VAF Auscam AR15
• Based on a Dark Storm Industries Variant 1 receiver set
• Chambered in 5.56 NATO & Dead Air Silencers suppressed
• Custom Cerakote based on ADF Auscam disruptive coloration
Aside from the obvious differences between the two, there are many similarities in customizing a firearm and an automobile, both in theory and in practice. In fact, we’ve found that many enthusiasts in one camp are also enthusiasts in the other to varying degrees. This author, for example, got his start writing about customized automobiles long before ever writing a word for UN12.
The AR-15 presented here is another creation from Violent Art Firearms (VAF). Company founder and principal Jay Canter has done a considerable amount of work in both the automotive and firearms camps, both as enthusiast and photographer. In fact, the coloration on this rifle might be seen as an indirect result of his work in automotive photography, during stints in Australia where he was commissioned to shoot pictures of cars for various local publications.
“I spent quite a bit of time Down Under shooting photos for some major magazines there and absolutely fell in love with the country, the people, and the automotive scene,” Canter says. “I wanted to pay a bit of homage to one of my favorite places on Earth outside of the United States.”
The Disruptive Pattern Camouflage Uniform (DPCU)—colloquially nicknamed Auscam—is a military camouflage pattern used by the Australian Defence Force (ADF). First issued in 1982 and inspired loosely by the U.S. military’s M1942 Frog Skin, DPCU or Auscam patterns are five-color disruptive schemes designed to work in the widely varied climate zones and terrains found on the island continent, from arid desert or bushland to tropical forest. In spite of being “officially” replaced by the Australian Multicam Camouflage Uniform (AMCU), Auscam is still in limited use today by the ADF, along with the Royal Australian Navy and various reserve units for the Australian Army.
More on the rifle’s finish and coloration later. Circling back to our original premise, the most compelling automotive builds we witnessed were not simply “parts hangers” with a wide and unrelated array of parts from any number of manufacturers, but focused, themed builds drawing from a more limited and deliberate number of sources. We are inclined to feel the same way concerning customized guns, and such could be said of this customized AR.
In fact, as Canter tells it, the parts that really got the ball rolling on this build were some of the smaller pieces, lower control features from Battle Arms Development that include the ambidextrous safety lever, takedown and pivot pins, and the mag release button, all of which are anodized green.
“The parts that got this design inspiration started for sure were the Battle Arms Development anodized OD green parts,” he says. “The BAD-ASS-LITE ambi safety primarily. It’s already a really quality safety selector with positive engagement, and I just thought the green color was great. Then of course you have to follow that up with the matching takedown pins and mag release button to really get the small parts uniformly matching.”
Another uniform grouping of parts from a single manufacturer is the furniture that was employed for this build: buttstock, pistol grip, and vertical foregrip from Daniel Defense. All three parts feature rubber overmolding at key points for improved ergonomics and operator comfort. The textured rubberized portions also serve nicely to help visually tie this build together. The pistol grip was provided sans trigger guard (the standard version includes an integrated guard). If these pieces fire your own imagination, you might be pleased to know that all three are offered as a package direct from Daniel Defense.
The foundation for the build is a Dark Storm Industries Variant 1 lower receiver, which hosts a matched Dark Storm Industries upper. Both Variant 1 receivers are honed from billet aluminum and feature more extensive recessed machined areas compared to the company’s standard receiver offerings.
“I became aware of Dark Storm Industries through their shop dog/mascot ‘Norm,’ who has a great Instagram (@DarkStormNorm),” Canter tells us. “They make some nice AR products, and I felt this was just the right time to use one of their receiver sets.”
The upper receiver hosts a Rosco Manufacturing Bloodline barrel chambered for 5.56 and cut to a length just shy of 14 inches—13.95, to be exact. A Dead Air Silencers KeyMo muzzle brake is pinned and welded at the end to bring total barrel length up to the requisite 16 inches. The muzzle brake can be run by itself for unsuppressed shooting, and it also serves as a quick-detach interface for the Dead Air Silencers Sierra5 suppressor, which at the time these pictures were taken was the company’s newest offering for a dedicated 5.56 can.
The barrel itself is largely shrouded by a Fortis Manufacturing Switch m-lok handguard in a 13-inch length, which takes it nearly all the way up to the Dead Air muzzle brake.
