EQUALLY YOKED.
As a company, one of our missions is to build a better gun industry. As a part of that mission, we are always looking to work with people and companies who share our values on projects that can deliver something of value to our community base and support the growth and development of us both. The OPERATIONAL CARBINE™ is the result of our collaboration with Operational Industries in Idaho. At the behest of a mutual contact, we flew out to the promised land back in August of 2022. After our first sit down, we both knew that the fit was right and so we asked Elijah of OI to spec out a rifle to his tastes. There were three criteria that were non-negotiables: First, it must have a quad rail. Second, it can't be black. Third, it must be an attainable value proposition. With those strict guidelines in place, we set out to produce a rifle worthy of the Ram's Head.
THE HORNS.
The Operational Carbine™ is produced to the same quality and testing standards as our mainline offerings. From the inside out, it is built to be accurate, reliable, and a dependable option that walks the walk. At it's heart is a forged 7075-T6 mil-spec upper receiver that houses a 13.9" or 14.5" BA Modern Series barrel that is paired and individually head-spaced with one of our proven "Standard" bolt carrier groups. All of these action components are individually marked with a unique matching QC number that is noted on a certificate of authenticity that ships with the rifle. The face of the upper receiver is lapped to create an even barrel seat to improve shot consistency and the feed ramps of the barrel are ground and polished for smooth, reliable feeding. Moving forward, the gas block is timed to the gas port with two shallow dimples in the bottom side of the barrel to seat the set screws and cross-drilled and individually reamed for a stainless steel taper pin that will hold it in place and retain proper alignment in the event that the set screws might work loose under a heavy firing schedule. At the muzzle is an extended 4-prong flash hider or your choice from our selection of available suppressor hosts that is properly torqued and pinned/welded for permanent installation.
Our Standard BCG starts with a carrier turned from 8620 bar stock, which is heat treated and precision ground before receiving a smooth nitride plating by H&M in Akron, Ohio for lubricity, durability, and corrosion resistance. The bolt body is machined from 9310 steel, properly heat treated, magnetic particle inspected, and shot peened before receiving the same nitride finish as the carrier. It's 4140 steel cam pin is nitride plated for improved lubricity and service life and laser engraved with a directional indicator for consistent installation orientation after maintenance. Inside, you will find a firing pin that is precision machined from 17-4 H-900 Stainless Steel, which is more durable than traditional alloys and a S7 tool steel extractor being pushed by a Sprinco® Enhanced Extractor Spring. The phosphate-coated extractor is machined from solid 4140 bar stock, shot-peened for strength, and ships from our shop with an upgraded Sprinco® XP-5 5-Coil Extractor spring and rubber spring insert for strong, positive extraction. On top, the gas key is machined from 4140 pre-hardened bar stock and secured with Grade 8 hardened fasteners and staked in place.
For the lower receiver, Elijah opted for our "Pro" receiver. Machined from 7075-T6 billet, it features an integrated right-side bolt release for quick, efficient reloads. Being an experienced shooter, Elijah wanted a fire control group that was fast enough to keep up with a quick finger for fast courses of fire and precise enough to make shots at range a little easier. To that end, the Operational Carbine™ comes standard with our Two-Stage Match trigger. Every interfacing surface on the trigger, hammer, and disconnect are all hand polished to a mirror shine to keep things smooth and predictable between shots. With an 2-lbs take-up that gives way to a crisp 2.5-lbs break and a tactile reset with virtually no over-travel, it delivers on all fronts. It is also a traditional 2-piece design that carries all the dependability of a USGI trigger and none of the potential pitfalls of a cassette-style trigger. At the rear, the mil-spec 7075-T6 receiver extension assembly is indexed in the receiver and the billet steel QD endplate is deeply-staked in two places to keep the castle nut in place. Doing the spring work is an H1 buffer and Sprinco® "Blue" Buffer Spring for optimal bolt locking time, a smooth recoil impulse, and reliable feeding. Gracing your strong hand and shoulder is a set of B5 Systems furniture complete with a grip plug for storing batteries (or an emergency ration of battle Skittles). Complimenting the ambidextrous bolt release is a USGI-style 90-degree ambidextrous selector and a Radian™ Raptor™ charging handle.
As with all our firearms, every component is inspected and assembled per procedure before the complete firearm is test fired with live ammunition. It is our guarantee that they walk as well as they talk. So, should you encounter any issues arising from component selection or assembly error, we will fix it under the provisions of our "FYS" Limited Lifetime Guarantee. The upper receiver, barrel, and bolt head are all individually engraved with matching numbers noted on a certificate of authenticity that ships with your rifle for QC during the assembly process and down the line should you need work done on your rifle.
THE SOFTER SIDE.
Every OPERATIONAL CARBINE™ comes with an exclusive limited-edition hoodie featuring our "Dry Bones" design on the back and collaborative logo on the front. Purchasing a rifle is the only way to get one.
The design is an homage to the account of Ezekiel's vision of the "Valley of Dry Bones" found in chapter 36 of the book of the Bible that bears his name. While the skeleton hand is fitting to OI's aesthetic, more significant than its striking appearance is what it's doing: clinging to the cross of Christ, who's death and resurrection is the power by which it lives. Without the sufficient, substitutionary atonement of Christ through His sacrifice, we have no such life to cling to. So, the resurrected bag of bones, which is any repentant sinner who has put his or her faith in Christ, has no greater calling than to use its new life to bring glory to the God who gave it that new life and sustains it day by day to do the next best thing with excellence.
A note on sizing from OI: Our hoodies are fitted at the bottom and wrists, and fall right on the hips for most people. We picked these hoodies because we found they are perfect for training and often times working out as there is less interference with your belt/pockets or having to adjust or battle with the fabric while moving or to access anything. If you’re looking for a baggier fit, please size up.
WHAT’S INCLUDED.
(1) OPERATIONAL CARBINE™
(1) Muntionworks™ 30-Round "Jump" Magazine
(1) Dry Bones Hoodie (Exclusive to rifle purchases)
(1) Cable chamber lock
(1) Chamber flag
¹ Some muzzle devices/suppressor hosts are subject to availability. SureFire suppressor hosts in particular may be substituted for available models with customer approval. If a substitution needs to be made, we will contact you for approval.
REGULATION DISCLAIMER:
Federal regulation stipulates that you must be 18 years of age to purchase a long gun. Check your local jurisdiction for any additional regulations or limitations. All rifles come with a barrel length that is matched with the selected muzzle device to reach over 16" in overall length and is classified as a standard rifle.
