70%!!!

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

Well, that PSA upper arrived in the post so I fgured I'd get off my duff and assemble my old Stag lower. I mean, it's only been three years since I bought the thing so why procrastinate, right?

This was my first AR build and I was a little apprehensive because honestly I don't have a single specialty tool to throw at the job. I bought a barreled upper because I don't even own a vice.

But I like to party! Thus, lacking even the most basic machine shop luxuries, I set to work assembling this lower with an AK cleaning kit, a rubber mallet, some screw drivers and an old rag soaked in noxious chemicals!


TEE HE HE...


Anyways, I laid out all my AR parts in a nice organized manner to kind of like, visualize the build, man:


Meditatively laying out each piece, I focused on becoming one with the kit as I took inventory...

...umm WHUT?!?!? ...you gotta be freaking kidding me!

How many springs are in this thing? What the heck are these? Little brass pieces of rice? Why do half these parts look almost identical? Who would ever come up with this bull #$%&? A Stoner?



To assuage my Kalashnikovian revulsion and overcome my cognitive dissonance I laid out the major components roughly where they were to be instaled:
(Note the upside down disconector. NOOB STATUS!! )



20 minutes later...

$%*& Effing roll pins! Argh! If this detent pin had balls I would punch them, verily! Where's my whiskey!?!!? @#$#!!!

90 minutes later...

...Well that wasn't so bad. There were a couple moments where it felt like wrestling with a pig suffering from Tourettes but it wasn't as hard as say, hooking up a three way with the Westboro Babtists?

I even managed to get everything instaled wihtout crying...

...much...



70%!!!!!! WOOOOO!

Be sure to tune in next time (year?) for the thrilling sequal "Holy Crap, I Actualy Found a Bolt Carrier!".

[ltorlo64]

That is a very black rifle! Shiny black! I like it. What are you going to do to the back?

[TEN-32]

Thats gonna be bad ass when finished. Nice job!

[cevulirn]

When I assembled my AR lower, I decided to eschew directions, and look at it like a puzzle. I agree with you about the roll pins.

[NAPOTS]

When I put my first one together I went nice and slow and was careful. The second one went together FAST.

There are some tricks for the roll pins and detent pins. Once you know those its easy.

[FunkyPertwee]

Keep checking Palmetto arms for the bolt carrier. They've had them in and out of stock recently so keep checking.

[Schuetzenman]

Made me LOL big time reading your opening post Dr. G.! Where's your buffer tube and stock? You don't want to shoot it without one once you get that bolt carrier group.

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

That is a very black rifle! Shiny black! I like it. What are you going to do to the back?

Made me LOL big time reading your opening post Dr. G.! Where's your buffer tube and stock? You don't want to shoot it without one once you get that bolt carrier group.

I've got my eye on this one from ATI:
http://www.atigunstocks.com/ar15-sto...rce-stock.html

I've got to stretch the last bit's out over a few months due to "obligations". (Girlfriends B-Day, Buddy's wedding, GF & I's 2 year aniversary, Mom's B-Day and a Family trip to Vegas all in the next three months... )

The stock is probably my next purchase though, unless I see one of these for a price that's too hard to pass up.
http://www.rainierarms.com/?page=sho...product_id=265

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

That is a very black rifle! Shiny black! I like it. What are you going to do to the back?

Probably go with the ubiquitous collaspible stock. I'm liking the looks of this one:
http://www.atigunstocks.com/ar15-sto...rce-stock.html

Also found this thing for a steal:
http://ultimak.com/4PCAR.htm

And my first though was to try and save money with one of these (but the savings thing didn't pan out once I added in the cost of the buffer assembly)
http://www.gunnyssurplus.com/buttstock.html

After a lot of web crawling and advice from the members here I've kind of settled on ATI. Seems like the most bang for the buck. Better quality than the bargain basement kits, nice looks and they don't demand as many unicorn tears and hen's teeth as Magpul.

Thats gonna be bad ass when finished. Nice job!

Danke!

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

Keep checking Palmetto arms for the bolt carrier. They've had them in and out of stock recently so keep checking.

Nice!

It'll probably be a couple month's before a I have the @ $200 to spend on a complete BCG so I'm holding out for one of these:
http://www.failzero.com/buynow/ar-15...er-detail.html

Hopefully the market will have stabalized by the time I can afford one.

[Viking350]

Nice!

It'll probably be a couple month's before a I have the @ $200 to spend on a complete BCG so I'm holding out for one of these:
http://www.failzero.com/buynow/ar-15...er-detail.html

Hopefully the market will have stabalized by the time I can afford one.

AIM has bcg's for $130 ish.

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.as...b6e72-18038625

OOPS, sold out.

[raxar]

ah yes, here's the post I made when I built my AR lower

Anyone who says anything nice about Eugene Stoner is a liar.

And this post has nothing to do with me buying a lower parts kit today

And anyone who says that he never intended for people to build them in their basement is a communist.

