AR LPK... need quick advice

[Diamondback]

Well, guys, I'm looking at LPK's for the NWFA lower, and am at a decision point.

Option 1: Anderson LPK, $45-50 shipped. One vendor has mixed reviews... most of them positive but when things go bad they go REALLY bad.
Option 2: Aero Precision LPK, $66 shipped straight from Aero next-day (ironically, USPS next-day is cheaper than UPS Ground aound Puget Sound). Time crunch is because this is a sale that expires at midnight.

I found a place I'd be a little more comfortable with that has the Anderson for $5 more... question is, is the Aero $15 better?

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[Kruel J]

They are both mil-spec triggers. In my experience most of the mil-spec LPKs are virtually identical.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

if the anderson one has a stainless trigger/ hammer then go for it.ive used both aero and anderson. out of the box the stainless anderson trigger feels better.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

also if you need a LPK today and wanna drive to keizer, my FFL dave has dpms kits for $55. he operates out of his house.


Dave's Shooting Supply. Firearm Sales. Firearm Transfers.

 

[Diamondback]

Don't particularly need one today, and Keizer's a ways from Soviet Socialist Suckhole of Seattlegrad--only reason for time pressure was "expiring sale."

@v0lcom13sn0w The $50 Andersons I've been finding don't have the stainless trigger/hammer.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Don't particularly need one today, and Keizer's a ways from Soviet Socialist Suckhole of Seattlegrad--only reason for time pressure was "expiring sale."

@v0lcom13sn0w The $50 Andersons I've been finding don't have the stainless trigger/hammer.

dang. the reason i like the stainless ones is: A: easier to polish, B: pre-bobbed hammer C: looks nice

 

[Diamondback]

Let's put it this way... no tools, no upper, don't even have the lower PAID FOR yet.

Looks like Anderson's discontinued the Stainless... but Primary Arms has a coupon-code that takes the Aero down to Anderson price, which takes both price and rep out of the debate.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Let's put it this way... no tools, no upper, don't even have the lower PAID FOR yet.

Looks like Anderson's discontinued the Stainless... but Primary Arms has a coupon-code that takes the Aero down to Anderson price, which takes both price and rep out of the debate.

i have the aero lpk in my 300blk. its good to go man. be careful though... this hobby is addictive.

 

[Kruel J]

I've got CMMG LPK's in both my builds and will likely use one for my third build. And yes, VERY addicting.

 

[Diamondback]

To be honest, guys, I don't even LIKE AR's--it's just that:
1. As a military historian who believes in hands-on learning, lookalike AR's are the best facsimile for discussing Vietnam to Late Cold War hardware.
2. They're probably the easiest-to-learn-on centerfire rifle around, and certainly the most adaptable.
3. Lighter and shorter LOP than the heavy 7.62's I'd *prefer*--my internal bias as a WWII nut is toward Garand/M14 but I just don't have the upper-body for either of those at 5'6" tall, 11" LOP and limited UT/pectoral muscle.

So I have some rules about AR builds, to keep me from sinking into something I can't afford, limiting them to:
1. Facsimiles of various military-issue configurations.
2. A home-defense build for each member of the household, optimized for individual needs.
3. A single iron dedicated to flipping off the Bloomingmorons as many ways as I can cram on.
4. A build I conceived in college around a Saiga-12: "Project Rattlesnake," so dubbed for having a finish inspired by the serpent I was nicknamed after--concept included a rattle on the stock, a vibration mechanism to give tactile "off-safe" indication and a snake-head "figurehead" on the muzzle that would open mouth and extend fangs when off-safe.
5. Assuming my gal lets me put a ring on her finger and we can get her papers in order, since she's mentioned wanting one doing a His & Hers set together over the honeymoon.

Now when I start fabbing my own 1911's, I can easily see me getting into trouble... LOL

 

[ORYGUNHolsterCompany]

Straight up most manufacturers "kits" are a mish mosh of sourced parts put into plastic bags and relabeled. Some will come with their own injection molded grips or trigger guards but the majority of the metal parts and springs are from a few of the same manufacturers. I am an armorer for a couple shops and have seen Friday versions from everybody.

My advice on the first build:
1. save as much money as possible if it isn't a rush complete a rifle Anderson is a great way to learn on a budget.
2. then use the saved $ to start choosing upgrade parts based on performance or lack of for the next rifle that will inevitably be built out of the extra charging handle, pistol grip, or whatever random piece you have left over.
3. Repeat 2.

 

[cooper]

also if you need a LPK today and wanna drive to keizer, my FFL dave has dpms kits for $55. he operates out of his house.


Dave's Shooting Supply. Firearm Sales. Firearm Transfers.

Take the DPMS

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

To be honest, guys, I don't even LIKE AR's--it's just that:
1. As a military historian who believes in hands-on learning, lookalike AR's are the best facsimile for discussing Vietnam to Late Cold War hardware.
2. They're probably the easiest-to-learn-on centerfire rifle around, and certainly the most adaptable.
3. Lighter and shorter LOP than the heavy 7.62's I'd *prefer*--my internal bias as a WWII nut is toward Garand/M14 but I just don't have the upper-body for either of those at 5'6" tall, 11" LOP and limited UT/pectoral muscle.

So I have some rules about AR builds, to keep me from sinking into something I can't afford, limiting them to:
1. Facsimiles of various military-issue configurations.
2. A home-defense build for each member of the household, optimized for individual needs.
3. A single iron dedicated to flipping off the Bloomingmorons as many ways as I can cram on.
4. A build I conceived in college around a Saiga-12: "Project Rattlesnake," so dubbed for having a finish inspired by the serpent I was nicknamed after--concept included a rattle on the stock, a vibration mechanism to give tactile "off-safe" indication and a snake-head "figurehead" on the muzzle that would open mouth and extend fangs when off-safe.
5. Assuming my gal lets me put a ring on her finger and we can get her papers in order, since she's mentioned wanting one doing a His & Hers set together over the honeymoon.

