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Review: PIE Industries 1919a4 Transparent Sideplate Templates |
by staff@1919a4.com
If you've been considering the project of building your own semi 1919a4, or you're a Class 2 manufacturer and want to build a full auto 1919a4, you may have noticed the transparent sideplate templates being offered by PIE Industries. PIE Industries is also known for selling fasteners that replace the rivets in your receiver, along with the tools needed to accomplish the task. They were kind enough to send us a set of their templates for review.
For $15, you get two transparent sheets with profile, hole and groove locations for both side plates. They also include two detailed drawings showing all the dimensions for each of the sideplates. I used my digital camera to take the pictures below, but have reduced the size out of consideration for PIE Industries ($15 isn't much to pay, and the company is very much worth supporting).
The actual transparencies are very clear (the picture above is the best we could do with our camera), and are easy to follow when placed upon a solid colored background. They come in two pieces, so you will need to tape them together lengthwise, but it is easy enough to see where one ends and the other begins. Once taped together, they are the exact size of the 1919a4 sideplate, and they line up perfectly.
The detailed diagrams (pictured above) come on standard 8 & 1/2 X 11 paper, and are very clean and easy to read. It would perhaps be nice if they were "life size," but they are only supposed to be used to find the correct dimensions, and they work well for that. You get one for the left sideplate and another for the right sideplate.
If you're building your own 1919a4, stop wasting your time guessing at the correct dimensions, placement of holes, etc. Understand that these templates are exact to military specs, so if you're not a Class 2 manufacturer (i.e. legally able to make a machine gun), you'll still need to work out the particulars for making a semi, described in the 1919a4 FAQ. Perhaps if they get enough requests, PIE Industries will put out a set of templates specifically for semi builders (hint, hint).
PIE Industries |