Vic
2 September 2013, 00:46
Some Background (A little about me and a little about the kind of rifle I’m building):
For about a year now I’ve been thinking about building an AR but the political climate has made parts either expensive or hard to get until this summer. I’m not LE/AF nor am I a 3-gun shooter or really all that much of a “gun guy” (whatever that means) though I do enjoy shooting. I did serve in the military, but in a noncombat rate so any formal training was limited to shooting a shotgun and a 9mm pistol back in 2002. My primer for the AR platform has been Kyle Lamb’s Green Eyes & Black Rifles, which an infantry buddy of mine suggested I read. I’ve been to the shooting range semi-regularly with friends and coworkers since then, but that has tapered off in the last few years since I started school.
This will be my first AR and so I’ve decided that I would start with something fairly middle of the road, an AR with a 16” barrel and a mid-length DI gas system. I decided on the 16” barrel as it would allow me to swap out compensators, flash hiders, muzzle brakes, etc. without worrying about breaking the law (as I can’t own a SBR in Washington State) or spending money pinning and unpinning. A mid-length gas system seems to make sense from what I’ve both read here and heard elsewhere. This AR will be my primary AR on which I will not only learn more about the system, but also how to “drive” it.
As this is my first AR, I decided to build it from scratch for several reasons. I acknowledge that there are many good reasons to go with a manufactured AR from Colt, BCM, and Daniel Defense, or at least a prebuild upper. However, I decided against that approach because of three main reasons: cost, availability, and the desire to build it myself in order to both understand how the parts go together but also because I enjoy building things. Additionally, this would allow me to conduct research into what parts to get and avoid the “shoulda/woulda/coulda” syndrome as best as I could by purchasing parts at what I consider a point prior to that of diminishing returns but at the same time not cheapening out. I believe that there’s a sweet spot when it comes to pricing.
My Lower Receiver Parts Selections (What I’ve bought, what I’m considering, and why):
Stripped Lower Receiver : MEGA Arms Forged Lower Receiver (I decided on this one because it is a well-build forged lower that should have very little problems in terms of compatibility with other parts. Also, I happen to like the Mega Arms logo and they are a local company.)
Lower Parts Kit : Rainier Arms Lower Parts Kit w/o Trigger (I don’t know much about triggers so I thought I would get a lower parts kit sans trigger and put the money towards a better trigger such as the ALG QMS or ACT based on the reviews both here and elsewhere.)
Trigger : ALG QMS (Visited Rainier Arms and tried both the QMS and ACT and decided to go with the QMS. Thanks UWone77.)
Receiver Extension : Damage Industries Complete Buttstock Kit (It’s Mil-spec and made of 7075 aluminum. Also, it was on sale and money saved here can be better spent elsewhere.)
End Plate / Sling Plate : IWC QD End Plate (A buddy has one of their light mounts and it was well built. The fit and finish on the IWC plate looked really good in the photos and I like the fact that it’s steel so I can stake the castle nut properly though I’m sure an aluminum plate could be stakes just as well.)
Stock : Magpul CTR, Mil-spec, Black (I bought this because shooting a carbine with this stock on it was comfortable for me and it locked up solid.)
Pistol Grip : BCM Gunfighter Mod 1 (I was able to handle a rifle with this mounted on it and found it comfortable to hold with my elbow tucked in. So I bought it. Stickman’s review on GearScout also helped so thanks!)
My Upper Receiver Parts Selections (What I’ve bought, what I’m considering, and why):
Stripped Upper Receiver : MEGA Arms Forged Upper Receiver (I bought it with the lower for the same reasons.)
Forward Assist & Dust Cover : Damage Industries (I was purchasing the lower receiver extension from them and these parts were priced competitively with other parts elsewhere.)
Charging Handle : BCM Gunfighter Mod 4 Charging Handle (Again, it was on a friend’s rifle and I liked it. It was also on sale and marked down to $10 more than a standard charging handle.)
Bolt Carrier Group : Rainier Arms, Phosphate (I don’t think I need a NiB bolt for my first AR. Rainier Arms is local and they stand behind their products. It was also on sale, which made up for the fact I didn’t bring cash with me to the grand opening.)
