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Posted: 11/16/2013 10:54:59 PM EDT
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Hi all. I’m new to rifles and decided it would be fun and a good way to get to know what makes them tick by building my own. I’ve been watching YouTube videos all week and bought The Competitive AR15 Builder’s Guide so I know the basic steps. I need help figuring out what brands I should go with though and whether or not a total newb should build their own upper since I’ve heard conflicting answers. It really doesn’t look that difficult, I’ll make sure I have proper tools and I already have a vise in my garage so all I’d need are the receiver blocks etc.
So, as far as what I intend to use this for, in a perfect world I would love to be at an outdoor range going through various drills and firing positions. I don’t need super long range capabilities; I probably won’t be shooting past 300-500yds. I also want to have it for the SHTF possibility, as a home defense tool in case my Glock 23 won’t cut it. Other than that it will probably be used at an indoor range most of the time provided I can’t find any decent outdoor ranges. I won’t be doing any competitions with it, but I still want it to be as accurate as possible obviously. I don’t have many parts picked out yet, that’s the main thing I need help with. My budget is around $1500-2000. Here are the few things I’ve picked out so far: Tools Upper Receiver Action Block Lower Receiver Vise Block Armorer's Wrench Roll Pin Holders Roll Pin Punches Rifle Parts Mega Forged Lower Aimpoint Pro Magpul STR Carbine Stock I think the main things I need help with are the barrel, upper receiver, BCG, LPK, trigger, and hand guard (do I want free floating?). I believe I want to stick with a 16" mid length barrel. I'm not sure what other info you may need to provide some insight, so let me know if I forgot to mention anything else. |
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I'd start with the thread tacked at the top of this forum.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_4/226782_Assemble_your_own_LOWER__UPPER__FREE_FLOAT__TRIGGER__GAS_BLOCK___Step_by_step_instructions_.html |
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What's your budget for all this? I'd say free float that sucker with a DD or a Geissele rail but with rails like that it comes with a down side, the weight (although I do believe that the newer Geissele rails are very light. If you want even lighter and ghandy then I'd suggest the regular handguards or the Magpul MOE ones. User preference with either a mid length or carbine gas system. I prefer the mid length because I have long arms and that gives me more real estate for a VFG and still have room for a regular hand grip for longer ranges from the prone.
Do you want it with a flash suppressor or a compensator? Each has it's pro's and con's. The Aimpoint is a great choice but you should focus more on learning the irons first. It's a really easy platform to work with, just don't let it intimidate you. We have pictorial threads, I highly suggest you take a look for inspirations. Aside from a few rare doosies, you'll see everything from 3 gun, KISS, SPR, carbines set up for fighting. |
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Quoted:
I'd start with the thread tacked at the top of this forum. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_4/226782_Assemble_your_own_LOWER__UPPER__FREE_FLOAT__TRIGGER__GAS_BLOCK___Step_by_step_instructions_.html Quoted:
I'd start with the thread tacked at the top of this forum. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_4/226782_Assemble_your_own_LOWER__UPPER__FREE_FLOAT__TRIGGER__GAS_BLOCK___Step_by_step_instructions_.html I've read that one, I guess I don't really need help with the building process, just picking the parts because I'm not good with brands at the moment and want to make sure I get the best for my money. I will check that out, there appears to be some good stuff I don't know about in there. Quoted:
What's your budget for all this? I'd say free float that sucker with a DD or a Geissele rail but with rails like that it comes with a down side, the weight (although I do believe that the newer Geissele rails are very light. If you want even lighter and ghandy then I'd suggest the regular handguards or the Magpul MOE ones. User preference with either a mid length or carbine gas system. I prefer the mid length because I have long arms and that gives me more real estate for a VFG and still have room for a regular hand grip for longer ranges from the prone. Do you want it with a flash suppressor or a compensator? Each has it's pro's and con's. The Aimpoint is a great choice but you should focus more on learning the irons first. It's a really easy platform to work with, just don't let it intimidate you. We have pictorial threads, I highly suggest you take a look for inspirations. Aside from a few rare doosies, you'll see everything from 3 gun, KISS, SPR, carbines set up for fighting. Budget is $1500-2000, I'll bold it in my original post because it can get lost due to the rambling I did. Based on the reading I've done, I'd want a midlength gas system and not a carbine style. I keep hearing about Daniel Defense so I'll definitely look into their systems more, was also looking into BCM. Not sure how they compare at the moment. Flash suppressor vs compensator I've never really considered, but after reading about both it seems like I'd want a compensator, maybe something like this. I started going through the pictures thread to get some ideas, I'll keep doing that. Thanks for the suggestions so far. |
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Get a BCM upper. For you, preferably one with a DD RIS II already installed.
I would suggest an ACOG or variable 1-4x optic. If you're dead set on an Aimpoint, get a micro and consider getting a magnifier in a twist mount. The rest are insignificant details...unless you're worried about your lower's roll mark. In the interest of full disclosure, I run an EXPS3-1 and prefer a holo to a RDS. |
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I still really want to build the upper myself though, may as well do it now because I won't build another for awhile most likely. I don't know anyone to show me either, so it'll have to be based on what I see online.
