Jul 05 2005
AR15 Build Project
Contrary to any impression formed by my readers, I do not have a huge budget for firearms projects. Most of my undertakings are completed over a extended timeline, and a gradual expenditure of funds.
My AR15 build project was to be my last significant firearms acquisition prior to the birth of our daughter Jillian. I recognized that my discretionary firearms spending would in all probability diminish (if not disappear) once we were parents, and I really wanted an AR15 in the cabinet before that happened.
(AR15 primary components)
Prices for ARs vary here, but the range is between $600 (Norinco CQ311) and $2400 (Uber-AR space gun type). What I was looking for was a standard style rifle, with a 20″ barrel and a collapsable stock. I’d learn more about the platform as I went along, but that was the rifle I wanted.
The first acquisition was an A1 upper (Diemaco / Kaiser marked, a colt contract piece) which features the attached carry handle, but also a forward assist and shell deflector. Shortly there after I picked up an Olympic Arms (forged) lower along with both a standard and collapsable stock (I later gave the standard stock to my cousin Mike for his Norinco CQ311 upgrade project). A Bushmaster bolt and carrier were added to the growing pile of parts, along with colt handguards (rounded style).
(Ready for assembly)
The last item was the barrel, for this I specifically wanted a 5.56×45mm NATO barrel with a 1/7 twist, and 20″ in length to allow more flexibility with the ammo used. I picked up a used barrel for a good price, the only downside being it was a “post-ban” import, and was not threaded for a flash suppressor.
With the parts finally gathered I turned to a local AR smith (found through CGN) for barrel installation and a headspacing check (I am not a gunsmith, and this is the part of all my projects I turn over to trained professionals).
(The assembled rifle)
With a two day turn around and local pickup (gotta love dealing with professionals!) my AR was assembled and ready to go, total time to build the rifle was approximately 3 months. As usual the process was an education, if you’re looking to learn the in and outs of any firearm I heartily recommend building one up from parts (preferably under the instruction of an “expert”), you’ll learn a truckload!
At this time the rifle is still awaiting a trip to another gunsmith for the threading of the barrel and installation of a phantom flash suppressor.
(This entry is a compilation of several older entries lost in my last server crash)
8 Responses to “AR15 Build Project”
Ah! That reminds me! You have handguards for my AR don’t you?
I’m in another world these days…
Nope. The handguards are at your parents place, been sitting there for a few weeks now. Not to worry, they’re not going anywhere.
Heya Mugwug, congrats on the AR project!
I did the exact same thing, starting with a gift certificate to a local gun shop the wife gave me for Christmas, I bought a lower and then took two months to build it up. I got halfway through a second one, as my plan was to build a 20in rifle and a carbine and trade them in on a new NM M1A.
After running short on cash due to the build-up of my Boomershoot rifle, I stopped the project after completing the lower half of a CAR and could never get up the want to finish. I traded the CAR lower for a Remington 870 and sold the 20in privately to fund my latest project, which will be done on this Friday and presented to the world next Monday.
Thanks Analogkid!
I can’t wait to see your project when it’s done, the oblique references were killing me the other day while I was reading through your site, I kept going farther and farther back to see if I had missed something.
This AR is a little old (as you can tell by the dates in the photos), but I find it a little ironic that I’m racing around pimping my other firearms, and leaving my AR stock…seems to be the opposite of everyone else I know.
Ah…good times, good times….
-GRIN-
Leaving an AR stock still leaves it looking like a custom-gun in some cases.
If you liked building this one, you should ask Bushmaster or Oly Arms (or both) to mail you one of their parts catalogs. After the initial buy of a lower, you can usually get away with spending just under $100 a month or so and at the end of the year, you have a completed rifle as a Christmas present.
One of these days, I’ll have to tell the story of my dealings with the old Oly Arms.
True enough.
Frankly since 9/11 I’ve had few positive experiences ordering parts from US suppliers, in fact I’ve given up and inevitably end up dealing with either the authorized Canadian distributors or private sales (with Canadian or US parties).
It’s a pain, especially as I can remember ordering oodles of stuff across before 9/11 with no difficulties. Now it seems everything is verboten, either by US or Canada regs….
Grrrr….
Grrr is right. Another reason to, shall I say, migrate south.
Psst, Mugwug. Email me. I have a question for you. Thanks.