So I'm currently deployed until the fall, when I get back I want to purchase my first AR (almost succumbed to a panic buy last month but calmed down and realized an AWB is going nowhere, at most they'll ban 30-round mags of which I already have plenty) and from what I understand it's a lot cheaper to build one than purchase a ready-made one. Having never done this before, where should I start?? I'm obviously comfortable with the major components of the weapon but don't really want to get into advanced gunsmithing (maybe down the line, but for right now I'm not interested in doing anything like this) and don't have much experience with it on the commercial side of things. If I purchase an "assembled upper" and an "assembled lower" will that be everything I need?? What parts do I need to spend money to get quality on (bolt components, buffer spring assembly, etc.), and which (like the charging handle) can you safely go cheap on?? I'm looking to build a flattop so that I can ultimately add an optic to it, although I'll probably stick with iron sights for now.
Lowers are easy and do not require any special tools to assemble. Uppers can require some specialized tools to get it all together. There are a bunch of youtube videos about assembling both halves. If you can dismantle your service weapons, you can assemble a lower. Check it out and go from there. I'd probably go for as good a trigger as I could afford and go from there.
Yeah AR assembly is easy as fuck. Though you can go the cheaper route it is easy as fuck to buy the individual parts and have it add up really quick. Since piston systems are all the range I'd look into a pre made upper with one of those. AR15.com has endless thread on building just about every part then some. The forums have insanely detailed FAQ threads on it.
I just built my first ar about 2 months ago and it was a piece of cake. I got my lower at a gun show for about $250 and it has a really clean breaking 1 stage trigger. That price was about a week before the school shooting though. Good luck finding one for that price now. Then after the shooting, I impulse bought a complete upper. It had the bolt carrier group and charging handle included and it ran me about $550. That's a low price though. Make sure you look for a 1:7 barrel twist and try to get it chrome-lined so you can get extra life out of the gun. Chrome lining should double the life. 1:7 is the most versatile twist rate for various grained rounds. If the upper and lower are built to military specifications, they should just bolt together in about 2 seconds, regardless of the brands.
I'll parrot what everyone else is saying. Building an AR is a piece of cake. It only took me about 4 glasses of Bulleit Rye to get it finished. I'd suggest you check out PSA and order from them. They always have stuff on sale. I got my stripped lower for $40, my lower parts kit for just over $100, my barrelled upper for just over $300, BCG for under $150, BUIS for $50 . . . all great deals. Total was just a tick over $700 all in with shipping. The only thing with them is that they don't take back orders like everyone else, but that is actually a good thing. If they get something in stock, they post it on their site. When it's gone, they put "out of stock" and don't let you order. You may have to check back 2 or 3 times a day for a few weeks, but you'll get everything you need from them. Just make sure everything is mil spec and it should work fine.
Thanks for the input guys. So from what it sounds like I'd be OK getting a stripped lower and parts kit or individual parts, but should get a complete upper?? And yeah, I'm planning on everything being mil-spec. I've looked around on AR-15.com but so much of that site is either WAY too technical or a complete cesspool. I read/post occasionally in the private military forum and lurk in the Glock and general discussion forums but that's about it. I won't be buying until October/November, so I'm hoping sanity will have prevailed by then.
Yeah it is a shit ton to wade through on a r15.com but they cover just about every thing you could have a problem with ever. As far as mil specs that is what you should go for and buying uppers and lowers from the same company helps from running into feeding issues.
Sorry to interrupt all the gun porn, but I had a quick question for any other LEOs and/or conceal and carry people such as myself. My duty pistol is pretty large (H&K P2000), I'm only 5'8'', and I'm looking for a smaller (preferably 40 cal since I have the extra ammo) pistol that can be easily concealed since I don't have much space to work with. Thanks for the input.
Anything by the big gun guys will do the job and go bang every time. All are offered in full size, compact or sub. Glock series, S&W M&P, and Springfield XD series. All can be had used for around $400.
Everything LatinGroove posted is good. I'd also add the Ruger SR40 or SR40c. Nice guns, easy to carry. Check the trigger before you buy though. I've heard the newer ones are good, but some of the older ones had gritty triggers. I've also heard the compacts have better triggers than the full size.
This was my first attempt at painting a gun, this was a rifle I took apart years ago and finally put it back together and added a scope and bipod, it should be very good for hogs and varmints, single shot savage 243
The sickest paint jobs I've seen my buddies do utilized pine straw and leaves to mask different colors.
I have a 1972 Colt Detective Special - so it's the stubby frame. It has Colt grips on it, but I don't think they're original. They don't seem to fit right, and there's hole drilled in the bottom of them for some reason. I want to put Hogue grips on it, and apparently I need to remove the grip pin to get the new grips to fit correctly. I think I can remove the pin, but if I don't like the fit of the Hogue, and want to try Pachmyr or something instead, can I put the pin back in? I can't really tell, but the pin looks like it has a washer or sealing ring or something around it. I'm not sure if I remove the pin, if it will damage that ring such that it won't go back in. Anybody have any experience with this?
When I was at SHOT this year, I saw some proprietary hydro-dip camo that was designed to look like it was spray painted. Who knew "Krylon Desert Operator" would one day be a thing? Also, has anybody looked through the Leupold Mark AR Mod 1 scopes with illuminated reticles? The 1.5-4x20 is badass.
Re: Re: Guns and Ammo Thread Those illuminated reticles are bad ass, any idea what Leupold wants for it? Leupold are the only scopes I own.
I don't know anything about scopes, so you guys just helped me make up my mind. I am selling several of my rifles, but wasn't sure which ones to keep. I have a Weatherby Vanguard .270 with a Leupold scope that just moved into first place. The others with scopes are all Weaver scopes. Done! It looks and feels much better now. Spoilered for size.