AR Sponsor
Posted: 4/15/2010 11:51:17 PM EDT
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THE SICKNESS…
It starts off mild, like a little sniffle from a cold as it is first coming on. It can happen many ways, maybe a friend shows you his rifle, or a new movie, or TV show sports something with the latest furniture and gadgets that catch your eye. It always seems to happen innocently at first though, as that little thought first crosses your mind, "maybe I can build my own rifle?" It happened for me that way at least, I have been shooting for a number of years, and suffered an injury to my right eye in my twenty's that forced me to become a Southpaw when it comes to rifles. I have had a nice Olympic CAR that has served me well, but had wanted for some time to switch to a southpaw. I am not a rich guy and didn't really have 1K for a second rifle at the time, and a disassembly mistake had left me a little intimidated about taking apart my gun when I was younger and less patient. I have been a long time AR15.com reader and being a little older, wiser, and most importantly a little more patients now, I decided last year to give it a shot. I had read a lot about the southpaws out there, and for my budget seemed like a Stag Arms upper was the hands down choice. I looked through their various offerings an excitedly ordered a Model 3HL. (Sadly at this point in time Stag was experiencing an exceptionally large backup for lefties, about 3 months, so I began my wait and anxiously peruse the forums in anticipation.) After about a month of reading, I convince myself that I have ordered the wrong upper being a fan of optics and lights, and cancel my original order and substitute it for a Model 2HTL with integrated Samson Star Quad rail. Again I wait, again I debate… The new debate is what will I attach this super kewl new upper to when it arrives? I assumed I could just go out and grab a lower from a local dealer, but few of my Bay Area local dealers seem to like AR’s, and those that did, did not have a Stag lowers for sale. It gave me something new to research though, and after much reading yet again and a fair amount of bugging people at local ranges with questions about their rifles, I decided a Rock River Arms lower would be a good match for my upper. My local shop had one for a decent price in stock. So I went down, and filled out the appropriate paper work and waited…..again (did I mention I HATE waiting being a bit of A.D.D. kid.) After the allotted time I excitedly rushed down to pick up my lower, but something bad happened, I saw another lower I liked even more than the one I had just purchased ( a Spikes lower.) I had already bought, registered, and paid for the RRA though, so I drooled on the Spikes a bit more and let Dan put it away so I could take my new legal lower home to build. The other lower weighed on my mind though……I went to their website and the weight got heavier, ST-T2 heavier (ordered 2 ..... damn sexy spider,) and I slept and dreamed….of the damn lower. So again I call the nice people at Spikes the next day and chat with them about AR’s for about 45 min in Florida ( they like to talk guns,) and something even worse happens. While talking with Brian and Nicole, they mention to me that Spikes is about to do a custom run of lowers in the DE color that had originally caught my eye on their website. The temptation is too great to sleep, sigh…… I order a matched set the next day even though I really only need the lower : ) About this time the Magpul epidemic sweeps through the nation, and while at a friend’s house I notice a DVD with a Samurai holding a rifle on the cover and ask him about it, so begins my deep decent into the “Magpul Kool-Aid,” as a Sergeant buddy referred to it. MOE, ordered, wait the better one is the CTR and now it is in DE, ordered, B.A.D., MS2, A.S.A.P., M.I.A.D, A.F.G, M.B.U.S., XTM’s, PMAG’s say that 3 times real fast, it doesn’t make it cost less, I tried. I also come across at this point a steal of a deal on a BCM charging handle & Daniel Defense 12” Omega rail, deciding after only 3 months I want to replace my Samson with something with a little less weight and more real estate to cover my 16” required Cali legal barrel. Then, it happens again, I see the Noveske KX3 on a friend’s SBR and fall in lust. It looks sooo sexy, I have to have one, so what if the rent is due and the litter box is smelly, we live near the woods go outside kitty I need a Fiery Pig, and since those look silly on a 16” barrel well have