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Posted: 5/6/2011 4:38:47 PM EDT
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Hey everybody,
I recently decided I want to build my first AR-15. I am really new to all of this, so I am trying to do my research and learn more (so sorry in advance if I ask stupid questions). Since this is my first build, I am trying to keep this as cost effective as possible and as simple as possible. Hopefully, I will learn more slowly and then I'll be able to build a more complex/expensive AR later. Besides, everybody I talk to or see around forums talk about the addictiveness of them and I'm already hooked! So I guess I'm looking for where I should start, what are the parts that I must have, and where should I go to get them? And any other advice is welcome. Thanks |
| I am not an expert by any means infact i just finished my first build about a week ago, but I think the place to start will be to determine what you want to do with the rifle. Is it going to be for plinking, hunting, or home defense. Once you know what you want out of it the fine people here will have lots of advice on the different paths to take to build your rifle. I would suggest looking through the picture threads to see which ones you like and which ones you dont like. And don't forget all the wonderful sponsors web sites they can be very helpful. |
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Start with a lower from Palmetto State Armory. After that, sit down and figure out what kind of rifle you want. That will help us direct you to the right sources
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Quoted:
Well, I'm going to get the upper in .223. It will be used mainly for target/hunting....I guess I could say HD as well but that's not ideal. An AR-15 is a good HD weapon. A shotgun is better. As for target/hunting, do you want something a little lighter and more mobile, or do you want more of a benchrest gun with a heavier barrel? This is a good barrel for target shooting. You can find a lot of the parts (upper, individual parts, BCG, etc) at rainier arms as well. Other good options are the BCM, and the Rainier Arms Select and Ultramatch barrels. For a lower kit, this is a good deal. You get a lower parts and a geiselle SSA trigger. Very nice 2 stage. For a stock, either the Magpul UBR or PRS, or you could just stick with an A2 stock kit from Rainier. The magpul options will allow you to adjust the stock to fit you, but they are much more expensive. If you want a collapsible stock, the magpul MOE and CTR stocks are good options, as is the ACS. You can find them here with the stock mounting equipment. Vltor and LMT are also good stocks, but a little more expensive. A good cheap option is this if you just want a basic M4 stock. Might add in a Harris bipod. You will also need to get a bipod adapter (looks like this. Yankee Hill and GG&G make a cheaper one) in order to install it. For a rail, get a Troy TRX extreme. Lightweight to counter the extra weight from the barrel, and easy to install. The magpul MOE hand guards (Found at DSG Arms and other places), are a cheap and light alternative, but you will need to get a hand guard cap to install behind the gas block or front site base. A good, easy to install flash hider is the smith vortex. Relatively cheap, and all you do is hand tighten it. The A2 flash hider is also a good option, and very cheap, but you will need to get a set of barrel blocks to install it without the possibility of messing up your barrel extension and receiver. For an optic, figure out what distances you will shoot at and pick your magnification accordingly. American Defense Mfg and Larue make very good mounts. The Burris and Nikon offerings are cheaper, but you don't get the quick release option. Tools: If you plan to put the whole thing together yourself, you will need a clamshell action block (Bushmaster website), a vise, a stock tool, a combination tool (DPMS brand. I have one and like it), a good set of punches, and a hammer. Also get some high temp wheel bearing grease to put on the threads of the barrel nut. Look at the tacked threads at the top of the forum to learn how to put the pieces together. If you want a complete upper, BCM, Rainier Arms, DSG Arms, and plenty of others have many options. Just look in the Industry forum the list of retailers, and start clicking through their options. IM me if you have any other questions. 