16” Barrel : Centurion Arms 16" Hammer Forged Light Weight Barrel (I bought this because I’ve read that the BCG and the barrel are the heart of the AR so I felt that if I was going to spend extra money on something, this would be it. I had been considering several different barrels including those by Black Hole Weaponry, Rainier Arms (out of stock), BCM (both their standard and CHF barrels), and Daniel Defense. A friend of mine suggested that I look at Centurion Arms due to their accuracy and their construction, I couldn’t go wrong. Also, the company is owned by an active duty member so that’s always a plus.)
Low Profile Gas Block : Geissele SGB (I bought this because I went with a Geissele SMR. The other options, such as the Rainier Arms, Centurion Arms, and Fortis Pinnable gas blocks I had been considering earlier would all have worked just as well though.)
Mid-length Gas Tube : I’ll probably go with a gas tube from Rainier Arms. I don't understand all the different coatings or see their need.
12-15” Free-Float Rail : Geissele SMR Mk1 15" (See the follow up post for my rational. I did manage to find one at 10% off which helped with the price difference.)
Muzzle Attachment : I’m not sure what I want though I’ve narrowed it down to several models including the AAC Blackout (non mount), Fortis RED, Rainier Arms XTC and XD. I’m open to suggestions on this as I want something that I can use at a class in the future.)
Sights/Optics/Accessories (What I’ve bought, what I’m considering, and why):
Iron Sights : MAGPUL MBUS Pro (On loan from a friend)
Optics : Probably an Aimpoint Pro or maybe an EoTech XPS? I’m not sure yet.
As you could probably tell, I’ve purchased a majority of the items in my list and am waiting for them to show up. I did quite a bit of research on this site, especially through the “Extreme Use AR-15” and the “Explain your AR15 layout” topics, which I hope is reflected in my parts selection. That being said, any and all suggestions and advice is highly appreciated as I’d rather learn from another’s experiences than my own mistakes (it’s cheaper and less painful). As parts arrive, I’ll post pictures of them and hope to answer any questions others may have as well as keep my build progress up to date. Here’s a picture of the upper and lower receiver (reposted from the Mega picture thread) to get things started:
http://i2.minus.com/i3QoqvQDL6Qv8.jpg
*Items in gray have been purchased.
For about a year now I’ve been thinking about building an AR but the political climate has made parts either expensive or hard to get until this summer. I’m not LE/AF nor am I a 3-gun shooter or really all that much of a “gun guy” (whatever that means) though I do enjoy shooting. I did serve in the military, but in a noncombat rate so any formal training was limited to shooting a shotgun and a 9mm pistol back in 2002. My primer for the AR platform has been Kyle Lamb’s Green Eyes & Black Rifles, which an infantry buddy of mine suggested I read. I’ve been to the shooting range semi-regularly with friends and coworkers since then, but that has tapered off in the last few years since I started school.
This will be my first AR and so I’ve decided that I would start with something fairly middle of the road, an AR with a 16” barrel and a mid-length DI gas system. I decided on the 16” barrel as it would allow me to swap out compensators, flash hiders, muzzle brakes, etc. without worrying about breaking the law (as I can’t own a SBR in Washington State) or spending money pinning and unpinning. A mid-length gas system seems to make sense from what I’ve both read here and heard elsewhere. This AR will be my primary AR on which I will not only learn more about the system, but also how to “drive” it.
As this is my first AR, I decided to build it from scratch for several reasons. I acknowledge that there are many good reasons to go with a manufactured AR from Colt, BCM, and Daniel Defense, or at least a prebuild upper. However, I decided against that approach because of three main reasons: cost, availability, and the desire to build it myself in order to both understand how the parts go together but also because I enjoy building things. Additionally, this would allow me to conduct research into what parts to get and avoid the “shoulda/woulda/coulda” syndrome as best as I could by purchasing parts at what I consider a point prior to that of diminishing returns but at the same time not cheapening out. I believe that there’s a sweet spot when it comes to pricing.
My Lower Receiver Parts Selections (What I’ve bought, what I’m considering, and why):
Stripped Lower Receiver : MEGA Arms Forged Lower Receiver (I decided on this one because it is a well-build forged lower that should have very little problems in terms of compatibility with other parts. Also, I happen to like the Mega Arms logo and they are a local company.)
