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Post by brotherbanzai on Apr 19, 2014 21:16:54 GMT
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ghost
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Post by ghost on Apr 22, 2014 13:24:28 GMT
looks like a beauty. I prefer a bit more rails, if ya'll know what I mean - watched too much of we're the millers last night my biggest worry about an ar build is the head space and the torquing of the barrel (I've never built one - just watched youtube to see it being done). How did you go about doing that bb? I would agree the qd, I love my single point sling - very comfy.
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Post by brotherbanzai on Apr 22, 2014 20:19:21 GMT
Thanks ghost I actually specifically didn't want a quad rail and prefer the smooth modular rail as I find it easier to grip and lighter. It does come with a few small rail pieces so I can mount a flashlight up there if I feel the need at some point. One of the little rail pieces has a QD attachment point in it for a sling as well. My little SBR will have a quadrail when it gets built so I can make that one all tacticool if I want. I didn't have to torque the barrel as I bought the upper as one assembled piece, oddly, it was cheaper that way. Though from what I understand, it isn't terribly difficult to install the barrel. Unless your rail takes a proprietary barrel nut, I think you can just use a torque wrench on the standard AR multitool thing. Also, installing your own barrel doesn't affect head space, that is set at the factory when the barrel is mated to the barrel extension. So even if you bought a bare barrel, the headspace would already be set. If using a milspec barrel and a milspec bolt, I don't see any reason to worry about it. I know some people fret over it and buy the little dodads to check headspace, but on a new build that seems to me about like checking the valve timing on a new car. The odds of FN screwing up and incorrectly headspacing a barrel seem pretty slim.
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ghost
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Post by ghost on Apr 23, 2014 1:25:59 GMT
thanks bb, it "looked" easy enough to do a lower ~....last time I was fixing something I fractured my thumb :lol:
for the upper: i have no access to a vise or better tools (I do have a huge torque wrench in my truck though) so I probably will have the upper bought complete. Those deals on the daniels are pretty rad.
still stuck between a jolly rogers (spikes), black rain, noveske chainsaw, and drd lower. I don't think the lower matters much but I like some designs and finishes (kinda like blades). easily $100-200 difference that I probably should be spending on the trigger later :?
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Post by Timberwolf on Apr 23, 2014 2:58:21 GMT
Ahh, yeah! BB, that is one purty rig (aside from that Troy crap :roll: ), and I bet she'll turn out to be a helluva performer. Be sure to take the time to break her in properly. Even the chrome-lined barrels can benefit from a painstaking break-in process. A few quick passes with some LIGHT lapping paper will deburr the rifling and make cleaning easier without reducing barrel life, too! Well, Harleys, hot rods, and guns have always eaten up my "discretionary income". Now, with swords, knives, and other stuff reappearing on my list of collectibles, I'm still after that grad degree to create a substantial raise. Too many toys, not enough time ... I have to apologize, I've been really busy. I have a handful of AR clones, 2 are custom rigs I put together, and I really wanted to give you some pointers along the way. But it looks like you have it down, it ain't rocket surgery! :lol: Anyways, my next rig will be a 20-22" set up as a 600m+ tackdriver. I'll agree that assembled uppers are still the way to go for now, and I also think that quad rails are nice, but please avoid the temptation to hang a ton of stuff from them. Just 'cuz someone has the options to properly place various goodies doesn't mean that they should put 7 pounds of stuff on there. I went through that phase, recovered, and now am a minimalist. Once again, a cool rifle, right on, man! Have fun with it, I'll still be busier than hell, but I look forward to seeing you wrap this one up with some decent glass, etc., and get to the SBR. - TW
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Post by Valandur on Apr 23, 2014 18:28:13 GMT
Looking good! I like the charging handle btw.. With all the attacks on the 2ed amendment coming up I had to pick up an M92 from J&G Sales. Just couldn't resist their price $399. Not the best picture though. I was really surprised at how accurate and how little kick it has. Have you done your SBR paperwork yet? Wondering if you went with the Trust, or just filed as an individual? I've been considering doing an SBR for this rifle then putting an under folding stock on it, but haven't made up my mind.
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Apr 23, 2014 20:13:15 GMT
Just put this on it... www.atlanticfirearms.com/compon ... l?Itemid=0 ...avoid the hassle, tax stamp, all that jazz. I intended to do exactly that with exactly the same gun you have.
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Post by brotherbanzai on Apr 25, 2014 0:49:43 GMT
Hey ghost, from what I understand, if you pick any quality milspec lower there isn't likely to be any noticeable difference. Just pick whichever roll mark you like the best. Couple of minor things to watch for; a nicely beveled magazine well and a lower shelf on the off chance you ever have $20,000 laying around to blow on a DIAS. I liked the spider logo and prefer fire/safe markings over the bullet pictogram so the Spikes worked for me. Also, I did a very fine sanding and polish on the standard trigger's contact surfaces and found it makes a big difference in the feel. Very crisp and smooth. I don't really see the need for a different trigger, though I can see the need if wanted wanted to bench shoot for high accuracy. Thanks Timberwolf (the questionable Troy hires didn't really have much affect on me ) And thanks for the break-in tip. They are fun to build and there is so much information available online about pretty much every aspect of the gun. Thanks Valandur I figure I'll want an AK variant of some sort as well. The rounds are incredibly cheap compared to 5.56. I wrote up a trust to do my SBR. It's nearly impossible to get the CLEO to sign off where I live so it was really the only option. Easier and quicker too. I filed online but now the site is having issues so I'll have to see how it goes. Tax stamp is only $200, paperwork isn't that hard, just a really long wait.
