Designation of a machine gun

[GreenDragon]

A friend of mine was talking about an AR variant, but didn't know the designation.  It has a (semi-)modular barrel allowing for swap outs to Assault Rifle, Sniper Rifle, and a .50 cal variant.  Anyone know the gun he's talking about?

[Cannonshop]

A friend of mine was talking about an AR variant, but didn't know the designation.  It has a (semi-)modular barrel allowing for swap outs to Assault Rifle, Sniper Rifle, and a .50 cal variant.  Anyone know the gun he's talking about?

AR's are interesting beasts, because what you describe?

That's ALL of them.  You can buy "Top half" assemblies (Upper reciever, bolt and barrel) and trade them between "Lowers" without tools, and the only other part needed is a magazine if you're doing caliber changes that utilize the same magazine well.  (Most .50 uppers are either single-shot, or repeating bolt with the .50 caliber magazine being a side-mount.)

Got any further details on layout of your friend's model? 

[GreenDragon]

Not really, he said it was a recent (within the last few years) model.  He wants to use one in a RPG I'm running, and I know I can make stats for it if I have the information to work from.

[ANS Kamas P81]

He's wrong - it's the design inherent to the AR-15 that allows it.  As long as you don't try to change calibers (most times), you can choose upper receivers that come in 24" target bull-barrels with bipods, monster scopes, and downright terrifying accuracy potential, all the way down to a 7" barrel for something like an MP-5 sized toy.  As far as .50 goes, http://www.tactilite.com/ for the Big Boom, http://www.cabelas.com/15-alexander-arms-50-beowulf-entry-kit.shtml if he was thinking of the smaller gun (it uses .223 magazines, just with a monster cartridge that single-stacks in the mag).  And then there's really silly crap like http://longrangesupply.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2312 which doesn't even use the typical magazine, turning the well in the lower reciever into an ejection port and feeding 5.7x28 from above like a P90.  But it's not any specific model of AR-15, you can use the specialty replacement barrels on a Bushmaster, Colt, Olympic, Stag, Rock River, SW-15, or whatever other brand you want.  And if he just means swappable barrels in the same caliber, well...yeah, see above.

P.S. It gets crazier. http://www.americanhunter.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=1744&cid=61  Yes, that's real.  http://www.gunblast.com/ATI-T14.htm So is that.  Every woman knows the Little Black Dress goes with everything.  Every man knows the Little Black Rifle goes with everything too.

[Falchion]

Well, as mentioned, the AR-15 has FAR too many aftermarket parts to add on, and that's not even going into the AR-10s, or the completely modular stuff like the MGI Hydra. Perhaps he was thinking of a Shrike upper as well as the aforementioned Beowulf upper?

[mathesont]

My guess is he was talking about the Colt 901

[Falchion]

I don't think the 901's compatible with any LMG upper though. :-\

Although I suppose any modern rifle is an LMG if you stick a Beta-C on it. ;D

[GreenDragon]

Another detail that might help with identification.  He watches Top Shot, and the reality show about the gun restoration shop (I forget the name of the show).

[ShadowRaven]

Another detail that might help with identification.  He watches Top Shot, and the reality show about the gun restoration shop (I forget the name of the show).

poor unfortunate soul that he is.

[ANS Kamas P81]

poor unfortunate soul that he is.

Hey, now I like Sons of Guns!  Sure it's a semiscripted TV show, and they're honest about it (especially if you watch the behind-the-scenes ep this week) but they still build some crazy stuff, and hey - firearms presented in a safe and positive light in the mass media.  I'm all for it.

[Taurevanime]

Hey, now I like Sons of Guns!  Sure it's a semiscripted TV show, and they're honest about it (especially if you watch the behind-the-scenes ep this week) but they still build some crazy stuff, and hey - firearms presented in a safe and positive light in the mass media.  I'm all for it.

Some of the stuff they build I would hardly consider safe. But I agree that it is good if something is shown in a positive light on TV.

Thinking a little more about things. I find it interesting that on TV they will show fish getting speared or shot, but not any land animals.

[misterpants]

Hey, now I like Sons of Guns!  Sure it's a semiscripted TV show, and they're honest about it (especially if you watch the behind-the-scenes ep this week) but they still build some crazy stuff, and hey - firearms presented in a safe and positive light in the mass media.  I'm all for it.