Fire control for this Auscam AR is handled using a Rise Armament Blitz drop-in trigger group fixed by White Label Armory pins, which lays the hammer on VAF’s own Black Diamond S2 bolt carrier group. Gas is supplied to cycle the action by a Fortis Mod 2 low-profile gas block and White Label Armory carbine gas tube.
The BCG is manually cycled using a Bravo Company Mod 4×4 ambi charging handle, and the action is completed by a recoil spring and H1 buffer, also sourced from White Label Armory, which are in turn housed in a Luth-AR carbine tube. The lower was completed with an Odin Works extended bolt catch, a Fortis K2 locking castle nut (also anodized green, you’ll note) and end plate assembly, and sundry small parts from 2A Armament.
The rifle feeds from a Magpul PMAG Gen M2 30-round magazine fitted with a MagPod baseplate (no affiliation with Magpul). This attachment doesn’t affect magazine capacity but rather turns the mag into an impromptu monopod that may be used in lieu of a bipod, providing a more level point of contact to help stabilize the rifle.
Targeting is assisted by a Swampfox Optics Arrowhead LPVO 1-6×24 30mm mounted in a Swampfox Freedom cantilever mount with 30mm rings. The LPVO makes this firearm adaptable to virtually any shooting situation, from hunting or self-defense to plinking to competition use, where it might be called on to perform under a hundred yards or out beyond two or three hundred. This optic/mount combination is also featured elsewhere in this issue in an examination of LPVO optics and mounts, penned by Canter himself, who has practical experience with a wide variety of parts and components to include both optics and mounts.
The final touch to really bring this gun to life, so to speak, and to bring this story full circle, was of course a one-of-a-kind finish, in this case the custom Auscam rendition. No Violent Art firearm is really complete without a complex, painstakingly planned coating, and for this purpose Canter works with some of the best Cerakote applicators in the business. For this job he called upon Ben Fine and Reliance Finishing Solutions to devise the final scheme and color palette and apply the coating.
“There’s a handful of variants of military-issued Auscam patterns, and quite simply this one had my favorite colors compared to the other colorways,” Canter says. “Ben has a great eye for patterns and does an awesome job with Cerakote, so he gets big props for handling this. Anyone who has followed the types of complex builds I put together by now knows I do not make it easy on [the applicator]. Ben has done great work on all the custom projects I have presented to him time and time again.”
For his part, Fine says: “The research involved going between the different variations of this particular camo pattern, which is simply different colorways. We [already] had the green parts for the build, so this colorway made the most sense to match up with the parts. After that, it was simply on us to start matching colors.”
He continues: “The choices of the colors were just our take on this colorway to be very close to the official pattern. We always aim to be as close as possible with these projects so you know at first glance what you’re looking at, but it could also be looked at as a fresh take because of just one small color choice, such as the gloss black instead of the regular flat black that could have been utilized.”
Build Sheet – VAF Auscam AR
Specifications
Receiver Set: Dark Storm Industries Variant 1
Caliber: 5.56 NATO
Capacity: 30+1
Max Length: 34.75 in. (unsuppressed)
Weight Unloaded: 6 lbs, 15 oz. (unsuppressed)
Coating: Auscam-inspired Cerakote by Reliance Finishing Solutions
Featured Accessories
Optic: Swampfox Arrowhead LPVO 1-6×24 w/Freedom cantilever mount
Suppressor: Dead Air Silencers Sierra5
Small Parts: Battle Arms Development BAD-ASS-LITE ambi safety, BAD-EMR mag release button, BAD-EPS enhanced takedown pins
Furniture: Daniel Defense buttstock, pistol grip, vertical foregrip
Parts & Accessories: Rosco Mfg. 13.95” 556 Bloodline barrel, Dead Air Silencers KeyMo muzzle brake, Fortis Mfg. 13” Switch handguard, Violent Art Firearms Black Diamond S2 BCG, Bravo Company Mod 4×4 charging handle, Fortis Mfg. Mod 2 gas block w/White Label Armory carbine tube, White Label Armory forward assist & trigger pins, Rise Armament Blitz trigger, Luth-AR buffer tube, White Label Armory carbine spring & H1 buffer, Fortis Mfg. end plate, castle nut & ejection door, Magpul PMAG M2 (30-rd.)
About the Builder
Violent Art Firearms
URL: violentartfirearms.com
Social: Violent Art Firearms
