The Dems Are Coming - I Need An AR15

The S&W Rifles, mentioned lovingly twice in posts above, utilize a large number of parts obtained from one of the the "build it yourself" parts houses I noted previously.

Small world. If they're to spec, parts is parts.

I don't operate in a world where the colors of finish applied are a real big issue. It's just gotta go bang- every time. Then again, I carry a $600 folder for everyday use- but not to impress the ladies. There is a reason that LE agencies like the Nuclear Security Guards use name brand rifles. They have no one to build them as parts guns for them, they buy them cheaply enough that they don't care about saving any money (it would be difficult to predict the precise cost of a built up gun in advance vs. knowing how much that one in the catalog is), and the big thing: With their prior years of experiences with handguns, they know the want one manufacturer to go to if there's an issue. In reality, there are no issues with an AR15 or M16- but there is periodic maint to keep the machine running. Any agency has an armorer. To the armorer, parts is parts.

I disagree with a previous warning. If you can handle basic mechanical skills, you can assemble an AR15- and save some serious dough.

At 45¢ every time you pull the trigger for a 5.56 bullet, I also advise a serious look at the Rock River 9mm upper. Change out the 5.56/.223 buffer, hammer, drop in a mag well adapter. Clap on the 9mm barreled upper- and you're shooting for 20¢ or less.

You're going to eventually want different rifles.

You may start out with a 16" barrel and a collapsable stock. If you later get a longer barreled upper to use, it will require a longer standard (a2) rifle stock to operate reliably. You'll soon be after another lower receiver rather than changing out from the collapsing stock to accommodate your new 20" Stainless Heavy Barrel for those long shots.

Learn to build them. Ask a friend to help you. It only hurts the first time.
 
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Basic AR's are selling for under $600.00 and up from good companies. I just looked through Brownell's and even at dealer costs I would have a tough time building a gun from scratch with parts of reasonable quality and beating that price. Parts ain't parts no matter what anyone says. There is junk out the in AR parts just like there is junk in knife parts. Soft metal, bad heat treat, badly chambered barrels, etc. If you stick with good quality parts it is tough to build your own much cheaper and if it doesn't run who ya gonna call? If I went as cheap as possible and was willing to buy a stripped lower and upper and headspace it myself I could probably build a good reliable gun for about 450-500...maybe...that's buying everything at dealer costs. However if by some miracle we end up with the socialist from Il. as prez expect that price to double and triple very quickly.

If you are serious about doing this, do before tommorrow...just in case...lol...
 
I like the idea of being able to use 9mm ammo as well. Would a 9mm Rock River upper be able to fit on a stag arms lower?

I still kind of like the idea of just being able to purchase a finished product.
 
I am considering a Rock River as well. They are well made. ..This is off topic, if the DEMS are elected in office.. How long before they start banning AR-15s and highcap handguns?

I have seen the quality of the S&W from a friend. They are well built too.
 
A 9mm Rock River upper will work on a Stag Arms lower but you will have to add parts to the lower. The Stag Arms lower is set up for 223/556 in order for it to work you'll need a 9mm buffer, stock spacer, hammer, magwell conversion block, etc. IMHO you'd be better off buying a complete 9mm AR if thats the caliber you want.

Steve at ADCO Firearms had some good prices on the Rock River ARs.
www.adcofirearms.com/

Rock River, Bushmaster, and Stag Arms are excellent choices for an economy AR. I've used a Panther Arms/DPMS lower for one of my builds and thats worked great but I've had no experience with their uppers.

If money is no object then I second Noveske Rifle Works. Another pricey AR would be from LaRue Tactical, but I don't think they offer complete rifles. They use polygonal rifling that offers better accuracy.

The AR is the Mr. Potato Head of rifles:). Get one while you can from RRA, Stag or Bushmaster. You can add all the Mr. Potato head toys later.
 
bkrosco said:
Would a 9mm Rock River upper be able to fit on a stag arms lower?
Click to expand...

Any AR upper will fit on any AR lower. Functionality is a different matter, and you now have had the 9mm conversion explained by two of us. Hard to believe, but it is true.

If you have an AR Lower with 5.56/.223 parts in it (the correct buffer and trigger), you can slap any .223/5.56 chambered barreled upper on it and be shooting in seconds.

