My "I Want An AR Thread"

[Rightwinger]

Yep, just cracking the castle nut on mine to change stocks proved almost impossible because RRA used loctite on it. Ended up sending the whole lower to them so their armorers could deal with it.

This is much more detail intensive, and unless your going to get into total builds, buying the vise template for your upper receiver, the wrenches to take it down and install, etc, as I stated and Joe followed up, I think you would be better served to buy the upper already set up and ready by the folks who do it for a living. You'll be happier in the long run. Probably save a few bucks too.

Some folks just love to work with their hands and going from the ground up is satisfying. They deal with the issues that occur better. If that's what your looking for TDR then your on the right track. Just watch for all the pitfalls that might occur and the added costs they could throw on you if you have issues and then have to seek smith assistance.

[BimmerFreak]

I'm simply basing my opinions on what I've read throughout this building process. I can't say I've heard/read one bad review. Remember, this is my first build, and I have very very very little experience myself.

The only part I want to change is the fixed front sight. You are the real expert here, so I'm more than willing to listen to any suggestions you may have.

Fire away.

Look, the real advantages of building your own rifle are:

1. (and most importantly) you get EXACTLY what you want, not just the closest thing you could find from a dealer or manufacturer

2. You save a bit of money by not having to take a pre-built upper, remove the parts you want to replace, and then purchase the desired equipment.

So, with that being said, it looks like you are in a situation where sourcing the upper/BCG from the maker of your choice would be the first step.

Then source your barrel (which may come from the same provider as the upper)

You can then spend 3 weeks looking at options for:

Gas Block

Front sight (perhaps a folding unit integrated into GB)

Quad rail / Forearm

There are plenty of members that would be happy to help you take that box of parts and help you build your dream upper.

(and not have any left over parts from having to disassemble a prebuilt upper)

[TripleDigitRide]

Look, the real advantages of building your own rifle are:

1. (and most importantly) you get EXACTLY what you want, not just the closest thing you could find from a dealer or manufacturer

2. You save a bit of money by not having to take a pre-built upper, remove the parts you want to replace, and then purchase the desired equipment.

So, with that being said, it looks like you are in a situation where sourcing the upper/BCG from the maker of your choice would be the first step.

Then source your barrel (which may come from the same provider as the upper)

You can then spend 3 weeks looking at options for:

Gas Block

Front sight (perhaps a folding unit integrated into GB)

Quad rail / Forearm

There are plenty of members that would be happy to help you take that box of parts and help you build your dream upper.

(and not have any left over parts from having to disassemble a prebuilt upper)

Yea, that's pretty well where I'm at now. With so many options, it can get a bit confusing.

Any chance I can get the LMT without the fixed front sight? Then I could just add the low profile gas block?

[BimmerFreak]

Yea, that's pretty well where I'm at now. With so many options, it can get a bit confusing.

Any chance I can get the LMT without the fixed front sight? Then I could just add the low profile gas block?[/quote]

I assume you are buying direct from LMT, so give them a call and ask.

[TripleDigitRide]

Are there any disadvantages to buying the upper receiver seperate from the barrel? Just screw on the barrel and go?

[TripleDigitRide]

Yea, that's pretty well where I'm at now. With so many options, it can get a bit confusing.

Any chance I can get the LMT without the fixed front sight? Then I could just add the low profile gas block?[/quote]

I assume you are buying direct from LMT, so give them a call and ask.

Not necessarily. I've found several places that sell LMT. I could just as easily buy it from you.

[BimmerFreak]

Are there any disadvantages to buying the upper receiver seperate from the barrel? Just screw on the barrel and go?

none.

[BimmerFreak]

Not necessarily. I've found several places that sell LMT. I could just as easily buy it from you.

ok, my point was; call and verify with whoever you are sourcing your upper from.

[TripleDigitRide]

ok, my point was; call and verify with whoever you are sourcing your upper from.

I was attempting to complete this whole build through Hero Gear in the first place. I sent a complete list of lower half parts, but still haven't heard anything back.

Now that I've already put the lower half together, I have (almost) a whole list of upper half parts I'm now needing. Seeing how Hero Gear seems to be the "go to" AR guys of TGO, I'd rather buy everything from you. I'm just trying to make sure I have a complete list to make things a little easier, but I'm running into a few obstacles. Any help from the almighty Gods of the AR would be amazing.

