Wednesday, April 25, 2012

DIY: Make Your Own Non Wrap Around California Grip Out Of Kydex

I'm creating a "featureless build" out of my Sig 556R to comply with California "Assault Rifle" regulations.

Why "featureless" you ask?

Well, According to California law there are some evil features that an "Assault Weapon" possesses and if you have any of those features you can't have a removable magazine but you can have a "detachable magazine" where you have to use a "tool" to remove the magazine.

We use a "Bullet Button" that blocks the magazine release and when you use a tool such as a round of ammo  to stick in a little hole then the magazine is detached.

Got that?

I didn't think so.

Anyway, once your rifle is "featureless"  you can use the normal magazine release.

There are some other benefits but I won't cover that here.

My rifle can't have these "evil" features:

- Folding/Collapsible Butt Stock
- Flash Hider - Forward Grip
- Pistol Grip
 
 So now I have:

- Fixed Stock
- Muzzle Brake
- Non Wrap Around Grip

 I was looking around the web to see what is out there to buy for some kind of wrap around grip and found some spendy options.

Some companies want upwards of $40.00 for a piece of kydex that wraps around a pistol grip.

 I figured I could go ahead and make my own and I did!

 I went to McMaster-Carr and bought a 12x12 sheet of 1/8 thick Kydex. Didn't need to be that thick but I'm going to use the left over to make mag pouches.

Cut a 2" strip with my utility knife. I made a template with a piece of paper first to see the size.

Surfed the web to find the working temperature which I used 310 degrees.

Waited till the Wife left.

Read this.

And went to work.

I found I could cut the Kydex with scissors when it was hot so I could make nice curvy pieces too.

A Cutting Tool
 I called up Sig and got an extra pistol grip to  work with.
Pistol Grip For A Template

A Cut Piece of Kydex

12x12 Kydex Sheets

In 310 Degree Oven Till Kydex Looks Saggy

Ready To Take Out Of The Oven For Forming

Rock, Kydex, Cookie Sheet.

Wrap Kydex Around Grip

Cooled Off And Solid

Drill Holes in Kydex and add Chicago Screws

310 Oven when Wife is not Home

Finished Contraption.
With adaptable fin
I updated the grip wrapper a bit due to some feedback I received from some people on the Calguns.net forum. They thought that the fin was a little small so I just cut out some more Kydex and whipped this together in 45 minutes or so.

I cut the Kydex with scissors once it was hot. That's how I got the roundy edges.






So there you have it. A featureless Sig Sauer 556R that I can drop mags out of because I now am California compliant.

Yippee!

I'm not showing the rifle because it's at Sig getting retrofitted with some factory improvements.

 Total cost: $16.00.

The satisfaction of making the gizmo: Priceless.

3 comments:

Home on the Range said...

You did ad fine job. Thanks for the detailed instructions!

Gun eTools said...

Thanks Brigid!

This is what we have to do in California, sigh.

Anonymous said...

Dude...that's just ridiculous. I watched some 5 minute news out of your states capital talking about the "bullet button." I guess it's pissed off some of those morons in Sacramento. I don't know how you live there...nice weather though.