You can take any 5.56/.223 AR lower and make it into whatever AR caliber you might desire. Yes, most are set up as 5.56/.223, but they can be easily converted later. Most calibers require substituting a few different parts, but the 9mm requires the list you've already seen. Most caliber change outs require a different bolt, some a different carrier, some different magazines, etc.

They even make .45 ACP uppers among the more readily available ammo, also there are several .22LR Barreled Uppers. The Military had two different .22LR adapter sets that allowed use of the original existing barreled upper. One version had it's own special .22LR mags that slot into the mag well just like the 5.56 mags, the other version had conversion inserts for the internals of the 5.56 mag that were pushed into place as ammunition would be. (Army vs. USAF)

It seems that everyone makes some gizmo for the AR family of rifles. I like the Mr. Potato Head reference. Be careful, though. I once got into legal trouble comparing it to Lego blocks in an ongoing lecture series and publication.

Buying a 9mm lower is like buying a performance car that can only accept one size and brand of tires. Why brick yourself into a corner? With an AR lower that is marked .223 or 5.56 (in respect to lowers, there is absolutely no distinction), all of your possibilities remain open.

The only distinction to AR lowers is that if you want to build it as a pistol, the AR lower receiver must be "born" on the ATF 4473 form as a pistol. What is marked on the receiver is fairly irrelevant. (Things get more complicated with short barreled rifles and suppressors, but for the point of this general discussion, let's keep it simple.) You can't make an AR15 into and M16, nor vice versa. Once they are what they are, they is what they is.

Do some research, but go ahead and jump. Just don't brick yourself into a corner. Leave your options open. A flat top upper and a 5.56/.223 lower is an excellent starting point. Yes, you can change out all sorts of accessories later, but- It is cheaper to do it when you order it (or it should be) and if you wait until later, you're going to have things like handguards and buttstocks that you won't ever re-use. Think it out.

The rest? Go nuts!
 
I'm in the market for a LaRue upper very soon. Just finishing up a batch of sheaths for his Battle Knife as well. LaRue is the absolute tops if you want a precision gun.
 
Larue makes some very nice stuff:thumbup:. I got their new AK Burris Fast Fire setup on my wish list:D.
 
Got one of those in already. EXCELLENT UNIT! This is a 5.56 Arsenal, and it really makes for a super light, fast and accurate dependable gun that folds into a very short package.

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Good old memories. The Ruger 14! .

I was not keen on .223 in Africa and preferred the .308 or .303 but the Ruger is great on getting that 1st shot to count for Jackal and feral cats/dogs mucking with the livestock.
 
mini 14'sw are "ok" but are imho second or third team when compared to Ar15's or most AKM's.

why?

poor accuracy, expensive mags, not to mention the MSRP now.
 
H&K 93 is still 5.56/.223...good rifles but you can get a FN/FAL for half the price of a 91 or less. I have to agree with SIFU1A on the Mini-14, they have never equaled the AR's for accuracy and the cost for Ruger hi-cap mags is silly.

Today would be a good time to load magazines btw...reports from PDs across the country state they are gearing up due to concerns of rioting following the election. I hope it doesn't happen but I was a Boy Scout.
 
Do AR-15s and M16A1s have same parts? Can I put a 9mm kit for AR on an M16? I just got an M16, please don't ask me how I got to buy one. My location is my answer. :)
 
thefarmer said:
Do AR-15s and M16A1s have same parts? Can I put a 9mm kit for AR on an M16? I just got an M16, please don't ask me how I got to buy one. My location is my answer. :)
Click to expand...

Most parts are the same...some are not because an AR-15 can not shoot fully automatically.
 
thefarmer said:
Do AR-15s and M16A1s have same parts? Can I put a 9mm kit for AR on an M16?
Click to expand...

The M16 Lower Receiver itself is different than an AR15 lower.

Assuming 5.56, There are four key "fire control group parts" (FCG) that are different (from the AR15): the hammer, disconnector, trigger and selector. Other parts are added to the M16 depending upon application. The bolt carrier is also different. Adding these parts to an AR15 will not make it work as an M16. Things will likely break and it is generally frowned upon.



On the 9mm conversion from 5.56 M16, you will find that the M16 hammer will function for either AR15 or M16. Remember, on a simple AR15 conversion of 5.56 to 9mm, this would be one of the parts that you would have to change out. You may have to cock around with different weight buffers to get it to function- remember that the 9mm differs in that it is not a gas powered system.

Stay legal.
 
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