to switch to an “Infidel,” 13.7 with the KX3 perm attached. So let’s see sling, rails, oh yeah how can I forget, we will need a decent optic for this thing now, let’s see how much is a good red dot? $6-700.00!! I think I need to sit down, I think I am feeling heart palpitations, that is the price of my entire upper! So I read again, and research and spy on fellow shooters as I build, and hear good things about Vortex so I pick up a Strikefire and love it! So much I also get a SPRC, liking the minimalistic look and light weight, love it too! But something is still missing…. Hmmm anyone? That’s right this is 2010, so a modern AR isn’t modern unless it’s a piston, and Ambi, so you guessed it Adam Arms piston kit, Stag Ambi selector and DD Ambi mag release. I keep telling myself, this is the last piece, I AM DONE, I can’t spend anymore! Yet here I am looking at the KNS Gen 2 Rev 2 pins at 1am, and they look awfully nice :P http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww66/freelancekilla/P1010772-2.jpg |
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Quoted:
THE SICKNESS… It starts off mild, like a little sniffle from a cold as it is first coming on. It can happen many ways, maybe a friend shows you his rifle, or a new movie, or TV show sports something with the latest furniture and gadgets that catch your eye. It always seems to happen innocently at first though, as that little thought first crosses your mind, "maybe I can build my own rifle?" It happened for me that way at least, I have been shooting for a number of years, and suffered an injury to my right eye in my twenty's that forced me to become a Southpaw when it comes to rifles. I have had a nice Olympic CAR that has served me well, but had wanted for some time to switch to a southpaw. I am not a rich guy and didn't really have 1K for a second rifle at the time, and a disassembly mistake had left me a little intimidated about taking apart my gun when I was younger and less patient. I have been a long time AR15.com reader and being a little older, wiser, and most importantly a little more patients now, I decided last year to give it a shot. I had read a lot about the southpaws out there, and for my budget seemed like a Stag Arms upper was the hands down choice. I looked through their various offerings an excitedly ordered a Model 3HL. (Sadly at this point in time Stag was experiencing an exceptionally large backup for lefties, about 3 months, so I began my wait and anxiously peruse the forums in anticipation.) After about a month of reading, I convince myself that I have ordered the wrong upper being a fan of optics and lights, and cancel my original order and substitute it for a Model 2HTL with integrated Samson Star Quad rail. Again I wait, again I debate… The new debate is what will I attach this super kewl new upper to when it arrives? I assumed I could just go out and grab a lower from a local dealer, but few of my Bay Area local dealers seem to like AR’s, and those that did, did not have a Stag lowers for sale. It gave me something new to research though, and after much reading yet again and a fair amount of bugging people at local ranges with questions about their rifles, I decided a Rock River Arms lower would be a good match for my upper. My local shop had one for a decent price in stock. So I went down, and filled out the appropriate paper work and waited…..again (did I mention I HATE waiting being a bit of A.D.D. kid.) After the allotted time I excitedly rushed down to pick up my lower, but something bad happened, I saw another lower I liked even more than the one I had just purchased ( a Spikes lower.) I had already bought, registered, and paid for the RRA though, so I drooled on the Spikes a bit more and let Dan put it away so I could take my new legal lower home to build. The other lower weighed on my mind though……I went to their website and the weight got heavier, ST-T2 heavier (ordered 2 ..... damn sexy spider,) and I slept and dreamed….of the damn lower. So again I call the nice people at Spikes the next day and chat with them about AR’s for about 45 min in Florida ( they like to talk guns,) and something even worse happens. While talking with Brian and Nicole, they mention to me that Spikes is about to do a custom run of lowers in the DE color that had originally caught my eye on their website. The temptation is too great to sleep, sigh…… I order a matched set the next day even though I really only need the lower : ) About this time the Magpul epidemic sweeps