Thread: Good shop for CavArms lower assembly help?

Ok so I recently purchased a new stripped CavArms mkii lower, and picked up a DPMS lpk to build it up with. However, after reading some tutorials and watching online videos on how to assemble an AR lower, I realized that I don't have even the minimum necessary tools for assembling the lower (like those small pin punches or whatever they're called).
Like some CavArms lowers, mine is also a little tight in some spots and might need some filing or exacto-knife work to get everything fitting perfectly. I'm nervous about doing this myself because I have no experience and I'd hate to accidentally ruin my new lower!

So I want to know if there are any shops around Portland (or close in WA, I suppose) that have experience with assembling CavArms lowers. I'd also love any ballpark estimates on how much this might cost to have them do.

Thanks!
-D.A.

Originally Posted by d.array

Ok so I recently purchased a new stripped CavArms mkii lower, and picked up a DPMS lpk to build it up with. However, after reading some tutorials and watching online videos on how to assemble an AR lower, I realized that I don't have even the minimum necessary tools for assembling the lower (like those small pin punches or whatever they're called).
Like some CavArms lowers, mine is also a little tight in some spots and might need some filing or exacto-knife work to get everything fitting perfectly. I'm nervous about doing this myself because I have no experience and I'd hate to accidentally ruin my new lower!

So I want to know if there are any shops around Portland (or close in WA, I suppose) that have experience with assembling CavArms lowers. I'd also love any ballpark estimates on how much this might cost to have them do.

Thanks!
-D.A.

Jason at JC Weaponry up in the Couve. Great guy, was a big cav arms dealer. Give him a call and he could probably help you out. He doesn't have a store front, but he is worth a shot. He is also at all of the Portland gun shows. As for the punches, you can get them at pretty much any ACE hardware. Thats where i got mine. Just need that, some tape (to keep from marring your receiver) and a wrench to tighten the buffer tube into the stock. But I am not 100% sure that you need a buffer tube on a cav arms lower.

Originally Posted by d.array

Ok so I recently purchased a new stripped CavArms mkii lower, and picked up a DPMS lpk to build it up with. However, after reading some tutorials and watching online videos on how to assemble an AR lower, I realized that I don't have even the minimum necessary tools for assembling the lower (like those small pin punches or whatever they're called).
Like some CavArms lowers, mine is also a little tight in some spots and might need some filing or exacto-knife work to get everything fitting perfectly. I'm nervous about doing this myself because I have no experience and I'd hate to accidentally ruin my new lower!

So I want to know if there are any shops around Portland (or close in WA, I suppose) that have experience with assembling CavArms lowers. I'd also love any ballpark estimates on how much this might cost to have them do.

Thanks!
-D.A.

Just take the time and do it yourself. Since the Cav-arms lowers are plastic it is much easier to get the pins in plus you don't have to deal with the two detent pins/springs that like to fly across the room as the Cav-arms don't use them, neither do you have the trigger guard to pin in. Trust me you can do it! Go to Harbor freight and P/U a punch set for $6

AR15 .com has an easy do it yourself guide.

Originally Posted by The Cheese

Jason at JC Weaponry up in the Couve. Great guy, was a big cav arms dealer. Give him a call and he could probably help you out. He doesn't have a store front, but he is worth a shot. He is also at all of the Portland gun shows. As for the punches, you can get them at pretty much any ACE hardware. Thats where i got mine. Just need that, some tape (to keep from marring your receiver) and a wrench to tighten the buffer tube into the stock. But I am not 100% sure that you need a buffer tube on a cav arms lower.

No you don't need one. There is a pin on Cav-arms that holds the buffer detent though.

After looking at the receiver for a while and all the parts I finally just went ahead and got it done myself. The slightly tight bolt catch slot was fixed with about 10 seconds worth of careful filing and I found that the pins were all easy enough to install - even without pin punches!
The one part that was slightly annoying was installing the fire control selector, since the Cav Arms lower doesn't have a separate grip, the detent and spring install from the top via a small hole in the wall of the receiver above the selector. It was a miracle that I didn't lose the detent pin because the thing likes to shoot out while trying to get the selector in.

If I hadn't been overly cautious I probably could have done the whole thing in 15 minutes. Trlsmn was right!