CheyTac M200 Build

[dobey]

I see that there is an airsoft version coming out but I decided to build my own anyway. I like having a piece made from real aluminum not the ###### the Chinese use.

 

Anyway, the real steel first:

 

 

My base gun will be a heavily modified Classic Army M24 with both gas and spring bolts so I can go either way, it shoots right around 550 fps.

 

 

 

First up, chop off the bolt handle and make a proper one:

 

 

 

It threads on with 8mmX1.0 threads:

 

 

Next up a muzzle break:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dobey]

Now that the simple stuff is out of the way, its time to turn this:

 

 

Into this:

 

 

I milled the top and bottom of the M24's receiver flat to make mounting my parts easier and more secure:

 

 

 

Then cut and milled out the lower receiver to accept the trigger mechanism:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dobey]

Next up the carry handle, marked it up and started drilling:

 

 

 

Cut out some dead weight:

 

 

Then back to the mill to clean it all up:

 

 

 

Now back to the upper receiver, I am about half way into this piece in this shot:

 

 

A little mock up:

 

[T0p Sp!N]

Very nice.

Looks like this is going to be a heavy one.

 

You're using 6061 aluminum, correct?

 

:thumbs-up:

[dobey]

Yes, every piece made by me will be 6061 T6.

[Teeb]

Awsome. I will be watching this build as it progresses for sure.

[silent_soul]

wow awesome start, i unfortunately dont have the tools you obviously posses but here is another custom built m200 which im probably going to follow, not as accurate as yours but close enough.

 

link

 

maybe consider making kits? or offering a custom service, ie someone sends you a m24 you make this form them and charge a reasonable price. im sure youd get lots of buisness as it hopefully wont cost an arm and a leg, and i know ares is making one but in limited amount.

 

also what gas bolt do you have? G&G? if so is that any good?

[Romulus]

Quite a cool build.

 

It is awesome getting to see all the detailed pictures. Hope that you keep it up.

[dobey]

Got the Upper receiver machined out and mounted up:

 

 

 

 

Next part will be the collar that bolts to the receiver upper and lower and threads the heat shield on.

 

[silent_soul]

wow your really making progress, its awesome how far you are already. keep the progress updates coming as its without a doubt going to be gorgeous.

[CapaciousZepher]

Very nice. I knew it would only be a matter of time before someone attempted a CheyTac.

Looks very promising so far.

 

Cheers!

 

- CapaciousZepher

[Teeb]

I would love to do something like this. But only being an amateur metal worker I dont have the skills or tools yet! Just out of curiosity what mill do you use? a mini mill?

[dobey]

Yep it is just a mini mill, a little slow compared to its larger counterparts but you can do just about anything with it.

[my_plague_666]

great work as usual, but an ugly gun IMO.

keep it up dobey

[chas]

You gotta be *fruitcage* kidding me! That is just awesome. Hope it turns out as impressive as that .50 you did a few months ago.

[pforcerecon]

oh man..i cannot wait to see final production. will you include vids as well?? i'm definately gonna be following this thread to the end. just sit back with some warm pizza and read a good thread..mmm

[dobey]

I am working on the heat shield today. I just made the collar that bolts to the receiver and was going to have the heat shield thread on but decided against it. If I go with a BB hose setup I need to guarantee perfect alignment and over or under tightening of the threaded area can play havoc with alignment. So now it is just a tight slip fit that will be getting a few screws to keep it on tight, I know this strays from the real gun's design but it is something I will have to live with.

 

The collar fresh from the lathe:

 

 

On the receiver:

 

 

And the heat shield slipped on, it fits so perfect that it is aligned with no screws holding it on at all:

 

 

Off to the hardware store to get some screws and then some lunch, back later with more pics.

[aznriptide859]

Just a question how long did it take you to measure out everything before actually cutting/lathing everything?

[silent_soul]

any chance you could post a list of all tools you have? or use for something like this?

