You have 5 AR15 lowers - what do you build?

[American123]

Hello NWF,

Couple weeks ago I bought 3 new lowers with magpul STR stocks, although I do a ton of research myself, watch videos, etc. and also shoot competitively at Black Rifle League at RFGC. I am interested to hear what you all would do/recommend in setting up 3 new lowers. (I already have 2 16" barreled 5.56 AR15 which is why the title says 5, but really I only have 3 lowers to build up)

So my question for the forum is, You have 3 AR15 lowers, how do you set each of them up?

I figure it will be interesting to see what people have to say.

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[Diamondback]

Title said 5, so that's what I'm going with... and I'm assuming the pencil pushing ITAR turdsuckers get out of my way. (You probably don't have to worry about the "Hers" halves of my sets...)

His & Hers "stretched" (16" Mid rather than 14.5" Carbine) M4/C8 (think a Canuck M4) set for myself and the girlfriend on GP, a similar set with a Mk 18 and a C8-CQB both pistolized, and a Mk 12 SPR.

Definitely build one lower up as a pistol... one Bad Breath Range CQB, one Reach Out & Touch Someone, and the last in between.

 

[Diamondback]

Oh, and don't forget a .22LR plinker-upper or two.

 

[American123]

Title said 5, so that's what I'm going with... and I'm assuming the pencil pushing ITAR turdsuckers get out of my way. (You probably don't have to worry about the "Hers" halves of my sets...)

His & Hers "stretched" (16" Mid rather than 14.5" Carbine) M4/C8 (think a Canuck M4) set for myself and the girlfriend on GP, a similar set with a Mk 18 and a C8-CQB both pistolized, and a Mk 12 SPR.

Definitely build one lower up as a pistol... one Bad Breath Range CQB, one Reach Out & Touch Someone, and the last in between.

It's funny you say "his and hers," I actually just put together a 7# with optic AR15 because she is only 120# and the extra light rifle makes practice much more fun.

I've been doing a lot of reading lately on ballistics between 16, 18 and 20" barrels, what is interesting is the velocity difference in many tests between 18 and 20 is about 100fps, the trajectory difference with that velocity difference isn't substantial, so for the extended range rifle what barrel length are you building?

 

[American123]

Oh, and don't forget a .22LR plinker-upper or two.

Thanks, got that covered with a .22lr BCG and magazine for $150, I love that thing!

 

[MasterChief]

+1 for pistol (5.56 10.5") carbine length gas system
.300 BO pistol 8.5"
dedicated .50 bmg singleshot

 

[Diamondback]

It's funny you say "his and hers," I actually just put together a 7# with optic AR15 because she is only 120# and the extra light rifle makes practice much more fun.

I've been doing a lot of reading lately on ballistics between 16, 18 and 20" barrels, what is interesting is the velocity difference in many tests between 18 and 20 is about 100fps, the trajectory difference with that velocity difference isn't substantial, so for the extended range rifle what barrel length are you building?

Don't need to worry about weight as much in my case, I'm actually the shorter half by about three inches--she's around 5-10 *without* her favorite stripper-heels, 160. 7# is about what my "personalized" Mk 18 pistol weighs, but for this thread I'm talking as-faithful-to-milspec-as-possible. (Rollmarks don't count.)

Right now I'm not doing a Reach build because my threat-profile likely engagement range is Literal Spitting Distance, but I would personally stick almost totally to the Mk 12 SPR spec. (Other than a few personal tweaks like grip, anyway.)
Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle - Wikipedia

 

[Member 5605]

You sell 4, buy 80%'s and a quality jig...

 

[clearconscience]

I did something similair, I built a pistol, 24" varmint, and good 18".

 

[Mygrainman]

I feel like I really need at least 6 lowers with 1-3 uppers each

-16" no nonsense M4 with a good light and lower 1/3 cowitnessed red dot. maybe Laser/IR

-18" SPR (Mk12 mod0 clone ideally) with the Ops brake and AEM5 supressor.

-XM177 ...has to have aluminum CAR buttstock though.

-Colt Delta HBAR with rubberized Tasco scope, raised cheek piece and special "red triangle" grip..(then must have 10mm delta elite pistol to match)

-(1)Pistol lower & (1)SBR licensed lower with 8.3" 300 BO(supressed), and a 10.3" 5.56 (mk18)uppers to switch back and forth as desired.

-a 6.5 grendel, or 6.8 spc upper to pin onto the SPR or HBAR lower when Hunting big game.

-458 socom &/or 50 beowulf upper for heavy lifting.

 

[FireArm]

i would build a money pit qc10 9mm pistol.
A ultra-light weight 18" PWS mod2 rifle.
And a .50BMG with more spent on the scope then the rifle.
I could write a book about the complete setups with add-ons, I will spare you all from lengthy parts lists and leave it at that.

