Building my first AR - Advice?

[Hueco]

Build your lower in a large box on your workbench. The box should catch the springs and/or pins you are going to launch and save you a lot of search time
Never do your build on a thick carpet

Yep. Learned the hard way already to work on any part with a spring inside of a box. I have a nice sized Lightbox for my photography work that is excellent for catching springs.

 

[Kruel J]

Build your lower in a large box on your workbench. The box should catch the springs and/or pins you are going to launch and save you a lot of search time
Never do your build on a thick carpet

Meh. That takes out some of the fun. I say build the lower in your living room, after dark and after a few drinks. Make sure there are plenty of distractions and maybe even have someone vacuuming the whole time. I mean, if you're gonna build your FIRST AR, might as well get all the mistakes out of the way.

 

[GWS]

Meh. That takes out some of the fun. I say build the lower in your living room, after dark and after a few drinks. Make sure there are plenty of distractions and maybe even have someone vacuuming the whole time. I mean, if you're gonna build your FIRST AR, might as well get all the mistakes out of the way.

I wasn't drinking but was in a hurry on one build and forgot to install a small spring in the trigger group.
The rifle doubled and tripled off shots at the range. Fortunately, the range masters knew it was a build and didn't go ATF. Just told me to get it off the range. I took it to a gunsmith who ID'd the problem before I finished telling him about it, He installed the spring and I was legal again

 

[Capn Jack]

If you're just looking at plinking and home defense, buy a $400.00 pre-assembled, out of the box.
You can learn how it works, do all of your experimenting and it will go bang same as an $800.00
model.

Now, you have a black rifle, you've taken the edge off of your urge and you can make more logical choices as to what you really want and need.

 

[Hueco]

If you're just looking at plinking and home defense, buy a $400.00 pre-assembled, out of the box.
You can learn how it works, do all of your experimenting and it will go bang same as an $800.00
model.

Now, you have a black rifle, you've taken the edge off of your urge and you can make more logical choices as to what you really want and need.

Let me clarify some things:

- I want to build and assemble the rifle from the ground up. Hard stop. This is happening.
- What you value is different than what I value. I won't judge what you value, so don't judge mine.
- My choices are my own and yours are yours. I won't judge yours, so please don't judge mine.

Now that that's outta the way, if you have any wisdom from build experience, I'd be keen to hear it. Hell, if you ever make it to Portland, I'll buy you a beer or two for it.

 

[Kruel J]

Let me clarify some things:

- I want to build and assemble the rifle from the ground up. Hard stop. This is happening.
- What you value is different than what I value. I won't judge what you value, so don't judge mine.
- My choices are my own and yours are yours. I won't judge yours, so please don't judge mine.

Now that that's outta the way, if you have any wisdom from build experience, I'd be keen to hear it. Hell, if you ever make it to Portland, I'll buy you a beer or two for it.

I'm in the other camp. I say build away! I don't have a factory AR in my collection any longer. Nope, I like to cherry pick my parts and I trust myself more than most factory builds.

 

[DirectDrive]

Take your brain pills before you do the bolt catch roll pin, forward assist roll pin and trigger guard roll pin.

I went to unfukkit.com and got roll pin punches, roll pin starter punches and the shaved bolt catch roll pin punch.

You can build an AR with what tools you have in your kitchen junk drawer, but it goes nicer when you have the right tools.

Watch the Brownells videos that I linked above.

 

[3MTA3]

My 2 cents...

• Don't cut corners or skip details like not staking the castle nut
• Use an actual torque wrench and not the one in your elbow
• Aeroshell for the barrel threads. Don't just tighten the barrel nut and be done with it - tighten, loosen, tighten, torque.
• I like the YT videos by nsz85 nsz85
• Have spare lower parts on hand so you won't need to replace them in the middle of a build if you lose one, one is missing, or somehow defective. You want them on hand anyway, including BCG parts because the AR will consume certain parts as part of it's design.
• If your lower needs a trigger guard, support it with a quarter or 3/8 inch piece of wood covered by something soft like a piece of microfiber when you drive the pins. It's fairly easy to break this area.

I look forward to pictures and your range report. Good luck with your build.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Make sure you get the correct parts for your recoil system, including your buffer and spring!
Also, make sure the buffer and spring are of the correct specs for your gas length, IE carbine length needs more mass then middy and rifle!

Perhaps some one can post up a chart that shows the buffer and springs broken down by the gas system length, my Google-fu isn't working today!

 

[Xaevian]

Magnets are great for picking up flung springs when you can't see them right away. You can really cover some floor space quickly with one. Doesn't work on real brass detents, though. You can test them first to see if they are brass or brass plated.

