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I'm going to build a rifle around Wifey's Anderson lower she won in last months raffle. I plan on using a complete lower. I'd like input on +/- of a pencil barrel VS standard barrel. Nickle Boron BCG VS standard. Drop in Trigger VS non-drop in. I'm mechanically inclined so assembling a trigger in the lower shouldn't be a problem. Does buffer tube, spring, plunger really matter which one. Is more expensive more better? We're looking at this upper ... PSA 16" Mid-Length Pencil 5.56 NATO 1:7 Stainless Steel 13.5" Lightweight M-LOK Upper with NiB BCG, CH, & MBUS Sight Set

Wifey likes to sit at the bench and punch paper. Or ring the gong at 100 yards. Right NOW I'd like to know if we should jump on the upper. It was up a couple of day ago, and then was gone. It's up again this morning and i want to get it if it's looks to be a good one.

Thanks Guys!
 
If it's a bench gun then I would go with a heavier barrel personally - less wait time for the barrel to cool off.



Pencil barrels and light weight guns are for hunting and carrying long distances.
 
my main bench AR is a 16" pencil, and it rings my 4" gong at 200 yards just fine. That said, I don't compete, I don't shoot the daylights out of it, and I don't need it to be the best out there. Just shoot something else between mags and it wont get too hot.

Nickel boron, nitride or DLC doesn't really affect operation or reliability much, but they are all vastly easier to clean than a chrom/parkerized bcg. If you clean it in an ultrasonic cleaner, it doesn't matter.

Best bang for the buck trigger in my opinion right now is the larue mbt-2s, a fantastic two stage for under 100.

As for buffers and springs, the PSA upper will be running a good amount of gas to ensure proper cycling, which usually means too much. A heavier buffer will help balance this out. So would an adjustable gas block. That said, a standard buffer and spring work just fine.
 
If it's a bench gun then I would go with a heavier barrel personally - less wait time for the barrel to cool off.



Pencil barrels and light weight guns are for hunting and carrying long distances.

This is what I kind of figured, pencil barrel heats up quicker, makes sense. Wifey wants something lighter than my AR. :s0008: Not saying it HAS to be that way though.


Not interested in a pistol. We have a bunch of pistols, in pistol calibers. Not a fan of the fat plastic hand guards either.

my main bench AR is a 16" pencil, and it rings my 4" gong at 200 yards just fine. That said, I don't compete, I don't shoot the daylights out of it, and I don't need it to be the best out there. Just shoot something else between mags and it wont get too hot.

Nickel boron, nitride or DLC doesn't really affect operation or reliability much, but they are all vastly easier to clean than a chrom/parkerized bcg. If you clean it in an ultrasonic cleaner, it doesn't matter.

Best bang for the buck trigger in my opinion right now is the larue mbt-2s, a fantastic two stage for under 100.

As for buffers and springs, the PSA upper will be running a good amount of gas to ensure proper cycling, which usually means too much. A heavier buffer will help balance this out. So would an adjustable gas block. That said, a standard buffer and spring work just fine.

We both like the look of the stainless barrel. Barrel heat is a concern though. I liked that this upper has the iron sights come with it. That's $100.00 right there from what I've seen,(Unless I got the Chinese knock-off MagPul's like I did for my AR). :oops: She could shoot it before we found a decent scope for it.

Thanks for piping in guys. I don't even know how much I don't know about the good/bad/ugly of these rifles!
 
If it's a bench gun then I would go with a heavier barrel personally - less wait time for the barrel to cool off.



Pencil barrels and light weight guns are for hunting and carrying long distances.

Either way, I'd prefer a midlength gas system if using a FF handguard. They run a little bit smoother.

I gave up on HBAR profile barrels because I only zero from the bench and like to shoot on the move otherwise when it comes to ARs. I am using a lightweight hybrid thats just a smidge heavier than pencil. I like it.
 
