I assembled my first AR this morning. The UPS guy was here at 9:05 and I had the gun fully assembled by 11:30.

I used an Eagle Arms receiver that I bought for $85 at Quantico Arms. This is a forged receiver made by Armalite. The receiver is stamped “Eagle Arms div ArmaLite”. I used a J&T post-ban A-2 kit with the optional CMP-compliant floating handguard; $600 including overnight delivery by UPS.

My total cost was $685 including shipping.

Here are some observations:

1) The pivot pin detent installation tool is absolutely essential! (Brownell’s 080-216-011).
2) The kind folks at J&T included an extra detent pin and detent pin spring; these are the things that tend to go flying!
3) The strap wrench (Brownell’s 382-100-015) is helpful but not essential for torquing the recoil tube.
4) The directions posted here (“AR-15 Primer”, etc.) and the exploded diagrams were all I had to go on; there were no instructions with the kit.
5) A soft brass drift for installing the mag release pin would have been very useful; I scratched the receiver with my steel punch.
6) There are three itty-bitty detent pins in the kit. The two identical ones are for the takedown pin detent and the pivot pin detent. The third one, just ever so slightly larger than the other two, and with a tiny rim on its flat end, is the selector (safety) detent.
7) The fit between the upper and lower is excellent. I need a rubber-faced hammer to get the takedown and pivot pins moving, but they will probably loosen up soon.

While I was at it I got some little upgrades and spares:

1) Trapdoor grip, gapper and Ambi-safety from Bushmaster. You will definitely need help installing the tiny roll-pin on the Ambi-safety; I used a forcep to hold it while I tapped it in with a brass hammer.
2) From CTD: Accu-wedge, buttstock cleaning kit, spare parts kit, sight tool, gas tube cleaners and broken shell extractor.
3) From Brownell’s: extra gas rings and a bolt carrier scraper.
4) From Quantico: Trijicon front sight.

The Accu-wedge just doesn’t fit this gun; the upper will not hinge closed on the Accu-wedge.

Took the gun to the NRA range in Fairfax this evening. It shoots great!

A soft brass drift for installing the mag release pin would have been very useful; I scratched the receiver with my steel punch.

Apply two layers of duct tape to the lower next time and it wont get scratched.

Try remove some material from the bottom of the accuwedge with a sharp blade.  Not too much.  You still want to have to squeeze the receivers together to get the pin in.

Brownell's has some tools for installing the roll pins, they are VERY handy.

Congratulations on your first AR build.  Also Welcome to the site!!!  

Welcome to the site and the addiction.




I respectfully disagree.  Learn "the razor blade trick" and you'll never need that tool again.  I've built several lowers and have never had a pivot pin spring/detent get away from me.  

For my first lower build I used one of the EA lowers from Quantico.  They are very nice and at a great price.  Sounds like you've got yourself a nice rifle there.  Have fun with it.

Take care.