GhostGun Pistol Build

When Aero Precision announced they would be doing the Ghost Gun lower after CA Senator DeLeon's hilarious display of ignorance I decided I was going to get one to build an AR pistol on. So when I ordered the PewPewPew lower I grabbed a ghost gun lower also and began looking for the right parts and upper to put into this build.

I had contemplated building an upper but everywhere I looked the shorter barrels were sold out or way out of my price range. Finally I came across the Adams Arms 11.5" Basic Carbine complete piston upper on GrabAGun.com and the price was well within my budget. Even though it came with the standard hand guards installed I wasn't too bothered by that since the Magpul MOE hand guard will work with a piston system and drops right in. 

I know there will be some people that will ask why I did not go with the 7.5" upper, I will answer simply with I like the 11.5" barrel length and the fact that it is a carbine length gas system not a pistol gas length.

In the picture above you can see almost all of the parts that were used in this build, from the PWS Pistol EBT to the Troy fixed sights this build has had a good chunk of time and thought put into it. Sure there were a ton of other options out there but I am very pleased with how well this all came together.

I used the PWS Pistol Enhanced Buffer Tube for the build, I was impressed with how well it mounts up to the receiver and not having to to tighten down a castle nut was a huge plus! The overall quality of the EBT is awesome, you can tell that there is a ton of care put into making them and there is a ton of pride taken by the people at PWS. Installing the EBT showed me just how much better it was over the rest of the tubes that I have used before. Instead of guessing how many turns it would take to hold the detent correctly there is a notch in the tube that sits around the detent while allowing the tube to sit just a bit further in the threads. One of the other things that I really like about the EBT is there are QD sling mounts built right into it, just one more added bonuses to an already well made buffer tube.

The lower parts kit that is installed came from JoeBobOutfitters.com, it is actually sold under the JBO brand name which is great to see. I swapped out the stock mag release with the ODINWorks XMR (zombie green) this is one part that I have used on a couple rifles now and have had the pleasure to run before they were released, it's a quality part from a great company. 

The sights are Troy Fixed Battlesights, the front is the traditional M4 style and the rear is the Dioptic style (which I have come to like after using a few times.) While I would have preferred to use the folding sights I am very happy with how these fixed sights look and fit on the pistol. 

When you take the upper off the first thing you will notice is the Hiperfire Hipertouch 24, with the heavier of the toggle springs installed. I have been using the Hiperfire triggers since December and have run around 500-600 rounds through the 24 and 24C, both have been great performers. I decided to use the 24 in this build because there is no real reason to run the faster of the two triggers in a pistol. The reset is very positive, and the trigger pull is very light with a nice crisp break which makes this a great piece of the overall build. 

Overall I had a lot of fun planning this build while waiting on the lower to get to my FFL, it of course was even more fun to build the pistol and then take it out to the range and shoot it. I am looking forward to getting my hands on a Sig Sauer SB15 to install while I wait for the SBR tax stamp paperwork to process.

One thing that I will say is that when building a pistol or buying a pistol, look into a quality compensator. The A2 flash hider that came on the Adams Arms upper just doesn't cut it for the muzzle flip that the shorter barrel creates, which on top of not having a stock to shoulder can be a bit uncomfortable but not uncontrollable. Having a quality compensator would help smooth everything out and make it more controllable overall.

Some Initial Thoughts and Info: Hiperfire 24 and 24C

A few weeks back Hiperfire sent us their 24, 24E, and 24C triggers to use in our rifles and give some feedback and review them. Needless to say we were excited to get them and get some range time with them. This post will be talking about the 24 and 24C.

The 24:

The Hiperfire 24 is the entry level trigger that they offer at $185 on the website which is comparable to other aftermarket triggers that I have used before. However this is nothing like other aftermarket triggers I have used, instead of being a 2 stage trigger like a few of the others I have used in the past this is a single stage trigger. It also has more parts to it than the normal fire control group, but there is a reason for this.

The extra springs and bars that you see in the instructions above are what make the Hiperfire triggers unique. They help to create extra hammer power while keeping your trigger pull light and crisp. Essentially they have figured out a way to give you the reliability you need while offering up not only a lighter trigger pull but also an adjustable trigger pull weight. As you can see there are 3 different color spring sets on the right hand side of the instructions, each one offers a different pull weight depending on your preference.

Currently I am running the blue toggle springs and have really enjoyed the pull weight that they offer, it's not too light or too heavy. While doing dry fire you can hear just how solid the hammer hit is even though the trigger pull is as light as it is. So far there have been zero issues with the trigger out at the range, and it is just overall fun to use.

(In the picture above you can see how the trigger looks when installed)

(The hammer also has quite a different look to it)

The 24C:

This is the 3Gun/Competition trigger and my personal favorite. The 24C is the most expensive model that they currently offer at $235, which is cheaper than many of the other 3Gun triggers I have seen. It offers a Straight Trigger which can be used with or without the red shoe (which is adjustable and adds change to the leverage of your pull). The biggest difference between the 24C and other 3Gun triggers is that this is a single stage trigger, which offers quick trigger weight adjustment. All you have to do is switch out the toggle spring set and you have changed the weight, without losing the added hammer fall energy. 

One of the best parts about this trigger in my opinion is that there is little to no take up or reset, which makes it an extremely fast trigger. This has also helped me with longer distance accuracy because I am not having to guess the take-up, instead I know the trigger is already at that ledge and ready to drop the hammer when I am good and ready.

(Trigger is shown installed with the optional red shoe)

(Lane using the 24C for some 100 yard gong shooting)

The installation for the Hiperfire triggers can be tricky at first, especially if you misread the directions (make sure to put the toggle spindle in place before dropping the hammer in). The biggest issue I personally ran into was pushing the toggle springs and pivot into place the first time, but since then it has become easier to do. One of the other things that is important to watch for is the way you install the toggle shafts, they are directional and can cause the springs to sit incorrectly if not installed right. Other than those two things it is almost exactly the same as installing any other trigger.

While we have only had the triggers for a short time they have quickly become some of our favorites to use in our rifles, they work great and have an awesome feel. We are looking forward to spending more time with them at the range and giving a long term usage report on them.