through the nation, and while at a friend’s house I notice a DVD with a Samurai holding a rifle on the cover and ask him about it, so begins my deep decent into the “Magpul Kool-Aid,” as a Sergeant buddy referred to it. MOE, ordered, wait the better one is the CTR and now it is in DE, ordered, B.A.D., MS2, A.S.A.P., M.I.A.D, A.F.G, M.B.U.S., XTM’s, PMAG’s say that 3 times real fast, it doesn’t make it cost less, I tried. I also come across at this point a steal of a deal on a BCM charging handle & Daniel Defense 12” Omega rail, deciding after only 3 months I want to replace my Samson with something with a little less weight and more real estate to cover my 16” required Cali legal barrel. Then, it happens again, I see the Noveske KX3 on a friend’s SBR and fall in lust. It looks sooo sexy, I have to have one, so what if the rent is due and the litter box is smelly, we live near the woods go outside kitty I need a Fiery Pig, and since those look silly on a 16” barrel well have to switch to an “Infidel,” 13.7 with the KX3 perm attached. So let’s see sling, rails, oh yeah how can I forget, we will need a decent optic for this thing now, let’s see how much is a good red dot? $6-700.00!! I think I need to sit down, I think I am feeling heart palpitations, that is the price of my entire upper! So I read again, and research and spy on fellow shooters as I build, and hear good things about Vortex so I pick up a Strikefire and love it! So much I also get a SPRC, liking the minimalistic look and light weight, love it too! But something is still missing…. Hmmm anyone? That’s right this is 2010, so a modern AR isn’t modern unless it’s a piston, and Ambi, so you guessed it Adam Arms piston kit, Stag Ambi selector and DD Ambi mag release. I keep telling myself, this is the last piece, I AM DONE, I can’t spend anymore! Yet here I am looking at the KNS Gen 2 Rev 2 pins at 1am, and they look awfully nice :P For goodness sake....paragraphs man! Paragraphs! ETA: I should have added that it was a good read. Nice looking rifle btw! |
| Yes the fiancée knows:) Sorry about the formatting (I tried to fix but it seems to revert back,) I originally drafted it on my IPhone while laying sleepless in bed thinking about rifles. LOL Pics to come, sorry am also in the process of moving into a new place so I need to locate the box with my camera still. |
Yeah I think my next build will probably be a Noveske, otherwise I'll just bite the bullet and pick up a complete LWRC, I am in lust with their rifles. I also infected a friend here at work, he told me a story this morning about his hand involuntarily ordering a new Primary Arms optic last night while he slept 
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Quoted:
Yes the fiancée knows:) Sorry about the formatting (I tried to fix but it seems to revert back,) I originally drafted it on my IPhone while laying sleepless in bed thinking about rifles. LOL Pics to come, sorry am also in the process of moving into a new place so I need to locate the box with my camera still. Better get it out of your system before you tie the knot...................Sometimes "chain of command" changes after the vows 
Me.......married 18+ years............I had to go covert to feed the BRD |
| I myself have recently had a "re-laps" of this "Sickness" (starting another build after about 10 years of black rifle celibacy) one trick I have found is on the way home from the gun show/ shop I stop at one of the little woman's favorite shops and pick her up a little something. then while she ooohs and aaahs I casually yet discretely shuttle the new parts into the house. this can end up costing a little extra $$$ but it is well worth it to help cure this ailment. |
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Quoted:
THE SICKNESS… It starts off mild, like a little sniffle from a cold as it is first coming on. It can happen many ways, maybe a friend shows you his rifle... You know I have the sickness as well... It was implanted in me when I was about 14/15 by my father... Ever since I have had a dormant desire for a rifle but of course at that age never really had the funds or could legally own one. Recently my father had mentioned to me that maybe I should look into buying a rifle and he sent me an e-mail of a few that are quality products... All it took was to look at the e-mail he sent and everything I had envisioned as a young man came back to life... I saw one I liked and found a deal for it by a local shop and went and bought it that same week.. 
