torque_and_recoil
Plinker
As promised, here are some of my initial thoughts and results. Your mileage may vary, but this is the sort of post that I looked for (and was unable to find) while I was researching the ARAK-21 -- someone who owns and has shot the upper and is in no way affiliated with Faxon Firearms. (This post will also move me closer to the magic number of 50 posts that will allow me to once again read the classified listings!)
After some (mis)adventures with FedEx and a 3-hour round trip drive to the regional distribution center, I finally gained possession of my ARAK-21 upper with a 16" heavy 5.56 barrel.
The Lower
I built the rifle on a new Seekins billet lower. (My build ended up looking like many of the ARAK-21 rifles seen in promotional photos.) You can't use unmodified Gen3 PMAGs with the Seekins non-milspec lower, but it does look awfully cool. In this case, I did sacrifice some utility for aesthetics.
This was my first experience with a Seekins billet lower. It was just different enough from milspec to cause some frustration during assembly. The upper/lower tension screw (to replace the function of an accu-wedge) didn't seem to do its job. Also, one of the internal set screws interfered with trigger operation, and it took me way too long to figure out how to install the rear take-down pin detent. All of those features were under the grip, so I found myself having to remove and re-install the grip multiple times. Live and learn.
I thought the ambidextrous bolt release would be handy with the side-charging handle, but now I'm not convinced of its value. The off-side lever will release the bolt, but you can't use it to lock the bolt back. (More on that later.)
All in all, I'm happy with the Seekins lower, now that it's all put together. The fit and finish of the upper and lower both look great.
The Trigger
I used a Geissele SSA two-stage trigger. I also have the less expensive G2S two-stage trigger, but I found that my G2S has much more creep in the second stage than the SSA. I'm not sure why that is, because they're supposed to be "identical operation and feel" except for the spring retention method. But I can definitely tell the difference between my two samples. However, both trigger groups are still miles better than the stock USGI triggers.
Balance
Since I don't really use forward rails, I went ahead and removed them. I will be looking for some way to better insulate my hand from the hot aluminum. (I'm already investigating using strips of Micarta or G10. Kydex softens too much under the heat.)
Even though the front handguard looks and feels slim without the rails, the upper is very solidly built. It feels a little front heavy, especially with the heavy barrel and no buffer in the stock. Removing the front rails and adding a scope helped with balance a little, offsetting the weight out front.
With the ARAK-21 system, it's easier to have a folding stock. I tried an inexpensive folding adapter, but I decided not to use it. Right now, I can't think of a use for a side-folder other than storing the rifle in smaller spaces, and the adapter I have adds some bulk and rattle to an otherwise sleek and simple Mapul CTR stock.
The Gas System
As the YouTube videos show, the bolt carrier looks a lot like an AK. The bolt itself looks similar to an AR. Field stripping is very easy and requires no special tools.
The bolt/receiver area runs very clean and very cool. The only carbon residue I observed was right around the tip of the piston and the gas regulator. That's as expected.
With all the loads I tried, I had to run with maximum gas to get reliable functioning. 55gr commercial loads (Winchester White Box and PMC Bronze), 55gr reloads (24.8gr H335), and 75gr Black Hills Match (red box).
Rounds were ejected slightly forward, between 1 and 2 o'clock, and not very far (2 to 3 feet). Nice neat little piles of brass. It's my hope that with some more break-in time and better lubrication, I can back it off to medium gas setting for normal operation. (I like to have margin to adjust up or down.)
Side Charging Handle
The charging handle came installed on the left side. I couldn't figure out an easy way to lock the bolt back with this arrangement. Pulling back the charging handle with my left hand, my right hand couldn't comfortably reach the bolt release on the left side of the receiver. And the ambi-bolt stop lever on the right side can only release the bolt (not lock it back).
I found this to be very inconvenient, so I ended up swapping the charging handle to the right side. Now it works like an M1 Garand, M14, Mini-14, etc. It also means I can clear malfunctions, work the bolt, etc. even when my left hand is tied up in a sling-supported position.
Optics
I omitted back-up sights for weight, and the money saved was applied to getting a higher quality scope. I already had a set of 30mm rings, so I went with a 2.5-10x Vortex Viper HS scope from AA Optics. Alan was extremely helpful, as usual.
From what I've been able to research, typical AR rings put the center of a scope about 1.5" above the flat top base. I used Leupold 30mm "High" rings, which put the center axis of the scope about 1" above the base. However, the flat top on the ARAK-21 is about 0.5" higher than a standard flat top to accommodate the gas system.
