Building Confidence

[FfNJGTFO]

All - It's time for me to take the next step in my 2A journey. And with yall's help, I'll make this pay off in a number of different ways.


As Pig will tell you, I once owned a pretty nice LE6920... one I had "semi-built" from an OEM1 by adding the appropriate Magpul MOE Furniture Kit and other devices, etc. However, due to a temporary financial situation, plus the fact that I didn't care for fixed iron front sight on the OEM1, I sold that weapon. Now, with those financial issues pretty much resolved, I'm ready to start the recovery process. I wanted to try and do the same thing I did before but, this time, with an LE6920, OEM2 (that didn't have the fixed front iron sight). But wouldn't ya know... by the time I'm ready to do this, Colt decided to no longer sell to the commercial market... Ugghh. The only raw OEM2 I can find now costs about $1250.00 way more than the $700.00 I paid for an OEM1 originally. And even they are starting to jack up in price due to Colt's decision.


Thus, I thought to myself, "What a perfect time for me to learn how to build completely from scratch (i.e. from a raw lower on up)..." I've been doing some YouTube video looking on what's involved, and one of the things I'll have to consider is whether or not it's worth investing not only in the parts for the build, but also in the tools, etc (vice blocks, punch sets, wrenches, etc.)... I'll build that into the calculations.


Where I'm going to need the most help is in selecting the right parts... the right receivers (upper & lower), trigger group, BCG, etc. etc. etc. I have no idea what's "good or bad..." Is cheaper better, or not? I don't know. But, hopefully, with all the knowledgeable folks here, I'm going to build something fantastic here. And, in the process, I'll build a little courage, as well.



More on this later... But initial thoughts welcome.

[Riverpigusmc]

is the go to guy. He's a eunuch, but knows building ar's. Mike Van Bibber can help, too. I have a Ruger Ar556, front sight doesnt bother me, I prefer it. 700 bucks. I cowitness the front sight through an Aimpoint Pro. I do recommend both

[AFJuvat]

For an AR build, the three biggest factors for building an accurate rifle are:
1. Fit between upper and lower receiver
2. Barrel
3. Trigger

Upper and lower receivers are pretty subjective. The best ones are machined out of a single block of metal, and are pretty spendy.

For forged receivers, I like Aero Precision or Spikes Tactical. That said, I have built some very accurate rifles using Anderson amd Palmetto State receivers.

For triggers, I like CMC or USGI after truing the surfaces with a stone.

Bolt Carrier Group: I like the extra weight from the M16 BCG.

Barrels: there are good ones at several different price points, look around and find one that meets your needs.

Free floating handguards tend to be more accurate than non free floating.

Regarding tools, you need a regular vice. Just use blocks of wood to cushion the receiver. Wheeler makes a nice upper receiver vice block for installing and torquing the barrel, think it was $30. If you don't own a torque wrench, borrow/rent one from Auto Zone. Otherwise you will need an action wrench (if you are only building one rifle, don't go crazy) and some roll pin punches.

[Caleb]

What timing! I just built one of my lowers tonight (*/- 1hr, taking my time)!




I’m with what Mike said. It’s going to all depend on your budget and how you want your rifle to come out. What’s the rifles purpose? Sport, target, precision, self defense, shtf?

Don’t fall into the rabbit hole of buying the most expensive (usually the Instagram soldiers choice) parts out there, it’s really not needed. You can build a really nice basic rifle for under $500 these days (sans red dot sights and accessories). I have and have had several Anderson, Spikes, PSA, ect..... most are made by the same machine shop and then the company puts their name on it. I prefer to keep lower/upper receivers the same manufacturer for a better (tighter) fit. If you do have some wiggle there is a polymer wedge you can insert in between the receivers to tighten it up. No big deal. Just make sure the parts kits you buy say “mil-spec” and they will work just fine. Barrels are a dime a dozen now and you should be able to easily find reviews on them online. I like the 1-8 Wylde chambered barrels. This way I can shoot 5.56 and 223 from 55gr-75gr and still be decently accurate (all shots hitting <12” target at 300yrds). A free float hand guard is the way to go (I prefer M-Lok). Optics is personal preference as well as accessories.

Start with the lower and upper and go from there.... you will probably change your mind several times throughout the build.

Most importantly, have fun.




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[RKP]

I've gotten help/advice from the above 2 gentlemen (Thanks again fellas !!) on the very first 2 builds I've done, they definitely kept me going in the right direction. I went with the highly recommended 1-8 Wylde chambered barrel on one build and it's a tack driver no doubt, these 2 know their stuff and won't steer you wrong. Good luck and have fun, it's addicting. Keep us posted.

[FfNJGTFO]

Thanks all, for your support! This is a very early work in progress, and I'm just beginning things. The first major milestone for me is acquiring the *right* lower. After that, we'll work on the other things. And I'll also have some other design elements worked out.


Any recommendations on "the best lower" (heavily acknowledging the subjectivity there) would be greatly appreciated.

[RKP]

Take a look at these uppers/lowers:

https://andersonmanufacturing.com/

[Caleb]

Here you go, the prices are super cheap right now. Now is the time to buy.


https://www.primaryarms.com/search

Not sure why the link doesn’t take you directly to the lower receivers section so, just use the search feature.

You don’t have to go through the above dealer, just do a search for the one you like most and find the cheapest reseller. The fancier the lower, the more $$$ you will spend. But, you don’t need top of the line to get the job done these days.


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[DrHenley]

Originally Posted by Caleb

https://www.primaryarms.com/search

Not sure why the link doesn’t take you directly to the lower receivers section so, just use the search feature.

Try this:
https://www.primaryarms.com/MCategor...ower-Receivers

[Caleb]

Originally Posted by DrHenley

Try this:

https://www.primaryarms.com/MCategor...ower-Receivers

Opens the same page for me, maybe because I’m on mobile? Idk.


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