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  1. #31
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    I've always been the type of guy to spend the money on the BEST tool for the job. I can't even imagine trying to build quality ARs without the tools I've accumulated over the years. If you are just going to build one and done, and looking to do it as cheaply as possible, then Yankee ingenuity might be the way to get by. I just knew from the get go I wasn't only going to build one rifle, so I made the investment. Recently I bought a receiver set from a well known, considered higher quality manufacturer frequently mentioned on this forum. The price for an assembled upper was about the same as buying a stripped upper and the parts to do it myself. I figured I'd save myself the little time and effort it would have taken me to install the forward assist and dust cover assembly, and I ordered the assembled upper receiver. The upper had finish damage that was touched up around the roll pin hole for the forward assist. I couldn't believe they sent it to me that way, but maybe they figured I wouldn't notice it. I'll never make that mistake again...

  2. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gaspipeshooter View Post
    I've always been the type of guy to spend the money on the BEST tool for the job. I can't even imagine trying to build quality ARs without the tools I've accumulated over the years. If you are just going to build one and done, and looking to do it as cheaply as possible, then Yankee ingenuity might be the way to get by. I just knew from the get go I wasn't only going to build one rifle, so I made the investment. Recently I bought a receiver set from a well known, considered higher quality manufacturer frequently mentioned on this forum. The price for an assembled upper was about the same as buying a stripped upper and the parts to do it myself. I figured I'd save myself the little time and effort it would have taken me to install the forward assist and dust cover assembly, and I ordered the assembled upper receiver. The upper had finish damage that was touched up around the roll pin hole for the forward assist. I couldn't believe they sent it to me that way, but maybe they figured I wouldn't notice it. I'll never make that mistake again...
    You mean they sent you a upper with character? I think I am done paying for high end receivers, don't get me wrong I love the NTD set I have but I know from now on I am just going to have it cerakoted to the color/s I want. I picked up the tools I posted earlier and so far they have worked on the last 2 builds. I have 2 maybe 3 builds left to go and I trust they will get me through those builds. You don't need the best brand tools you just need the right tools for the job. Now I got to invest in tools to work on my pistols now ( sight pushers ).
    Just a regular guy.

  3. #33
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    I dont see how you guys are making mistakes like that. I adjusted the neck of the pliers to where they pull evenly instead of angular as you mentioned, used several layers of tape and just went slow on it. Common sense guys.

    Sure, it is nice to have a specific tool for the job and makes it slightly easier but if a guy only plans on building one lower, it's really not a big deal to do it that way, especially with all the access we have to see how others have done it via DIY guides and youtube videos. I mean, there's one lousy roll pin that you need be careful when you do it. The trigger guard one is easy.

  4. #34
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    I grew up with with access to a hammer, a screw driver and and an old grinder that was ready to disintegrate at any time. Dad had me paint all of them with Rustoleum Rust Proof Red paint, to stop the rusting. If those tools couldn't do the job, I was out of luck.
    Now that I am grown, I might not buy the best available but do try to have the proper tool for the job. I do find myself at times looking for the hammer and screwdriver though. :)

  5. #35
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    I'm right in middle as far as Kopis' approach is concerned. I've pieced together 3 rifles with the help of a bench vise, receiver block, Brownells front sight block, spanner wrench, an armorer's wrench, vise grips, slip-joint pliers, electrical tape, a 1lb brass hammer, and some punches. I've been lucky enough to be able to borrow some tools as far as installing barrel extensions onto barrels and then torquing them into upper receivers appropriately. Headspace gauges I have access to via a loaner system as well. Short of all that, unless you're assembling some sort of semi-custom to higher-end components that require specialty fasteners or other hardware, I feel that most folks who aren't out there to crank out more than one or two builds over a timespan will be able to piece together a budget-conscious platform with some basic tools.
    I'm new to this forum, been lurking for a little bit. Seems like this thread is the appropriate area for me to pitch my first contributions to the community.
    I figure I'll dedicate the SPR concept/deer rifle I'm building for my gal to this thread. Keep y'all posted!

  6. #36
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    Welcome shimsham. Get that rifle built for your gal!

    We all do things a bit differently and we do what we do based on what we can afford. I'm the good ole yankee ingenuity type of guy. I'll find a way to get something done with what I have available. I'll do it and I'll get it done right. That is how you build a quality $500 rifle with very limited available money. Sure, I would love to have a good complete machine shop - I'm trying to finish building my garage and I've been working on it for 2 years now. The side walls are half built. The frame and the roof is done. Life get's a bit complicated for what we would like to have versus what we have versus what we can afford to have.

    In 10 more years when my retirement kicks in I'll pretty much be able to have what I want. That's 10 years away though. So, for another decade I just have to struggle onwards. I'll build my guns any way I can do so because you can never have too many guns. It's all good and well to buy a gun all ready to go, but, when we make one, we know it intimately. Postcards is my wife's hobby. I like guns more than postcards though. My first AR cost $506.62 build from a stripped lower receiver. I had it for 2½ months after 1½ years of building it and saving for every single part. Then I had to sell it along with my saddle rifle because we were so broke. I didn't lose any money when I sold the two rifles nor did I make a profit. What I lost was a tiny piece of my soul. So, I'm building another one to get that back.
    Freedom is NEVER Free. We have to work to protect it and even be willing to die to protect it.

