The M4 condor
Someone asked me to thread his frame to accept AR-15 free float tubes, and while waiting for his frame and other parts to arrive, I got a little curious. So, since I have a few hours before I have to take the kids to the beach, I took out some parts I had lying around that I was going to mount on my own AR-15 and decided to give it a try before Jim’s parts get here, just for fun. This is what the M4 condor looks like. I had to cut a section off the front of the condor frame to make room for the free float tube; this is the shortest free float tube around, for the carbine version of the M4. Because you can no longer mount a normal ldc onto it, I threaded the barrel and just put on one that I found on the yellow some time back. This is what it looks like:
Note the accessories now slip on and off easily. The handguards are just rubber UTG fittings that slide over the rails so it is easier to carry without the sharp edges from the Picatinny rails digging into your hands. Kinda fun exercise, but I doubt I’ll keep her. Will have her up for sale next week.
aloha,
walt
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LOL I mocked up a pic of this and posted it about a year ago. The huge response was “It looks TOO tactical” “SWAT team caller”. I still love the idea, I think it would look really clean if you can get the “silencer” to sit inside the assembly.
I will have to look for that thread and post it up again. I think it looks great, but that damn M4 nut, if you just take the tube and mill the inside a little so it “slides” onto the rails of the Condor/Talon. They almost slide on stock.
Wish I was out of the hospital(yes for those of you counting, 22 months. I had a small reprieve, but back in the hospital now for next set of surgeries.)
so I could take some pics of what I mean.
😯
I have a 7 1/4” on my Wilson and a 9″ on my Beowolf.
TD:
1st off there are two other rail system lengths
one is the full length rifle which as I recall is a 12″ length, the other is an intermediate, don’t recall the length but there are only 1 or 2 manufacturers of them.
Now as far as system rigidity, it will depend on the rail system…
most are designed to simply spin down on the threaded front of an AR upper receiver then torqued in place with an AR barrel nut wrench until the gas tube holes line up and then the gas tube more or less locks the pair together.
Thing is there is no gas tube on a AirForce rifle and no way to solidly integrate a purely spin on guard.
The other system is used on the more expensive ones such as the Troy does not thread on the upper receiver and instead clamps securely on the AR barrel nut and incorporate tabs on the rail system that lock over the 1913 rail on an A3 upper and the standard lower.
For me this means doing the 1913 rail on the frame on the top and a filler block to widen the AF frame to AR width on the bottom. In addition I will be installing a SWAN rail on the rifle which has its own integrated flip up rear sight and will overlap the frames 1913 rall with that on the guard further integrating the guard and frame into a solid unit once its all dialed in…it wont be moving one iota, solid as a rock…
Again, the bits are not cheap, upwards of two or three hundred on the Troy or Knights clamp on rail system, hundred and fifty or more for the SWAN rail, another hundred odd bucks on the flip up front sight.
one can get by cheaper with the spin on rails and no custom 1913 on the frame at the sacrifice of some rigidity…just lock it tight with a thread locking compound once its aligned…
Sounds great Walt, I’ve been looking at lineing up two or three dovetail to picatinny mnts on the lower frame rail for a vertical grip and laser mnt, but if that quad is mounted soild and centered thats even better!
Is all the Quad mounts the same length? I would want a little longer one than in the pic if possible, maybe one for a different gun than the AR might be longer? I’ll prowl the net for some and pm you in a few days. Its late and Im about to fall out of my chair 😕 Good nite and thanks,
Tag,
dvu, as Riverside said, that unit is a 2 part. You just bolt them together over the barrel. I don’t see anything mounted to the youtube gunpower… might be because it’s just sitting there for show, doesn’t align with the barrel or sit solidly enough to mount a scope. Mine is threaded to the frame, and the threads and mating surfaces are trued to the bore of the frame. I didn’t adjust anything, just screwed it together; yet look at the pic of the barrel coming out from the tube, it is 100% centered.
Tagdagger, if you want that done, contact me off list, it’d be easy and cheap. I’m charging $35 plus shipping to thread the frame for external threads, all you need is the bushing, which should be next to nothing.
Note that internal threading is more expensive as it requires a LOT more work.
aloha,
walt
I hear Ya Sub, If one had the courage to cut the frame between the 1st and 2nd bushing holes then the vertical grip is in position further back, the arrow barrel with one piece bushing down that skeletal barrel, Picatinny mounts for quiver, laser, nightvision ect……. Oh I can see it alright 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯
Ahhhhhh…
well anyways I dont want folks confusing cheap snap on rail guards with the monolithic free float rails then getting pissed when they discover they need to burn up a couple hundred minimum just on the guard.
Pretty sure there is a chinese knock off or two on the cheap but wouldnt bother with them
then again I’m snooty on these sorta things 😉
River,
I think he is referring to the one in the video the Dvu posted
Nope thats not a Free Float tube…
the Osprey’s are designed to replace standard handguards with the barrel mount handguard cap at the front and the spring loaded delta slip ring at the rear
wont work in this application what so ever…
What you need is a Troy, Yankee hill, Knights or similar monlithic free float rail system and none of the good ones are cheap
Another option is to install a Hogue Overmolded AR Handguard tube which runs around a C note with the grip in a kit.
He has this one on his gun
looking GREAT Walt! Can’t wait to see my triplets
I figured my project would get your creative juices flowing
I of course am going way shorter on the frames to outright eliminate the power wheel and indicator slot
means a custom free float bushing and a redesigned striker/hammer at the minimum.
like I told ya, it was going to be close but figured it was doable on the respective diameters
Subsonic:
once I get my revision completed I will be building a sidecocker 9mm on it with a special turned barrel with a free float bushing threaded on the forward portion to take a variation of TD’s tube that will fit inside the Troy free float rail system. Just unscrew the moderator and its ready to go with bolts.
Shaft material will be oversize tubing with custom inserts
I found 1 similar to this mod on UT.
am I the only one thinking that this m4 mod would be the icing on the cake for anyone with the air-archer kit??????
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I also found a punch of replica rail handguard here, they look OK, some of them may fit on the Condor better 😆 😆 😆
http://www.apextac.com/daniel_defense_arms_kac_troy_vltor_rail_replica.html