Builds Blog Volume 4 | Jonah's 11.5

Inside me there are two wolves. One wants to squeeze every ounce of performance from my carbine. The other wants to make it as light and nimble as possible. This rifle is the compromise they agreed on.

At its core, the rifle is a straightforward 11.5-inch build centered around a Criterion Core Series barrel with a carbine-length gas system. I paired that with an Aero Precision adjustable gas block, which I tuned for unsuppressed use and then let seize into place. The barrel is seated into an Aero M4E1 upper receiver and tipped with a Griffin Armament Flash Comp and Recce 5 suppressor.

Surrounding the barrel is a BCM QRF-10 quad rail. I’ve stuck with quad rails ever since my first rifle came with a Daniel Defense Omega9. The QRF-10 gives me the heat resistance, strength, and accessory options I like, but with less weight than most other quad options. I can also clamp it directly into an Area419 dual-clamp tripod head. That capability matters more than I expected when shooting from unconventional positions or working with thermals.

For protection from suppressor heat, I’m using a Modtac U-RAC. It attaches to the end of the handguard instead of the suppressor body, which keeps it cooler and allows airflow across the can. That means less heat soak and less risk of branding myself or my gear. I haven't compared it to wraps for mirage mitigation, but I keep coming back to the U-RAC for the safety and utility it adds.

The bolt carrier group is a Rip6 BCG that Derek Frymire developed in collaboration with RipCord. I heard about it on a camping trip where Derek pulled out a tool kit so well thought out it could have belonged to an armorer. Every component of the BCG was chosen for performance under real-world conditions, and while I don’t understand every design choice, I trust the man behind it. I’ve run it hard. It went thousands of rounds without added lubrication. When I finally cleaned it, a few passes with a paper towel and a toothbrush had it looking almost new. The chrome coating really does its job.

For illumination, I’m running a SureFire M640DFT on the rail with a Modlite ModButton Lite routed through a Unity GasCap. The lighthead wears a One Hundred Concepts LightCap Ruggedized on the front. It’s a clean, tough lighting setup that doesn’t get in the way and plays well with my grip and support side manipulation.

Down below, the lower receiver is also an Aero Precision M4E1. Nothing fancy. It has a mil-spec buffer tube, a standard castle nut, and whatever buffer weight came preinstalled. I don’t know what spring is in it either, I've just tuned it using the adjustable gas block.The end plate is a BCM QD model with a Magpul QD Paraclip stuck in it. It’s an absurd setup, but it works. The brace is an SBA3 with a Wisemen Company SplitFix, which keeps it from getting floppy. The pistol grip is a BCM Gunfighter Mod 3, and I keep a copy of my supressor tax stamp rolled up inside the little storage compartment. The selector is a Battle Arms Development BAD-ASS PRO, ambidextrous and set to 60 degrees. Trigger-wise, I think it’s a TriggerTech, but I haven’t opened the lower to check in a long time. It also has CMMG anti-walk pins and a standard bolt catch with a Magpul BAD lever.

My sling is a Flatline Fiber Co. QD-adjustable model. At the rear, I’m running an unreleased prototype AmSteel continuous loop laced through that Magpul Paraclip. Up front is a custom SmithLoop from 1350 Millworks mounted to a One Hundred Concepts PQD. The sling system is minimal, silent, and doesn’t require QD swivels.

There’s also a Wisemen Company Prison Pocket on the sling. It holds spare batteries and a T10 wrench for adjusting the Acro.

Now for the optics. I’m running a Primary Arms PLxC 1-8x24 with the Griffin M8 reticle in the MIL variant. It’s mounted in a Leupold Mark AR 30mm mount. That mount sits at a 1.4-inch optical centerline, which gives me a solid cheek weld without needing a riser. It also helps me get a consistent chin weld when aiming passively under night vision. On top of the Leupold mount, I’ve added a KoengCo adapter plate to piggyback an Aimpoint Acro P-2.

The Acro is zeroed at 50 yards. With M193, I get a flat enough trajectory to confidently shoot from 50 to 200 yards without adjustments. So in truth, the Acro is my primary optic. That probably makes the PLxC a very expensive riser. But it does more than just elevate the dot. It gives me PID capabilities, a reticle with MIL subtensions for standardized communication and ranging, and a reliable etched optic in case the red dot dies. It’s also one of the lightest LPVOs in the 8x class and punches way above its weight in clarity, field of view, and usability.

Altogether, the optic setup weighs about 26 ounces, which is not the lightest thing in the world. But I’ve yet to find another stack that gives me this much capability with so few tradeoffs.

This carbine has been built, torn down, rebuilt, and refined over years of real use. I don’t think there’s such a thing as a perfect rifle, but this one does what I ask of it and doesn’t complain. Which is more than I can say for either of those wolves.