[nfa1934]

If you got the magazine catch and the roll pin for the bolt catch installed without scratching the shit out of your receiver, you did good. Also, if you got the roll pin for the trigger guard installed without breaking one of the ears off, you did good. The next one will be faster and easier. Buying just a pick and a punch will make it exponentially easier.

[NAPOTS]

If you got the magazine catch and the roll pin for the bolt catch installed without scratching the shit out of your receiver, you did good. Also, if you got the roll pin for the trigger guard installed without breaking one of the ears off, you did good. The next one will be faster and easier. Buying just a pick and a punch will make it exponentially easier.

You don't need no steenking special tools.

Use channel locks with masking tape on the jaws to press in the roll pins, put a little oil in them first.

Use a razor blade to hold the front takedown detent pin in while you slide the pin in and walah!

[nfa1934]

You don't need no steenking special tools.

Use channel locks with masking tape on the jaws to press in the roll pins, put a little oil in them first.

Use a razor blade to hold the front takedown detent pin in while you slide the pin in and walah!

Next time, I'll try pressing the roll pins instead of beating the crap out of them with a punch.

I did find that the straight pick from a pick set I use when I work on my 1911s was handy though. I used it where you used a razor blade and I used it to start my roll pins. I would stick the pointy end of the pick into the roll pin, then give it a tap to start the pin into the hole. As soon as it is seated well enough to not just fall out, I switched to the punch to drive it. The pick comes in handy installing an ejection port cover too.

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

You don't need no steenking special tools.

Use channel locks with masking tape on the jaws to press in the roll pins, put a little oil in them first.

Use a razor blade to hold the front takedown detent pin in while you slide the pin in and walah!

Next time, I'll try pressing the roll pins instead of beating the crap out of them with a punch.

I did find that the straight pick from a pick set I use when I work on my 1911s was handy though. I used it where you used a razor blade and I used it to start my roll pins. I would stick the pointy end of the pick into the roll pin, then give it a tap to start the pin into the hole. As soon as it is seated well enough to not just fall out, I switched to the punch to drive it. The pick comes in handy installing an ejection port cover too.

Anybody know a trick for getting roll pins out?

I seem to have a couple "extra" pieces left over that belong in the bolt catch assembly. Now I need to back the pin out far enough to remove the catch and put the rest of the springs in.

I was going to just exercise a bit of patience and buy the specialised punch from Brownell's, but maybe there's an easier trick?

[AK-J]

You don't need no steenking special tools.

Use channel locks with masking tape on the jaws to press in the roll pins, put a little oil in them first.

Use a razor blade to hold the front takedown detent pin in while you slide the pin in and walah!

I never really could get the channel lock trick to work for me.

While it's true that you don't actually need specialized tools to assemble a lower, I've found that they sure make the job a hell of a lot easier.

I recommend the following if one decides they're going to build more than one, or will be helping out buddies build theirs:

-A bench vice
-a good set of pin punches
-a set of roll pin starter punches (like these http://www.midwayusa.com/product/694...-2-piece-steel )
-a set of roll pin punches (they have a nipple on the tip that keeps them from slipping off)
-action block for the lower receiver (gives you that needed third hand for some of the trickier parts of assembly)
-a wooden dowel (like a chop stick, which is what I actually use) to assist putting on the mag catch

As a tip, be sure to oil up the roll pins and the holes they go in, makes the job much easier.

[nfa1934]

Anybody know a trick for getting roll pins out?

I seem to have a couple "extra" pieces left over that belong in the bolt catch assembly. Now I need to back the pin out far enough to remove the catch and put the rest of the springs in.

I was going to just exercise a bit of patience and buy the specialised punch from Brownell's, but maybe there's an easier trick?

You're going to need the punch for that. I'd be patient and do it right, especially since you don't have a BCG yet.

If you want an A2 buttstock, I think I still have the one I took off my Bushmaster when I SBRed it. If you can wait until I get back from the desert in August, I can send it to you. It's complete - buffer, tube, spring, stock.

Don't skimp on your rear sight. I like the LMT that's basically an A2 rear sight without the handle. There are cheap Chinese versions, but I would spend the money on the LMT.

[kimberkid]

ah yes, here's the post I made when I built my AR lower

Anyone who says anything nice about Eugene Stoner is a liar.

And this post has nothing to do with me buying a lower parts kit today

And anyone who says that he never intended for people to build them in their basement is a communist.

You guys are a bunch of sissy's ... try assembling one of his ambidextrous lowers, the latest evolution of the SR15 16” Carbine !
(Actually they are only available as complete weapons)





Edit to add ...

Thanks for the laughs of including the little frustrations of a first build ...
Its been 20+ years since I built my first AR, and getting an assembled upper wasn't even an option ... come to think of it, neither was a flat-top upper!

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

Its been 20+ years since I built my first AR, and getting an assembled upper wasn't even an option ... come to think of it, neither was a flat-top upper!

Oh yeah? That forward assist is kind of a novelty ain't it, pops?