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"ULTIMATE" MULTI-GUN AR15
Fast, Accurate and Dead Sexy!
Three months ago, on my drive to the range to teach a Guns and Lace Women's Handgun class, I saw a billboard of a huge cheese burger: “Get the ‘Ultimate’ Cheese Burger!" it said.
Not 5 minutes later, I heard a radio commercial for the "Ultimate Diamond Bracelet!", and it got me to thinking about a conversation I'd with my friend and champion Shooting Sports Competitor, Anette Wachter - 30 Cal Gall. Anette and I'd been discussing the best features needed for an AR-15 to be used in competition shooting. My plan to build the "Ultimate Multi-gun competition AR-15" was born.
I continued my research by calling a few of my friends in the Firearms Industry (thanks to Hardened Arms, PDC Tactical, Radical Firearms, Geissele Trigger, Lantac USA, Warne Scope Mounts, RBS Ammo and Mad Custom Coating for some great advice and insight) and started making a list of features that would assist a competition shooter in running the AR-15 portion of a multi-gun competition that has rifle, pistol, and shotgun stages. In this type of competition speed, movement and accuracy are paramount. Features that improve grip, trigger performance, reload speed, fast follow up, proper optics and stability all contribute to a shooter's performance. Everything on the rifle needs to lead to solid hits on the target, after all, if you can't hit it, no matter how fast you're, you can't win it!
A good strong foundation is important in any project, so I went with a matched Billet Aluminum upper and lower set from Seekins Precision with an ambi bolt release and a perfect, wiggle free, upper to lower fit. Radical Arms of Texas was kind enough to sponsor us and provided the Seekins upper and lower. Trigger pull is critical in any rifle competition or otherwise, and a personal pet peeve of mine is a trigger that bites, has too much creep or too long of a break and reset. Geissele Triggers Inc. has been fantastically supportive of the shooting sports and our projects here at Guns and Lace. They came through again for me with their awesome, Super Dynamic - 3 Gun flat bow AR-15 trigger. It has a smooth pull, set at 4lbs with a short reset and almost no wall. It’s meant for sheer speed in rapid target engagement and quick follow up shots. With even faster follow up then Geissele’s own super quick SSE or SSA-E, triggers it provides lightning quick trigger action!
I wanted an 18" barrel for accuracy to be sure I was right on when placing some of the longer shots contained in the various stages. To find it, I turned to the boys over at Hardened Arms, LLC. Pat and Rick brought me a hand lapped, 5.56 AR-15 match grade, 1:9 twist barrel made out of 416R stainless steel for stiffness and accuracy. The barrel’s rifle length gas system paired with an adjustable PRI gas block proved incredibly smooth, with little felt recoil from the cycling of the BCG. HardenedArms.com has been amazingly supportive of women shooters and is innovative and knowledgeable.
Not 5 minutes later, I heard a radio commercial for the "Ultimate Diamond Bracelet!", and it got me to thinking about a conversation I'd with my friend and champion Shooting Sports Competitor, Anette Wachter - 30 Cal Gall. Anette and I'd been discussing the best features needed for an AR-15 to be used in competition shooting. My plan to build the "Ultimate Multi-gun competition AR-15" was born.
I continued my research by calling a few of my friends in the Firearms Industry (thanks to Hardened Arms, PDC Tactical, Radical Firearms, Geissele Trigger, Lantac USA, Warne Scope Mounts, RBS Ammo and Mad Custom Coating for some great advice and insight) and started making a list of features that would assist a competition shooter in running the AR-15 portion of a multi-gun competition that has rifle, pistol, and shotgun stages. In this type of competition speed, movement and accuracy are paramount. Features that improve grip, trigger performance, reload speed, fast follow up, proper optics and stability all contribute to a shooter's performance. Everything on the rifle needs to lead to solid hits on the target, after all, if you can't hit it, no matter how fast you're, you can't win it!
A good strong foundation is important in any project, so I went with a matched Billet Aluminum upper and lower set from Seekins Precision with an ambi bolt release and a perfect, wiggle free, upper to lower fit. Radical Arms of Texas was kind enough to sponsor us and provided the Seekins upper and lower. Trigger pull is critical in any rifle competition or otherwise, and a personal pet peeve of mine is a trigger that bites, has too much creep or too long of a break and reset. Geissele Triggers Inc. has been fantastically supportive of the shooting sports and our projects here at Guns and Lace. They came through again for me with their awesome, Super Dynamic - 3 Gun flat bow AR-15 trigger. It has a smooth pull, set at 4lbs with a short reset and almost no wall. It’s meant for sheer speed in rapid target engagement and quick follow up shots. With even faster follow up then Geissele’s own super quick SSE or SSA-E, triggers it provides lightning quick trigger action!