[dobey]

Whenever I start a new project I spend allot of time looking at a picture of the real thing and think about how I am going to make it look like the real gun but fit it on an airsoft donor. I have a little program called digital calipers that lets you measure things on a picture, so I find something I know the real size of to set my scale and then take notes. Some things need to be made larger or smaller than the real thing to fit the airsoft role but I try to keep it all as close as I can for only making it from a picture.

 

Tools I have used so far for this:

 

Calipers

Square

Scribe

Hand drill

Drill Press

Mill

Mini Lathe

A full Size Engine Lathe (for the larger parts like the heat shield and the collar that holds it in place)

Tap and Die set

Hack Saw

Lots of drill bits

A few different Mill Bits

Files

Sand Paper

 

I am sure I may be leaving out some tools but that covers most of it. If someone wanted to get into making custom stuff I would recommend a 3 in one mill/drill/lathe as a great starter investment. You could do allot if not all of the work I have done so far on one, it just takes longer to setup each time you change tools. Advantages include minimal space and it saves allot of initial cost. Of course if you get serious you will outgrow it fast and soon be looking for larger individual lathes/mills/drills etc.

 

[silent_soul]

thanks, ive been seriously considering buying something of that nature, i have tons of welding skills, and a fair amount of metal skill but dont own any equipment and have been seriously getting tired with projects getting only halfway done/done poorly because i dont have the proper tools.

 

any brand or certain 3 in 1 that would be reasonably priced? looked around and saw a couple for 1.9kusd, and then one for 1.2kusd, and then one for 600usd, so im sure there are differences but im on the rather uneducated side of these.

[dobey]

I started out with this one:

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=39743

 

Then after I got more into it I got the mini mill as a separate unit to save on setup times. Then found an engine lathe, now I have a cnc machine incoming. But it is a good place to start.

[silent_soul]

well thank-you, and the problem is its very affordable, so i cant put off buying it. thanks a ton. ill probably pick that up within the next month, and start doing some of my own custom stuff. however ill probably just be making sniper rifles, then again who knows, but thanks a ton as this info is great.

 

back on topic(sorry for the deviation)

 

i cant wait to see the project done.

 

 

alittle off topic again, but maybe consider throwing together a Tools list and have it stickied, so a thread with all tools need to really custom make something. maybe go as far as to list what each part does? who knows just a thought, i figure id suggest it to someone with alot more experience, as i would just copy and paste your tool list.

[chownsy]

I started out with this one:

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=39743

 

Then after I got more into it I got the mini mill as a separate unit to save on setup times. Then found an engine lathe, now I have a cnc machine incoming. But it is a good place to start.

 

Im sorry to deviate from the thread also but that milling machine you started out with is for america, any chance of a link for one in UK, im a noob when it comes to finding a lathe/mill in the UK for cheap money but reliable as a starting point.

 

I have mechanical engineering skills, father who works with engineers and mates who work cnc lathes and mills so i can get taught to use it but no one knows of a lathe/mill to start with,

 

 

Back on subject i noticed on the real one that the handle looks like its bolted at one end and i was wondering if you could make the magazine fit under the one end of the handle and then hinge it on the bolt, so then you could use a normal M24 mag (L96 im my case when i start mine im just looking at making a coversion kit to bolt onto a L96)

 

yes i know the mag is long and that the handle goes narrow but maybe there is a comprimise to the situation (i did have another idea, instead of hinging it slides so you remove the fake .408 mag, slide the handle back, out pops mag, new mag in, slide handle forward and then insert the fake .408 mag back in).

 

Richard

 

[dobey]

The real one is mounted on a slip fit, so it can spin around the heat shield and slide up and down its length. I was originally planning to use the standard M24 (in my case) mag mounted in the heat shield tube and slip the carry handle over it but that is probably changing now.

 

As for getting a mill in the UK you may want to ask Candyman where he got his, it is very similar to mine if not the same thing.

 

Got the top rail made, and the heat shield mounted the way I wanted. This thing is a rock!

 

 

 

I think I need to make the ejection port next so it starts looking like a gun.