Every Built an AR?

[cyberwollf]

Thinking about building an AR15/M4/whatever term you like for my graduation/birthday/promotion present.

Local shop can get me a stripped lower for $100 and i can order a Del-Ton parts kit with heaedspaced and test fired upper for $500.

Other than the wrench for castle nut on the stock and rolled pin punches, I dont need any other special tools do I?

Other than Mags and some optics am I overlooking any costs?  Would be sweet to have it come in finished under $750.

[ohioreef]

I built one several years ago and enjoyed it. I used a Stag lower with a Model 1 carbine kit.

I'm pretty sure my kit came with the wrench for the castle nut. Actually I probably still have it around here somewhere if you want to use it. I don't have my AR anymore.

[slandis3]

A guy I work with builds them for 500-700 all day depending on what lower you go with. I will ask him if there is anything you need to be on the look out for.

[Ashlar]

A roll pin starter tool is always nice to use, as is a roll of blue painter's masking tape to keep from marring the finish when inserting the pin for the bolt release.

One tip, when inserting the detent for the front takedown pin, do it all inside a clear plastic bag. You will lose it at least once and the fuss of working inside a plastic bag is much less than having to crawl on your hands and knees looking for the detent and spring.

[The WuSue]

I had no idea we had gun nuts here.

Good to know in case of zombie invasion.

[Reefpete]

Thinking about building an AR15/M4/whatever term you like for my graduation/birthday/promotion present.

Local shop can get me a stripped lower for $100 and i can order a Del-Ton parts kit with heaedspaced and test fired upper for $500.

Other than the wrench for castle nut on the stock and rolled pin punches, I dont need any other special tools do I?

Other than Mags and some optics am I overlooking any costs?  Would be sweet to have it come in finished under $750.

www.brownells.com

[kattz]

I built my DPMS AP4/M4 5.56 from the ground up.  Building a SASS .308 next.  I got a video and it explained it all.  Borrowed the AR-15 tool for the barrel nut.

[Reefpete]

I built my DPMS AP4/M4 5.56 from the ground up.  Building a SASS .308 next.  I got a video and it explained it all.  Borrowed the AR-15 tool for the barrel nut.

I like the SASS, but leaning more towards the cetme's

[cyberwollf]

I built one several years ago and enjoyed it. I used a Stag lower with a Model 1 carbine kit.

I'm pretty sure my kit came with the wrench for the castle nut. Actually I probably still have it around here somewhere if you want to use it. I don't have my AR anymore.

Done!  I'll hit you up when I start the build in Late jan or Feb

A roll pin starter tool is always nice to use, as is a roll of blue painter's masking tape to keep from marring the finish when inserting the pin for the bolt release.

One tip, when inserting the detent for the front takedown pin, do it all inside a clear plastic bag. You will lose it at least once and the fuss of working inside a plastic bag is much less than having to crawl on your hands and knees looking for the detent and spring.

I heard that bag trick lots of places... must be a good tip if everyone suggests it

I built my DPMS AP4/M4 5.56 from the ground up.  Building a SASS .308 next.  I got a video and it explained it all.  Borrowed the AR-15 tool for the barrel nut.

How hard was it to headspace?  you use the "go/no-go" spacers?  I was wanting to go from the ground up but i wasnt sure if it was any cheaper than the kits already headspaced and testfired uppers.

I like the SASS, but leaning more towards the cetme's

Im just leaning toward "cheap" right now lol.  Not really cheap, but bare bones.  I dont plan on hangin rails and lights and lasers and coffee pots, etc off my gun.  Just want a entery level AR to plink around with.  I think the Del-ton is decent enough to punch 100 holes in paper a few times a month.  Im sure I'll upgrade in the future.  I love the one my freind has that chambered in .45.  Nice heavy round that's slow (so you can suppress it )

[cyberwollf]

Hmmm 

[HUNGER]

Hmmm 

thats sweet
i will one day build one

[Todd W.]

I trained and used M-16A2 during my time in (along with other various weapons.  It is a fabulous rifle when well maintained.  I shot expert with it 3 times.  500 yards, open sites, prone, at full body target.

Some day I will have an AR-15 or as near as the original M16-A2 as I can get....

[kattz]

How hard was it to headspace?  you use the "go/no-go" spacers?  I was wanting to go from the ground up but i wasnt sure if it was any cheaper than the kits already headspaced and testfired uppers.

I used the spacers.  I have an opinion, just like everyone; DPMS forges the best lowers and builds the best uppers/barrels, unless you want to really lay out some cash for Armalite or Sig.  Go online and look at barrel and build reviews - AR-15.com is a good place to start. 

You may borrow the video if you'd like. And 5.56 is really easy to suppress.  Use a 67-75 grain hollow point and a subsonic charge.  Very quiet, but after 100 yards, accuracy suffers.  My AR is set up with 75 gr Hornady TAP rounds for quick use, and I have a roof rack somewhere around here for my car. 

[cyberwollf]

A guy I work with builds them for 500-700 all day depending on what lower you go with. I will ask him if there is anything you need to be on the look out for.