I wanted an 18" barrel for accuracy to be sure I was right on when placing some of the longer shots contained in the various stages. To find it, I turned to the boys over at Hardened Arms, LLC. Pat and Rick brought me a hand lapped, 5.56 AR-15 match grade, 1:9 twist barrel made out of 416R stainless steel for stiffness and accuracy. The barrel’s rifle length gas system paired with an adjustable PRI gas block proved incredibly smooth, with little felt recoil from the cycling of the BCG. HardenedArms.com has been amazingly supportive of women shooters and is innovative and knowledgeable.
Ultimate 3-Gun AR-15
Caliber: .223/5.56
Receiver: Seekins Matched Billet Set (Ambi Bolt Release)
Barrel: 18" SS 5.56 Nato Mid-Length Match Barrel
Muzzle Device: Lantec 5.56 Muzzle Brake
Gas Block: Precision Reflex Adjustable
Charging Handle: Rapto Charging Handle
Safety: 45 degree Ambi Safety
Grip: Magpul MOE
Stock: Magpul UBR
Trigger: Geissle 3-Gun flat Trigger
Handguard: Houlding Precision 15" CMX Rail
Optic Mount: Warne Ramp
Primary Optic: Primary Arms 1-6x30mm
Offset Optic: Primary Arms Red Dot
Caliber: .223/5.56
Receiver: Seekins Matched Billet Set (Ambi Bolt Release)
Barrel: 18" SS 5.56 Nato Mid-Length Match Barrel
Muzzle Device: Lantec 5.56 Muzzle Brake
Gas Block: Precision Reflex Adjustable
Charging Handle: Rapto Charging Handle
Safety: 45 degree Ambi Safety
Grip: Magpul MOE
Stock: Magpul UBR
Trigger: Geissle 3-Gun flat Trigger
Handguard: Houlding Precision 15" CMX Rail
Optic Mount: Warne Ramp
Primary Optic: Primary Arms 1-6x30mm
Offset Optic: Primary Arms Red Dot
They manufacturer a wide range of products designed to meet the needs of both the pro and the novice shooter. This company’s value for the dollar is amazing on everything in their product line from uppers, to complete AR rifles and pistols, to barrels, and their soon to be released line of suppressors (more on that in a later feature).
At 5 foot, 2 inches tall, I tend to get lost in a crowd unless I am wearing high heels, there is no doubt that anyone is ever going to mistake me for a lanky basketball player. To keep the length within my reach, I chose the Magpul UBR composite buttstock. The UBR is the top of their line and is adjustable to fit any size shooter. It is a bit heavier than a standard adjustable, but it provides a fixed cheek weld (my favorite), adjustable length of pull, and rock solid shoulder stock. There is also a very cool storage spot to keep my spare pair of ear protection or an extra optic battery in. Magpul is quality and doesn't come cheap, but what the heck, this is an "Ultimate" build, not a budget rifle! I stayed with Magpul magazines for reliability and chose their 40 round version in order to have plenty of rounds in the unlimited category.
In competition it's critical to be able to reload quickly, have a stable shooting grip and get rounds on target quickly. If I go to bolt lock back on a mag change, the Seekin's lower has a built in ambi bolt release that is super accessible and quick to use.
For the events where offhand shooting is required I decided to try to setup as many controls as possible as to be ambidextrous. I selected a Defense Package, 45 degree Ambi Safety Selector, so my thumb travel was reduced when returning the rifle to safe at the end of each event.
A Raptor Charging Handle, with an extended pull, for ease of reach keeps my fingers and finger nails (important for us girls) away from the edge of the optic and rail when charging the rifle. I went with a mil-spec bolt carrier group,another fine Hardened Arms product that has a self-lubricating, Micro Slick coating to reduce wear and friction. Outfitted with an adjustable gas system and a low friction bolt means less felt recoil because it takes less
Choosing a rail was a bit more difficult, I was really hoping for the new composite rail from Houlding Precision for this project in order to offset the longer barrel weight, but they weren't available in time for my build. Instead, I went with an aluminum, Houlding Precision 15” CMX, keymod rail that
is still light and has a Picatinny accessory rail on top. The keymod attachment points on
the sides and bottom are versatile, yet recessed into the face of the rail enough to give
the rail a very skinny and easy to grip profile. The rail was supplied for us by Hardened
Arms who chooses Houlding Precision rails for a lot of their higher end builds and completed
uppers. Thanks again, guys!
At 5 foot, 2 inches tall, I tend to get lost in a crowd unless I am wearing high heels, there is no doubt that anyone is ever going to mistake me for a lanky basketball player. To keep the length within my reach, I chose the Magpul UBR composite buttstock. The UBR is the top of their line and is adjustable to fit any size shooter. It is a bit heavier than a standard adjustable, but it provides a fixed cheek weld (my favorite), adjustable length of pull, and rock solid shoulder stock. There is also a very cool storage spot to keep my spare pair of ear protection or an extra optic battery in. Magpul is quality and doesn't come cheap, but what the heck, this is an "Ultimate" build, not a budget rifle! I stayed with Magpul magazines for reliability and chose their 40 round version in order to have plenty of rounds in the unlimited category.
