So I've got a spike's tactical stripped lower I just bought, but live in CA, so have about 10 days to gather some pieces to start building it up.

I guess I'm trying to save myself seemingly endless hours of research here and looking for expertise.I'm hoping to keep this rifle budgeted under $1500 ideally, and this is my first firearm.

When it comes to lower parts kits, are there any to avoid, or any that are considered better than the rest? Any specific pieces that should be sought after separately from a kit? I'm hoping maybe some of them don't come with grips or triggers, so I can waste less. I also live in CA, so I'll have to get one of the bullet button deals..but also plan to take it out of state. Any bullet buttons that swap in/out easily?

For the grip, I was going to go MOE+ Grip Polymer Dark Earth -- I'm not real sure how much a grip matters, but I like the color of Dark Earth, the mini compartment sounds kinda neat, although I don't know what I'd keep in it. Do you use the compartment, if you have one? or suggest something else?

For the trigger, I was thinking about the GEISSELE AUTOMATICS LLC - AR-15/M16/ 308 AR SSA TRIGGER. I've seen a lot of people running the geissele triggers, and I can only assume that means they're pretty decent. I also heard the trigger is one of the biggest things you can upgrade, so I'm hoping this would be suitable long term. Trigger guard, MAGPUL - AR-15/M16 MOE™ TRIGGERGUARD. Low cost, and can't imagine this making a huge difference, right?

Does the buffer tube determine how much movement the stock has in any way? A couple cheaper ARs I held seemed to have movement back there, and I'd really like to avoid that. If it matters, any suggestion?
MAGPUL - AR-15 CTR STOCK COLLAPSIBLE MIL-SPEC stock says it eliminates play..which is exactly what I'm sure everyone wants. Kinda sticking with the magpul stuff I guess.

Pre(r)amble:  since this is your first AR, don't get wrapped around the axle with what is or isn't a "good" part; you will get 10 different opinions on every part in an AR and really only one opinion matters:  yours. In other words, you may not get it right the first time so don't sweat it.

LPK:  if you buy from a "known brand name" (like BCM, Colt, LWRC, etc.) you will get a set of "problem free" parts.  There are a couple of different routes to take from getting one which includes the grip you want to one which doesn't include a grip and/or FCG (since you mention an aftermarket trigger).  I live in a free state so I know nothing of bullet buttons.

Grip:  the trend these days is to a more vertical angle but again, you'll have to try one and see if you like it.

Trigger:  your choice of trigger is determined by what you are going to do with the rifle.  In the case of Geisseles, each one is made for a different application so buy the one which suits your intended purpose.  Is a trigger in and of itself going to make a big difference?  Probably not as your accuracy is a sum of everything in your rifle plus you.  In other words you can't do just one thing and expect to see a big difference in accuracy over not doing that one thing except for ammo:  you can't shoot 4MOA and expect to get 1 MOA accuracy.

Stock:  play in the stock is a function of tolerances of the receiver extension and the stock.  As with the LPK, buy brand name parts and you should get a "good" (subjective) fit.  If you want a really nice (subjective but by that I mean tight) fit get an LMT LPK with an LMT SOPMOD stock.  This is not the cheapest option, but it should give you a tight fit.

 

Trigger - LaRue MBT2S "I got plenty of time" option for $125. Hands down the best value on the market. I think the wait on these is only 10-14 days right now. I waited 3 months for mine and it was worth it. I've owned giessele's and like the mbt more. It feels just as good or better than the ssa, it comes with a heavier second spring to switch in if you feel the trigger pull is too light, it's made from better material and in a better manner, and it's $60-$80 cheaper.

Grip - whatever you like feels best in your hand. I love the tango down bg-16.

Lpk - get one mentioned already: lmt, bcm, cmmg etc... red barn amory build your own lower parts kit is a good option too.

What will the rifle be used for? HD, competition, long range shooting, run n gun courses?

