Building my first AR-15

[John E]

Treated myself to the first of many parts I'll be using to build an AR-15.

A new gunshop opened nearby and I bought a Spikes Tactical lower for my very own Christmas present.

I've also got a manual on building the rifle on its way from Amazon.com.

The fun will begin on Jan.2 after I get the lower out of bondage.

[Hill, Bill E.]

Nice!! Have you checked out the AR15 forum yet?

Lots of great info on building your own Black Rifle.

That's my next weapon, is to build my own AR:victory:

ETA: link for AR15: http://www.ar15.com/

[cruiseroutfit]

Good luck with the project. Don't forget the tools needed to properly assembly an AR, particualry if your going to do a true start to finish build with no pre-assembled parts. If your not familiar with and have the tools to check headspace, etc it might be a good idea to take your assembled rifle to a gunsmith to have them give it a good once over for you. I've been enjoying my 'gun show budget build' AR15, with the exception of the lower everything was sourced from gun shows and local classifieds, all under $500. Shoots great.

[1911]

Have fun with it! I have two builds on Spike's lowers and their both great shooters.

[Mlachica]

Also check out M4carbine.net

Good luck with the build. I just completed my first build about a month ago. I have about 500 rounds through it and LOVE it. Although I only assembled the lower receiver and bought a complete Daniel Defense custom upper from www.smartgunner.com (http://www.smartgunner.com). The custom uppers are a steal from that site right now. Be aware, the wait is probably 3-6 weeks depending on your options. For the price the wait was well worth it to me. Assembly was super easy - I want to build another already!

[Corey]

Congrats on the new build.
I got the fever to have mine that I bought off of a friend a few years ago upgraded this Christmas season.

Had some major mods did to it that changed the looks of it dramatically.
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53022

This is a very addictive hobby.

[thebrassnuckles]

AR15.com has a wealth of knowledge, specifically for your needs, you should go to this link. great pictures, and instructions on assembling your lower.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=226782

[Krink545]

Congrats on your purchase, get yourself a good vise block for the upper and lower, check brownell's they have some good ones. get a good punch set brass & steel , small nylon/brass hammer, roll pin punch set, receiver extension tube wrench if your putting a collapsible stock on , if your going to barrel the upper you'll need a inch lb torque meter. There's plenty of youtube vids to watch. Hope these tips help, remember the old saying K.I.S.S. then all you need to buy is mags , ammo , and the gear to be able to run it , and the check out a good carbine coarse. Have fun:ar15::ar15:

[Hill, Bill E.]

...... then all you need to buy is mags , ammo , and the gear to be able to run it .....:ar15::ar15:

If you really get into shooting, look into reloading your own ammo.

For the cost of a two dozen boxes of ammo, you can get set up with an RCBS starter kit. There are other good presses out there also, RCBS is the one I have experience with.

By buying in bulk, you can reload .223 ammo for .08-.12 cents a round, and that includes buying new brass!

Start using your once fired brass, and the savings add up even more.

And knocking out a couple hundred reloads, is almost as enjoyable as emptying them again! :ar15: :ar15:

I second the motion for buying a good vise block, it will save you a lot of head aches.

:coffeedrink:

[John E]

for all the good advice..I picked up the lower today and the lower parts kit I ordered from Bravo Company arrived on my doorstep today too.

I bought an assembly guide written by Walt Kulek from Amazon and it arrived yesterday so I think I'm off to a good start.

Gonna pick up some needed tools this weekend and get started building.

[Metcalf]

I have never really been much of an AR15 guy, but I REALLY enjoyed building mine from a stripped lower....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/ARsmallfinished.jpg

Rough parts list....

-AIM surplus lower made by Aero Precision
-Daniel Defense lower parts kit
-Magpul MOE grip, stock, buffer tube, spring, buffer
-BCM 'blem' flat top upper
-BCM 14.5 Middy barrel
-BCM 'auto' bo1 lt carrier group
-YHM micro gas block
-YHM rifle length diamond forearm
-YHM 5c2 flash hidder
-BCM mod 4 gunfighter charging handle
-BCM stainless gas tube

-I have a Primary Arms micro red dot on it, and will be adding the magpul Gen 2 MBUS sights once they are released.

Overall I couldn't be more happy with this little guy...

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/IMAG0117.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/100group.jpg

That last shot is a 100yrd 3-round group with 55 grain 100-round Federal bulk pack using the 3moa zero magnification red dot. Not too shabby I don't think.

I assembled my lower with nothing more than a pair of channel locks, a small ball peen hammer, and a little punch I made from some scrap. I do have the armorers wrench that worked ok for the gas tube. It did come in handy for the barrel nut though. I built my own upper and pinned/welded the muzzle device also. I used the mill and bed to do this at work. I didn't have any books, only a few youtube videos and threads from AR15.com.

Good luck on your project!

[MP@HOME]

Before You work on your lower, check CAL-GUNS.NET for CA.legal ARs ,
because looks like You live in CA .

[John E]

I do live in the state of California.

I've checked out Calguns and according to the "flow chart" my AR will be perfectly legal, thanks for the tip.

I picked up a "bullet button" mag release device last week to replace the one that came with the lower parts kit.

[MP@HOME]

Great