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First off from Cali so I decided to pick up 2 lowers before I no longer cant. The guys at my local gun shop are good dudes but had very different opinions on builds and kinda lost me. I have spent some time looking over this forum the last few days and have answered a lot of my question already but I have a few that hopefully you guys can help or point me in the right direction.
I picked up 2 Anderson AM15 stripped lowers and was thinking build a budget version primarily ordering from PSA parts and then a higher budget build and still checking out products. I have read a lot that PSA make a good product and I hope that still applies.
One main question is about the gas piston upper, do i need to do anything different on the lower if I choose to do a gas piston upper? And is cleaning the gas piston upper more difficult then traditional DI style?
Also I would prefer to have the proper tools to assemble, so do any of you know of a complete build set that is crazy overpriced?
Thank for the help in advance,
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Welcome, AK. I suggest you finish the budget build first, then leverage your learnings and updated preferences for the next build. PSA and BCA, among others, supply quality parts. Never take a chance on brand names that don't have a loyal following. If you stick to ordinary milspec direct impingment, the parts go together without much fuss. If you try on some budget piston gizmo, you will likely be buying into more difficulties than you bargained for. Pistons may keep some combustion products out of the action, but that's not the critical area for powder fouling - rather its the chamber that gets really dirty, no matter what.
As for tools, get an inexpensive clamshell-type upper receiver block to hold the receiver in your bench vise while you tighten the barrel nut. Get an armorers wrench for that task, plus a few choice roll pin starter and driver punches. As I recall, there are only two roll pin diameters to deal with. A torque wrench is not really necessary IMO, just use common sense when tightening that steel barrel nut into aluminum threads, nice and snug with moly grease does the trick without risking damage to the upper receiver.
Follow the instructions at the top of this subforum, plus Brownell's videos on YouTube, and you'll do fine. The first rifle will take a while to assemble, but you will never regret the experience. Best of all, no gunsmiths required. good luck - CW