I’ve got spare parts, odds n’ ends lying around the shop. I decided to, over time, assemble an 11.5” AR pistol using the DRD Tactical quick assembly system.
Here are the key parts of the system, all of which I already have:
Quick change barrel nut. Designed to go on and off by hand. It’s suggested that for greatest accuracy, or high volumes of fire, that you tighten the nut with a castle nut wrench; there is no torque spec, just give it a good tug and you’re done. I’ve used this nut before, tightened only by hand, and hit 2/3 IPSC silhouettes at 500 yards with an RDS and ball ammo, so it works more than good enough for the project at hand.
The tab on the back of the DRD rail goes into a slot on the front of the DRD upper receiver, as an anti-rotation device. I’ll be using an SOLGW upper, so I’ll be milling a corresponding slot in my upper this week.
Here’s the DRD tab and slot setup:
After you hand tighten the barrel nut, you slide the DRD rail on, and push the captured, hardened steel pin in. This pin corresponds with the groove towards the front of the barrel nut. Then you close the pivoting latch, which helps ensure the pin stays closed.
The pin and latch closed:
The pin and latch when open:
Here are the key parts of the system, all of which I already have:
Quick change barrel nut. Designed to go on and off by hand. It’s suggested that for greatest accuracy, or high volumes of fire, that you tighten the nut with a castle nut wrench; there is no torque spec, just give it a good tug and you’re done. I’ve used this nut before, tightened only by hand, and hit 2/3 IPSC silhouettes at 500 yards with an RDS and ball ammo, so it works more than good enough for the project at hand.
The tab on the back of the DRD rail goes into a slot on the front of the DRD upper receiver, as an anti-rotation device. I’ll be using an SOLGW upper, so I’ll be milling a corresponding slot in my upper this week.
Here’s the DRD tab and slot setup:
After you hand tighten the barrel nut, you slide the DRD rail on, and push the captured, hardened steel pin in. This pin corresponds with the groove towards the front of the barrel nut. Then you close the pivoting latch, which helps ensure the pin stays closed.
The pin and latch closed:
The pin and latch when open: