First, since you will be giving to me, I shall give to you. I give you all the first opportunity to see my project, in it's near entireity, before it it passes from the 99% mark to the 100% mark. I give you "Audrey Hepburn" (<--- scored points with the fiancee with that one )



Now, I have a few questions before I finish her.

1. How can I properly test it to make sure everything is functioning without a hitch?

2. Are there any techniques, from people who have refinished their rifles, that I should know? I was thinking of using small nails/wire to plug up the small detent holes to prevent clogging. That sort of thing.

3. What do you think of her so far?
I have put SO much time into it. I even went to great lengths to hand sand and file the small ridge that wraps around the receiver so it is all smooth. I also got some Alluma-hyde for when she is 100% done. I just need to pin the mag in place and drill the holes for the hammer and trigger, both of which are INSANELY easy with the jig I have.

Hurry hurry! responses and compliments!

NIce, where did you do your  machining?
Are you going to anodize it?
Did you fit the mag like the vulcan?

I did all the machining myself on one of my parent's ranches. Used a drill press for 90% of the work that had to be done.

As for finish, I am going to use Alluma-hyde. It's a special expoy paint specifically designed for firearms. I opted to not anodize it for two reasons: 1. I have heard from several people that they have had some problems getting their home anodizing to come out proper & 2. a couple spots, including one that is JB welded, that I would like to cover.

I have not actually pinned the mag in place yet, but I am going to do it just like the Vulcan: with a 1/8 x 3/4 tension pin under the mag release.

Looks good there NeoWeird.  
I've done three 0% forgings, they're a lot of fun.


1. Before you even fire it, do a function check with it fully assembled (and unloaded of course).  Basically, pull charging handle and release.  Then pull the trigger, the hammer should fall.  Do this again, only this time keep the trigger fully depressed after the hammer falls.  Pull the charging handle back all the way and let it go.  Then let go of the trigger, the hammer should not fall and you will hear the disconnector let go of the hammer and the trigger catch it (makes a click sound).

Then take it to the range and try it out.

2. Don't worry about re-finishing it until you've test fired.  I've built 3 (they're still in Idaho where I used to live, at my parent's).  Two of them are still "in the white" and look fine.  The other one I bead blasted, I recommend this as it looks nice, helps to remove scratches and machining marks, and helps the paint adhere better.  I used hi-temp engine paint on the one I've finished.  It holds up ok, but needs touching up from time to time.  No matter what method you use, bead blasting helps the finish adhere and gives it a better matte finish.  The holes I just left open when spray painting, then I used welder's cleaning file (for oxy-acetelene torches)  to  clean the detent holes.

3.  I think it will make a fine rifle, looks great .

Quoted: The other one I bead blasted, I recommend this as it looks nice, helps to remove scratches and machining marks, and helps the paint adhere better.

Are you sure? I heard, especially with Moly-coating, that bead blasting is a BAD idea, as it makes the surface very smooth and decreases surface area preventing any finish from holding properly to it. In fact, I hear more often than not to take sand paper or a fine file lightly to the surface to give it some texture and to remove any dirt, oil, grease, etc that might be on it.

Maybe the moly won't adhere, but I like the results with my engine paint.  I also milled a single shot lower for my .50 and didn't bead blast it.  The paint wears more than the one that was.

If you're really after that rough texture, you could go with a really coarse bead media or even sandblast.

Just my $.02

Could you explain a little more about where you are putting that pin for the mag catch?

Thanks
Jason

CATASTROPHE
Need help


Ok, so everything has been going GREAT. A few hitches here and there, but everything was fixed with just a little time and effort. Until today. I start out on finishing the whole project today, and one after another I hit problems.

First I miss judge the magazine retaining pin. I get it to close to the magazine and it catches on the follower. So, using a screwdriver of all things, I get the follower and spring out of the TOP of the magaine (stupid plastic base) and file down the follower's rear foot so it will pass by the pin nicely. Problem solved. Ok, so my Bolt Catch doesn't work anymore, not such a big deal.

So I drill the last two holes, and the drill sticks in them. Kind of odd since it was a new bit and I was taking it nice and easy. They get a slight edge to them, but with a file and some sand paper I take care of that.

I get home and start putting everything together. I get the trigger and hammer in, and the rear of the trigger sticks just slightly too high to get the Safety Selector in. So I take the trigger and hammer out and put the Safety Selector in first, then put the trigger in. I get everything in, and it ALL locks up. There is NO movement in anything. The hammer is stiff (I figured this was from lack of lube on anything as they are all new parts). The trigger is depressed all the way. The Safety Slector won't switch back and forth. I am figuring this is because the trigger hole may be drilled slightly too high, causing the rear of the trigger to sit flush against the Safety Selector preventing it from moving and being too high to slip past the ridge on the hammer to release it.

