the H2O's well. I bought a second one for myself to mount on my burnt bronze M4. I'm going to NP3+ plate the trigger guard, then have my Cerakote guy paint the visible portions burnt bronze.

 

The Cerakote painted M4's are kind of sloppy. Example, they don't paint the area under where the front barrel hanger covers the magazine tube. This is fine since the Cerakote will get scraped by installing the barrel over and over. The issue is they did a very poor job taping it up before painting. It isn't even close to being evenly painted. As you twist the magazine tube, you can see how uneven of a job was done. Sticking with the H2O name is kind of a misnomer. Cerakote isn't going to provide the corrosion resistance properties on the steel components.

 

They really have cheapened the line when and where they could. Sad to see.

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Sorry if I'm out of touch, but they did a barrel change with the M1014? What's different? I have a basic M4 I bought in 2014, am I missing out on something?

 

The M1014 is a current mil-issue barrel. Fixed choke, MOD constriction, hammer forged chrome lined. It features the collar at the rear and the larger "wings" on the barrel extension just like your 2014 model does. I am not a fan of screw-in chokes on a fighting shotgun, hence I went with something that had a choke that won't freeze in the barrel, or fly downrange.

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Yeah, I can understand the desire for one that is "as issued" to the military. I get that. All of my M14 clones are built with USGI surplus M14 parts and I wouldn't have one any other way.

 

But only an idiot or someone who is completely negligent (which you obviously are not) about weapons maintenance, would allow the two situations you mention to happen. It's like the people who never change the oil in their vehicles, or perform other required maintenance, just put in gas and it'll run forever, right?

 

Iv'e switched the chokes around on my M4 and have not experienced either freezing to the barrel or loosening of the choke. It stays put when I want it to, and it comes out when I want it to. A tiny amount of anti-sieze or grease on the choke threads is warranted on these guns.

 

I think the military barrel version designed the way it was, with it's features, is born more from a military practicality standpoint than anything else.

Edited by Evolution
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Yeah, I can understand the desire for one that is "as issued" to the military. I get that. All of my M14 clones are built with USGI surplus M14 parts and I wouldn't have one any other way.

 

But only an idiot or someone who is completely negligent (which you obviously are not) about weapons maintenance, would allow the two situations you mention to happen. It's like the people who never change the oil in their vehicles, or perform other required maintenance, just put in gas and it'll run forever, right?

 

Iv'e switched the chokes around on my M4 and have not experienced either freezing to the barrel or loosening of the choke. It stays put when I want it to, and it comes out when I want it to. A tiny amount of anti-sieze or grease on the choke threads is warranted on these guns.

 

I think the military barrel version designed the way it was, with it's features, is born more from a military practicality standpoint than anything else.

 

Well, over a course of fire, I have had them loosen if you don't use a GOOD wrench. Take into account something like a 250-500 round shotgun training course, and a lot of instructors say they don't like chokes for a good reason.

 

The other aspect of it is that I spend hundreds of dollars on various tubes if I have a gun that takes chokes, searching for "that perfect combo". Now all I can dick with is ammo :)

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Well, over a course of fire, I have had them loosen if you don't use a GOOD wrench. Take into account something like a 250-500 round shotgun training course, and a lot of instructors say they don't like chokes for a good reason.

 

The other aspect of it is that I spend hundreds of dollars on various tubes if I have a gun that takes chokes, searching for "that perfect combo". Now all I can dick with is ammo :)

 

Understood. Iv'e had good luck using the tool that came with the gun. But Iv'e not fired 500 rounds in one day either.

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I’ve had the choke come loose before when using the factory tool. It never fully unscrewed, just found it finger tight. I bought the Briley choke wrench which gives you a lot more leverage. Never had a problem since.

 

Which Briley wrench are you using exactly?

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Sweet! Iv'e got an IWC mount & Scout light in the mail right now. My M4 has an ADS pic rail and 6 shell saddle on it. I like having the option to carry shells or not. Just press a button and the saddle is removed. If I eventually put on an aimpoint, I'd go with the standard pic rail mount.

 

Nice effort! Clean and simple is best.

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I want to do a shout-out to StrangerDanger here on the forum.

 

I shipped him my receiver to remove the OEM mag tube. He did it in 1 day and returned it post haste! There was an invoice included with all of the work he did (remove 1913 rail, install WOLFF shell-stop spring, remove OEM tube, remove loctite residue).

 

The receiver was CLEAN. When I got it back, there was no trace of loctite, there were no idiot-marks, there were no scratches where the loctite was removed, nothing. Just a clean loctite and OEM-tubeless receiver. The cost for the work was very agreeable, and the work itself was very professional. OCD, even. I would not hesitate to recommend StrangerDanger for any work that he agrees to be competent to perform.

 

Also, the owner of Tango Arms. The Tango Arms forend stocks are awesome! They prevent the hand from sliding around during recoil, and are very well/tastefully stippled. The work itself is very good. I have friends with Zev, Agency, and other high-end stippled firearms, and this workmanship is right in-line with them. The price seems steep at first, but each set takes roughly 3 hours to stipple, and you have to factor in what it costs to pay someone who can do an excellent job of that, to sit there for 3 hours of their time and monotonously do it. Once that is taken into account, and the fact that OEM HG's are used, the price makes sense. There isn't much profit margin in this once the TA pays their stippler. It's a labor of love type thing the way I see it, except to the stippler, who, in my opinion, makes a profit in-line with the boring and tedious work he sits there doing.

 

Scalarworks...the mount is awesome! 'nuff said:

21dohw2.jpg

 

 

The best way to attach it, of course doing the middle screws first, is to get it where it slides on without rattling. Then you tighten one screw ever so slightly until it CANNOT be forced on. Then back it off the tiniest amount and verify that it can be FORCED into place. Then you move to the 2nd screw, and do the same. In this way, you insure that BOTH screws are tight in their slots. The rest? Follow the torque specs and go at it.

