Hi Guys,

Finally decided to pull the trigger and begin buying parts to build my first AR after shooting my buddies a few months back. If I am going to go through the whole process I'd really like to purchase a 80% and finish it to complete the build.

Does anyone else on here have a 80% on order / the tools to do it? I am located in SEPA (Montgomery County area). Might be fun to get a group to do them all.

Thanks,

Andrew

I have a followup question in case an 80% build/drill party takes place near me.

Is the only requirement for me to avoid involving an FFL that I purchase an 80% lower and then do the rest of the work myself?  Meaning, that I retain ownership, never sell or transfer it, etc?

I'm asking because I have essentially no machining experience, no machining equipment, and for the sake of this question, let's pretend that my participataion in the build/drill party would look like this:
a) I show up, bringing my 80% lower
b) I don't quite know what to do with the machines to finish it, so
c) Some of the drilling is done by someone there that I trust to do it better than me, but
d) I do in fact do some of the work myself

A way to think of it might be like this:  I buy the 80% lower, someone else does the work to get it from 80% to 95%, and then I do the work to take it from 95% to 100%.

I'm asking in a really general way because I don't really even know what all is involved in going from 80% to 100% aside from some machining and drilling.

For the 80% they don't go through FFL and you cannot sell them for many many years from my understanding. The main reason I want to do one if for a family heirloom and to have a custom AR15 when I am done with it, with some custom laser engraving.

I am debating purchasing a Jig for the AR-15, found a place with them in stock for $100 shipped roughly. If a few others are interested in doing it I'd pull the trigger and snag one.

I also found a place in East Greenville and they are willing to Anno upper and lowers for a great price. I got a quote of $50.00 for just mine, but could most likely spread that cost over other uppers and lowers if they are all annod at the same time.

With a couple others partaking on this we could feasibly make our own lowers for under $250.00.

-Andrew

I'll just drop this little tidbit with you two to think about.



Ok, so you want someone here to finish your lower for you on their equipment and you have no skin in the game?





cuz thats what it sounds like to me.

It should take you 6-8 hours on a quality drill press with a jig.

Overscoped  -I have no problem with compensating someone with equipment or purchasing a Jig for them to make there own as well. This thread was mainly to gauge interest and see if anyone locally has the tools needed to perform the tasks needed.

Paying to use the equipment would be significantly less than purchasing a Mill, drill press, jig, etc to do it all in the garage. In other hometowns build parties are a normal event, sometimes happening monthly. I guess that is not the case in the PA region. I will most likely pay my gunsmith to oversee me do my own, but wanted to see if anyone else out there wanted to get together and do a few.

See if you can get together with a gunsmith with a CNC machine who will allow you to run your 80% lower there for a fee.  That's been the "traditional 80% build party" method that's worked best for the most people.

The legality of the process is that you put the lower into the machine, press the start button and then remove the finished product.  You'll also have to do any manual repositioning of the piece in the machine during the milling process.  No one else can touch the piece during the machining process to keep it legal.

What you need to do is find a gunsmith or machinist with a CNC machine and the AR-15 lower program and then work out the details for him hosting an 80% build party and determining if there would be sufficient interest for a group to get lowers machined.   You'd have to figure out how much would need to be charged to each attended for one lower to be machined and then get enough people to show up so the machinist/gunsmith could make a profit for his machine time.

I'd be in for an 80% lower party is I could get hold of a few for myself.

FG - Thanks for the heads up. I got mine from http://www.americanspiritarms.com/lower-receivers/asa-m4-ar-15-95-percent-lower-receiver/ this morning. They said its a 2-3 week lead time on getting them once ordered.

I am going to purchase a Jig tomorrow and will most likely have my gunsmith assist with mine first. If all runs smoothly I'll post back up here and provide more details later since it doesn't appear to have to much interest.

I am having a hard time finding someone with a CNC, best so far is a Bridgeport mill. Unless someone with a CNC comes through in the next couple weeks.

EDIT: Does anyone have the AR-15 program for the CNC by chance? Best I've found are CAD drawings on cncgunsmithing.

Well that sounds great and all.



But the way I see it is this,  Guys do the 80% lowers so nobody knows they have it. Those kind of people dont just invite an unknown party (you) over to hang out and make one.



Good luck.

ohh, and BTW keep looking for 80% lowers.  5 annodized lowers and a jig can be had for under $400.



Who would pay $250 for 1?



Honestly, I may come across as a jerk, but I am trying to help ya.

No worries. Most friends/ Contacts I have with access to everything are down south or out west, so I figured may have some luck here. Where are you finding 5 lowers and a jig for under $400 if you don't mind sharing.

$250 for a lower and jig isnt the end of the world as this will have more personal value to me when finished, but getting 4 additional lowers for almost the same price would be great as well.

Thanks,

Andrew

Actually what I said directly contradicts that.

I work at a CNC job shop just north of Harrisburg. I am currently wire edm'ing mag wells in 80%ers for a customer of ours. The company is Warwick Tactical - he's selling them finished under his company name, or 80%ers, and also finished to a gun builder in DE. Currently he's putting out about 100-150 per week. I can probably approach him about a group buy if someone would be interested. I'm not sure what he is currently selling them for. I know we're charging around $25/each to EDM the mag wells. I could also most likely talk to my boss about doing magwells for people as well - seeing that I have fixtures built. I can post more pictures of his mill work and of the lowers if anyones interested. Here's our facilities list.

Actually build parties happen all over. It would be nice to find someone willing to host one here. The idea is that someone that is blessed with the gear to help out those of us that don't. Those that come either donate a few bucks to the owner of the equipment or beer for after the build.