Hello Fellow Builders, and those who are considering it:

I have met with success, and would like to share it with you.  First, NO ONE should be anxious about putting together a lower!

RRA stripped lower, $95 shipped from Robert at SableCo.

Parts kit, $65 shipped from Pete-in-New Hampshire (I paid a bit extra, and was happy to, because Pete had these in stock).  Just arrived this afternoon.

H

I printed the lower assembly instructions from the AR-15.com home page, and followed them as written.  Tools included one punch, small hammer, small screwdriver, small nail, cotton cloth, and hex wrench for pistol grip.

30 minutes later, it was complete (sans stock and upper, which will arrive tomorrow from Steve at Adco.  No marred lower, all functions perfectly (trigger is heavy, however!).  

No kidding here...30 minutes for first lower build.  DO NOT HESITATE IF YOU ARE CONCERNED THAT YOU CANNOT PUT THIS TOGETHER.

[beer]

I was hesitant, but anxious, to get mine built.  After waiting what seemed like an eternity for my kit to come in, I was getting antsy (like a kid at Christmas).  When my kit did come in, I was at work and UPS had to have a signature to leave it.  I checked the UPS tracking # and saw that they had tried to deliver it.  I took off from work and met the UPS driver at the station.  Took the kit home, and my wife left to go to the store right as I got in.  She left our 2 year old daughter with me.  It took about 45 minutes to get it together while watching the little one.  I did have one detent go flying on me (the pivot pin detent) but it flew up, hit the ceiling, and fell and hit me on top of the head.  It then bounced off my head and into the shoe box lid I was using to hold all the parts.  How lucky can one get???

I did have to wait a little longer to get it completely together, as I received the wrong stock (I ordered the post-ban, non-collapsible CAR stock but received the collapsible stock.  I had to send it back and wait on the right stock.  It came in today, and once again I wasn't at home.  I saw the FedEx note requiring a signature and called the FedEx driver (he left his cell # on the sticker).  I then went and met him and picked it up.  Got it home and completed the rifle.  Now to decide which optics I want to go with....

WTG, Megistopoda!

It sounds like you had as much fun putting your lower together as I did.  When you get it all done, make sure to post a pic or two of your creation!

Hi dsr611,
Had a good belly laugh when I read your story above!  Way to go...you should call yourself "Lucky in Alabama"!  Thanks for writing...

Yeah, if you have the right tools, it's pretty darned simple.  I think the first one took me an hour because I didn't have any roll pin punches (and I had a takedown pin detent fly across the room.)  The last build I did was a set of 5 Eagle Arms receivers from Quantico Arms, and I had all of them done in well under an hour.

See where this habit gets you?  Next time I'll be doing 20.  [:D] Actually, I only have 3 uppers for these 5 lowers, but more are on the way!

I lost a detent on my first build.  Spent 30 min crawling around the kitchen floor looking for it.  I probably won't ever buy a complete rifle again.

I'm with you on that, Dan.  Now that I see how much FUN it is to build 'em, as well as the complete control you have over what part goes where and the complete customization aspect, there's no other way to go!!!  Sure, depending on what you want, you can either save a lot, some, or none, but it's the FUN of putting them together that's got me hooked.

Now I just need to find a way to get another AR past the wife...

[peep]

If it applies, tell the wife the next one's for the kid.  It worked for me!!