So if what I am thinking is right, I have two options:

repair and redrill or modify the trigger.

Repair and redrill sounds GOD AWFUL. I have already modified about 40% of the parts, including the upper, so that they will fit the lower without having to mill our the trigger box. I, however, have NO experience with an AR-15 (this was my dream rifle), so I want to wait and get advice from you AR-15 owners first. Any problems you might see with it? I checked the Build it Yourself forums, and people had similar problems, but they were caused by parts, like detents, falling into the assemblies and that is not the case on my rifle.

Any advice, tips, wisdom, or prayers would be greatly appreciated

ETA: If I push the hammer down to the cocked position, I get a little movement from the trigger, but it will not release the hammer. Again, I am thinking this is because when the hammer is uncocked, it rests against the top of the trigger (because it is too high) preventing it from moving. However, with the safety selector removed, the hammer and trigger function properly but pulling the trigger does not release the hammer from the cocked position. This seems to support my original idea that the trigger was drilled too high.

Trigger and hammer pin placement are crucial in order for you to have a properly functioning firing group, far more important than the safety sear placement IMO.  Which materials did you start from and what jig if any did you use?

Which holes are not in the right place?

ETA: I would recommend reposting this in the Build it yourslef forum if you haven't already.

I am using the Baxter jig from AR15plus.com. So far it has been PERFECT, and I the in holes on my solid mag well receiver came out perfect also. Both holes were drilled at the same time, and I was very careful to line up the reciever properly. I am thinking that I may not have had the jig tightened all the way, and the drill bit was sticking because the receiver was softly rotating, and the bit would bite into the hole wall and stick. If that is true, then the pins could be just a degree or two out of place.

I think I am going to JB weld the walls closed and redrill the safety selector, trigger pin, and hammer pins. Just to be safe. I just hope I won't be sacrificing the integrity of the receiver itself...

Update:

So I went into the shop today and figured I would fix whatever was wrong. I set up the jig and the holes line up perfectly. I was confussed.

So I took out the hammer, trigger, and safety selector and tried to imagine in my mind how they would work together. It all made sense, except that the way I had mine would give no spring tension on the hammer. On a hunch, I moved the spring on the hammer into the position I thought it would work in. Turns out to work fine. It's still tight, but I imagine that will go away somewhat when it is all greased/oiled/lubed.

This diagram caused my worst headache ever:


I know I am dumb, but at least I caught my mistake.

ETA: Ok, went to go put the spray finish on it. Alumma-hyde is the WORST product I have ever used. It went on VERY thick, which was bad for those low tolerance areas, and even after it had dried, it remained in a soft state that could be scratched off with my nails (not to mention any part of the gun that touched it). While it may be nice for touching up guns, it is not a good all gun finish. I should have just gone with my original instincts and just anodized it. I think I am going to take a wire brush to it and clean everything off, bead blast it, and then anodize it.

you're suppose to wait a week before Alumahyde fully cures.

That said, I find John Norrel's moly resin to be the best.

Quoted: you're suppose to wait a week before Alumahyde fully cures. That said, I find John Norrel's moly resin to be the best.

Really? the can says dries in 10 minutes, and I thought it said cures in 30 minutes under normal conditions. I left it overnight. In all honesty, it was the finish that I was displeased with the most, but the fact that afterwards, nothing fit properly.

+1 on Moly Resin. If not that, I would duracoat it.

How'd you tap the buffer?

Quoted: Quoted: you're suppose to wait a week before Alumahyde fully cures. That said, I find John Norrel's moly resin to be the best. Really? the can says dries in 10 minutes, and I thought it said cures in 30 minutes under normal conditions. I left it overnight. In all honesty, it was the finish that I was displeased with the most, but the fact that afterwards, nothing fit properly.

Alumahyde and Alumahyde 2 tend to dry to the touch within 10 minutes but it remains soft for upwards of a week depending on how hot of an area you have it curing in.

Did a few parts a few years back during late spring and it took 2-3 days to dry out and reach full cure.    Don't go digging your fingernails into the finish trying to test it's hardness, LET IT SIT FOR 2-3 days.

A bead blast can help as well.    The forged aluminum is smoother than that of a finish that has been abrasive blasted.     I've done handguards, magazine bodies, upper receivers, and a few other parts with decent results.     Alumahyde dries pretty darn tough but there are a few strong gun cleaners out there that can harm it a bit, just don't let the more agressive barrel cleaners get on it.