New to ARs, looking for suggestions

[titsonritz]

I would agree that the Geissele product might be the best solution, but its price tag is going to put off some (lots of) folks.
The vice block I posted is probably the best buy for a budget block set.

For the budget minded I would recommend the Bev Block because it works on both the upper and lower and it engages the barrel extension.

 

[titsonritz]

I use this one as well, but the precision guys will argue with you all day long on the need for the full set.
And they won't stop for one day, it'll go on for weeks.

Yeah, I hear it all the time, usually from someone with a cheap no name barrel. But hey, it's their money and time wasted. Buy a quality in-spec barrel and BCG and it's not an issue. After all, the only head space gage mentioned in the TM 9-1005-319-23&P manual is the max field gage.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

I'm using the Brownell's clam shell which is a very well made piece of kit.
This one in the pic below is probably the best buy anywhere on an AR upper vise block.
There are several around that are similar, but only hold by the pin lugs with the upper sitting upright.
This one turns it 90° and uses a "top hat" for a more secure hold.
AR MORERS HEAVY DUTY upper VISE BLOCK .223 .556 GREASE 4/15 NON- S.C.A.R.I.N.G. | eBay
AR15 upper receiver VISE BLOCK .223 barrel nut tool AR15 vise block BENCH TOOL | eBay
(not sure what the difference in the two listings is....I would message him)
View attachment 367381
This is machined HDPE, so my guess is that he's a retired machinist selling on Ebay.

That is probably the one I'd buy. I've been wondering why most all of them squeeze in on the sides of the receiver instead of that top hat design. Seems like that is much stronger. Thanks for the link. I'll put that to good use.

 

[DirectDrive]

For the budget minded I would recommend the Bev Block because it works on both the upper and lower and it engages the barrel extension.

Yep, the next step up is BEV block.
When I bought my Brownells clam shell, BEV block wasn't available.

 

[3MTA3]

I'm using the Brownell's clam shell which is a very well made piece of kit.
This one in the pic below is probably the best buy anywhere on an AR upper vise block.
There are several around that are similar, but only hold by the pin lugs with the upper sitting upright.
This one turns it 90° and uses a "top hat" for a more secure hold.
AR MORERS HEAVY DUTY upper VISE BLOCK .223 .556 GREASE 4/15 NON- S.C.A.R.I.N.G. | eBay
AR15 upper receiver VISE BLOCK .223 barrel nut tool AR15 vise block BENCH TOOL | eBay
(not sure what the difference in the two listings is....I would message him)
View attachment 367381
This is machined HDPE, so my guess is that he's a retired machinist selling on Ebay.

That's THE best one I've seen so far and it's less than half the price of others!

 

[DirectDrive]

That is probably the one I'd buy. I've been wondering why most all of them squeeze in on the sides of the receiver instead of that top hat design. Seems like that is much stronger. Thanks for the link. I'll put that to good use.

Some of them just hold via the takedown/pivot lugs.
Who wants all the torque directed at their lugs ?
Not my cup 'o tea.
People get by with them on install at the lower end of the torque range.
It's taking the barrel off when the fatal receiver damage can occur.

 

[3MTA3]

Some of them just hold via the takedown/pivot lugs.
Who wants all the torque directed at their lugs ?
Not my cup 'o tea.
People get by with them on install at the lower end of the torque range.
It's taking the barrel off when the fatal receiver damage can occur.

I use the clam shell for barrels and flash hiders and the take down pin block for everything else. Also using the proper grease help to prevent unwanted stress both installing and especially removing the barrel later.

That $20 block a few posts back does the duty of both styles quite nicely.

 

[DirectDrive]

I use the clam shell for barrels and flash hiders and the take down pin block for everything else. Also using the proper grease help to prevent unwanted stress both installing and especially removing the barrel later.

That $20 block a few posts back does the duty of both styles quite nicely.

Yeah, that is a wicked good deal.
And he even throws in a small tube of AeroShell.

 

[Mygrainman]

Honestly, I'm the worst at giving AR build advice. I do the front takedown pin without tools, instead using the pin itself to press the plunger down and insert. Got that idea from another member here (sorry I don't recall their nic). I don't own a vice or a mag block. I don't even know what a trigger guard tool is. I use a punch and some careful taps. I do it the worst way possible. In my garage, by hand with a punch set and a tiny little cheap dead blow and some tape. I've done 7 and I am probably just dumb lucky man. Here is my Noveske SPR build that will wear the Noveske lower next week.

View attachment 367348

I built most of my first AR on a TV tray while sitting in my bed watching NFL network. Only tools I used were a $4 brass hammer from HF, and a broken drill bit, an eyeglass repair screwdriver from my key chain, and an allen wrench set. The lower was a blem and already scratched though, so I didn't have to be careful with the finish. It's a miracle I didn't loose any parts. The eyeglass driver(with the lids still on) was about the same size as the front takedown so it worked perfect for holding the spring/detent while I slid the pin in behind it. The broken drill bit I used as a roll pin punch for the trigger guard, and the forward assist. I have a whole garage full of tools(I was a tractor mech for a while) but I couldn't find my roll pin set. I went all out for my second build, and now have a plethora of tools to build guns with... almost takes the fun out of it... naaa not even almost
I still use that drill bit and eyeglass driver though!

 

[NW_bang_bang]

Look into these rails from ALG: Rails
Inexpensive and IMO the most solid mounting system and come in both key mod and M-LOK

I'm fond of this particular style as it eliminates all the pic rail from the top you don't need while leaving enough for your BUIS:
View attachment 367330

View attachment 367331

Thanks 3MTA3, I'll give those a look, definitely looks like a much more solid mount and just a bit more cash than I paid for what I got. I was originally gonna buy a pre-built upper with the same rail and mostly Anderson parts, but we checked the fit with my lower in the store and couldn't get the take down pins to line up with the upper. They thought it was due to the upper being slightly out of spec, so I decided to get the parts and a Aero upper to match my lower. Turns out when I was putting mine together I ran into the same issue, it was because the jamb nut was too far back on the barrel nut and hitting the front of the lower. Easy to fix, but annoying. The rail is also too wide and slightly interferes with the front back up sight.

Late to this party, but tape up the lower before driving the bolt catch pin home. A couple layers of blue masking tape will save the lower from incidental contact with your punch or brass hammer.

Unfortunately the right size roll pin punch for the bolt catch was one of the few tools I didn't have... I taped it up and then used pliers with tape on the jaws, but the serrations still managed to chew through all the layers of tape. Oh well, that's what I get for being in a hurry and overall I'm not too bummed with it on my first build. Learned my lesson for sure.

This is the only gage needed:
BROWNELLS 5.56MM MAXIMUM HEADSPACE GAUGE | Brownells

Thank you! Looks like I'll need to order one, not sure if I can find them locally.

 

[3MTA3]

but we checked the fit with my lower in the store and couldn't get the take down pins to line up with the upper

WOW! that's a HUGE fail for one or the other - did you check to make sure your lower could mate with any other uppers?

 

[NW_bang_bang]

WOW! that's a HUGE fail for one or the other - did you check to make sure your lower could mate with any other uppers?

Yeah, we checked a few complete and stripped uppers, from various brands, and everything else fit just fine.

It was that one particular rail and it's jamb nut. Those few hundredths of an inch made all the difference. It wasn't obvious until I knew the stripped upper fit my lower and then when the upper was put together, all the sudden it didn't. The better lighting in my father-in-law's shop also made it a little more obvious