The other consideration is a trigger. Drop in VS non drop-in, I guess? Advantages/disadvantages of each. I'm not worried about putting one together. Looked at Geissele and CMC drop in at Oregon Rifle Works in Tigard. Those folks weren't jump up to sell anything that day so I didn't get much real info.
 
The other consideration is a trigger. Drop in VS non drop-in, I guess? Advantages/disadvantages of each. I'm not worried about putting one together. Looked at Geissele and CMC drop in at Oregon Rifle Works in Tigard. Those folks weren't jump up to sell anything that day so I didn't get much real info.

I'm told by someone I trust that you can work a stock trigger to get it a lot nicer.

I haven't bothered with mine to see how it goes though.


I have shot a high end trigger though and it is very nice - it does add a bunch to the build though so i guess I'd say if you can afford it then go for it, otherwise you can always add it down the line if you choose to.
 
I would do a Mid length/M-4orgery, slightly heavier barrel then Standard with as many mil spec standard parts to keep the costs down. I like the CMMG trigger kits, they run a lot like a tuned factory trigger at a decent price, and they assemble easy enough! Get it up and running and then you can play with the buffer weight and all the other fun stuff to tune it to fit her needs/taste just right!
Don't forget @LuckySG does AR build parts and accessories, and could prolly get you all the coolness in AR goodies at a reasonable price, AND, he does custom ceracoating, for that finishing touch!:D
 
I'm told by someone I trust that you can work a stock trigger to get it a lot nicer.

I haven't bothered with mine to see how it goes though.


I have shot a high end trigger though and it is very nice - it does add a bunch to the build though so i guess I'd say if you can afford it then go for it, otherwise you can always add it down the line if you choose to.
Just a little bit of polish elbow grease .
Or Dremel tool .
There are videos on YouTube
 
This is what I kind of figured, pencil barrel heats up quicker, makes sense. Wifey wants something lighter than my AR. :s0008: Not saying it HAS to be that way though.



Not interested in a pistol. We have a bunch of pistols, in pistol calibers. Not a fan of the fat plastic hand guards either.



We both like the look of the stainless barrel. Barrel heat is a concern though. I liked that this upper has the iron sights come with it. That's $100.00 right there from what I've seen,(Unless I got the Chinese knock-off MagPul's like I did for my AR). :oops: She could shoot it before we found a decent scope for it.

Thanks for piping in guys. I don't even know how much I don't know about the good/bad/ugly of these rifles!
The PSA blem package is good I have bought a few of them.
You can always change the hand Guards.
I do I don't like the round ones.
And the blem is nothing.
On one I couldn't find anything wrong with it
And the other was a small scratch on the barrel.
 
These are both PSA FREEDOM KIT.
I changed the furniture to MAGPUL . MVIMG_20190417_180456.jpg IMG_20190405_122641.jpg
 
For triggers I have the Larue 2 stage on a few rifles. PSA now has a 2 stage for around $70 but I haven't tried it. I do have a budget Ultra Match 3.5 lb single stage drop in trigger. It us a little mushy but miles better than the milspec trigger for me as far as accuracy.

My accuracy has improved with these lighter triggers. They may not be the best for a true fighting rifle but for bench guns they are great.
 
Last Edited:
Exciting times @Mikej and @Wifey

If she wants a light gun...

I'd say stick with a lighter barrel and use it as she intends to.

Lighter barrels do not mean less accuracy. They get hot faster, which can change the point of impact slightly.

Getting the heavier barrel will just make it heavier and perhaps not the greatest for off hand shooting without the bench when she wants to do so.

I recommend leaning heavily on her wants vs the folks here. From my experiences, she likes certain things, make it that way.

The linked upper is a great start.

My only recommendation for Palmetto stuff is to double check the gas block, they tend to leave PSA with little to no loctite and tend to shift.

upload_2019-5-6_13-17-59.jpeg

Good lower parts kits can be had on PSA as well as many other websites.

