OK, I'm hooked.

I bought a lower at a local gun show yesterday. It's a Stinger Arms made by Mega Machine in Tacoma. I paid $99 and $9 BC for a $108 total. I also picked up a couple of English steel mags with the new style followers for $16 each. Not too bad so far...

So now I am looking at a kit. I am wondering what the most effective upgrades might be. I see the Jewel Trigger groups for $175 and that sounds good. I was wondering if the NM sights are a worthwhile upgrade? I am not yet sure if I will do a carbine or standard. If I get a flattop I'm pretty sure I would want the detachable handle to go with it.

If you were building an AR ( my first btw ) what would you think of my plans? Money is a concern but I'm not trying to set any low price records.

Crap, another spendy toy habit!

Went to the show today.

Oly 20" A2 kit with 416 SS barrel, AFRX, and Ergo upgrades, sling, and cleaning kit. $532
1k Q3131 $159.95 ( traded in for LC M193 )
A couple more English mags $32
Soft case $38

It went together smooth as silk in about 2 hours. It functions so now I suppose I need to clean, oil, and sight it in. I have the goodies to do the 15 minute trigger job but I'm going to wait on that. I'll probably do the polish part, shoot it, and then maybe do the spring mods. I do have to highly endorse the 1/4" Cleavis pin method for the pivot pin, slick trick for 79 cents.

I think this is the url for the pics but I may have to work on it a bit. How do you make the link hot?

http://community.webshots.com/album/89079174kWoWDn?889

Sweet...

I would recommend taking your time and figuring out what you want to do with the rifle.  Then decide on upper type and barrel length.  You're probably going to want the flat top (you can always attach a carry handle).  I'd recommend taking your time, planning it out and mulling it over for a few weeks.  Then I'd order the parts for your rifle and put it together.  Get a working rifle first, then go for NM triggers and stuff.  If you don't atleast have a working rifle you have no baseline to know if that NM trigger was worth a crap compared to stock or not.

Should have used more of those 8k characters.

I would like a good shooter out to 300/400 meters. If I add optics it would be for the outside of this range. I qualifed expert over iron on an A1 before leaving the Army so I don't feel dependant on glass. I enjoy shooting for accuracy but a varmint is too specialized for my first AR. This is a GP weapon. In a SHTF scenario this would not be a close in weapon. I shoot a 1911 for that. I'm looking for a reasonably accurate and flexible setup. I think a standard 20" or 16" dissipator flattop is my current lean. I guess I should look into rear iron for such a config. Model 1 has the dissy kit.

There's a big show coming up in Portland in a couple weeks. Any kit vendors do the show circut?

Here is an easy first build that may suit you:

1) RRA Stainless Hbar complete standard upper. Same barrel as their CMP rifle, just not freefloated barrel. They are nice barrels and uppers at a very good price.

2) RRA lower parts kit with the NM trigger. Unlike the Jewell, it has no extra parts to go bad. Maybe it's not quite as nice, but for $95-- you can shoot a lot of extra ammo.

3) Scrounge a buttstock from the EE. Lots of folks put on fancy stuff- there are lots of buttstocks out there looking for a good home. Or, put a slick ACE buttstock on it- you can afford it, since you didn't by the Jewell trigger.

Easy, not hardly more than a kit, and you get to pick your parts. Resale value on a RRA upper will be higher than a kit upper.

Careful, you can get hooked on this stuff.

Pete

ps- I can quit anytime I want to.

For a first rifle, you can't go wrong with a standard A2 upper with 20" 1/9 twist barrel.

Everybody seems to like a flat top, but the removable carry handle weights a lot, and they're almost never used once some optics go on the gun, so I consider them a waste of money.

Good advice given previously--take it slow and figure out what you really want. For the average shooter (most of us) the add-on high dollar stuff doesn't seem to be necessary, or worth the cost in daily use. Later you may decide you need the $$$$$$ stuff but, in my opinion, you don't need to decide that yet. Just build a basic gun, shoot the heck out of it, and when you decide you're better than the gun, upgrade it. Kinda like the same rules for a 1911.

I bought a one owner Gold Cup 80 from my mother for $200. I don't think I'll be able to start out that way with an AR. :-) Unless someone has a 95% pre-ban Colt AR they want to "sell" me for $400. :-)

I'm going to keep fishing around, looking for deals and learning as much as I can.

Option 1
M&A 20 flattop kit
ARMS #40
About $510

Option 2
ADCO RRA 20 flattop complete upper
ARMS #40
ADCO RRA lower parts kit
ARFX kit
$634 shipped

How am I doin? The is a gun show coming up in a couple weeks. It seems like this is the place to go for ammo, mags, slings, etc. I don't remember seeing kits at the last show but I didn't look real close. Do shows usually have these things and would the prices beat web or EE deals? Anybody in Portland have any advice?

Yikes! That's one mom you sure don't want to backtalk! I wonder what she kept for herself! Hamilton Bowen?

Pete

Is a broken slide stop on my 1911 a suttle hint to hurry on the AR or perhaps a signal that my thoughts on buying a Mossberg 500 are justified?

Numrich $67 #@$%!!!

One thing to consider......When you purchase online from another state.....NO SALES TAX!

No sales tax in OR. The show is tomorrow so I'll see what they have.

Funny how when mom started shooting, I started listening to her more carefully...

Done deal, see original post for details.

[url]http://community.webshots.com/album/89079174kWoWDn?889[/url]

Thanks davidp for the hot link. How is that done?

I went out and shot my new toy today. I did a shortened job of Oly's breakin proceedure. I was shooting at small bore 25 yard targets and my last group of 4 hit in 3 holes about 1" apart and one neatly punched out the 10 spot. After getting it zeroed I was able to hit a couple 1/2" inch branches about the same distance. I'll wait to get a chance to do longer range stuff but I'm pretty impressed so far.

btw: I looked up the barrel id on Oly's site and the upper has a SS 416 barrel. Oly charges about $30 extra for that. It's nice to find out the guy at the show gave me an even better deal than I thought...  So far anyway!

just put [url]in front, and[/url] behind it.

doh!

put url in front and /url behind it.
but you have to put the url's inside these [ ]

when you post a new topic or reply, look directly above the white box you ytpe in where it says board code, icon code, and anim code.
look at board code.

Thank you sir!

I had seen the icon and anim stuff but for some reason completely missed the board code. Too much squinting over iron I guess...

no problem.


BTW very nice rifle i debated the 20in myself but went w/ a rra mid length instead.
[url]http://www.fototime.com/ftweb/bin/ft.dll/detailfs?userid={2394B0ED-2626-4BC0-AD60-2C3B6046F572}&ndx=0&slideshow=0&AlbumId={426BC6AC-0E03-4B8B-8709-D07C08F021C4}&GroupId=&screenheight=864[/url]

i decided to build a SECOND (no it is NOT possible to build just one) and make that one a 20in varmit.  i havent really started on it except i buy parts whenever i find them cheap. ive just got a a2 stock and buffer for now.  im too busy with building a FAL and soon a 1911.

I really liked your setup. I was very close to getting the same thing. What sold me on the Oly stuff was the guys prices, his willingness to customize the kit, and an endorsement from a competing vendor at the show. I had also heard good things about Oly barrels.
I'm already thinking about #2. The HBAR is pretty heavy so I'm thinking a setup like your's but with a lightweight barrel. I'll probably go for the A2 stock and put it on the 20", moving the ARFX to the carbine. Who knows?

This is way too fun.