Ghost Gunner 3-S and the Optics Cut Library 2.0, Part 2 Hands-On

In Half 1 of this text collection, I talked a bit concerning the Ghost Gunner 3-S desktop CNC machine. Bought by mum or dad firm Protection Distributed, these CNC machines have steadily elevated in each bodily functionality and in sensible purposes. What was as soon as restricted to ending 80% decrease receivers for AR-15’s, the Ghost Gunner collection of machines can now end lowers from “0%” blocks of aluminum, mill AR-308 lowers, 1911 frames, Polymer 80 (Glock sample) frames and even metal AK-47 decrease receivers. Moreover, Matthew Komar’s “Ghost Author” program lets you carry out customized engraving in your weapons.

Ghost Gunner 3-s Optic Cut Kit — That little inexperienced 3D printed cooling/chip fan? Simply one of many many iterative modifications the Ghost Gunner CNC has gone by way of through the years, along with a a lot larger work space and large enhancements to spindle power.

As if that wasn’t sufficient, Protection Distributed has launched their Optics Minimize Library 2.0, permitting for hundreds of slide/footprint/location mixtures to be milled into your handgun’s slide, enabling beforehand inexperienced gun house owners to carry out a well-liked modification that might typically require the slide to be despatched out to an organization to be carried out.

Head to the Ghost Gunner Optic Cut site to see what slides and footprints are compatible.

So now right here’s me. I’ve no machining coaching. I can’t code. I’ve used the Ghost Gunner 2 to machine out some 80% lowers earlier than. Protection Distributed despatched out a brand new Ghost Gunner 3-S, together with an Optic Minimize Package. I made a decision to mill my outdated Glock 17 slide for an RMR footprint, since I occurred to have a Bushnell RXM-300 optic in to evaluation. How simple is it? Did I screw the entire thing up? Comply with my harrowing journey.

As mentioned within the first a part of this collection, along with the bottom machine you’ll want the Optics Minimize Package, which has all of the jigs, bolts and mills you’ll want to finish many slides. The equipment even incorporates a threadmill, permitting the bolt mounting holes to be threaded.

The Optics Cut Kit as shown by Ghost Gunner — The total Optics Minimize equipment.

Getting Set Up

To arrange the GG3S, you’ll have to plug it in to a pc. Whereas the web makes it simple, my store has no cellphone or web entry. This isn’t an enormous downside, as Def Dist features a thumbdrive with the DDCUT software program. I used the identical thumbdrive to run to my residence PC and obtain the Optic Minimize Library 2.0. With the pc’s DDCUT software program, the machine’s firmware and the lower code software program all updated, I moved on.

Make sure all this is up to date. — No web connection or cell service in your store, no downside. The software program can be downloaded from an included thumbdrive to make every step of the method easy.

Getting Began

Milling my first slide went quite a bit like milling my first 80% receiver, numerous fear and some minor missteps, earlier than ending up with an excellent completed product.

First, you load up the DDCUT software program and choose the All-in-One optic lower code. The person is walked by way of the step-by-step technique of assembling the jig and putting in it into the machine safely. At first all of it seems to be like random items. As soon as it’s collectively, it’s very easy to see the massive image forevermore.

You really are walked through every.. single.. step. As a newbie, it's awesome. With experience, it's only slightly redundant. — The software program walks the useer by way of every step.

As soon as the jig and all associated parts are assembled, you’ll bolt in your slide. Once more, the DDCUT software program guides you in child steps by way of it. Your slide (or no less than a tiny portion) must be conductive to permit the machine to mark the slide’s places. A tiny little bit of sanding can do the trick if wanted. Glock’s Tenifer coating is claimed to be conductive. I checked my slide utilizing a helpful tip included within the DDCUT software program, and yep..conductive. I used to be all arrange.

The writer’s slide mounted within the CNC machine.

The DDCUT software program that powers the Ghost Gunner machine will run you thru a collection of questions, asking which slide you’re utilizing, mounting depth (for co-witness), mounting location (rear of slide, or in entrance of rear sight) and optic footprint.