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Apr 25, 2014 3:39:03 GMT
Its 200 bucks I'd rather not give out, a 8 month or more wait these days... and it puts you in the registry and often your SBR can not be taken across state lines. With the AK pistol if you put the brace on it instead... its still a pistol but you can shoulder it if you wish, not pay the 200, not get uncle sam up in your business, not wait so long, take it across state lines, and its still a pistol so if you have a carry/conceal permit you can still conceal the thing.
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Post by brotherbanzai on Apr 25, 2014 22:30:19 GMT
Meh, $129 for a not so good stock (great if you really need it as an arm brace) or $61 more to be able to use a real stock... Filed with eforms should be closer to 3 months wait (we'll see) and I always figure if I'm not willing to wait for something I want then I don't really want it that much anyway. If the state you're going to allows SBRs then there should be no problem with a temporary move across state lines. The government already knows where I live, my ss number, what kind of car I drive, doesn't bother me even a little to let them know I have an SBR. But different strokes and all that
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ghost
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Post by ghost on May 18, 2014 17:26:32 GMT
Going to toss this in here along with yours BB. After watching one too many youtubes, I finally mustered the courage take the leap. Sorry Sean...I'm gonna have to wait on that bullpup I'm going to take my time on this build (it's going to be very pricey but I got all year) -Seekins Precision SP233 Lower Planned parts: -umbrella corp grip - to stipple the grip to my pref -Vltor emod stock -bolt carrier group...? -misc? I'm in agreement with you on grabbing a complete upper...it would be cheaper than actually buying the parts and putting it together. Nothing is set in stone yet, but i am leaning towards a daniel def upper. I'll keep a spreadsheet of the total costs :cry: and keep everything updated...but I have a baaaaaaaad feeling this is going to be a very green rifle...
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Post by brotherbanzai on May 20, 2014 21:35:23 GMT
Nifty lower. Milled? I like the DD uppers, but I wasn't able to find one much cheaper than you can get the complete DD firearm for. And since Palmetto uses FN barrels in their CHF uppers, seemed like a better choice. The main parts to get the best quality, in my opinion, are the barrel and BCG. You might want to check out the AIM BCgroups, they have a black nitride or version 2 of their NiB BCG with very good specs and very reasonably priced. I got one of each for my two builds.
Have fun with your build!
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ghost
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Post by ghost on May 23, 2014 15:33:14 GMT
i see what you mean. bravo sells their uppers with dd rails.
the seekins is milled - some changes to it but nothing very special. how's their bcg working so far? I'm undecided on the benefits of a nick/boron coating ~
- I did go ahead and grab a memorial day saled psa 16" sqr blemish a couple days ago. The savings were just too insanely good to pass up. BCM uppers are generally higher in price (even the blemishes were pricier than new psa uppers) but I decided to give psa some home state business (why are they located in SC?) :?
I am a bit lost with the huge range of prices for the charging handles. (I like the vltor and bcm stuff...but not sure what they bring to the table)
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Post by brotherbanzai on May 27, 2014 20:28:33 GMT
I couldn't say how the bcg is, as I still haven't had the time to get to the range and shoot yet. My two new Sig pistols have been sitting here unfired as well since I got them back in February The only benefit of the NiB coating that I was interested in was the ease of cleaning. They are supposed to run a little smoother in the gun but it seems like you could get the same effect by polishing the contact surfaces on a regular phosphate bolt. Supposedly they can also run with no lubrication as well, but I have a light coat on them anyway. I really just don't enjoy cleaning firearms, so saving myself some trouble there was my only reason to try them. Charging handles fall into about 3 categories. 1. Standard, the regular old GI model that costs like $10 2. Standard, but with an oversized latch 3. Redesigned latch mechanism to work with the way modern shooters use the charging handle. Usually available in an ambi version as well. The BCM Gunfighter and the Ranier Raptor fall into the third category. The original design was made so that the shooter would grab the handle on both sides at once from the top, using their hand in a clawlike grip. No one does that anymore. Now the charging handle is used from the side, generally actuating the latch with the palm or index finger of the support hand. The GI model doesn't work that well for that, so the second category came about. These are easier to use from the side but generally retain the same mechanism as the original GI version, which isn't designed for that. So using the single side charging method on an older style handle can lead to premature wear from the uneven pressure of pulling from one side or breakage of the little roll pin. The BCM Gunfighter is redesigned to be pulled from the side with a larger roll pin as well. There is a nice explanation of this here www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-GUNFIGHTER-Charging-Handle-GFH-Mod-3-p/bcm%20gfh%20mod%203%20556.htmI would get the medium or small version of this one to avoid having the longer latch getting caught up on stuff. They're about $45. The Ranier Raptor is also a completely new design made to be actuated from a single side and is ambi as well. It's a good bit pricier as well at about $77 when you can find it on sale and $89 normally. I like it because it isn't much wider than the standard GI handle, and honestly just because I think it looks slick. Noveski had a Memorial day sale where they gave you a free BCM Gunfighter if you bought over $100 of stuff. I was going to get one (figuring a high likelihood of eventually building a third AR), but the only thing they had that I wanted was the QD end plates and two of those only came up to $48. I wouldn't consider anything in category 2 to be worth it. I would either stick with a standard GI model if I wanted to keep the build super cheap, or get either the BCM or Ranier.