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| As far as a simple start goes, you can get everything you need from Palmetto State Armory. Get their carbine upper, PSA lower, a lower parts kit, and a stock kit. Should set you back about $650 at most. The only tools you will need to assemble the lower are a punch set, hammer, and stock wrench. Might just do that myself... |
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What's the difference between a one stage and two stage trigger? I'm no expert, other than having one of the geiselle SSA triggers in one of my rifles, but a 2 stage trigger has the take-up stage, where the resistance is lighter as you take the slack out of the trigger in the 1st stage, and in the 2nd stage you feel more resistance as the surfaces make contact and slide across each other just prior to firing. the more polished and smooth the surfaces are, the better the 2nd stage will feel. The standard GI trigger, in comparison, is a single stage, and there is resistance during the entire length of pull. Sometimes it isn't too bad, and sometimes it feels like rubbing 2 pieces of sandpaper together. In a fighting carbine, you want a little more resistance like the GI trigger offers to avoid a negligent discharge. In a hunting/target rifle, you want a smoother trigger like the geiselle for the smooth take-up and light release, which enhances accuracy. Its kinda like the difference between shooting a double action and single action revolver. As far as the easy carbine, the Palmetto State Armory option is a very good 1st rifle IMHO. And really, building an upper is pretty easy. Like everything else you start out doing, just take it slow, read the instructions, and do it right. |
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Quoted:
I'm no expert, other than having one of the geiselle SSA triggers in one of my rifles, but a 2 stage trigger has the take-up stage, where the resistance is lighter as you take the slack out of the trigger in the 1st stage, and in the 2nd stage you feel more resistance as the surfaces make contact and slide across each other just prior to firing. the more polished and smooth the surfaces are, the better the 2nd stage will feel. The standard GI trigger, in comparison, is a single stage, and there is resistance during the entire length of pull. Sometimes it isn't too bad, and sometimes it feels like rubbing 2 pieces of sandpaper together. In a fighting carbine, you want a little more resistance like the GI trigger offers to avoid a negligent discharge. In a hunting/target rifle, you want a smoother trigger like the geiselle for the smooth take-up and light release, which enhances accuracy. Its kinda like the difference between shooting a double action and single action revolver. As far as the easy carbine, the Palmetto State Armory option is a very good 1st rifle IMHO. And really, building an upper is pretty easy. Like everything else you start out doing, just take it slow, read the instructions, and do it right. Thanks. I'm going to look into the Palmetto site, haven't gotten to it yet. Depending on cost, I might have to just settle for a stage 1 trigger (which is fine with me). And then eventually maybe I'll just upgrade it. This rifle will be mainly for target and hunting. |
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Quoted:
As far as a simple start goes, you can get everything you need from Palmetto State Armory. Get their carbine upper, PSA lower, a lower parts kit, and a stock kit. Should set you back about $650 at most. The only tools you will need to assemble the lower are a punch set, hammer, and stock wrench. Might just do that myself... This is good advice. You can't go wrong with Palmettos' setup, a rock solid platform to get started a fair price and great cs. No need to get confused and overwhelmed on your first build. This package is a winner, you won't be dissapointed. 
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As I continue to look around, I am starting to like the look of a Bull Barrel. Is there any advantage/disadvantage of them? Advantage: Better accuracy because it heats up slower Disadvantage: Heavier to carry for long periods of time, and cools down slower. Look at the Rock River Arms offerings. I think they have a couple different bull barrel offerings with different barrel diameters. A good alternative is the PSA SS mid-length offering. $430 for a complete upper with a SS 16" mid-length barrel. Not a bad choice to get started out with, plus they offer optional upgrades. |
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What does forward assist mean? An upper I was looking at says it doesn't have forward assist, dust cover, or brass deflector. Are those necessary? Sounds like a slickside receiver. Some people like the clean look on the side. I like having the FA, dust cover, and brass deflector. This is a forward assist. If you look at a bolt carrier, it has slots down the side. If it fails to seat all the way forward, hitting the FA will move it forward the last little bit, seating it in the chamber and allowing the rifle to fire. The dust cover is good to have if you are going to be carrying the rifle in a dusty environment. It keeps dust out of the upper receiver. The brass deflector just keeps the brass from flying back and hitting you in the face. Its a matter of choice if you want those features or not. |
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Sounds like a slickside receiver. Some people like the clean look on the side. I like having the FA, dust cover, and brass deflector. This is a forward assist. If you look at a bolt carrier, it has slots down the side. If it fails to seat all the way forward, hitting the FA will move it forward the last little bit, seating it in the chamber and allowing the rifle to fire. The dust cover is good to have if you are going to be carrying the rifle in a dusty environment. It keeps dust out of the upper receiver. The brass deflector just keeps the brass from flying back and hitting you in the face. Its a matter of choice if you want those features or not.