My favorite trigger these days is Aim Surplus's drop in. Great price, great company, great triggers.
AIM SSTAT Single Stage AR Trigger - Blade
 
My 16 inch heavy barrel on my Bushmaster receiver with the Adams Arms piston kit runs flawless on the bench with the rest. One thing that I do not like when I'm bench shooting is the gas that escapes from the chamber.
But that's just me.
As for the trigger if you don't want to spend the extra hundred or so dollars just get a mil-spec trigger and watch some YouTube videos in Polish that sucker good and get some JMP light trigger springs.

If you're going to get in the building might as well go Whole Hog.;)
 
My CMC Trigger is 3.5lb of joy. I normally use the BMC PTN trigger assembly but my first upper I made a mistake and ordered a CMC Trigger. It was on sale for less than a $100 at the time from Primary Arms.
 
We're not looking to get by as cheap as possible. Something mid range, price wise. Wifey won $500.00 on the St Patrick's Day Raffle and we figure that ought to get a pretty decent rifle built. The main idea is to have it feel much better than my off the rack AR. and hopefully be more accurate.

LaRue Tactical MBT-2S Trigger - LaRue Tactical

As good as a Geissele at half the price in my opinion.

I like the looks of that LaRue trigger. The reviews tell quite the story. 3.5lb pull sounds about right too.

Just a little bit of polish elbow grease .
Or Dremel tool .
There are videos on YouTube

Polish elbow grease? But I'm Hungarian! :p Yeah, no. In the future sometime I might want get deep into this build stuff, but for now I'll let the pros do that for me.

Exciting times @Mikej and @Wifey

If she wants a light gun...

I'd say stick with a lighter barrel and use it as she intends to.

Lighter barrels do not mean less accuracy. They get hot faster, which can change the point of impact slightly.

Getting the heavier barrel will just make it heavier and perhaps not the greatest for off hand shooting without the bench when she wants to do so.

I recommend leaning heavily on her wants vs the folks here. From my experiences, she likes certain things, make it that way.

The linked upper is a great start.

My only recommendation for Palmetto stuff is to double check the gas block, they tend to leave PSA with little to no loctite and tend to shift.

View attachment 576904

Good lower parts kits can be had on PSA as well as many other websites.

My favorite trigger these days is Aim Surplus's drop in. Great price, great company, great triggers.
AIM SSTAT Single Stage AR Trigger - Blade

I like this, what she wants...... She wants lighter than mine, which is a Kurt's build that I bought off the rack. Having some knowledge of how many of these things you have built, i'll defer to your expertise. If you say accuracy wont drop off terribly with the pencil barrel I'll go with that. We have to make the decision before noon tomorrow though as that's when that sale ends on that upper. And what are we talking weight wise? Half a pound/8 ounces?

So @Reno, single stage VS double? Helping her understand the difference last night pulled the AR and the Swede Mauser out. I know the difference, but don't see and plus of one over the other. Is it just a preference thing? It, once again, goes back to "I don't know what I don't know".

Going back to what I said about wanting her rifle to be more accurate than mine. I was at the range with @Lilhigbee. He had his AR and I had mine. I shot both his and mine. I was happy with my, scoped, AR at about 3.5"/100 yards. With his, scoped, rifle I was at about an inch for 5 shots/100 yards. He said "Now you know it's not you". That stuck with me. I'm hoping what ever I come up with here that it's better than my AR.
 
We're not looking to get by as cheap as possible. Something mid range, price wise. Wifey won $500.00 on the St Patrick's Day Raffle and we figure that ought to get a pretty decent rifle built. The main idea is to have it feel much better than my off the rack AR. and hopefully be more accurate.



I like the looks of that LaRue trigger. The reviews tell quite the story. 3.5lb pull sounds about right too.



Polish elbow grease? But I'm Hungarian! :p Yeah, no. In the future sometime I might want get deep into this build stuff, but for now I'll let the pros do that for me.