Hey, cool. I like the sound of the MBT, and the company's style. I'll have to give them a ring tomorrow to put in a delayed order.

Realistically, I'm building this for self defense first, and multi purpose secondary. I intend on using it mostly on the range, and if I can find any tactical courses locally, I'd like to get into that as well..but I haven't looked into anything, admittedly. I just wanted to get a couple stripped lowers before the election, build one immediately, and probably build one later for my newborn son in the future(I'll probably change opinions on this later :P) I kinda don't want to use a featureless ar-15.

I think I'm looking to use a mid length rifle, but the carbine style is definitely appealing as well. The couple guys at LGS's I've talked to, said they couldn't notice the recoil differences between carbine and mid length. What do you guys think? Noticeable? I'm assuming carbine would weigh less, so that might be worthwhile if it's negligable..but I'm (clearly) no expert.

From the bits that I've read, it sounds like I'd be best suited to get an M-Lok rail of some sort. I'm partial to shorter rail versions, I think, to reduce weight and the appearance.
The guy I was talking to today, was highly for BCM uppers. He was telling me I'd be better suited to probably just buy a BCM online, rather than have them order it there (odd :P) and just get the BCG from them installed, etc.

I'm kinda after a flat rail setup I think, so I can toss some type of optic on there, and buy some flip sights later for it. Any suggestions on either of those?

 

I'll have to look into that optic, it sounds like a good starter.

So I've got my lower pretty much dialed in, and think I'd like to buy an assembled upper. I was looking into bcm mostly,  but I'm really hoping  to get a free floating mlok rail..probably from midwest?

Are there any places that sell full uppers minus the rails?
I'm thinking a light barrel, still hoping to go 16in with a flat rail / not a sight gas block..if that makes sense

Well normally, when you buy a 'complete' upper, it includes the upper receiver, with bolt carrier group, charging handle, ejection port cover, forward assist (if applicable), barrel and barrel extension, barrel nut, gas block, gas tube, and handguard/rail.  The barrel might also have a flash hider or muzzle brake.





There are some places that sell complete uppers without the BCG and CH.





So when you say "full upper minus the rails"...there aren't really many sellers, if any, for complete uppers without handguard or barrel nut (the barrel nut is usually, but not always, included with the handguard)





If you don't see a 'complete' upper that you like -- with the rails that you like -- then you're probably going to want to buy all the above mentioned upper receiver components separately.





You'll want to look for a gas block that is a 'low profile' gas block.  Low profile gas blocks will typically fit underneath a mid-length or rifle-length handguard.
 

If you want bcm and mlok with Lo pro gas block, you have three options. 1. Check the EE and hope someone has that combo for sale. 2. Build it piece by piece. 3. Buy the upper of your choice from bcm that has a fsb, remove and replace it (or cut it down with a dremel, I'd go this route), and get the mlok rail you want.

ETA: a fourth choice would be to buy a bcm complete upper and sell the rail it comes with and put on the mlok rail you like. FYI I've removed a couple factory installed bcm fsb's that are pinned, they are a bitch but eventually they come loose. I would assume the gas blocks would be as difficult if they're pinned. I've heard mixed reports of whether or not bcm will ship a complete upper leaving the fsb loose so it's easily removed. I would do everything possible to ensure this happens. It will save you much anger and frustration! Good luck

Lol at the suggestion for this guy to get a vortex strike eagle.  He has a $1500 budget total.  OP, get a decent optic.  The Vortex SE is junk.  They have reliability issues, and I wouldn't trust my life to one, that's for sure.  They're fine for a range toy, and Vortex will send you a new one every time it breaks.....but with your budget, spend the extra couple hundred and get a good reliable optic.

If you like LPV's, look into:
- Trijicon Accupower
- Leupold VX-R Patrol
- Steiner P4Xi
- Vortex Viper PST

If you're looking for a RDS at your budget, I'd be looking at a Trijicon MRO or something from Aimpoint.

Buy once, cry once with optics.  You have the money, get something that'll last and be robust.