Call me a stick in the mud, but I stopped believing that after the boss unloaded a burst of blanks from an SMG inside the shop one time just to prank his crew.

[guardiandashi]

sons of guns is the gunshop "reality tv" show

my view.

the show is an interesting take on certain things.  I do think that they "over glamorize" firearms a bit However they do routinely tell people not to try the stuff they do at home and the behind the scenes episode they had this week was good in that they pointed out several incidents that the viewers did NOT see several incidents where someone almost got injured or killed usually because of ignorance or stupidity.

IE cameraman too close to pyro in a bus/motor home almost got clobbered by debris
a director/supervisor of the camera crew walked in front of a loaded civil war era cannon after they had just said less than 30 seconds to a minute before "Do NOT walk in front of the cannon.

3 they had a visitor firing a weapon, like the auto gernade launcher and someone who shouldn't have said "fire" and the lead cameraperson had a cow because they are the only person who is supposed to say that.

[Falchion]

GreenDragon, I think the closest thing to the idea your player's after is going to be some sort of MGI Hydra-style AR with an optional Shrike or whoever else makes these sorts of LMG uppers. Alternatively, just use a Stoner.

[ShadowRaven]

well Sons of Guns is sometimes nteresting. Top Shot scares the crap out of me in the 'some people should never allowed to play with guns' way.

[Bosefius]

The modular barrel concept (SMG, LMG, AR, Carbine, Heavy Barrel) could be the Steyr AUG, though I don't know of any .50 mods for it. There are 9mm and .22 modifications however.

[GreenDragon]

Some more details: used by the Army Rangers, 7.62, not Beowulf, and was seen on Weaponology on the Military Channel.

[cray]

The modular barrel concept (SMG, LMG, AR, Carbine, Heavy Barrel) could be the Steyr AUG, though I don't know of any .50 mods for it. There are 9mm and .22 modifications however.

There's a .50AE conversion for the AR15. Saw a gun nut magazine write-up of it once.

[mathesont]

Some more details: used by the Army Rangers, 7.62, not Beowulf, and was seen on Weaponology on the Military Channel.

FN Mk17 or SCAR-H if you prefer.  Quick change barrel, 5.56mm kit (causing the death of the Mk16).  Can put a long barrel on for a DMR but there is the dedicated Mk20 SSR (Sniper Support Weapon) version that is better.

[Falchion]

Yeah, SCAR-H. Again, you can probably stick a Beta-C (It's a game after all) on it and call it a GPMG if you want. O0

Then again, the same really applies with most modern weapons where you can swap scopes and other accessories like celebrities get spouses.

[Ruger]

sons of guns is the gunshop "reality tv" show

my view.

the show is an interesting take on certain things.  I do think that they "over glamorize" firearms a bit However they do routinely tell people not to try the stuff they do at home and the behind the scenes episode they had this week was good in that they pointed out several incidents that the viewers did NOT see several incidents where someone almost got injured or killed usually because of ignorance or stupidity.

IE cameraman too close to pyro in a bus/motor home almost got clobbered by debris
a director/supervisor of the camera crew walked in front of a loaded civil war era cannon after they had just said less than 30 seconds to a minute before "Do NOT walk in front of the cannon.

3 they had a visitor firing a weapon, like the auto gernade launcher and someone who shouldn't have said "fire" and the lead cameraperson had a cow because they are the only person who is supposed to say that.

Was an interesting episode...and I really like Sons of Guns (see my sig), Top Shot and American Guns...

Besides, Sons of Guns have given me a much improved opinion on several guns, including the AR series...

Ruger

[GRUD]

While I don't know anything about it, I heard that during the Vietnam War the US Special Forces used the Stoner Weapons System to some extent.  I know I've read that it could be used as either an AR or LMG, but can't remember any more about it than that.  It seems to me that converting a weapon from 5.56mm or even 7.62mm into firing a .50 BMG round requires such extensive conversion that it couldn't really be considered the same "System" as the the two. True, going from 5.56 to 7.62 you still have to switch out the same parts as if you convert to .50 Cal, but the parts are significantly smaller as well. Finally, there's not a man alive that could fire a .50Cal AR.  There's a reason the MG is fired from a mounted position!  :o