[BimmerFreak]

As I said in my PM, shoot me an email and we can build it on paper.

Once we get something on paper, we can price it out, and then move forward on the build.

[TripleDigitRide]

As I said in my PM, shoot me an email and we can build it on paper.

Once we get something on paper, we can price it out, and then move forward on the build.

PM sent.

[strickj]

TDR;we could always mate my virgin upper with your virgin lower

But then there would be a battle to see who got to shoot it first

[Guest Mugster]

Are there any disadvantages to buying the upper receiver seperate from the barrel? Just screw on the barrel and go?

Besides putting it together, the only disadvantage is checking/insuring correct headspace. Alot of guys ignore this, but you need it checked either by a shop, or by using the correct 5.56 or .223 headspace gage set in conjuction with the bolt/bcg you are planning on using. 5.56 and .223 gages are different sizes, FYI. Its easy to do, and cheap insurance you aren't going to blow yourself up. 60k PSI is nothing to fool around with.

Once again, a 1/7 or 1/8 twist barrel is required to stabilize the latest crop of 70gr+ bullets like the 77gr OTM round used by the marine corp. Ammo prices being what they are, my guess is, you aren't going to shoot much of it. A 1/9 twist will do much better with M193 (55gr) and does fine with M855 (62 grain penetrator with a steel cup)...and that's pretty good self defense ammo that you can actually get ahold of. Black hills and federal both make a 69gr hpbt round that does well with 1/9 twist barrels, and should be all you need at the 600 yard line, assuming you can find one around here. By going with a 1/7, you won't be able to shoot less than 55gr ammo very well, which would probably rule out 45 and 50gr .223 el-cheapo varmint ammo from wally world and the sub 55gr black hills varmint stuff. Although, even that is not cheap anymore.

Just thowing that out so you know what you're getting.

[TripleDigitRide]

TDR;we could always mate my virgin upper with your virgin lower

But then there would be a battle to see who got to shoot it first

I think Rightwinger is first in line if I go that route.

What did you go with for an upper?

[TripleDigitRide]

Besides putting it together, the only disadvantage is checking/insuring correct headspace. Alot of guys ignore this, but you need it checked either by a shop, or by using the correct 5.56 or .223 headspace gage set in conjuction with the bolt/bcg you are planning on using. 5.56 and .223 gages are different sizes, FYI. Its easy to do, and cheap insurance you aren't going to blow yourself up. 60k PSI is nothing to fool around with.

Once again, a 1/7 or 1/8 twist barrel is required to stabilize the latest crop of 70gr+ bullets like the 77gr OTM round used by the marine corp. Ammo prices being what they are, my guess is, you aren't going to shoot much of it. A 1/9 twist will do much better with M193 (55gr) and does fine with M855 (62 grain penetrator with a steel cup)...and that's pretty good self defense ammo that you can actually get ahold of. Black hills and federal both make a 69gr hpbt round that does well with 1/9 twist barrels, and should be all you need at the 600 yard line, assuming you can find one around here. By going with a 1/7, you won't be able to shoot less than 55gr ammo very well, which would probably rule out 45 and 50gr .223 el-cheapo varmint ammo from wally world and the sub 55gr black hills varmint stuff. Although, even that is not cheap anymore.

Just thowing that out so you know what you're getting.

Thanks for the info.

When asking the question about barrel and receiver issues, that's what i was getting at. I've read quite a bit about the importance of headspace.

I'm fairly sure I'm going with the 1:9 twist. As most have told me, that's going to suit my needs best.

[Guest FroggyOne2]

The best all round twist rate for a AR15 is an 8 twist barrel. Since your building a 16 inch upper, I wouldn't even think about shooting Sierra 69's at 600 yards.

9 twist barrels are not considered a "competition" twist rate.

[TripleDigitRide]

Regarding the Ace Skeleton Stock issue; I talked with someone (forgot his name) at Double Star Corp./J&T Distributing/Ace Ltd, and he informed me that there was a batch of these stocks sent out with the wrong screw. According to him, one was sent in the mail today.

I'm just happy that I wasn't doing something wrong.

[strickj]

I think Rightwinger is first in line if I go that route.