 

[Boboclown]

Should do one 18" build with a FF handguard, a 16" with fixed front sight, a pistol, maybe a pistol caliber carbine, and another keep it simple build.

 

[Diamondback]

Oh, you want a full list...
--Cosmetically Nam-spec M16 pre-A1 clone, rigged to be selectively "jam-o-matic" as an education tool for Vietnam War History classes
--the aforementioned pair of His & Hers milspec CQB's
--the aforementioned H&H pair of carbines
--a similar set of full-length service rifles
--add the Canadian equivalent alongside the SPR
--building her a right-hand version of a Gremlin PDW
--assorted .22LR and 9mm "subcaliber trainer" versions of the above
--and one "clean sheet of paper" build to the GF's spec from the ground up

 

[mkwerx]

#1 - an accurate A1 or A2
#2 - a basic M4 style 16"
#3 & 4 - two identical 16" guns with free float rails, Magpul stocks & grips and 1-4x variable power optics
#5 - a 10.5" tricked out pistol

Now assuming wait times are low or miracles happen and the NFA is repealed

#3, 4, & 5 become SBR's with suppressor.

 

[doobee8]

SPR/DMR, m4gery, sbr, brace pistol, pistol caliber.

 

[American123]

You sell 4, buy 80%'s and a quality jig...

That's something I haven't been confident enough to try yet. Maybe one day.

Lots of great recommendations here overall. One thing that I forgot about is the 50 BMG upper, as cool as that is, I think I will wait until I get bored with the smaller rifle calibers before I potentially move to 50 BMG.

 

[American123]

I feel like I really need at least 6 lowers with 1-3 uppers each

-16" no nonsense M4 with a good light and lower 1/3 cowitnessed red dot. maybe Laser/IR

-18" SPR (Mk12 mod0 clone ideally) with the Ops brake and AEM5 supressor.

-XM177 ...has to have aluminum CAR buttstock though.

-Colt Delta HBAR with rubberized Tasco scope, raised cheek piece and special "red triangle" grip..(then must have 10mm delta elite pistol to match)

-(1)Pistol lower & (1)SBR licensed lower with 8.3" 300 BO(supressed), and a 10.3" 5.56 (mk18)uppers to switch back and forth as desired.

-a 6.5 grendel, or 6.8 spc upper to pin onto the SPR or HBAR lower when Hunting big game.

-458 socom &/or 50 beowulf upper for heavy lifting.

What's the current legality on arm braces and pistols these days? I see a fair amount of people shouldering pistols with a arm braces. I know the ATF has been rather wishy washy on that. If I was going to go Pistol, it would be .300 blk out, the powder burn is completed in .300 blk out in about 9 inches of barrel, the same is not true of 5.56. Personally I have been waiting to get into .300 blk out until the prices of that ammo come down, shooting that stuff is the same price as shooting .308

 

[American123]

#1 - an accurate A1 or A2
#2 - a basic M4 style 16"
#3 & 4 - two identical 16" guns with free float rails, Magpul stocks & grips and 1-4x variable power optics
#5 - a 10.5" tricked out pistol

Now assuming wait times are low or miracles happen and the NFA is repealed

#3, 4, & 5 become SBR's with suppressor.

Wouldn't that be nice, pretty sure I would buy 7 suppressors if they came off the naughty list.

 

[American123]

Don't need to worry about weight as much in my case, I'm actually the shorter half by about three inches--she's around 5-10 *without* her favorite stripper-heels, 160. 7# is about what my "personalized" Mk 18 pistol weighs, but for this thread I'm talking as-faithful-to-milspec-as-possible. (Rollmarks don't count.)

Right now I'm not doing a Reach build because my threat-profile likely engagement range is Literal Spitting Distance, but I would personally stick almost totally to the Mk 12 SPR spec. (Other than a few personal tweaks like grip, anyway.)
Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle - Wikipedia

yes, engagement distances are something that I believe not a lot of people seem to consider, for example, the majority of us I would say live in areas where our property isn't more than 30-50 yards in length or width, some of us who may live in apartments or urban areas, much smaller, so iron sights or a red dot on a short rifle (like a Tavor) seem best suited. I love scopes personally and have them on most of my rifles, but if I was going to grab something to investigate my house, none of them would be my first choice. That would be the Tavor with a red dot, or the Remington 870, or full frame pistol etc.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[DedPyro]

I agree with a lot of these and I have a similar situation but my builds will be stretched over a long long time.

1st - one I built was a 10.5" .223 Wylde pistol so my 100# wife could handle it. 7lbs with 1-4x Vortex & brace.
2nd - will be 16" carbine.
3rd - will be .458 Socom thumper
4th - will be integrally suppressed .300 blk
5th - will be a lightweight 18" 3-gun or 2-gun competition rifle OR 12.5" SBR when I get around to it.