Now when I start fabbing my own 1911's, I can easily see me getting into trouble... LOL

like i said before. good luck. once you catch the bug, you've got it for life!

 

[Diamondback]

OK, time to ask for another round of "Educate the Moron"... Any tools I need to tackle my first build that're missing from the Wheeler Armorer Pro Kit?
AR Armorers Professional Kit - Battenfeld
Or is there a better kit out there in the $150-175 range that similarly lends itself to ready packing for on-range repair/tuning?

 

[ORYGUNHolsterCompany]

OK, time to ask for another round of "Educate the Moron"... Any tools I need to tackle my first build that're missing from the Wheeler Armorer Pro Kit?
AR Armorers Professional Kit - Battenfeld
Or is there a better kit out there in the $150-175 range that similarly lends itself to ready packing for on-range repair/tuning?

Painters tape!! Painters tape!! (Cheap at harbor freight)
Good brass hammer
Good rubber mallet
Bev lock (don't trust upper blocks for barrel assembly/torquing)
Good bench Vice
Extra detents/springs!
Needle nose pliers (nice for roll pin installs)
Anti seize
Blue loctite
Rubbing alcohol
Clp

Don't forget to torque new metal twice at least to account for stretching.

Painters Tape!!

 

[ORYGUNHolsterCompany]

If you are close to Hillsboro come by my shop and I can lead you through a lower assembly real quick also.

 

[Diamondback]

Thanks, amigo, but I'm up in Seattle. I have a buddy who's told me "when you get your lower and LPK call me and I'll show you how it all goes together," but he's... a little less than reliable about replying to email.

Part of me REALLY wants a toolkit equivalent to the Marine depot-maintenance toolkit, except that that's A. WAY out of budget and B. rather un-portable... pipedream is to have a kit where I can pack everything needed to go from raw forging to complete iron except the weapon parts in one duffel-bag, since I do a lot of work from hotel rooms between my own strange-hours teleconferences and Webexes with my client in Italy and having to be "unpaid administrative assistant" to my mother on hers with Undisclosed Major Local Employer's business-partners at Undisclosed Northeast Asian Heavy Industry.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

OK, time to ask for another round of "Educate the Moron"... Any tools I need to tackle my first build that're missing from the Wheeler Armorer Pro Kit?
AR Armorers Professional Kit - Battenfeld
Or is there a better kit out there in the $150-175 range that similarly lends itself to ready packing for on-range repair/tuning?

literally i use a plastic hammer, metal hammer, a steel punch set, an armorers wrench, a 3/4" wrench, pliers, needle nose pliers, a screw driver, wheeler upper vise block and blue tape. i have a neat trick for the front take down pin too if anyone wants to see how i do it i could prob make a video

 

[AMProducts]

Thanks, amigo, but I'm up in Seattle. I have a buddy who's told me "when you get your lower and LPK call me and I'll show you how it all goes together," but he's... a little less than reliable about replying to email.

Part of me REALLY wants a toolkit equivalent to the Marine depot-maintenance toolkit, except that that's A. WAY out of budget and B. rather un-portable... pipedream is to have a kit where I can pack everything needed to go from raw forging to complete iron except the weapon parts in one duffel-bag, since I do a lot of work from hotel rooms between my own strange-hours teleconferences and Webexes with my client in Italy and having to be "unpaid administrative assistant" to my mother on hers with Undisclosed Major Local Employer's business-partners at Undisclosed Northeast Asian Heavy Industry.

Honestly, it doesn't take that much to completely redo/undo an AR. However, there are but a few really specialized tools:

* Long roll-pin punch (this is for the BHO) it's pretty much an aluminum rod with a 1/8" hole drilled about 3/16" into one end. It holds the pin steady while you install the bolt-hold open.
* Take down pin install tool: Just a 1/4" round aluminum with a 1/8" hole drilled through it.
* Long pin punch 1/8" dia for driving the BHO pin home after you've started it with the roll pin punch.
* Set of allen wrenches, really the only one you need is a 3/16 or 1/4" go buy a T-handle as you need something that's usually 5" long. Some LPKs use a flat head screw for the grip screw, most people can find a screwdriver this long without any issue.
* Castle-nut spanner. If you're doing a lot of builds, go buy a nice expensive one, they're about $40, but if you're doing 1-2 here and there, the $5 gunshow one is more than sufficient.

If you're doing a complete upper build, you're also going to want an upper vise block, and the armorers wrench, and also a large torque wrench (1/2" drive).

There's a metric crap-ton of other goofy tools you may need if you're doing complete rebuilds, this includes jigs for aligning front sight bases with the index pin on the barrel extension, specialty taper-pin reamers for the FSB, a drill press, an arbor press (for putting in the pins) the special front sight tool, some extra-long 1/16" pin punches for disassembling the rear sight, and removing the forward assist. There's another little specialty jig you need for removing the ejection plunger that first depresses the plunger, and then holds the bolt steady while driving the pin out.

That's just armorer tools...

If you want to have "everything you need to start making guns from bare metal in a duffel bag" learn how to make sten guns. I think you need a hack saw, a dremel, a hammer, some transfer paper, and a good workbench. You might need a good bench vise, and some large hand files and a pop-rivet tool.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

for the upper vise block the magpul BEV block is a great option too