As I am looking for my first and preferably only AR (as in I dont want to "Upgrade" to a better one later I want a good one to start with) I run into the problem of "Do I order a plain jane AR and then buy the after market stock, handguard, and other parts?" or "Do I order the parts and build the one I want the first time?"
I currently am leaning towards building it the way I want the first time. Being Left Handed this seems to me to be the smarter choice. However I am not an AR builder. I dont think that I would have a problem with it as I can handle any of the guns that I currently own, but I dont have experience building one. I watched all of the videos on brownells website and saw the special tools and such, how it all goes together and it really doesnt seem hard.
My biggest question I guess is what do I really NEED out of those special tools. I know all of them, but basically I have some of them. Like a "4 oz Ball Peen Hammer". I have hammer that will work, it might not be a 4 oz hammer but its probably an 8 oz or so. The ft lbs wrench I have, flat punches, taper punches, I dont have the roll pin punches or holders which I will have to get. What else am I forgetting????
Oh yeah and all comments welcome. If you think that I shouldnt be trying to build one say so........
Although I didn't build mine, one thing I learned is that you won't know exactly what you want until you start shooting it. I ordered mine with almost everything I thought I wanted. I have since swapped most of those parts out. Once you start to shoot it and figure out what works and what doesn't you'll be able to tailor your rifle to your needs.
As for the technical aspect of building, I'll let someone with more experience help you out.
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Building one is not that difficult, and most of the special tools make it easier, but you can workaround them, you will need something like THIS it is important if you are going to be using a collapsible stock, or installing a barrel
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Building one is not that difficult, and most of the special tools make it easier, but you can workaround them, you will need something like THIS it is important if you are going to be using a collapsible stock, or installing a barrel
HOLY CRAP!!!! That is what I was looking for. I always saw two separate tools and thought "Why not have all of it on ONE tool" LOL. Thanks...
There are threads on here, lots of them, about building an AR. I built mine with absolutely zero experience with the design. For the first one, which I thought would be the only one, I built the lower and upper, plus making wood furniture for it.
I bought the roll pin punches. I had most everything else. I made my own wooden block to fit in the mag well for testing the trigger. I used a heavy towel to hold the upper in the vice when installing the barrel and free float tube. I spent far more time on the wood, having started with a rough sawn piece of elm, than with the metal. I didn't save much, if anything, but I have a good shooting gun with a 16" 1 in 7 barrel and free float fore-end. The stock isn't adjustable, but it fits my long armed body.
For both of my guns, I invested the $90 or so in an RRA National Match trigger. I have extra trigger parts left over since it's about impossible to find a LPK without one and the individual parts can add up to more than the kit. I put an ambi charging handle latch on and got some extra rails for the YHM fore-end tube that I have under the wood. I've gotten some nice groups but haven't had time to do serious load development work with either gun yet. The second one is made with a preassembled upper with a 20" SS bull barrel with a 1 in 8 twist. It has an A2 style stock and again the RRA trigger. Oh yeah, both guns have the one piece gas rings. I found out the hard way that you need to keep a little oil on the bolt and rings. As I said at the start, I was totally unfamiliar with the "Black Rifle" but now I like it. I have decided two lowers is enough, though. Now I'm thinking about uppers in different calibers.
Go ahead and build it. If nothing else, you will gain an appreciation for the design.
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I would recomend a 1 in 8 or 1 in 9 twist for greatest versatility of bullet choices.
If you had all of your parts sitting in front of you right now, you could have an assembled rifle in the time difference between your second post and DaTeacha's post at 4:42. Not much to it. Or buy a complete lower and a complete upper. Even faster.
I would recomend a 1 in 8 or 1 in 9 twist for greatest versatility of bullet choices.
If you had all of your parts sitting in front of you right now, you could have an assembled rifle in the time difference between your second post and DaTeacha's post at 4:42. Not much to it. Or buy a complete lower and a complete upper. Even faster.
I have thought about buying the upper and lowers, but they seem to think that their labor is worth an awful lot..... Plus I like tinkering when Im bored, and I would have to save money for awhile to buy the rifle outright. This way I can get the lower wait a week get the parts or upper or what ever and just have a good time building it over time..
I have thought about buying the upper and lowers, but they seem to think that their labor is worth an awful lot..... Plus I like tinkering when Im bored, and I would have to save money for awhile to buy the rifle outright. This way I can get the lower wait a week get the parts or upper or what ever and just have a good time building it over time..
Absolutely. That is one of the biggest pluses of the AR platform. Enjoy
buy the plain jane and dress it up as you go . like someone posted there are somethings that look really cool on the gun but they are a real pain in the ars when shooting and you'll probably end up taking them off.
My wife bought me a DPMS AR for my birthday back in January, just a plain jane rifle that I am planning to customize my self. I'm adding new handguards with rails, flip-up back up sights ( I already have a scope for it), and a lite the only othe thing I'm going to add is a grip sleeve that slides over the mag well in lieu of a vertical foregrip, oh yeah and a single point sling.
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