Ask him what he puts in the $500 model to save money?  unless He buys wholesale i cant even find crap surplus parts for $500

[kattz]

I trained and used M-16A2 during my time in (along with other various weapons.  It is a fabulous rifle when well maintained.  I shot expert with it 3 times.  500 yards, open sites, prone, at full body target.

Some day I will have an AR-15 or as near as the original M16-A2 as I can get....

I apologize before I say this that no offense to anyone is meant.

Before kids were whacking each other in school, and before the days of drive-by shootings, and before the days when parents and teachers and school boards were scared of anything that looked like it might be a water pistol...  Back when men were men, women were women, and the sheep were nervous.  1979-1983.

We trained with the M1A1 Carbine, and the 5.56mm M-16A1 in HIGH SCHOOL JROTC.  We drilled with them, dry fired them, learned all of the shooting positions (standing, standing braced, sitting, and prone).  I was on the high school drill team for 3 years at Colonel White High School right here in Dayton.  I knew all of the drill with the weapons, and had fired the M-16A1, the early model of the M24 Sniper System, and the 1911 .45  at Ft. Benjamin Harrison and had qualified expert with all 3 prior to ever setting foot in USAF Basic Training.  I shot the Beretta 92 9mm. Colt .357, 1911 .45, and the M-16A1 in the USAF, and got my "real" expert badge.

My hat is off to Todd; marksman in the USAF is not 500 yards, but was 100 or 200 for us, so good job, Todd.  Marksman Qual in the USAF is pretty lame IMO.

During my time in the USAF, I was in aircraft maintenance.  Crewchief, F-16's.  Loved it.  Getting off track.  During the Gulf War, we were issued the M-16A3 with a foldable fiberglass/wire stock (never saw them before, never saw them after) and the selectable 3-round burst like an M4.  I would LOVE to have that weapon again, suppressed with Trijicon optics.  The wire stock was selected by the USAF for maintainers who had to walk around without a lot of "stuff" hanging off of us while fixing jets.  Once we went to King Khalid, and later to Kuwait City Airport, my M-16 went in the MOPP bag and I just wore the Beretta.  Easier to crawl in and out of an engine intake with...

My dad was Force Recon Marines; loved his Garand.

Yes, there are gun nuts here, and my wife is a HELL of a shot.

Kev

[kattz]

By the way, people, THIS is what I want for Christmas!

http://barrett.net/firearms/model98b

Hooooahh!

[Todd W.]

Yep, this is a great country...

[HUNGER]

By the way, people, THIS is what I want for Christmas!

http://barrett.net/firearms/model98b

Hooooahh!

i have a buddy who is selling is barret 50 cal

[HUNGER]

http://dayton.craigslist.org/spo/2760956544.html

[ohioreef]

I looked and I do have the wrench along with another little tool that I can't remember what it was for. (If I remember right it made something easier, just can't remember what)

I second the plastic bag tip. I tried it without and almost lost the spring! I don't remember how many times it took me after digging out the bag, several I believe. I believe I ended up using a thin razor blade to hold the spring and ball in while I inserted the take down pin.

[jeremy]

I've put together a Stag and a LaRue.  You don't have a butt stock and buffer tube listed (unless they are part of a kit).  You'll need those.

[cyberwollf]

Ok back from the holidays... My inlaws live in the middle of nowhere and have Satellite internet (which is basically like $100 a month dialup.. we are talking 1500ms Latency, 2mb down BUT 450mb per day CAP!!!) when you reach your daily cap they knock you back down to 56k LOL..

Anyways I got some Christmas cash and will probably go order a Spikes Tactical stripped lower for ~$100 this week.  I'd like to watch some local forums and/or sites for a month or so and see if I can catch a good used deal.  I think im also looking for a Remington 700 .308.  We spent a good deal of time shooting crazy long range with my Ruger 10/22 over the holidays.  Using a baslitics calculator on my Iphone we were able to easily break stationary skeet at 200 yards and after maxing out the elevation turret clicks on my scope, we basicly kentucky windage aiming at the top of the tree lines we were able to reliably hit a 2'x2' steel plate at 400 yards.    fun stuff.

So sometime in the further future I am looking for a good deal on a used rem700 .308 to start playing with.

local use gun website suggections?

[kattz]

There's a shop in south Lebanon that had several 700's for sale reasonably.  Gander mountain as well.  I also think Walmart...

[cyberwollf]

There's a shop in south Lebanon that had several 700's for sale reasonably.  Gander mountain as well.  I also think Walmart...

Cool, I'll keep a look out.  I'd prefer to buy the 700 used since i will probably send all the internals off to get reworked on a lathe anyways.

[cyberwollf]

Finally got everything on order.  Delton is running about 4-6 weeks for shipping so should have it running by end of Feb.  Stag stripped lower($135 out the door) and Delton upper and kit ($550 shipped).  Comes in right about ~$680 right now.  Mags and case will bring it to ~$725 (was trying to keep the build below $750).  I figured in a few hundred bucks from christmas and birthday, as well as getting sights and optics for chirstmas... Its only gonna be like $400 out of pocket.

http://www.del-ton.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RKT100

http://www.stagarms.com/product_info.php?cPath=18_30&products_id=230