Going to put together my first AR-15. Some questions...

[AK-J]

I'm going to order a parts kit that has the upper already assembled.

What tools (other than standard hand tools) will I need?

Is there any good online instruction manuals to research?

Is there any print manuals I should think of ordering?

Thanks.

[TEN-32]

If you'll PM me your e-mail address I'll send a very excellent builder's guide that a member here put together. It will answer all your questions.

[Zoff12]

TEN... I lost that durin my my last PC crash. Would you sent it to me as well? zoff12 (at) fairpoint.net

[TEN-32]

TEN... I lost that durin my my last PC crash. Would you sent it to me as well? zoff12 (at) fairpoint.net

No problem Zoff. Inbound.

[shadow65]

Tools needed will be an action block, punches, a small hammer, and an armorers tool(barrel wrench).
It's actually pretty easy with instructions.

[shadow65]

I just read you are getting an assembled upper. So you won't need an action block.
If using a collapsible stock, an armorors wrench is still a good idea for the castle nut. It can be done with a hammer and punch to tighten it.
A good tool to have is a roll pin install tool. Makes roll pins a lot easier.

[Zoff12]

No problem Zoff. Inbound.
Got it. Thanks.

[AK-J]

Thanks everyone for y'all's replies. It has all been very helpful.

[AKTexas]

I'm building my first two ARs first of the year.5.56 A2 for my son and a new SBR for me.

[Solidus-snake]

I did the same thing with mine.

All i needed was a punch, hammer, and screwdriver i think.

[O.S.O.K.]

Easy as pie. The one "trick" that I will add (and this is a biggy) is to have a large clear bag on hand to do the tricky detant spring installs with - the bag keeps the spring from zinging off to find a place to hide... trust me on this - you want to use the bag. :)

[Solidus-snake]

Yes, listen to osok. I miraculously found mine.

[shadow65]

I bought a tool that makes the detent a piece of cake to install.

[RCS]

I was going to build my own, but I found a complete Del-Ton with new Mag-Pul furniture (don't much care about the brand, I just loved the way it felt) for $875 out the door, so I put cash down on that instead.

[Schuetzenman]

I was going to build my own, but I found a complete Del-Ton with new Mag-Pul furniture (don't much care about the brand, I just loved the way it felt) for $875 out the door, so I put cash down on that instead.

Well the price is good to be sure for an assembled weapon. You could of saved a tad over $200 to DIY the weapon. Also, building one up from a parts kit is very educational in understanding the functional relationships of the parts and the total weapon. This makes it much easier to diagnose and cure any function problems.

[AK-J]

RCS, that's not a bad price on an assembled rifle. However, I have to agree with Schuetzenman. Just looking at what it would cost to order the rifle kit with everything the same as that comes with the MOE edition Del-Ton from them, you would have saved about $200.

[AK-J]

That's including the $100 or so for the stripped lower receiver. Plus the cost of the rifle kit adding in the MOE Magpul furniture in the options, you'd have saved atleast $200.

[RCS]

Well, I would have if I hadn't bought it complete. I was standing at the gunstore, looking from the rifle to a LPK in the glass display. I would really like to have built my own, but I rarely have much time to enjoy a build and it would feel rushed to me.

[AK-J]

I ordered a parts kit from Del-Ton last week and it arrived today.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g118/avtomatj/AR15partskitandreceiver.jpg
Had the lower and bayonet already. The assembly manual is the pdf TEN-32 emailed me (I printed it out and bound it), thanks again for that.

I got everything standard except I added a chrome lined barrel and detachable carry handle.

I'm waiting on the roll-pin punches I ordered from another vendor to arrive before I put it together.

Thanks everyone for all your help.

[Solidus-snake]

Hey tell me how it does. Ive been debating buying a kit from Del ton for my SBR build.

[Schuetzenman]

Well, I would have if I hadn't bought it complete. I was standing at the gunstore, looking from the rifle to a LPK in the glass display. I would really like to have built my own, but I rarely have much time to enjoy a build and it would feel rushed to me.

LOL, that's an oxymoron. AR15 build is a 1 hour proposition more or less without rushing. A good movie takes longer to complete.

[NAPOTS]

you know you can put that together without roll pin punches right?

[TEN-32]

I ordered a parts kit from Del-Ton last week and it arrived today.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g118/avtomatj/AR15partskitandreceiver.jpg
Had the lower and bayonet already. The assembly manual is the pdf TEN-32 emailed me (I printed it out and bound it), thanks again for that.

I got everything standard except I added a chrome lined barrel and detachable carry handle.

I'm waiting on the roll-pin punches I ordered from another vendor to arrive before I put it together.

Thanks everyone for all your help.

Thats awesome! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[RCS]

LOL, that's an oxymoron. AR15 build is a 1 hour proposition more or less without rushing. A good movie takes longer to complete.

Yeah, but as inexperienced as I am with the unfamiliar AR platform, I wouldn't want to mess anything up and have a rifle blow up in my face, ya'know?

[arcangel]

Dude I just put the barrel back on my AR-10, used a vice and wrench, and a dremel to put a notch in the barrel nut for the gas tube. Then some allen keys to put the quad rail back on. Took about 30 minutes, no rush. It looks intimidating at first, but all I did when I started AR's was studied the parts diagram on a bushy manual. One time I un staked my carrier key on my first AR, The back end of a screw driver and a fine punch some how fixed it. Or you could just buy a rifle and change what you want. But Im thinking of doing a build in the near future.

[Schuetzenman]

Yeah, but as inexperienced as I am with the unfamiliar AR platform, I wouldn't want to mess anything up and have a rifle blow up in my face, ya'know?

I don't think that is a real possibility. I suppose if you forgot to put in the buffer and spring assembly you might get the bolt group horribly jammed into the buffer tube and might damage the receiver in the process. The usual thing I've seen done is getting the wrong detent plunger in the safety location and not being able to rotate the selector.

Looking for a bright side, now that you own a factory assembled unit, you will have a template to go by should you go the kit route in the future. I also recommend the Marine Corps M16 armorers manual. Granted it shows full auto trigger groups and burst fire groups but the installation isn't that much different than the semiauto trigger / hammer groups.

[AK-J]

Update:

I went ahead and assembled the lower and cleaned the upper last night. Didn't really have any trouble putting in the two roll-pins with standard pin punches. The upper and lower mate together nice and snug, but not too tight.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g118/avtomatj/AR15complete.jpg

I ran 230 rounds through it this afternoon with no problems whatsoever. I didn't even have to mess with the sights, it was already zeroed. I like it very much.

FYI, the lower is a Superior Arms receiver. I removed the trigger stop from it, mainly because I didn't feel like messing with it at this time.

[AK-J]

BTW, it took me maybe 30 minutes to assemble the lower, and that's without rushing it.

[RCS]

Sweet rifle, Jay, as I said before.

I didn't mean to hijack the thread, BTW, and I think my next one will be a build. You guys say it's so easy so it has to be.

[TEN-32]

Thanks for posting your project AK-J. We love to see a successful black rifle build. Looks great!