AR15 information

E

elguapo9

Joined
Mar 20, 2008
Messages
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So I am thinking about building an AR15 next year, but don't know where to start. I don't want to pick out a bunch of junk just because the price is good, but at the same time I don't want to pay for something I don't need.

Is there a good forum similar to this one for AR information??

Thanks in advance,
Elguapo
 
Yep there is an ar forum just google it if you want good parts call my buddys at cmmg. Get a good book and the right tools and build you a gun
 
go over to the ESEE subforum and check out the AR thread. ?the idiot?s guide to the ar15(or an idiot building one). lots of good info, and mention of two or three ar forums to check out.
 
unless you plan on doing several rifles, or are able to borrow the armorer's wrench and vise block you can probably buy a complete upper and lower, and stick them together for the difference the tools will cost you, and possibly avoid the exise tax on a complete rifle.
 
ar15.com
m4carbine.net
weaponevolution.com

I'd second the suggesting at buying a complete upper & lower unless you really want to build the entire rifle from the ground up.

As for suggestions on parts & component quality, my short list is:

Bravo Company Manufacturing
Noveske
LMT
Daniel Defense
LaRue Tactical
Colt

Bravo Company (BCM) is my go-to company for anything AR-related though. They're a great company that builds one heck of a rifle, and their customer service is fantastic as well. Here's an article that Pat Rogers wrote about one of their 16" midlength rifles:

http://www.bravocompanymfg.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/filthy14_oct10.pdf
 
CMMG offers a few "bargain bin" rifles that are an inexpensive way to get into ARs. You can get a complete rifle for around $600.
 
You may want to assemble your lower (meaning LPK and buffer/stock) to get the understanding of how that all works and then buy an assembled upper.

I built two this way (Stag and RRA) and it was good fun with minimal cost in tools. Get a few roll pin punches and a castle nut wrench for the buffer tube and you should be in good shape.

And as for asssembly advice, check out Brownells videos they have on their site.
 
Might be useful to consider what will be the primary use of a new AR...competition, paper punching, 4- legged varmints/predators, personal defense, truck gun or other.

I'm just an old trigger puller, paper puncher and P/T PD shooter but I have to have optics and a good trigger...no lights or lasers for me..so far. I own a RRA EOP 24" Varmint, CAR15 and M4..shoot the M4 most - Millett 1-4X & Troy BUIS..fun rifle but not for prairie dogs. I shoot 193 and M855 in the CAR15 & M4- strictly Hornandy V-Max for PDs.

All good, have fun.
 
Thanks for the information guys. I'm looking for something mostly to put holes in paper, watermelons, tin cans, whatever I can find out in the woods where I shoot. I have a Mini-14 I plug away with out there, but the idea of building what I want is very appealing. Right now I'm thinking of either buying a complete lower and a complete upper, then sticking them together, or putting together the lower from a stripped one and then putting a complete upper on it. Going to go 5.56 Nato regardless.
 
Go to AR15.com and then to the Build it Yourself subforum.

Just start with a name brand stripped lower--my last 2 were built with Stag lowers. Once you get your lower and then the sky is the limit---its the only part you need to go through a dealer for----everything else can be shipped to the house.

I've built 6 or 7?? complete(both uppers and lowers) rifles over the years---nothing is all that hard with the right tools---just study it--take your time and do it right the first time.

The really nice thing about building them is you don't have to come up with a bunch of $$ all at once---just buy the parts as you have the funds.--Also the satifaction of knowing you did it yourself.

I've been thinking about doing another one in a different caliber(6.8 or 7.62x39)--but the new Tactical Mini-30 looks pretty sweet too.

My last build parts list:
Stag lower---$125---local dealer
DD lower parts kit (Daniel Defence LPK)--$80--had a coupon code $70
BCM M4 collapsable stock--H2 buffer---$90-ish?
BCM bolt/carrier---$139
BCM flat top upper---$94
DD stripped M4 barrel---$150
Vortex flash hider---$50
YHM free float tube---$60-$65? can't remember exactly--on sale from YHM
YHM clamp on railed gas block--$60
YHM clamp on front sight--flip up--$80
DPMS gas tube and pin---$15
Magpul rear sight---flip up---$55
DD charging handle---$27

I think that was everything IIRC????? Not counting shipping or tax. Not into a bunch of rails with crap hanging off everywhere---I like mine simple and light weight.

I bought the lower in the beginning of May----completed the rifle in the middle of Oct. Still planning to put an Aimpoint or Eotech sight on it.

What ever you do--I would only use either a DD--BCM--or Colt full auto bolt/carrier---legal to use as long as you don't have the other full auto parts.

Everything pretty much came out of Midway--Brownell's and Bravo Co.
 
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Whats the diffrence in bolts iv heard better stuff about the fa bolts and carriers but never understood why
 
If you want absolutely solid info, lightfighter.net is the place to go. After that would be m4carbine.net.
A heads up, if you register on lightfighter make absolutely sure your first post is your intro in the existing thread.
As far as the bolt carrier differences, the FA carriers have more metal covering the firing pin, thus making them stronger and resetting the trigger with the carrier as apposed to the firing pin.

Brownells has a series of AR build videos that may be helpful.
If you want a simple plinker, honestly you can go with pretty much anything you want. However, if you want a quality rifle that won't let you down when you need it, go with bravo company, daniel defense, LMT, or colt.
 
The heavier weight of the FA carrier also dampens to impulse of the carbine length gas system--making it less abusive to the internal parts.

Not so much a factor with mid-length and rifle-length gas systems-----but having it in there isn't a detrement either------plus about 90% of the rifles you see out there are built on the carbine length system.
 
to expand on what gruntinhusaybah said.. the early carriers had a ramp cut to facilitate cocking the hammer that exposed the shoulder of the firing pin, and over time peened the shoulder
 
Maybe if i post a pic you can tell me what one I have. Never even gave it a think its always worked good for me
 
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