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-Standard-16-Mid-Length-ENHANCED-Light-Weight-p/bcm-urg-mid-16elwf-kmr-a-13.htm

What do you guys think of this? What's the diff between fluted and not?
I'll have to look into the optics for sure.

The thinner the contour of the barrel, the lighter it will be and the faster it will heat up.  Also, the faster it will cool off.   Barrels heating up result in a Point-of-impact shift.  Barrels excessively heated result in faster throat erosion in the chamber.





Flutes serve a few purposes.  First, they lighten the weight of the barrel.  They create more surface area, so they dissipate heat faster.  Also, arguably, they look cool.





ETA:  You do realize that upper is Key-Mod, and not the MLok you originally said you were looking for?





 

LOL @ your LOL.  



Did you personally experience reliability issues with a Strike Eagle, or did you just read about it somewhere?  While I don't own one (I prefer the gen2 HD Razor) I've shot a few of them, never had a problem, and know more than a few people that are happy with theirs.  I'm personally not aware of an overall known reliability issue...but then I don't read everything.  I'm too busy shooting.



Regardless, many more people are quite happy with their Strike Eagles.  YMMV.   I suggested the Strike Eagle because it's a 1-6x, affordable, and from a vetted company with a great warranty and reputation.  The scopes you suggested are 1-4x and/or in the case of the Leupold, not quite a 1x.   Sure, they're all good enough to do the job...and a little more costly than the Strike Eagle...but I'm sure you can find an equal number of online complaints for any of them.
 

That all sounds pretty beneficial. I guess I'd be wondering just how much faster they heat up. If I'm at a range, and we're shooting for a minute, then off for a minute, or however it goes, is that enough time to cool down? I don't think I'll ever be shooting a ton in high succession, due to CA's 10 bullet per clip rule..but then again, I dunno.
I definitely like the idea of reduced weight and increased cooling speed, though.

Yeah, I realzied it's a key-mod..but admittedly, this is the first gun I've ever owned, and I've only shot guns a handful of times anyway, and only an AR-15 once..so, I'm probably not going to really tell the difference between m-lok and keymod anyway. I just read that it's harder to screw up mounting things to m-lok, and that it's probably a better system that'll take place of the others soon..so I wanted to stay contemporary. I guess if that was a fact, though, they'd probably offer some m-lok stuff over at bcm..but I haven't really been able to find anything.

there would be no issue of my changing the rail out to an m-lok rail later on though, right? or a sight, or any of that stuff? I'm sure you can convert something from keymod or picatinny onto an m-lok setup?

or are there any other companies that will build a reputable upper reciever without the barrel / handguard, etc? more to customize? I guess then I'd have to somehow install a gas system thing..probably wouldn't be too easy for me either. I'm just hoping to get this thing up and running asap, is all :P

https://specialopstactical.com/builder-upper/complete/

seems to offer the ability to build up an upper from the floor up..using their parts, of course. Anyone heard of them? Wish BCM had something like that :P or any good quality places that allow the same options?

Yup.  Had one.  Broke it and had QC issues.  Granted, Vortex was awesome about replacing it.  I now have a Trijicon Accupoint.  My experience - the SE is junk.  It's fine for a range toy because Vortex will just keep replacing it.  But with this guy's budget, he should get something that is decent quality.  The SE is Chinese made junk.  Seriously, there's a difference between the SE and going a step up to the PST/VXR/Accupoint/P4Xi.  The SE is not up to the same standard no matter how bad people want it to be.  Glass is not as good, and it's not as robust.

If this upper has a pinned lo pro gas block (I didn't see any info regarding this on the mobile site), switching out the rail would require knocking the taper pin out of the gas block to remove it. This would be the only "hard" part of switching rails, but as I stated before some people have had no trouble removing bcm's pinned front sight blocks/lo pro gas blocks and others like me have had issues.