Take your time with the roll pins - especially the bolt catch pin - and protective layers of tape around them will help avoid ugly gouges.

A pencil with a good eraser on it works great for the mag release button.

There are some easy tricks getting the gas block lined up properly that vary based on type. Google if you need to.

I am far from an expert, full disclosure. Only built 4.

Enjoy your build!

 

[3MTA3]

Make sure you get the correct parts for your recoil system, including your buffer and spring!
Also, make sure the buffer and spring are of the correct specs for your gas length, IE carbine length needs more mass then middy and rifle!

Perhaps some one can post up a chart that shows the buffer and springs broken down by the gas system length, my Google-fu isn't working today!

I missed the part about tuning buffers in my post above. Basically you want the buffer that's just heavier than the one that doesn't reliably cycle, so for builds keep a few different weights on hand.

 

[Hueco]

Make sure you get the correct parts for your recoil system, including your buffer and spring!
Also, make sure the buffer and spring are of the correct specs for your gas length, IE carbine length needs more mass then middy and rifle!

Perhaps some one can post up a chart that shows the buffer and springs broken down by the gas system length, my Google-fu isn't working today!

I'll see if I can find it.

Is it more optimal to run a fixed gas block that may be overgassed to start and to tune this as much as you can with the buffer system or better to deal with an adjustable block?

I don't really see a future where I'd be adjusting the gas block any...I suppose I may suppress it someday but that's not in the cards for my ~3 year plan with this rifle. I do plan on moving from factory loads to hand loads in the next year or two, however, and would love to have the softest shooting rifle I can squeak by with...so, does that mean fixed block and tune the buffer or adjustable block and tune the block and buffer? Thanks,

 

[Kruel J]

Adjustable gas blocks are generally not needed for the "average builder". I personally think they are a gimmick hyped up by marketers. Suppressed fire notwithstanding.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I'll see if I can find it.

Is it more optimal to run a fixed gas block that may be overgassed to start and to tune this as much as you can with the buffer system or better to deal with an adjustable block?

I don't really see a future where I'd be adjusting the gas block any...I suppose I may suppress it someday but that's not in the cards for my ~3 year plan with this rifle. I do plan on moving from factory loads to hand loads in the next year or two, however, and would love to have the softest shooting rifle I can squeak by with...so, does that mean fixed block and tune the buffer or adjustable block and tune the block and buffer? Thanks,

One man's solution to another's problems, ether works, but it's up to you the builder to decide which solution works best for you! Having run both, I find it comes down to what the mission is for that rifle, if it's a carbine, I go to the buffer, if it's a Varmint wackin rifle, I go adjustable!

 

[Kruel J]

Either way don't get caught up in the "adjustable gas block is required" nonsense. I can't tell you how many times I've seen folks here assume it fixes everything when trying diagnose a problem. Only to find out it doesn't do a damn bit of good. The AR-15/M-16 is produced by the MILLIONS with a fixed block.

 

[ma96782]

My (at the time) teen aged son built his first AR with the help of a few Army Maintenence Manuals, a few tools and YouTube.

Aloha, Mark

 

[User 1234]

If longer range is what you're after, use 6.8 or a cartridge other than 5.56x45. Or build an AR10. Fewer standardized parts and more planning required, but opens up long range cartridges.

 

[Capn Jack]

Let me clarify some things:

- I want to build and assemble the rifle from the ground up. Hard stop. This is happening.
- What you value is different than what I value. I won't judge what you value, so don't judge mine.
- My choices are my own and yours are yours. I won't judge yours, so please don't judge mine.

Now that that's outta the way, if you have any wisdom from build experience, I'd be keen to hear it. Hell, if you ever make it to Portland, I'll buy you a beer or two for it.

You're asking for advice. That was mine. Don't put your hammer spring in backwards...

 

[Hueco]

You're asking for advice. That was mine. Don't put your hammer spring in backwards...

My post specifically asks for things you have learned while building that you wish you knew before. If you haven't built one, then you're in the same boat I'm in. If you have and your advice is to go buy one, then you're of a different mindset and have goals very different than me. In either case, that perspective adds little in what I'm actually trying to learn.

Thanks,

 

[turbo_vanner]

even without an adjustable block, a 20" barrel with rifle length gas and an A5 or A2 extension will shoot very soft. any gain from adjustability will be a little bit of comfort, but not much. there is no real gain in accuracy or velocity from any particular type of block.

You could go nuts with an adjustable block, lightweight bcg, and aluminum weights in your buffer.... and the rifle will still work just the same. Especially from a bench.