Slicing Metal

After the gradual setup (as I double checked every thing nervously), I lastly had the mill chopping into metal. It didn’t take lengthy for the fundamental RMR footprint to be lower. The DDCUT software program asks you to suit the optic whereas the slide continues to be contained in the machine. If it doesn’t match, the machine will run a move of the mill to enlarge the footprint by increments of .002 inch, taking only a few seconds. If the subsequent match isn’t good, it is going to run once more till your optic matches snugly. I wanted a complete of .004 inch further earlier than my optic was pleased.

Cutting steel precisely has never been easier. — The mill chopping into the metal.

The machine ordered me to change to a a lot smaller mill, then requested me which thread sample I needed the mounting bolts to be. The machine roughed out the bolt holes. I switched the energetic instrument once more, this time to a threadmill and the machine threaded the bolt holes.

The Consequence?

I figured if something was going to go unsuitable, the threading of the bolt holes appeared almost certainly. That’s a fairly delicate operation with a tiny machining instrument, chopping by way of metal.

However…every thing went based on plan. The threads are good. Whereas the machining marks actually catch the sunshine for pictures, they’re a lot much less noticeable in particular person. Working my finger over the mounting floor reveals it’s fairly dang clean.

I mounted the optic and snugged up the bolts. The optic sits centered on the slide, the bolts had been torqued down tight and after reinstalling the iron sights, I gave a tough co-witness to the red-dot to get me on paper to start out my vary day.

How did the vary day go? Properly, as regards to my newly mounted optic, simply nice. My RDO was simple to zero and held zero. After the vary journey was performed, I checked for any wobble or play…and located none.

Ghost Gunner 3-S Optics Cut Kit — Time to try it out. After a sturdy vary session, the writer discovered no play or wobble within the mounting screws for the optic on the slide. Mission achieved.

Backside Line

Two of the knocks I see on-line in opposition to the Ghost Gunner CNC’s (principally by individuals who admit they’ve by no means used one) are relating to high quality and price effectivity.

Relating to the previous, of us appear to suppose that both these Ghost Gunner created completed merchandise aren’t OEM manufacturing unit high quality or that high quality doesn’t matter and an 80% hand jig is “adequate.”

To the latter, folks convey up the price of shopping for an inexpensive stripped decrease versus the price of shopping for an 80%, in addition to the Ghost Gunner machine.

Let’s speak high quality first. This is identical type of high quality I paid Jagerwerks a fairly penny for and needed to ship my slide out for some time. The lowers I’ve completed are far superior to lots of the hand-jigged 80% receivers and really close to to OEM sort high quality. That’s not even touching that you need to use the GG3-S to engrave no matter artwork/brand/optionally available serial numbers you need by yourself decrease or depart it naked. You too can use the Ghost Gunner to mill the decrease to no matter specs you like. There’s various Sort 7 FFLs making vendor samples of M4/M16 lower lowers on the Ghost Gunner.

Taking a crack on the discourse on price, it’s true, there are some actually low-cost stripped lowers on the market. When you’re taking a look at this as a strict price evaluation of ‘poverty pony’ stripped decrease vs Ghost Gunner machined decrease, it’s not a contest. The Ghost Gunner CNC isn’t designed to compete with the bottom price choices although, it’s designed to drastically decrease the bar of entry to residents who need to construct, customise and modify their very own weapons, components and equipment. In that vein, it succeeds. If somebody needs to complete one or two lowers, the Ghost Gunner can be an costly proposition.

The crew at Protection Distributed nevertheless, retains including to the record of boxed up kits out there for the machine, to not point out third-party assist. The long-term worth does add up rapidly for somebody who needs greater than a fleeting pastime. Extra vital than price per unit although, is the power of a free man (or lady) to enact the rights inherent to residents, it doesn’t matter what the federal government’s ever-changing opinion is perhaps.