It's a straight forward process, it just requires a big hammer, very sturdy surface, high quality punches and a lot more force than seems reasonable (in my experience). If you're not comfortable tackling that, a competent gunsmith with experience in removing pinned gas blocks should be able to do this for you for a small fee.

This is a great upper and the kmr rails are very nice, I'm sure you'd like it. As far as the keymod/mlok debate goes, I don't think keymod will be dying any time soon. If this is the upper you want, I say get it and shoot it and see what you think of the rail. If you still want an mlok rail, switch it and sell the kmr.

I have the MIAD grips on mine,  I like the finger divider and have bigger paws than the average bear so I like being able to adjust them.

They come with the oil bottle insert which is what I have in mine.

Also watch colors with other brands if you want things to match, in my experiance UTG matches pretty good but not everyone's FDE is the same.

I've decided to go non fluted, I think. Can there be any compatibility issues with a stripped spikes lower? Their disclaimers kinda freaked me out, so I want to double check before taking the plunge.

Provided I buy the bcg and charging handle from them..I should be able to combine the upper with a complete lower and have an operational rifle, right?

https://www.bravocompanyusa.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BCM%2DURG%2DMID%2D16%2DBFH%2DKMR%2DA%2D13&CartID=1

Spikes lowers are usually pretty much "in spec".   So are BCM parts.   You'll be fine.  It will be a nice rifle.



 

 

Well, I'm basically finished with it for now. Now i just need some flip sights and an optic.
I ended up with:

BCM BFH 14.5in mid length gas w/ 10in kmr alpha rail.
bcm gunfighter comp mod1 muzzle compensator
bcm bcg.
bcm gunfigher medium charging handle

Spike's Stripped lower
Spike's lpk
Adaptive tactical ex performance stock w/ milspec tube kit w/ 4.3oz tungsten something or other

The stock was on sale pretty cheap. I'll use the lpk grip to start. I wanted to go dark earth grip/stock/rail covers..so I'll probably upgrade to magpul stuff at a later date.
I also put in for a LaRue MBT2s trigger w/ the delayed shipping..figuring I'll hopefully be able to tell the difference by the time it actually shows up.

All in all, I'm super beyond stoked..just waiting to pick up my stripped lower, and for the bcm stuff to arrive..and hopefully I'll be out on the range with friends and family next weekend :)

Thx for all the tips / advice so far. I'll probably be cruising around here for quite a while yet.

Magpul flip sights are pretty basic, yeah? I'm thinking I'll probably buy a set of those and rock those until I get a chance to do some more extensive research on topics. Sounds like there's A LOT to learn about those things.

Any recommended ear protection, btw? or case?  haha..I thought I was done! This is...almost too much fun.

Ask questions if you get stuck.  Post pics when you get 'er built.

Have never heard of that Adaptive Tactical stock. Looks like an uglier version of the Magpul Moe stock.

You know that in order to shoot that 14.5 in. upper, you'll need to pin and weld a compliant muzzle device or get an sbr registered lower.

Why not buy a bare bones BCM upper and add your choice of rail?

Yeah -- this.   I assumed you were aware your barrel needs to be 16" MINIMUM with the pinned/welded muzzle device ?



 

You mentioned ear pro....
Electronic is the way to go these days, so you can hear range commands as well as protect your hearing.
You need to decide if you want over the ear (relatively inexpensive) or in the ear (comparatively more expensive).
At the affordable end you could look into a pair of HOWARD LEIGHTS.   Most people think highly of them.   An upgrade from there might be the MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-X's.
In ear there are a lot of choices too...but they often require custom fitting.  Try http://www.soldiermod.com/volume-2/nacre.html



or http://espamerica.com/     at the high end.



 

Whoops, double post.

Yeah guys, the muzzle comp I listed does the trick..it comes permanently attached :)

I'll take a look into the over ear muffs..I've never been a big fan of ear buds. Thanks again!

And yeah, the stock is pretty ugly, haha..I'll probably change it out with the lpk grip when I get some rail covers and go flat earth.