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Post by ShooterMike on May 27, 2014 21:48:17 GMT
BB, you left off my favorite, and the ONLY charge handle I use, the PRI Gas Buster. It's a modern design that redirects residual action gases out and to the right away from the shooter's face. It's mostly needed when using a suppressor (which I do much of the time) but helps when the gun gets fouled or hot and starts to "spit in your eye." The only downside is the cost. PRI is expensive. Food for thought?...
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Post by brotherbanzai on May 28, 2014 13:26:56 GMT
Sorry ShooterMike I guess the Gasbuster should be added in with category 3 if considering shooting suppressed. I didn't think the latch on that one was redesigned for single sided use, but then I didn't really look into that one as I wasn't thinking of having a suppressor on mine. Though it would be nice to eventually get a suppressor for the SBR when it gets put together. I've seen that many people put a bead of RTV on top of their handle to seal it from gas leakage, which seems a bit jury-rigged to me. Also seen that there is a gas vent you can get for the forward assist but don't know if it's a modification of the assist or a replacement which takes it's place. I don't have any practical knowledge of shooting with a suppressor. I modified my current property search to include the ability to set up my own shooting range, which has narrowed the options a bit. Definitely will be nice when I eventually find a place though
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Post by ShooterMike on Jun 2, 2014 15:07:36 GMT
The gas buster is fine for left hand operation, but then a standard latch will work fine for that too, with proper training. My hesitancy with having a latch that protrudes too far is two-fold. First, on several occasions I have seen shooters under stress bend the charging handle due to the extra leverage the extended latch allows. This completely locks up the gun and makes it a non-ergonomic club. And second, they poke me very uncomfortably in the belly when the rifle is carried on a sling. I know...lose that little bit of belly and get that six pack back. Not gonna happen!
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Post by brotherbanzai on Jun 3, 2014 13:20:44 GMT
Hey ShooterMike, I've read that the latch on those handles in my "category 2" could potentially have the problem of binding and also that the larger ones can get hung up on your stuff. The BCM is supposed to be designed in such a way as to prevent locking up if too much torsion is applied, though I couldn't say with any certainty. They also make a couple with pretty small latches (A medium and small latch version). I personally like the Ranier Raptor because it doesn't stick out much more than the standard GI model (about the same as the Gasbuster), has a very short throw to actuate the latch, big comfy latches, and heavy duity roll pins. And looks cool :mrgreen:
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ghost
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Post by ghost on Jul 13, 2014 17:59:57 GMT
I went with the Raptor for aesthetics as well. The charging handle is has a very bizarre texture - it took a few days to break in before it would ride smooth. It actually is not symmetrical at all (the right wing is significantly larger than the left ~ easier to pull over the forward assist?) It is very thick ~ it has 1mm or less of clearance over the endplate area :x Just finished mine - 1. Seekins lower $273.69 2. PSA blem 16" SQR upper $389.99 3. PSA mil lower kit $99.99 4. PSA auto BCG group $108.48 5. KSN gen2 pins $29.79 6. Venom tact sights $21.09 7. Rainer Raptor Charging Handle $85.45 8. Hogue Grip $20 9. Vltor basic carbine stock $60 (not made anymore) Total $1088.48 I wanted to keep it below the 1k mark...but the the antirotation pins and a stock of my preference became a must. The trigger assembly slipped a pin after about 100 rounds - caused the rifle to start shooting very fast - it'd go off with the trigger being pulled back and the hammer slipping forward once the trigger was released (approx. twice as fast as a bumpstock). Not a true auto (so I wasn't worried about the ATF) but rather concerned it would get looser and looser until a catastrophic failure occurred. These 45 slanted sights are very awesome and very cool. I think someone forgot to patent them so they're going for unbelievable prices. They are spot on ~ The rear one is getting dinged by the some errant wolf and tula shells deflecting off that shiny portion and it still holds a zero. I will probably have to file down that shiny section a bit. They do balance out my surefire mount on the opposite rail perfectly. Thanks for the help BB and mike...wouldn't have made the attempt to put one together without some good advice. Not a single malfunction yet
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Post by brotherbanzai on Jul 13, 2014 18:47:27 GMT
Nice! Isn't it great fun to put one of these together!
I just found the Noveske end plates on sale for $16.99 with a free shipping deal, so I bought a pair of those to replace the stock endplates. Now I can get a QD single or dual point sling for them (no sling at all at the moment).
Curious, what's the reasoning behind having offset sights with a red dot optic?
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