In competition it's critical to be able to reload quickly, have a stable shooting grip and get rounds on target quickly. If I go to bolt lock back on a mag change, the Seekin's lower has a built in ambi bolt release that is super accessible and quick to use.
For the events where offhand shooting is required I decided to try to setup as many controls as possible as to be ambidextrous. I selected a Defense Package, 45 degree Ambi Safety Selector, so my thumb travel was reduced when returning the rifle to safe at the end of each event.
A Raptor Charging Handle, with an extended pull, for ease of reach keeps my fingers and finger nails (important for us girls) away from the edge of the optic and rail when charging the rifle. I went with a mil-spec bolt carrier group,another fine Hardened Arms product that has a self-lubricating, Micro Slick coating to reduce wear and friction. Outfitted with an adjustable gas system and a low friction bolt means less felt recoil because it takes less
Choosing a rail was a bit more difficult, I was really hoping for the new composite rail from Houlding Precision for this project in order to offset the longer barrel weight, but they weren't available in time for my build. Instead, I went with an aluminum, Houlding Precision 15” CMX, keymod rail that
is still light and has a Picatinny accessory rail on top. The keymod attachment points on
the sides and bottom are versatile, yet recessed into the face of the rail enough to give
the rail a very skinny and easy to grip profile. The rail was supplied for us by Hardened
Arms who chooses Houlding Precision rails for a lot of their higher end builds and completed
uppers. Thanks again, guys!
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I spent a bit of time this last year getting my arms around what makes for a good muzzle brake and how important its function is in dampening muzzle rise. It is surprising just how much technology goes into muzzle devices. Anette Wachter, 30 Cal Gal, introduced me to Clover Lawson over at Lantac USA and she graciously supplied me with their very effective flagship Dragon Muzzle Brake. I can't stress how important a good quality muzzle brake is to the overall performance of a competition rifle. No one can expect to win titles or even hold their own in competition if the muzzle is jumping all over the map every time a shot is fired. The science that goes into a good muzzle brake is staggering and the design of them is the stuff that engineers have fantasy dreams about. While the calculations may go over my head, I do understand "trigger-ometry" LOL... and the Dragon delivered better performance than I could've imagined. The muzzle brake delivered rock steady follow ups and demonstrated why Lantac has such an awesome reputation in the industry!
Since our Ultimate build bumps up and into the unlimited class of competition, I knew I wanted the optics and optic mounts to be a little different than your standard two piece ring setup. For the kind of scope mount I'd in mind there was only one choice for me, and with just one phone call Warne Scope Mount provided me with an incredible, forward offset, set of 30mm R.A.M.P rings. The have 45 degree offset Picatinny mounts built in that are stable and lock my optics tight. The fit and finish on these rings are downright sexy! Can scope rings be sexy? There is no doubt that the ones Warne Scope Mount makes are!
Since competition stages are often paired with both close up and distance shots, I decided to use a new 1-6x scope from Primary Arms for distance targets and a matching Primary Arms Red Dot on a 45 degree offset. A slight counter clockwise rotation of the rifle, aligns it to my eye for those up close and personal stages. Primary Arms makes good glass, comes with a lifetime warranty, and is gaining favor among the competition crowd.
No rifle can reach "Ultimate" status without an "Ultimate" paint job, and for a high end look and durable finish I went to my "Go To" guys over at Mad Custom Coating to work their magic. They sponsored a super "Hot" Cerakote paint job on the buttstock, billet set and hand guard in Guns and Lace's signature red lace pattern with LOGO! I never faint, but when the rifle came back from Mad Custom Coating of Washington, and I saw how beautiful it looked, it literally made me feel weak in the knees.
Even the "Ultimate" AR-15 rifle is little more than a wall hanging without ammo! Brent Straight, the owner of RBS Ammo, our latest Guns and Lace sponsor, generously provided me with 1000 rounds of high quality precision .223 ammo for testing and evaluation of the build. The results were awesome and at the end of the day, when the build and testing were complete, Guns and Lace has a gorgeous, very nimble and accurate, multi- gun AR-15 that was a joy to shoot!
Every woman likes a little extra attention, and with this beautiful "Ultimate" build get ready for a lot of it because this rifle has a look that turns heads every time it comes out of its case at the range. While each and every one of us has our own tastes and opinions on what goes into a competition rifle, for me, this build is the "Ultimate" AR-15 rifle for multi gun competition.
XOXO Jessica
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What kind of Buffer and buffer spring you used?
how do I get a price on your red AR - 15 ?
Love it
awesome!!! My girlfriend finally wants an AR. I want to get something special, and I see your parts list. I don't mind doing it part by part. recommendations...please? I am Bear: email temji@yahoo.com
Sexi rifle
That is an amazing looking AR Build! Awesome Job
Hey I was wondering if you guys make and sell the same gun?
Interesting build, Kudos to all your sponsors.
Bucket List Gun!