What did you go with for an upper?

A Del-Ton 16 inch M-4 upper,car handguard,and a YHM aggressive end brake.No upgraded parts except for the grip.

I'm getting a lower from Spikes as soon as I figure out what to have engraved on the selector

Edited July 28, 2008 by strickj

[strickj]

Will a brake/flash hider come off?

And is there any difference between a brake,and a flash hider?

[TGO David]

I'm just happy that I wasn't doing something wrong.

Oh, there's still time for that to happen.

Glad to hear you got it sorted out. There's nothing worse than having the wrong parts (or be missing a part) when you start putting things together.

[TripleDigitRide]

Will a brake/flash hider come off?

And is there any difference between a brake,and a flash hider?

A flash hider is supposed to suppress the flash, and the muzzle break is supposed to decrease muzzle rise.

Yes, they usually screw on and off. Some I've seen must be cut off. Someone with real experience can explain better.

[TGO David]

Will a brake/flash hider come off?

And is there any difference between a brake,and a flash hider?

1. It depends. If it is pinned or welded on, it can be removed but will require effort and possibly the work of a gunsmith. If it's just screwed onto the end of the bbl, then you just need a wrench and may need to give it a little persuasion.

2. Yes there is. Muzzle brake harnesses and redirects a portion of the escaping gasses to help control muzzle flip and tame recoil. A flash hider just controls the way the escaping gasses disperse and burn, reducing the muzzle flash. On a fighting rifle, I'd prefer a flash hider especially if you may ever have to use it at night or indoors. On a target rifle, I'd probably go with the brake.

You can find muzzle accessories that do both to a degree.

[Marswolf]

I built an M16 upper receiver for my AR without any instructions many years ago. It really isn't difficult to do. Just take your time and you will figure it out. It requires few (no?) special tools. And there is a pride of being able to do the work and understanding how and why stuff is as it is.

[TGO David]

Regarding gas blocks per the earlier conversations...

I have removed two in my life, both from Bushmasters. Both rifles had 500-1000 rounds through them at the time the blocks were removed. I used a hammer and appropriate sized punch to drift the pins out of the front sight base. A few gentle taps with the hammer were all that was required to loosen the FSB from the barrel and start it sliding forward.

I suspect rifles with more rounds through them may be more difficult due to carbon build-up. That being said, a retired Marine I used to go to church with advised that briefly heating the FSB with a propane torch without applying flame directly to the FSB would loosen it more often than not. I never had to use that method but I can see where it would work and why it would work. I can also see why you wouldn't want to apply the flame directly to the FSB as you would likely mar the finish of the weapon.

Your mileage may vary, but it wasn't hard for me to do at all.

[TripleDigitRide]

I made a trip to Hero Gear and ordered everything I needed to finish this project. Well, for now anyway.

Being able to put my hands on so many options was the best thing I could have done. I was able to see and feel so many options I hadn't previously seen at the gun shows or online. I still fought with myself over which direction to go, but I finally made up my mnd.

Joe was an amazing help. I actually almost feel bad for taking up so much of his time. He had rifles and rifle parts sprawled out from one end to the other, so I could see and feel everything. He did his very best to make sure I had plenty of options to choose from. He was (seemed to be anyway) more than patient while explaining things and answering my questions.

I finally decided on the;

LMT 16" upper, with a low profile gas block.

YHM Free Float 4 Rail Forearm. I'll definitely be adding some low profile (ladder type) rail covers. Here's a picture without the rail covers.

Originally, I planned on going with the Troy folding front and read sights, but Joe came out with an EOTech 511.A65/1. It was only a few bucks more than the Troy sights. For the price, I couldn't resist. I know it's not one of the top EOTech models, but it will suit my needs just fine. I can always upgrade one day. I'll have to save for the Troy sights. I may not need or use them once I mount the EOTech, but I still want them, sooner or later.

In the end, this project is going to end at the opposite end of the spectrum from where I first started. I thought I had my mind set going into this, but obviously that didn't last long. Too damn many options. Either way, I'm "gun broke" for a long while. When this thing get's finished, I may have to shoot my way out of the dog house. My girlfriend has at least acted quite supportive, but damn near doubling my initial budget sure hasn't helped my cause.