I like this, what she wants...... She wants lighter than mine, which is a Kurt's build that I bought off the rack. Having some knowledge of how many of these things you have built, i'll defer to your expertise. If you say accuracy wont drop off terribly with the pencil barrel I'll go with that. We have to make the decision before noon tomorrow though as that's when that sale ends on that upper. And what are we talking weight wise? Half a pound/8 ounces?

So @Reno, single stage VS double? Helping her understand the difference last night pulled the AR and the Swede Mauser out. I know the difference, but don't see and plus of one over the other. Is it just a preference thing? It, once again, goes back to "I don't know what I don't know".

Going back to what I said about wanting her rifle to be more accurate than mine. I was at the range with @Lilhigbee. He had his AR and I had mine. I shot both his and mine. I was happy with my, scoped, AR at about 3.5"/100 yards. With his, scoped, rifle I was at about an inch for 5 shots/100 yards. He said "Now you know it's not you". That stuck with me. I'm hoping what ever I come up with here that it's better than my AR.

Ya, I'd stick with her tastes vs your own or others. That way she enjoys it better.

As for using another's gun and getting better results. That DOES NOT mean yours is inferior. Might just mean you need to find a better means to get better precision. Like a better trigger and ammo catered to the rifle. Or ammo it likes. Some guns are great with all ammos, some aren't.

If your worried about the PSA barrel being capable. Or it turns out to suck with most factory ammos. Buy a better barrel and swap it out.

PSA guns can be very very accurate however. So don't think it may not be a rockstar.

Triggers...

Essentially even a 2 stage trigger has 1 stage that releases the sear contact point.

A two stage is like all triggers. Except more refined. Instead of the typical squishy feeling you get before hitting the wall, you get a smooth feeling pull to the wall. Then at that wall the second stage breaks the sear point.

For instance...

A typical run of the mill AR trigger is a squishy, gritty 1-2 poundish first stage followed by a 3-4 pound gritty second stage break. It resets back at the first gritty squishy stage.

A nice two stage is the same except both parts are smooth and the second part, at the wall, is a clean glasslike 1-2 pound pull. Resets at the early part of the trigger travel.

Singles, at least the good ones, literally sit on the sear point only. They have almost no staging or travel. They are just always sitting on the break point. They pull clean and break clean. Resets right back onto the break.
 
We're not looking to get by as cheap as possible. Something mid range, price wise. Wifey won $500.00 on the St Patrick's Day Raffle and we figure that ought to get a pretty decent rifle built. The main idea is to have it feel much better than my off the rack AR. and hopefully be more accurate.



I like the looks of that LaRue trigger. The reviews tell quite the story. 3.5lb pull sounds about right too.



Polish elbow grease? But I'm Hungarian! :p Yeah, no. In the future sometime I might want get deep into this build stuff, but for now I'll let the pros do that for me.



I like this, what she wants...... She wants lighter than mine, which is a Kurt's build that I bought off the rack. Having some knowledge of how many of these things you have built, i'll defer to your expertise. If you say accuracy wont drop off terribly with the pencil barrel I'll go with that. We have to make the decision before noon tomorrow though as that's when that sale ends on that upper. And what are we talking weight wise? Half a pound/8 ounces?

So @Reno, single stage VS double? Helping her understand the difference last night pulled the AR and the Swede Mauser out. I know the difference, but don't see and plus of one over the other. Is it just a preference thing? It, once again, goes back to "I don't know what I don't know".

Going back to what I said about wanting her rifle to be more accurate than mine. I was at the range with @Lilhigbee. He had his AR and I had mine. I shot both his and mine. I was happy with my, scoped, AR at about 3.5"/100 yards. With his, scoped, rifle I was at about an inch for 5 shots/100 yards. He said "Now you know it's not you". That stuck with me. I'm hoping what ever I come up with here that it's better than my AR.
Polish I didn't notice that.
Lol
 

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