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Posted: 8/5/2026 2:20:14 PM EDT
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Since I've retired and moved to SD, I've had more time to devote to projects, such as AR-building, and I have gone back through my builds, up-dating and improving them. Just some things to share with you guys, that the average gun builder out there might run across. For one thing, I have noticed a big difference in parts from various vendors. I must admit that I have been swayed by sales at various sites, thinking, oh it's just a ____, and everyone gets the same forgings, or whatever. And being in a hurry to build something, I haven't noticed the difference in parts. Well, now that I have finally taken the time to dis-assemble these builds, and compare them, I see a big difference in the various parts. And let me just mentioned here, that most parts out there are OK; everything I have is perfectly serviceable. So this depends a lot on you and what you're up to. But, if you want better than just good enough, then here's what you can do as well. I've got to give props to Chad over at the School of the American Rifle, because he has illustrated just how much these parts vary, and why or why not that might be important to you. So with all this in mind, I started mic'ing all the parts, and seeing what's what. A few areas came up. Starting with bolts. Having a bolt that fits tightly in you BCG is a plus. Some of my bargain bolts and carriers were sorta loose. Again, not the end of the world, but something to watch. Then the buffer tube, nut, and lower. Man these were all over the place. So I started matching those together with a reasonable fit, with no thread slop. Then of course barrels, which is a whole 'nother subject, but staying with headspace and crown for now. Uppers and lowers. Been through a few of them. Usually pretty good, but then sometimes machining issues, such as dust cover detent too shallow in upper. Internals, all over the place. Again most will work, but fit and finish can vary wildly. I only say this to say build the best AR you can afford, that fits you and your purposes. If a 500 dollar rack grade rifle works for you, drive on. If you'd like something a little better, and can afford it, consider paying a little closer attention to your build. What I have started doing is trying to match up parts, that play well together, instead of buying whatever bargain bin sale is going on this month. I think this is where many builders, including myself, go wrong. The choice of parts used to build your rifle might not be optimal. Add to that lack of knowledge in build technique, and you have the reason many folks M-F home builds. Recently, I have discovered KAK Industry parts. They have become my baseline to build from. They make reasonably good parts, at a decent price. They are a parts sub-contractor for people who have the .mil contracts, so I know what I'm getting is very close to the mil-spec. As an added bonus, they also play well together. So I am in the process of culling out all my bargain bin parts and replacing them with better quality and fit up. The remaining concern is build quality, and here I am paying closer attention to torque call outs, staking, and small parts fit up/quality. I have invested in better quality tools which make the assembly go much smoother. So to summarize, I am not an AR snob, and believe most any build will work, as long as you work, but, I also acknowledge there are tiers of parts quality, and perhaps a level of quality it's best to stay above, if at all possible. Having inadvertently bought a bunch of suboptimal parts, due to being a cheap bastard, I have seen the parts variation and realize how that can bite you in the ass. If you like to build your own, and can afford better parts, I urge you to do so. It may take some experimentation to find which vendor parts work well together. Perhaps we could all share that here. I have a few PSA clone M4A1 lowers that like KAK parts, so there's a start. The upshot here is there is a range between the lower tier crap and the upper tier gucci-ness, which I think is a good place to explore. |
Happy to hear when the light switch flips on for people.  Once you become aware that the people saying “parts are parts” are incorrect, you never go back.I do use a mix of parts myself, but I have never been a deal shopper that bought the cheapest thing thinking “parts are parts”... I tend to stick to Colt for a lot of things. And it took me about 23 years of AR specific tool buying (and realizing what was junk and what wasn't) to get to this point.            
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Originally Posted By Nobody69s: @Diz Cool post. My biggest issue is finding measurement drawings. I have no idea where to look for these to get a base reference. Also, where would I go look for gauges similar to the ones Chad uses for his stuff? Buy pin gages from a reputable manufacturer. Get a good caliper and micrometer Mintoyo or Starett |
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Originally Posted By j3_: double dupe I feel like I was summoned (I saw your post earlier but I couldn't respond).  I had not heard about the Clymer rimless headspace gauges (thanks for the heads up on that). I knew about the Forster rimless headspace gauges though. I still have yet to buy a set, but I've wanted to on a few occasions... I've just been dragging my feet going forward on new AR tool purchases since the WA ban. I don't get any opportunities to work on ARs here anymore (not counting my own which have all been completed). I can say it sucks to have put so much time, effort and money into an awesome tool collection that I don't really get to use all that much.  I'll still be keeping it though. Last tool I bought was the Mark Brown gas tube gauge and it's an awesome addition (not shown in my pictures).Links to both sets of rimless headspace gauges. https://www.brownells.com/tools-cleaning/general-gunsmith-tools/gauges-measuring-tools/5.56-nato-3-piece-headspace-gauge-kit/ https://www.brownells.com/tools-cleaning/general-gunsmith-tools/gauges-measuring-tools/5.56-armorers-headspace-gauge-kit/ |
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