I'm thinking I may just stick with all DD and BCM parts for the rest. Mega lower, BCM upper, DD RIS II, and either of them for the rest of the stuff too. If I sit here and go through all the popular brands and try to decipher through fanboy thoughts on each I'm going to drive myself insane and never get anything going. From what I can tell, both DD and BCM are highly regarded and I probably can't go wrong with either. Do LPKs vary much or should I just go with the cheapest I can find? DD has a kit for $100, BCS has numerous brands that start around $60. |
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First off good luck on your build.
If you are considering the DD ris II rail I urge you to reconsider your option. That rail system is great, but I believe you could get something to suit your needs at half the price and use the money savings for other areas of your build. I specifically recommend this rail as it is slim and lightweight, which I find to have an advantage over thick and heavy when it comes to most rifles. Oh and it is from a well know manufacturer and it is half the cost of the DD. Don't get me wrong the DD rail has it's place, but you must weigh all the pros and cons for your specific needs. On lower parts kits, I would go with either Spike's, RRA, DD, BCM, or CMMG. These either come with decent mil-spec triggers or maybe even a two-stage. But with your budget, you could get a real nice one... like a Geissele. Onto a possible barrel. Definitly 16 inch midlength. You did say you wanted it as accurate as possible so a Rainer Arms stainless steel barrel that is guarentted to shoot sub-moa at 100 yards will do. But there are tons of options out there. Barrel I had in mind As far as bolt carrier groups go, stick with Spike's, BCM, WMD, or DD. Chrome, Nickel boron, or Nitride finishes are the way to go. Carpenter 158 steel bolt, and the carrier itself will be 8620 steel. I have a WMD NIB-x bcg and it runs flawlessly but the finish does stain. Arpartsfinder= great place to search for parts and compare prices Just trying to help in your decision making process. -Hunter |
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Quoted:
First off good luck on your build. If you are considering the DD ris II rail I urge you to reconsider your option. That rail system is great, but I believe you could get something to suit your needs at half the price and use the money savings for other areas of your build. I specifically recommend this rail as it is slim and lightweight, which I find to have an advantage over thick and heavy when it comes to most rifles. Oh and it is from a well know manufacturer and it is half the cost of the DD. Don't get me wrong the DD rail has it's place, but you must weigh all the pros and cons for your specific needs. On lower parts kits, I would go with either Spike's, RRA, DD, BCM, or CMMG. These either come with decent mil-spec triggers or maybe even a two-stage. But with your budget, you could get a real nice one... like a Geissele. Onto a possible barrel. Definitly 16 inch midlength. You did say you wanted it as accurate as possible so a Rainer Arms stainless steel barrel that is guarentted to shoot sub-moa at 100 yards will do. But there are tons of options out there. Barrel I had in mind As far as bolt carrier groups go, stick with Spike's, BCM, WMD, or DD. Chrome, Nickel boron, or Nitride finishes are the way to go. Carpenter 158 steel bolt, and the carrier itself will be 8620 steel. I have a WMD NIB-x bcg and it runs flawlessly but the finish does stain. Arpartsfinder= great place to search for parts and compare prices Just trying to help in your decision making process. -Hunter Thanks. I think I'm going to go with Daniel Defense for the BCG and LPK. I'll check out your handguard recommendation, it is quite a bit lighter than the DD. I only worry about it heating up, but I guess unless I rapid fire a few magazines it won't be bad. Not sure about the barrel as I was thinking of going with a 1x7 twist. |
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Yes, the DD rail is expensive. You're paying for a name, no doubt. The rail was selected for the SOPMOD II program.
That said, it is a quality product and worth 20% of your budget. This is, of course, considering the fact that for optic choice you're going with a RDS. If you want a variable optic, I might re-think that budget appropriation. |
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What’s going on brother; first let me say what’s up to everyone on AR15.com. I’m a new member to the forum but definitely not new to the world of weapons. I’m looking forward to chattin’ it up with everyone, givin’ some advice and hopefully getting some too.
Secondly, $1,500 - $2,000 is a great budget for an AR build. You can get a lot done within that budget. I saw someone mentioned above about picking up an ACOG optic, although it’s probably one of the best optics you can get for your rifle, it’s also one of the most expensive (depending on model). You can easily drop 1,500-2,000 on a decent ACOG alone. I would suggest (because you aren’t using it for a job, or competition) going with a lesser expensive optic (maybe an EO Tech, Aim Point, etc.) and putting some of that money into some tactical internal or external items. (i.e. trigger tension reducer kit, tactical bolt catch, ambidextrous safety/mag release/charging handle, etc.) This is what I am doing with my build. Good luck with the build. Post some progress pics if you can. |
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Quoted:
Any update? This was my tentative parts list I worked up: Tools Upper Receiver Action Block Lower Receiver Vise Block Armorer's Wrench Roll Pin Holders Roll Pin Punches Rifle Parts Mega Forged Lower Aimpoint Pro Magpul STR Carbine Stock BCM Mod 1 Compensator BCM Charging Handle Daniel Defense BCG Daniel Defense LPK Daniel Defense RIS II -OR- Midwest Industries SSK Stock Kit For the upper I was recommended a Vltor MUR, so then I was trying to figure out which lower would match the "odd" look/finish of that upper since I don't want a two tone rifle. Not sure if the Vltor is overkill or not though. As far as barrel, 16" midlength BCM or DD, depending on who has what in stock. I also saw this in the deal thread and was considering it: https://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/detail&product_id=3405 Still not 100% sure on the rail system yet either, I need to look into the last recommendations here too. I think I like that Fortis Rev setup... |
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