I’ve been wanting to do a Blood Diamond CAR-15/XM177/GAU-5/whatever you’d call it for a long time now, and with Brownells, Inc. putting a bunch of parts I needed for it within reach via their Retro line, I was finally able to get to it.
There are some obvious inconsistencies between mine and the movie version (pics included for comparison,) primarily the light (I had extra M600Us laying around and didn’t feel like paying extra money for the lesser Surefire 660 light,) and the Teal Blue Bravo PDQ ambi bolt catch/release (because it’s 2019 and none of my USGI forged lowers don’t have one, for sake of consistency.)
I used Fulton Armory receivers since they make the A2 upper receiver with M4 feed ramps, and went with one of their lowers to have a matched set. Barrel is a Brownell’s Retro Series 10.3″ 1/7 twist, and the stock and A1 grip come from the Retro line also. I had the faux moderator laying in the parts bin for YEARS waiting for the other parts to come along, well before the Brownell’s Retro line existed.
Aimpoint is a PRO 2MOA that didn’t have a rifle to sit on, but since it looks externally the same as the OG Aimpoint CompM2, fuck it, why not. It sits on an ARMS #2 carry handle rail mount, in an Aimpoint SRW-L mount I procured with help from a friend.
I did my due diligence trying to replicate the patterning of the rattle can colors as they appeared on the movie gun itself, the side we could see anyway. Colors used were Aervoe Olive Drab, Field Drab, and a little bit of Marine Corps Green, and the Dark Brown was either Krylon or Rust-Oleum, I don’t remember which. I misted it with some ODG & MCG once the overall painting was finished. Since I couldn’t find OD Green camo form wrap in stock anywhere I went with olive drab USGI style duct tape to secure the light’s ST-07 switch to the rifle.
The Surefire M14 style light mount clamp had to be shaved down on the grinder wheel a bit to fit it through the slot in the FSB, and I didn’t need the M10 ring to secure the light since the integrated 1913 mount on the Scout body clamped onto the light mount’s rail perfectly.
Magazine is an old ass pre-ban USGI mag that has this cool patina to it. I went with a Magpul MS1 sling because the tension adjustment is second nature to me being that I’ve standardized on this sling otherwise. I *tried* to make it work with an R4 sling but unless I ONLY had the sling around my neck it just fuckin sucked because of the way the fabric would dig into my shoulder when the sling twisted.
I guess I can call this one the “Danny Archer.” Yah yah ?
This entry was posted
on Sunday, October 6th, 2019 at 00:00 and is filed under Black Rifle, DIY, Guest Post.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Way cool, Frank (nice moniker, by the way). I love that movie. Don’t be a wanker, bru.
Cool gun brah, but what about the Blood Diamond pants?
I emailed SSD regarding a quote for BDPs so hopefully we can buy them soon
How much are they?
So not different lower, flashlight, optic, optic mount, and handguards?
The Blood Diamond 177E2 is quite the strange build of parts, but I’ve always loved the look of the gun i was planning on doing a clone but using my Diemaco C7/C8 upper with a F/A, Brass deflector and A1 rear.
I thought of it, and some weird as some clone build with a correction. But yours looks great, and yea SF660’s are surprisingly expensive, i planned on using a 6P with a tail cap because they look pretty close and not nearly as costly.
“TIA, eh Danny?”
“TIA”
Very cool.
My understanding is the same company that built that carbine for the film also provided the weapons for “Black Hawk Down”
a lot of the background “Delta” actors rocked those 177 builds (most notably the guy drawing fire in the scene where grimes gets blown up by the RPG)
The similarities in parts shows.
On that note, need to build another Gothic Serpent carbine.
Thanks for the heads up on Fulton with the A2 uppers!
Nice !!
What always bothered me tremendously about that film and gun was that the moderator had no cuts or ports. It was just a tube. Anyone have any insight on why?
I believe that is basically a BFA. I think a British company who specializes almost entirely in blank firing guns did the gun wrangling for the film.