Putting the Shovel AK to shame since 2017. (Photo: Raider14)
Zombies, mutants, mind-reading psycho vegan alien invasion–there’s an AR build for everything. Thanks to Arfcom’s Raider14 the world now has a post-apocalyptic-themed AR rated to withstand up to 10 megatons of Road Warrior-grade ass kicking.
This is not a rifle for purists. It’s a hot mess of junkyard parts and straight-up garbage cobbled into a real, working AR-15 rifle. Although it is worth noting that while it works, it works “mostly.” The handmade recoil assembly needs some tweaking, but if you can’t handle that before the apocalypse you’ll never make it through the real thing.
Often when a project like this rolls around a lot of the parts are there for the aesthetics. This one stands out for being completely functional, with all the parts serving their purposes.
The actual firearm started out as a flat kit and a length of pipe. (Photo: Raider14)
The stock “blank.” (Photo: Raider14)
The buffer pipe, outfitted with bent sheet steel stock adapters. (Photo: Raider14)
Here with the stock attached. It’s fully-adjustable with a power drill and sections of old tire if the stock length is too short. (Photo: Raider14)
It’s worth noting that Raider14 did use a few off-the-shelf components. It would be downright irresponsible to build some parts from scratch, especially with the awesomely crude tools used for the rest of the gun. Raider14 even used a weld-together lower kit from the Flat Spot.
Parts like the barrel, gas tube, gas block and upper receiver assembly started out as standard–safe to use–components. But parts that could be tweaked were, and the result is glorious.
Well, if you’re into this sort of thing.
The trench art is a great touch. The gun has no safety–instead it’s engraved “nothing’s safe.”
Some parts are factory-manufactured… (Photo: Raider14)
And immediately de-manufactured to fit the specifications. (Photo: Raider14)
The handguard, well, isn’t. It’s steel rods and a length of shelving. (Photo: Raider14)
Doesn’t need to be pretty. (Photo: Raider14)
With the forward pistol grip attached…with screws. (Photo: Raider14)
A perfectly, uh, “serviceable” forward assist/spare spark plug. (Photo: Raider14)
An early prototype handguard mockup. This was discarded in favor of having a front sight post. (Photo: Raider14)
The upper receiver was once factory, but this is much better-suited for this build. (Photo: Raider14)
See Also: DIY Geiger Counter – The Basics of Measuring Radiation
Still needs a flash hider. (Photo: Raider14)
The range is hot–next winter is nuclear. (Photo: Raider14)
Props to everyone involved. This was more than one person’s craven desire to go full-Nuka-Cola-tactical. We thank BillythePoet, BURN, CrunkleRoss, E-mag, GilenusX207, lafmedic1, Lawless_Flogic and smokie and for their contributions to Raider14’s Doomsday AR-15.
I love it!! Made my day, I am so tired of all the over priced high dollar AR’s.
Love this beast… love the references to the game Fall-Out … 😉
This article brings up a more interesting thought I’ve been carrying around for a few months.
Seems the beloved black rifle is now becoming the “STEAM PUNK” weapon de jour. Film noir, dark, overly done bolt ons(you can do gsw surgery w handguards – Can’t yours??)….look how artsy fartsy I am…….websites dedicated to tying paracord to the stock macramae…..
Quite a bit of hater-ade flowing around here.
I love the creativity and vision. I wish I had the time to do things like this; which was already noted by someone else.
Think it is a great concept and a very nice piece of functional art.
I’m inspired! Few years ago I started trying to build a lower from scratch, just scrap steel pieces sawed out and welded together. Project got shelved because of too many projects of actual importance. Now maybe it’s time to get back to it.
But a little quibble here– some of this Post-Apocalypse AR is just silly; components that were used are justified by the need to be “out there,” not by necessity.
A spark plug for a forward assist? Couple of screwdrivers for a pistol grip? A functional and more comfortable pistol grip (i.e. like the real thing) could have easily been sawed out of the same 2×6 as the stock, with the corners knocked off with a rasp. Similarly I think a chunk of scrap steel rod could have been made into the forward assist. And I do think a build as crude as this will def need that forward assist!
But thanks for a peek into minds that are farther from normal than my own!
Love it! Especially the spark plug!
One could only wish for this kind of free time!
Thick gloves and goggles.
It’s a rat rod AR. How can you not like it…
I somehow managed to not like it, with very little effort on my part.
Your imagination called and said it’s better off without you…typical millennial fashion: say the first thing that comes to mind without any semblance of a filter. I’m sure your next email will be to the ACLU about my “terrorist-like cyber-bullying” that’s caused you PTSD.
There was basically time when people remembered the time tested rule that if you have nothing nice to say, you keep your f*ck*ng trap shut and move on with your life without trampling on someone else’s efforts.
So… How does it shoot?? Does it hit a target at 50yards? If it functions you should post how well it works. Not just that it works. Without that info it’s just a neat article.Nothing real “Post Apocalypse”