Lower part kit quality

[Gargamel]

I'm building my first Ar-15 and my stripped lower will be in soon. I will be needing the internal lower parts and want to know which makers of lower parts should I consider and which ones should I avoid? Everyone has had different experiences with different internals. I want to build the best bang for your buck Ar I can but at the same time not paying for just the name.

Gunbroker and other internet sources sell DPMS...but I get mixed reviews.
I'm considering RRA...good choice or is their better choice?

[Tomac Yokctep]

IMHO the best way to go if you have a lower already is a parts kit with the features you want .

[Gargamel]

Sound advise but...

I'm gonna custom build my Ar piece by piece ....little at a time as funds roll in. Unfortunatly, their really is no cheap kit the way I want to build it anyways. Being new to Ars, this is a good way to get to know the design.

Back to internal lower parts, which ones should I go with? I'm still bit partial to RRA...wheres the best price on them? Are there others i shoudl consider?

I have found DPMS internals a dime a dozen all over the web. Are they that good or just run of the mill?

[JE3146]

honestly.. the equipment exchange on AR15.com is awesome for prices and insane deals on stuff...

just.. make sure to buy from someone who has done a lot of business..

thats my .02$

RRA is good stuff.. also could check out a J&T lower parts kit.. they have mil spec.. pretty much colt contract parts for their lower stuff... high quality.. I have it in my gun and the trigger is crisp and non gritty at all...

personally 2 thumbs up for J&T... but I also have a RRA lower reciever.. high quality.. and if their quality is consistent.. i'd reccomend anything of theirs as well..

best of luck.. anymore q's.. feel free to ask :)

[Gargamel]

Hey thanks for the help. I pretty much have my lower parts question answered now.

I have a question about the upper.....
I really like the flat top uppers. I like using iron sights but I also want to mount a scope and be able to switch to the other. Now i now the A2 handle upper lets you have best of both worlds at the same time at your disposal. I've looked at flip up sights but in order to use them on a scoped AR...i would have to take of the scope right? Any set up or product out there that would suit my need? Or is my only option a raised see thru mount?


I know flip sights and reflex sights work together but I just perfer a scope.

Also, am i better off getting a flip front or a fixed front sight?

You guys are a lot of help.

[JE3146]

ok this ones a bit more tricky..

You can just remove the mounts.. swap sites... but.. problem exists is losing the zero..

another option is a rear site folding BUIS.. example being the low profile model of the ARMS #40 BUIS.. this can fold down nearly flat.. leaving room to mount the scope... pop the scope off.. flip the iron sites up.. and you have your zero maintained with ironsites constantly.... but the scope will need to be re-zeroed...

another setup i have seen is a quick detach mount that ARMS makes.. I wish i knew the model number off the top of my head.. but it is usually used for aimpoints and stuff, but.. you could prolly ask if anyone's ever used with it with a scope... you flip a lever and the scope (attached to a plate) detaches from the mount.. not losing zero (to an extent).. then flip up the BUIS and you're ready to go with iron sites...

as for flip front or not.. purely preference, but personally I think the gas block mounted flip front sites look cool... I've never shot an A3 scope mounted AR-15, so I wouldn't know if the site post gets in the way, but.. most varmint guns dont have a front site post... just the gas block with a picatanny rail already on it.. so it'd be a perfect setup to just add one.... then flip down the front... flip down the back.. and you have your ironsite setup low profiled...

hope that helps :)

[Gargamel]

Thanks for the insight.


I'll take your advise. If all fails I might just settle for an a2 upper.
But you have shed some light on the subject.

[thedaledoe]

I dont know about your optics losing their zero when u take them off and on.. Maybe.. But i have removed scopes from my rifles by the mounts only and they kept their zero's perfect.. granted none of them are AR's but I dont see why it would be any different on an AR... Besides.. special forces guys take optics on and off all the time, not like they have a chance to re-sight each one in everytime.. well maybe, if u count an iraqi head as a sight-in tool... hehehe And thats my :cents:

[nf9648]

Im bidding on a RRA stripped lower right now, Ive heard nothing but good stuff about the company, and they are close to my hometown also so Im kinda partial to them. I havent decided on the parts kit yet, then again I havent decided if Im going to make a target gun or a practical gun, Id like a lighter trigger pull than the standard pull (8lbs is standard I believe.) I want to stay away from the two stage also, any suggestions?