Are these things you can add to any upper? Or do they have to come that way? |
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Quoted:
Sounds like a slickside receiver. Some people like the clean look on the side. I like having the FA, dust cover, and brass deflector. This is a forward assist. If you look at a bolt carrier, it has slots down the side. If it fails to seat all the way forward, hitting the FA will move it forward the last little bit, seating it in the chamber and allowing the rifle to fire. The dust cover is good to have if you are going to be carrying the rifle in a dusty environment. It keeps dust out of the upper receiver. The brass deflector just keeps the brass from flying back and hitting you in the face. Its a matter of choice if you want those features or not.
Are these things you can add to any upper? Or do they have to come that way? Slickside uppers lack the provisions to install them, stripped uppers means you are buying the upper reciever minus the hardware for the dust cover, and FA, and an assembled one will have it all. Don't take this the wrong way, but you should read through the FAQ at the top of this forum and browse the picture threads to get an idea of what's out there, how it goes together, how it works, etc.. These are all very basics of the platform, and you might be in over your head if your already thinking about building before researching on your own. If you come here without any research and ask generic "what should i get?" then your going to get a lot of peoples different opinions, and those vary vastly on what the definition of a quality component is or what accesories etc are essential. You are much better off building/buying a plane-jane style rifle or doing a lot of homework on your own before commiting. |
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Slickside uppers lack the provisions to install them, stripped uppers means you are buying the upper reciever minus the hardware for the dust cover, and FA, and an assembled one will have it all.
Don't take this the wrong way, but you should read through the FAQ at the top of this forum and browse the picture threads to get an idea of what's out there, how it goes together, how it works, etc.. These are all very basics of the platform, and you might be in over your head if your already thinking about building before researching on your own. If you come here without any research and ask generic "what should i get?" then your going to get a lot of peoples different opinions, and those vary vastly on what the definition of a quality component is or what accesories etc are essential. You are much better off building/buying a plane-jane style rifle or doing a lot of homework on your own before commiting. No offense taken. I have been reading around. I understand the difference between stripped uppers and complete uppers. But my question is I saw a "complete upper" that did not include FA, brass deflector, or a dust cover. And my question is if I bought a complete upper like that could I add those components or would it be better to just buy a stripped upper, and then buy all the other necessary pieces |
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Quoted:
Slickside uppers lack the provisions to install them, stripped uppers means you are buying the upper reciever minus the hardware for the dust cover, and FA, and an assembled one will have it all.
Don't take this the wrong way, but you should read through the FAQ at the top of this forum and browse the picture threads to get an idea of what's out there, how it goes together, how it works, etc.. These are all very basics of the platform, and you might be in over your head if your already thinking about building before researching on your own. If you come here without any research and ask generic "what should i get?" then your going to get a lot of peoples different opinions, and those vary vastly on what the definition of a quality component is or what accesories etc are essential. You are much better off building/buying a plane-jane style rifle or doing a lot of homework on your own before commiting. No offense taken. I have been reading around. I understand the difference between stripped uppers and complete uppers. But my question is I saw a "complete upper" that did not include FA, brass deflector, or a dust cover. And my question is if I bought a complete upper like that could I add those components or would it be better to just buy a stripped upper, and then buy all the other necessary pieces If you buy a slickside receiver, you cannot add the FA, deflector, or dust cover. For your first build, buy an assembled upper from a reputable dealer. |
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