Since then it has been one month and I have bought a Vortex StrikeFire optic, Larue tactical Comp M2 Mount QD LT-150, BCM extractor spring upgrade kit, Troy industry rail covers,Perm-Pin firing pin retainer, Troy industry Q.D. 360 rail mount, Quoted:
so begins my deep decent into the “Magpul Kool-Aid,” Yes... I too drowned myself in that very tasty very special Kool-Aid... Also bought 5 Magpul PMAGS 30 rounders black, Magpul MS2 Sling, and finally Magpul AFG but no... it doesn't end there... I still have a few more accessories to acquire.. BCM Charging Handle, Magpul B.A.D lever, Magpul ACS Stock, and finally the final piece as of right now that I need to buy is The Magpul MIAD grip I am right now saving to buy ammunition saving up for 1000 rounds once that has been purchased I will have to go back to getting my fixes 
I too share this sickness my fellow BRD brotherin... I will be posting pics on monday of my rifle 
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It's one of those sicknesses that just snowballs on you.
I built my first one 21 years ago. Rebuilt it with a match barrel in '95. It's been dormant until last summer after I read an article about the 6.8 SPC. I decided that I needed one for deer hunting. I finished that rifle and waited for brass so I could shoot it. Then came the 458 SOCOM for heavy brush hunting. Just finished an M4gery. Today at the local fun show I spotted a 24" varmint upper. I was planning on ordering some blem lowers from DSA this week for a couple friends and I. I'm worried that after I get them I won't want to let any of them go. It's getting worse. Good thing I don't have a wife to have to apease.
I'm a sick man.
Steve |
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Better get it out of your system before you tie the knot...................Sometimes "chain of command" changes after the vows
Heh heh until you acheive cammoflague! The state of having so much AR15 related guns and junk that your wife cant see that you have added a new colt to the stable! |
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Quoted:
Yeah I am already getting the "you look at rifle stuff more than me" comment, so I am on pretty thin ice as it is. Think I will listen to the voice of experience and start keeping the new obsession on the DL. Thanks for the advice SAME BOAT MAN................Orderd some more ammo the other day and a quad rail and i got the " how much did you spend this time with the stink eye...reply: enough to make me happy" lol getting married Sept 18th |
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Pretty funny read, some great writing style as well. Thanks. I'll try to keep my grammer correct here.....
I think if we drop a line, it makes for easier reading. Ahhhhhhh... the sickness, I can identify. Over the years, and I have been around for a few of them, I have had my obsessions. The last 24 years I have gone from bicycles, had to have 3 of them, to Harleys, think I had 5 of them at one time, to turbo cars, again, had as many as 3-4,5 of them, not to mention, ended up directing my auto repair business to specialize in the 86-87 Buick Grand National turbo cars. My latest obssession.... black guns..... 
Next paragraph... I recently applied and got my LTCC, been a few months, went crazy with that for a few weeks, purchased my 1st pistol, M&P40FS. So began the journey, 1st time to the range with a friend that just happened to be an employee of COLT... of course he brought one of his many AR's there. My 1st time shooting it, I really didn't think much about it as I had handguns on my mind, learning how to shoot them was my priority. After purchasing my M&P40, I happen to live 5 minutes from Smith&Wesson.... I purchased it at their retail store, you get a month of free use of their shooting range.... now that's where the real sickness developed.. Going there to shoot pretty much everyday for a few weeks, I couldn't help seeing the AR's on the shelf, finally asked to handle one.... that was it, I was hooked. I began searching the internet for info, which led me to here and other sites, found Troy Ind. is located 1.5 miles from my house.. as well as several other gun related companies and custom gunsmiths.. YH is just up the highway as well. 
Now here I sit, a month later with 4 AR's.... 1. new M&P15-ORC, 2. pre ban COLT Sporter, in the box never been shot, 3. pre ban PWA receiver, quick custom build from locally purchased components, 4. M&P15-22lr, plinkerfor the wife, that's another story, by the way shot it yesterday for the first time and loved it. Last but not least, just putting the finishing touches on a pre ban EA's purchase off the board here... I keep saying that's it... but I can see, there is lots of "stuff" to do and learn ,,,,,, all kinds of crazy "upgrades" ... and so the sickness continues.... but it's a good sickness....
PS... I failed to mention, I started the insanity with about 100 guns, 60 rifles and about 40 pistols I inherited from my Dad. He was into them, I never was... So I have a little ammo to work with and do some horse trading.. or I should say... gun trading... Thanks Dad!!
Jack C |
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