So it turns out that the cheek weld is perfect, with no risers required on the Magpul CTR stock. (And you can't tell from the picture above, but there is plenty of clearance between the rail and the scope.)
If I had gone with back-up sights, I probably would have gotten the Troy Micro sights. They're a little shorter than standard and I probably could have kept a good cheek weld while using them.
How did it shoot?
I completed the initial assembly at dusk and was able to test fire before the sun set completely. The muzzle flash from the brake is something to behold. The flames shot out about 1.5 feet on each side, and about 1 foot up. The flash was very visible through the scope. The next day, I didn't notice the flash at all (in overcast daylight).
When standing to the side of the rifle, the concussion is certainly worse than an A2 or Smith Vortex flash hider on a 16" barrel. However, the ARAK-21's concussion is downright gentle compared to a JP Enterprises brake.
The recoil is non-existent, even for a .223, which has relatively little recoil anyway. I think this is due to the brake and front-heavy nature of the rifle rather than something inherent to the piston gas system. Recoil feels a lot like the JP Enterprises rifle mentioned above, which has a DI gas system. That is, it feels like shooting a 10/22. With good ears on, it's hard to tell if the rifle actually fired or not. The rifle simply doesn't move (both from the bench and off-hand), and there's no screen door sound coming from the buffer tube.
I did my testing at 25 and 100 yards from a bench. I did not have much luck shooting 55gr bullets. The 1:7 twist barrel seemed to like the 75gr Black Hills much better. At 25 yards, all of the shots were in one hole, but that's not really anything remarkable for an AR platform.
At 100 yards, I was getting consistent 5-shot groups at 1.5" center-to-center with the Black Hills. However, the day was overcast and the temperature never exceeded 25 degrees F. So I will fully admit that I wasn't at my best for accurate shooting. I'm disappointed that I couldn't get below 1.5 MOA, but I am optimistic that the rifle will do better once I'm not bundled up like the kid from A Christmas Story and my hands aren't frozen to the mag well. Continuing to try for better groups under those conditions seemed like a waste of good ammo. I'll attempt again another time.
Plans for the Future
Rig up some low-profile heat shields for the front handguard. I really like the slim profile, and I don't want to ruin it with a bunch of rails that I won't need/use.
Figure out a way to attach a QD sling swivel to the front handguard. I will probably go with a Magpul RSA.
Test for accuracy again once the weather warms up.
Run some more rounds through it to see if a "break in" will allow me to back off the gas regulator setting.
After some (mis)adventures with FedEx and a 3-hour round trip drive to the regional distribution center, I finally gained possession of my ARAK-21 upper with a 16" heavy 5.56 barrel.
The Lower
I built the rifle on a new Seekins billet lower. (My build ended up looking like many of the ARAK-21 rifles seen in promotional photos.) You can't use unmodified Gen3 PMAGs with the Seekins non-milspec lower, but it does look awfully cool. In this case, I did sacrifice some utility for aesthetics.
This was my first experience with a Seekins billet lower. It was just different enough from milspec to cause some frustration during assembly. The upper/lower tension screw (to replace the function of an accu-wedge) didn't seem to do its job. Also, one of the internal set screws interfered with trigger operation, and it took me way too long to figure out how to install the rear take-down pin detent. All of those features were under the grip, so I found myself having to remove and re-install the grip multiple times. Live and learn.
I thought the ambidextrous bolt release would be handy with the side-charging handle, but now I'm not convinced of its value. The off-side lever will release the bolt, but you can't use it to lock the bolt back. (More on that later.)
All in all, I'm happy with the Seekins lower, now that it's all put together. The fit and finish of the upper and lower both look great.
The Trigger
I used a Geissele SSA two-stage trigger. I also have the less expensive G2S two-stage trigger, but I found that my G2S has much more creep in the second stage than the SSA. I'm not sure why that is, because they're supposed to be "identical operation and feel" except for the spring retention method. But I can definitely tell the difference between my two samples. However, both trigger groups are still miles better than the stock USGI triggers.
Balance
Since I don't really use forward rails, I went ahead and removed them. I will be looking for some way to better insulate my hand from the hot aluminum. (I'm already investigating using strips of Micarta or G10. Kydex softens too much under the heat.)
Even though the front handguard looks and feels slim without the rails, the upper is very solidly built. It feels a little front heavy, especially with the heavy barrel and no buffer in the stock. Removing the front rails and adding a scope helped with balance a little, offsetting the weight out front.