 

IWC...well, IWC has some work to do, still. My mount tightens down and removes the gap 100%. I would prefer it left a little gap on either side. Say 0.1" or so. This would allow for more variance. As it was, I tightened it to about 10 in-lb, and there was a slight gap left. After a day of shooting, it moved a touch. So, it got a good tightening to about 25 in-lb, and I think it "went solid" around 20 in-lb. Will it hold? yes, I am 100% sure it will. But it sure is on the cusp of my setup not working, were it 0.05" or so smaller or something. It's not a precision part, that barrel hanger. IWC needs to open up the clearances, IMO. Other than that...super product!

 

Limbsaver...I love that buttpad. Over the last 2 days I've fired over 100 rounds of buck and slug. My shoulder is fine.

 

Wolff springs...they work. 'Nuff said.

 

CarrierComp Ti mag-tube...yeah, it's what you'd expect. No surprises. Flawless workmanship bordering on OCD.

 

The video I made shows a roughly 3" 25 yard group. I was sitting to fire it. With the weapon benched, it shoots better than that, but that is representative of what you'd expect "in the field".

 

Over-all, I am very happy, and this project came together perfectly. A video is upcoming, when it finishes uploading. I recorded it in 4K, so it may be a while (at least, I think it's recorded in 4K. New potato).

Edited by Unobtanium
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Great review. Iv'e had the Limbsaver pad on mine for almost two years now and yes, it's much better than the hockey puck OEM butt pad altho, I think the recoil of the M4 with it's design is pretty tame with heavy loads even, nothing like a pump gun!

 

I love the Tango stippled fore ends as well. As far as the IWC mount, tho I don't have mine in hand yet, I looked at it online for a long time before I chose it, I am not so sure that the design will hold up with a sling attached to it, with all the side pulling forces that a fully loaded M4's weight will put on it. M4s are pretty heavy, fully loaded with 00 or slugs. Time will tell on that.

 

I don't plan on ever attaching a sling to my M4 anyway. It goes to the range and stands sentry duty, and I don't feel that I need a sling for either purpose. I decided on the IWC mount as opposed to the other offering strictly for it's minimalist styling of impact on the weapon and it's approach to mounting a mini scout light. It's a neat little item. For me, it's always a balance between functionality and aesthetics.

 

Great CS at IWC and also at Tango.

Edited by Evolution
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Glad I could help and it was up to your expectations! Clean build, I like the keep it simple builds with tangible upgrades. Limbsaver upgrades are no joke. My only dislike of them is how they have that tacky rubberized feel that can hang up on clothing. Well worth the 40% reduction in perceived recoil though.

 

Is that picture on your property or at a range?

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Do you have a necessity for additional shells to be with the shotgun? If I was using a fixed pistol grip stock or field stock, I'd disassemble the sling assembly and install one of these Mesa units in the rear. They're a pain in the butt to get apart, but it is doable.

 

https://mesatactical.com/products/stock-mount-sureshell-carrier-for-ben-tac-stocks-except-ben-m4-4-shell-12-ga/

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Glad I could help and it was up to your expectations! Clean build, I like the keep it simple builds with tangible upgrades. Limbsaver upgrades are no joke. My only dislike of them is how they have that tacky rubberized feel that can hang up on clothing. Well worth the 40% reduction in perceived recoil though.

 

Is that picture on your property or at a range?

All video/photo is from my property. However, my property ends where you see the change in grass color about mid-view/where the iron stake can be seen if you look carefully in the far-right of the frame by the smaller tree..

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Do you have a necessity for additional shells to be with the shotgun? If I was using a fixed pistol grip stock or field stock, I'd disassemble the sling assembly and install one of these Mesa units in the rear. They're a pain in the butt to get apart, but it is doable.

 

https://mesatactical.com/products/stock-mount-sureshell-carrier-for-ben-tac-stocks-except-ben-m4-4-shell-12-ga/

 

It works out well indeed, I did it on a M3 a few years back. I cut the unit in half and welded it back together in a different configuration for this particular project...I shortened the lop about an inch so adjusting it was necessary so that it would fit and didnt rub my arm.

P1110796.jpg[ATTACH=CONFIG]3357[/ATTACH]

P1110795.jpg

P1110861.jpg

Edited by Jolly Roger
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Like StrangerDanger said, the M4 stock assembly is a pain in the butt to get apart....I found that holding the flame of a Bic lighter from underneath was the easiest way of heating the Loctite up before removal. This is a picture of what the hardware looks like once you get it out of the M4...(minus the silver nut and washer)

I just pulled this out because Im adding a Mesa to a M4..

 

PA160557.jpg

Edited by Jolly Roger
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Cool vid Unobtanium. Thats the first time Ive seen the Scalarworks on the M4, looks sexy!

Im on a waiting list for the RMR mount from them.....cant find one anywhere! I also need a metal trigger guard:(

 

Thanks! I got into the Benelli M4 scene back in 2008. Then, we had no-name tubes, OEM tubes, and SOCOMGUY tubes. That was it. Those were ALL THE THINGS. You had a pick between 3-4 mag-tubes, and the OEM night-sights, and the C-stock (for $7-900).

 

The platform has come SO FAR in terms of aftermarket support. Now we have Ti mag tubes, co-witnessed irons/RDS, streamlined light mounts that allow rapid take-down of the weapon, etc. That is what finally got me back into the M4 game, is the maturity of the support for the platform allowing me to "make it what I want". I have finally succeeded in getting exactly what I want out of the M4.

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