  7. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by roygpa View Post
    I grew up with with access to a hammer, a screw driver and and an old grinder that was ready to disintegrate at any time. Dad had me paint all of them with Rustoleum Rust Proof Red paint, to stop the rusting. If those tools couldn't do the job, I was out of luck.
    Now that I am grown, I might not buy the best available but do try to have the proper tool for the job. I do find myself at times looking for the hammer and screwdriver though. :)
    I'm always looking for some tool or other that I have. The only ones I ALWAYS know where they are are my Swiss Army Knife and my Leatherman - and my guns. That's because one is kept in my pocket and the other on my belt and I ALWAYS know where my guns are .
    Freedom is NEVER Free. We have to work to protect it and even be willing to die to protect it.

  8. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by shimsham View Post
    I'm right in middle as far as Kopis' approach is concerned. I've pieced together 3 rifles with the help of a bench vise, receiver block, Brownells front sight block, spanner wrench, an armorer's wrench, vise grips, slip-joint pliers, electrical tape, a 1lb brass hammer, and some punches. I've been lucky enough to be able to borrow some tools as far as installing barrel extensions onto barrels and then torquing them into upper receivers appropriately. Headspace gauges I have access to via a loaner system as well. Short of all that, unless you're assembling some sort of semi-custom to higher-end components that require specialty fasteners or other hardware, I feel that most folks who aren't out there to crank out more than one or two builds over a timespan will be able to piece together a budget-conscious platform with some basic tools.
    I'm new to this forum, been lurking for a little bit. Seems like this thread is the appropriate area for me to pitch my first contributions to the community.
    I figure I'll dedicate the SPR concept/deer rifle I'm building for my gal to this thread. Keep y'all posted!
    yeah, i havent built an upper. I know there is a few "must have" tools for those. Ive always bought them complete except my RRA 18" upper which i ditched that ungodly heavy bull barrel for a WOA SS barrel with linear comp. I just had my local gun shop do it for $20. I guess if i planned to build a lot of ARs or was going to be working on them regularly, i probably would. I almost got the detent pin tools but Ive gotten pretty good at just doing it with smooth end of a drill bit.

    i just want people to realize if they do a little research first, watch a few vids and be careful, there is no reason why they cant do it that way. Having the tools is nice though.

  9. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kopis View Post
    i just want people to realize if they do a little research first, watch a few vids and be careful, there is no reason why they cant do it that way. Having the tools is nice though.
    Again, there is a right way and a wrong way. Please stop advocating the wrong way to install roll pins.

    Armorer classes vs YouTube Videos. You decide.

  10. #40
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    Having gone to numerous armorers classes, don't use pliers, vice grips, or anything like that. You may be careful, mechanically inclined, but not everyone is. Giving new builders wrong information is not the best course of action.

    Also Youtube and Google to me is not "research"

    Your mileage may vary. Good luck, and use lots of tape.

  11. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stickman View Post
    Having gone to numerous armorers classes, don't use pliers, vice grips, or anything like that. You may be careful, mechanically inclined, but not everyone is. Giving new builders wrong information is not the best course of action.

    Also Youtube and Google to me is not "research"

    Your mileage may vary. Good luck, and use lots of tape.
    Well put!!!

  12. #42
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    Agreed on using the right tools and correctly applied techniques with said tools to get the job done whenever possible. I'm one of those fellas that has the mechanical senses and understanding to get things done in the field and in a limited workbench environment. One day when I'm less financially constrained, I'll have my proper workshop. Till then, I'm stuck making do with what I have along with what some of my friends may have. That being said, I'm all for education. It'd be nice to receive formal gunsmithing instruction in the future.
    Thanks for the welcome WHSmith.

  13. #43
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    I recently picked my receivers up from Black Forge for 60 a piece. They were blems but I use that term lightly, as it took a keen eye to find any possible blemishes on the lower and still havent figured out tthe blems on the upper. So for almost perfect and under 120 for the set I was more than pleased.

    In regards to the tools discussion, I guess I got lucky. Won a 4th place spot in Gunstruction's last build contest and part of the prize pack was a pin punch set and a reaction rod for assembling the upper. Just need to figure out a lower block and brass hammer and im pretty much covered. Oh and the handguard came with the wrench for the barrel nut too, and Will is chipping over a castle nut wrench I believe (thanks Will!)

    Lol, must have had work on the brain, said spanner nut instead of castle nut. Fixed
    Last edited by RobSWVA; 22 November 2014 at 11:07.

  14. #44
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    I got a used complete upper and stripped New Frontier lower for $80 locally.

    Used a MAS Defense 10.5" .223 WYLDE 1:8 non CL barrel for $130 shipped iirc, and got a PSA bcg and charging handle for $115. I traded the charging handle to a friend for a BCM CH.
    I then got a STAG lpk locally for $65 otd, had a friend that worked for New Frontier who got me a tapco end plate, buffer, spring, castle nut, and tube, all for $20.

    Found the delta ring assembly for free (pay shipping) on another AR site.
    I was asking a friend about assembling the upper and he said he had just traded out his quad rail gas block and tube for a low profile one, and he had a flash hider and peel washer laying around, so I got that for $15 and we assembled it all. It was a pistol, so no butt stock. I spent around $400 and had a Strikefire laying around already. The thing shot like a breeze and was a great little rifle for what it was.

    Didn't get many pictures of it before I traded it to my stupid brother-in-law who plays too much COD.
    Here it is when I got done with it.


    Here it is after my BIL gayed it up with camo and a 10 cent optic.

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    Experience is what you get... When you don't get what you want.

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