Lower Parts Kit : Rainier Arms Lower Parts Kit w/o Trigger (I don’t know much about triggers so I thought I would get a lower parts kit sans trigger and put the money towards a better trigger such as the ALG QMS or ACT based on the reviews both here and elsewhere.)
Trigger : ALG QMS (Visited Rainier Arms and tried both the QMS and ACT and decided to go with the QMS. Thanks UWone77.)
Receiver Extension : Damage Industries Complete Buttstock Kit (It’s Mil-spec and made of 7075 aluminum. Also, it was on sale and money saved here can be better spent elsewhere.)
End Plate / Sling Plate : IWC QD End Plate (A buddy has one of their light mounts and it was well built. The fit and finish on the IWC plate looked really good in the photos and I like the fact that it’s steel so I can stake the castle nut properly though I’m sure an aluminum plate could be stakes just as well.)
Stock : Magpul CTR, Mil-spec, Black (I bought this because shooting a carbine with this stock on it was comfortable for me and it locked up solid.)
Pistol Grip : BCM Gunfighter Mod 1 (I was able to handle a rifle with this mounted on it and found it comfortable to hold with my elbow tucked in. So I bought it. Stickman’s review on GearScout also helped so thanks!)
My Upper Receiver Parts Selections (What I’ve bought, what I’m considering, and why):
Stripped Upper Receiver : MEGA Arms Forged Upper Receiver (I bought it with the lower for the same reasons.)
Forward Assist & Dust Cover : Damage Industries (I was purchasing the lower receiver extension from them and these parts were priced competitively with other parts elsewhere.)
Charging Handle : BCM Gunfighter Mod 4 Charging Handle (Again, it was on a friend’s rifle and I liked it. It was also on sale and marked down to $10 more than a standard charging handle.)
Bolt Carrier Group : Rainier Arms, Phosphate (I don’t think I need a NiB bolt for my first AR. Rainier Arms is local and they stand behind their products. It was also on sale, which made up for the fact I didn’t bring cash with me to the grand opening.)
16” Barrel : Centurion Arms 16" Hammer Forged Light Weight Barrel (I bought this because I’ve read that the BCG and the barrel are the heart of the AR so I felt that if I was going to spend extra money on something, this would be it. I had been considering several different barrels including those by Black Hole Weaponry, Rainier Arms (out of stock), BCM (both their standard and CHF barrels), and Daniel Defense. A friend of mine suggested that I look at Centurion Arms due to their accuracy and their construction, I couldn’t go wrong. Also, the company is owned by an active duty member so that’s always a plus.)
Low Profile Gas Block : Geissele SGB (I bought this because I went with a Geissele SMR. The other options, such as the Rainier Arms, Centurion Arms, and Fortis Pinnable gas blocks I had been considering earlier would all have worked just as well though.)
Mid-length Gas Tube : I’ll probably go with a gas tube from Rainier Arms. I don't understand all the different coatings or see their need.
12-15” Free-Float Rail : Geissele SMR Mk1 15" (See the follow up post for my rational. I did manage to find one at 10% off which helped with the price difference.)
Muzzle Attachment : I’m not sure what I want though I’ve narrowed it down to several models including the AAC Blackout (non mount), Fortis RED, Rainier Arms XTC and XD. I’m open to suggestions on this as I want something that I can use at a class in the future.)
Sights/Optics/Accessories (What I’ve bought, what I’m considering, and why):
Iron Sights : MAGPUL MBUS Pro (On loan from a friend)
Optics : Probably an Aimpoint Pro or maybe an EoTech XPS? I’m not sure yet.
As you could probably tell, I’ve purchased a majority of the items in my list and am waiting for them to show up. I did quite a bit of research on this site, especially through the “Extreme Use AR-15” and the “Explain your AR15 layout” topics, which I hope is reflected in my parts selection. That being said, any and all suggestions and advice is highly appreciated as I’d rather learn from another’s experiences than my own mistakes (it’s cheaper and less painful). As parts arrive, I’ll post pictures of them and hope to answer any questions others may have as well as keep my build progress up to date. Here’s a picture of the upper and lower receiver (reposted from the Mega picture thread) to get things started:
http://i2.minus.com/i3QoqvQDL6Qv8.jpg
*Items in gray have been purchased.