With the ARAK-21 system, it's easier to have a folding stock. I tried an inexpensive folding adapter, but I decided not to use it. Right now, I can't think of a use for a side-folder other than storing the rifle in smaller spaces, and the adapter I have adds some bulk and rattle to an otherwise sleek and simple Mapul CTR stock.
The Gas System
As the YouTube videos show, the bolt carrier looks a lot like an AK. The bolt itself looks similar to an AR. Field stripping is very easy and requires no special tools.
The bolt/receiver area runs very clean and very cool. The only carbon residue I observed was right around the tip of the piston and the gas regulator. That's as expected.
With all the loads I tried, I had to run with maximum gas to get reliable functioning. 55gr commercial loads (Winchester White Box and PMC Bronze), 55gr reloads (24.8gr H335), and 75gr Black Hills Match (red box).
Rounds were ejected slightly forward, between 1 and 2 o'clock, and not very far (2 to 3 feet). Nice neat little piles of brass. It's my hope that with some more break-in time and better lubrication, I can back it off to medium gas setting for normal operation. (I like to have margin to adjust up or down.)
Side Charging Handle
The charging handle came installed on the left side. I couldn't figure out an easy way to lock the bolt back with this arrangement. Pulling back the charging handle with my left hand, my right hand couldn't comfortably reach the bolt release on the left side of the receiver. And the ambi-bolt stop lever on the right side can only release the bolt (not lock it back).
I found this to be very inconvenient, so I ended up swapping the charging handle to the right side. Now it works like an M1 Garand, M14, Mini-14, etc. It also means I can clear malfunctions, work the bolt, etc. even when my left hand is tied up in a sling-supported position.
Optics
I omitted back-up sights for weight, and the money saved was applied to getting a higher quality scope. I already had a set of 30mm rings, so I went with a 2.5-10x Vortex Viper HS scope from AA Optics. Alan was extremely helpful, as usual.
From what I've been able to research, typical AR rings put the center of a scope about 1.5" above the flat top base. I used Leupold 30mm "High" rings, which put the center axis of the scope about 1" above the base. However, the flat top on the ARAK-21 is about 0.5" higher than a standard flat top to accommodate the gas system.
So it turns out that the cheek weld is perfect, with no risers required on the Magpul CTR stock. (And you can't tell from the picture above, but there is plenty of clearance between the rail and the scope.)
If I had gone with back-up sights, I probably would have gotten the Troy Micro sights. They're a little shorter than standard and I probably could have kept a good cheek weld while using them.
How did it shoot?
I completed the initial assembly at dusk and was able to test fire before the sun set completely. The muzzle flash from the brake is something to behold. The flames shot out about 1.5 feet on each side, and about 1 foot up. The flash was very visible through the scope. The next day, I didn't notice the flash at all (in overcast daylight).
When standing to the side of the rifle, the concussion is certainly worse than an A2 or Smith Vortex flash hider on a 16" barrel. However, the ARAK-21's concussion is downright gentle compared to a JP Enterprises brake.
The recoil is non-existent, even for a .223, which has relatively little recoil anyway. I think this is due to the brake and front-heavy nature of the rifle rather than something inherent to the piston gas system. Recoil feels a lot like the JP Enterprises rifle mentioned above, which has a DI gas system. That is, it feels like shooting a 10/22. With good ears on, it's hard to tell if the rifle actually fired or not. The rifle simply doesn't move (both from the bench and off-hand), and there's no screen door sound coming from the buffer tube.
I did my testing at 25 and 100 yards from a bench. I did not have much luck shooting 55gr bullets. The 1:7 twist barrel seemed to like the 75gr Black Hills much better. At 25 yards, all of the shots were in one hole, but that's not really anything remarkable for an AR platform.
At 100 yards, I was getting consistent 5-shot groups at 1.5" center-to-center with the Black Hills. However, the day was overcast and the temperature never exceeded 25 degrees F. So I will fully admit that I wasn't at my best for accurate shooting. I'm disappointed that I couldn't get below 1.5 MOA, but I am optimistic that the rifle will do better once I'm not bundled up like the kid from A Christmas Story and my hands aren't frozen to the mag well. Continuing to try for better groups under those conditions seemed like a waste of good ammo. I'll attempt again another time.
Plans for the Future
Rig up some low-profile heat shields for the front handguard. I really like the slim profile, and I don't want to ruin it with a bunch of rails that I won't need/use.
Figure out a way to attach a QD sling swivel to the front handguard. I will probably go with a Magpul RSA.
Test for accuracy again once the weather warms up.
Run some more rounds through it to see if a "break in" will allow me to back off the gas regulator setting.