The Background (AR V4 Commentary 1)

The background project for now will be a fourth iteration of the AR-15.

The goals of this model will be as follows:
1. Improve the level of detail.
2. Make the measurements and proportions more correct (although some changes, like the large pivot pin, will remain).
3. Strengthen the structure and solve failure points like the barrel well.

Making a large package with everything would take forever (because there wouldn't be a definite end point), so what I'll probably do is make one version of each part, release that as a basic model, and then make accessory packs for the sake of variety.

The first part of the model is obviously the lower receiver. The basic shape has been changed slightly to be more faithful to the real thing. The magwell walls are thinner, the bottom doesn't extend down as far, and the rear ring, besides having an interior, extends down the sides of the lower. Additionally, there are some open spaces for the attachment of little parts. Although I'm not putting in springs for every little thing, I want to have some range of motion. So there is a moving hammer, trigger, auto sear, and bolt catch. Also the magwell is realistically shaped, with a mag catch on the side instead of a retention bar. I haven't gotten all of the parts to move "functionally," and they probably won't, but the idea is to show that they're present.

Of course, building it will be more difficult, but the inclusion of instruction images should minimize the need for guesswork.

The lower, of course, was the easy part. The real difficulty will be figuring out how to make the upper. In the V3 I simplified it by shrinking down the bolt carrier, making the inside walls straight, and making the bottom mostly enclosed. Opening up the bottom and putting in curved walls opens up a whole host of technical challenges. This will be interesting.