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LAN Party Forums => General Discussion => Started by: tinytim347 on April 02, 2012, 01:39:19 AM
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I am looking to start a build im extremely new and was just looking for some guidance.
Thanks
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Oh man, where to begin. (I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you mean the rifle and not some PC version my non l337 ass hasn't heard of).
First off, it's like Barbie, but for men. There a Crap-ton of parts and accessories. Having some idea of mechanics or putting things together will help, but there are also manuals out there to help with it.
First you need to answer some basic questions:
-What will this AR be used for? Long distance precision shooting, home defense, hunting, or the closest to an M4 clone you can make?
What caliber do you want? The AR family has a lot of options, but the most common types you see parts for now are 5.56NATO (.223 Remington), 7.62NATO (.308), or .300 Blackout. If this is your first I'd recommend going with 5.56 since the ammo is also the cheapest of the three.
How much are you willing to spend
How much does the overall weight matter?
How fast do you want this gun? Typically building is a cheaper option, but means you have to fine tune things and will need to purchase tools you don't normally have, like an AR barrel wrench and gunsmith punch set. Most people who build span it out over a time frame of 4 to 6 months.
My take on building an AR
Go for it. I plan to do it as well, but I already have an AR that I have purchased so I'm not eagerly awaiting the build to be finished. My plan is to take my run of the mill AR and little by little upgrade it to a better AR. By the time I'm done I'll have plenty of components to have a head start on building my own AR.
This plan is a little more in the upfront cost, but you have your rifle right away.
Assuming you still want to go the custom build route right off the start you should begin by looking at Palmetto State Armory (http://palmettostatearmory.com/) and purchasing one of their stripped lower receivers. (http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/lower-parts/lower-receivers/psa-ar15-lower.html) This receiver is for the 5.56 NATO round, and their customer service is of near legendary status. They'll help with understanding the transfer paperwork and what is required.
There are a lot of sites that will sell you a rifle in various stages of completion as well. If all you want to do is build the lower, you can buy a completed upper and have it shipped to your door with no paper work. But I'm getting into details beyond the basics. Consider the questions above, and go from there.
Congrats on the decision to enter the world of scary black rifles! :) The armed citizen is the truly free citizen.
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I agree with Manohey... Price point is going to be a big factor on where you start platform wise and Caliber will factor into that. If you are less worried about cost, dont forget the 6.8mm SPC round. It is a newer cartridge but offers some pretty nice intermediate stopping power if you dont want to go all the way to the 7.62NATO (.308).
Another question you should ask is if you want to go with direct impingement or gas piston?
As far as platforms, you can quickly shoot up from 800-1k base model bushmaster/rock river/Stag arms to your 1200-1500 mid range colt/S&W/SIG to your 1500-2500 LWRC/DPMS/Barrett to your 3000 H&K
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Wait you can build guns from the ground up? Like computers?
IE
Butt, trigger, barrel, chamber, grip, and cartridge
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price isnt an issue because im not in a rush so i dont mind slowly buying parts. ive been watching youtube videos on the stuff just trying to see what it is going to take. i just want it for home defense and range time. i will probably start and just get that stripped lower and go from there. there are so many options its hard for me to choose lol
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Wait you can build guns from the ground up? Like computers?
IE
Butt, trigger, barrel, chamber, grip, and cartridge
(http://i0.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/000/554/facepalm.jpg)
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For the buttstock, I am a big fan of Magpul. I have found them to be some of the best functioning stocks on AR variant rifles.
For the grip, I love the ergo suregrip. It has always provided me good purchase and feel no matter the temp, rain/sun, barehanded or gloved.
Optics, hard to go wrong with an EOtech holo-sight for cqb, but keep in mind they use batteries and each model varies.
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Just get a Colt, the SP6920 is a great rifle that can be found in the 800-900 range. You can build you own, but it seems like it will cost more if you build your own upper with the tools required for mounting the barrel and checking the chamber.
With building a rifle you don't seem to save much but you end up with exactly what you want.
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http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/lower-parts/lower-receivers/psa-ar15-lower.html (http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/lower-parts/lower-receivers/psa-ar15-lower.html)
and
http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/lower-parts/build-kits/moe-lower-build-kit.html (http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/lower-parts/build-kits/moe-lower-build-kit.html)
in MOE LBK FDE the two tone will post pics of the build as it comes along
ordered this so far going to build the lower then do some more research on the upper came to 275 with shipping and ffl transfer
any recommendations on nice uppers would be appreciated.
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For the lower, check out Magpul's enhanced trigger guards, especially if you are going to do any range time in cold weather where you will be rocking some gloves. The aluminum one is a very nice piece.
http://store.magpul.com/product/MAG015/173 (http://store.magpul.com/product/MAG015/173)
If you are looking for complete uppers, check out LWRC's short stroke gas piston uppers (M6A2 & M6A3). They are not cheap but they make hell of a rifle. Piston systems make a hell of a difference with keeping bolt temps down and reducing fouling.
Anyway you decide to go, make sure you check with both manufacturers for input on the marriage of the upper and lower. They may blow smoke, but it can still help point out potential red flags for the build.
Don’t forget to think ahead to a sling style and your mount options and put your sling adapter on early. As fart as slings, I have tried many types and mount styles but I keep going back to the single mount point tac slings. The Dieter CQD or the Blackhawk Storm Sling are both great options. To go along with this single mount point style, I use a Blackhawk Universal Single Point Sling Adapter. Nothing sticking out to poke you and ensures the rifle lies as flat against your body as possible. Again, this is just my preference, but from a hanging position, to low ready to high ready, I find this sling and mount style the most comfortable, natural feeling, and easiest for transition out of all the slings out there.
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I'll agree with Broken that Magpul accessories are some of the best out there. Some I have or plan on getting include:
Magpul B.A.D. Lever - (Best accessory for an AR, ever.)
Gen 2 BUIS (Back Up Iron Sights)
M3 Single Point Sling
ASAP Single point mount
Front Rail sling mount
I do plan on one day building a piston driven upper, but for now the cost is too much. And I oddly find rifle cleaning time to be relaxing :). Don't get me wrong, if you can afford I HIGHLY recommend doing it with an Adams Arms kit. Great piston system that you can attach to any rifle.
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so far
http://www.spikestactical.com/new/z/upper-556-16-m4-le-wfde-moe-handguards-fsp-p-659.html (http://www.spikestactical.com/new/z/upper-556-16-m4-le-wfde-moe-handguards-fsp-p-659.html)
and
http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/firearms/receivers/psa-ar15-lower.html (http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/firearms/receivers/psa-ar15-lower.html)
and
http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/lower-parts/build-kits/moe-lower-build-kit.html (http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/lower-parts/build-kits/moe-lower-build-kit.html)
for 875 shipped and transfered
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heres the upper
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On a pink pillow. Nice!