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ARs RPKs and Belt Feds

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PieterCoetzee

Custom
The older I get, the more I realize my idea of a long range patrol is shorter and shorter. OK its beyond the mailbox but not on foot to the next state. The soldier in me still screams to do something. So I started thinking about how to fill the soldier calling and the age saying "are you crazy?"

Thats when I remembered the roof top Koreans, made so famous during the LA Riots and Clint Eastwood saying "Get off my lawn". The USMC adopted the M27 IAR (as in a modern M1918 BAR). There are a couple shops building civilian ARs to mimic the role of the Soviet/Russian RPK (a heavy long barrel bipod equipped AK). Many most of the builds use ARs with heavier than normal barrels and some have added a heat sink to keep the gas tube from rupturing during prolonged bursts from a binary or FRTs.

The soldier in me says "you" cant hump but you can still secure a fixed site OR just have fun at the range....

So I put together a couple AR-RPKs and added my Ares Beltfed AR

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Ares (now Fightlight) AR upper clips onto a lower (does require a proprietary (smaller bolt release to avoid snagging on the linked ammo) The upper has quick change barrels to prevent overheating.

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Loose belts can be used. To use a "tupperware" belt holder or cloth "nutsack", Ares supplies an adapter that clips in place in the magazine well. It does however make the ammo hang low. Since these pics Ive added a lower with out a magwel that raises the "nutsack" to M249 height.

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Super heavy 24 inch barrel and gas tube with heat sink. Note the carry handle and the LMG Bipod. Standard AR lower works with 30, 40, and 100 round Beta drums

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AR-RPK mounted on MG3 AA Bipod with 40 Round mag. ALSO K version with 13" HBAR and B&T Grenade Launcher

The key to beltfeds is LINKS. I worry more about picking up and sorting links than fired brass after a range session. I have a linking machine but ammo can be almost as easily linked by hand. For the range I run only FMJ, for tactical loadouts I run FMJ to Tracer at a 4:1 ratio

Sorry I dont have pics of the drums of empty links. I buy them in 10,000 lots
 
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#1 - The M27 IAR is not an BAR equivalent. It's the standard USMC infantry rifle because the USMC concluded it's better than the standard M4.

While the USMC initially planned to purchase 6,500 M27s to replace a portion of the M249 light machine guns in late 2017, the USMC announced that it would equip every member of an infantry squad with the M27, supplanting the M4 carbine which would be retained at the platoon leadership positions.

Approximately 8,000–10,000 M249s will remain in service with the Marine Corps to be used at the discretion of company commanders.

#2 - A while back I built up a HB AR to serve in the same role as the one you have in your pic.

Belt-feds are fun if you have the coin to have and feed one since belt-feds are hungry animals. Very few have the coin to have that capability in the civi role.

IMO every round counts and a HB AR with a drum (both major & minor calibers), or other platform can provide a point-defense capability in addition to a bolt gun.
 
Talyn said:
#1 - The M27 IAR is not an BAR equivalent
Click to expand...
Yes I over simplified the description. Ever since the M16 lost its FULL AUTO capability, in favor of a 556 Beltfed or at least primarily beltfed SAW (M249), the rifle squad was forced to rely on the SAW for fire support. Switching to the M27 means not only "every Marine a rifleman" but now every Marine a potential squad support gunner hence the BAR description of a mag fed full auto weapon (again a simplified response)

The AR RPK isnt a new Idea. Colt DIAMCO made a heavy full auto but it never got adopted in any large numbers
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I tried just using HBARs before; but to really work it has to be equipped with a bipod, be capable of rapid fire (binary/FRT) and have a ready supply of ammo. So unlike a standard loadout of seven 30 round mags (210 rounds) for a rifleman, I think a minimum of ten+ 30 round mags better yet ten+ 40 rounders. Load carrying equipment will complicate that and drums make it worse. I like the MagPul D60s but carrying multiples and figuring what to do with the empties is further problematic. The best solution Ive come up with is twelve 30s plus a 40 in the gun to start. A conventional dump pouch will handle most of the empties. NONE of that matters to me since I wont be humping very far, so stored next to the tripod are bags holding ready mags.

I do like RPKs when paired with AKs as they use the same mags and most parts are swop-able. Frankly it was a genius idea to ditch the beltfed RPD in favor of the RPK

Ive had a few BeltFeds including a 1919 and a MG34. The ARES is less "historical" but more practical. YES they are pricey. They have unique parts that arent easily available and arent available with rapid fire triggers. Although it was cool having the MG34 mounted on this
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