my first ar build

[reed1285]

ok ive been a member for 2 years now and have three posts. when i signed in it said "It appears that you have haven't posted anything lately. We'd love to hear from you, so why not take a moment to start a new thread or drop into an existing conversation and post something?" So im gonna fill you guys in on my first ar build.

Again this is my VERY first ar build, so everything has been a learning process for me. but i have to say i love it. just yesterday (10/21) i ordered the rest of the stuff needed to complete it. heres a list of the components i used.

lower reciever- Stag

lower parts kit- Stag

buttstock- DPMS

upper assembly- Palmetto State Armory 14.7" barrel (permantly pinned flashider which takes it up to 16.1) it came

with upper, barrel, bolt, bolt carrier, charging handle, front sight, and handguard.

I cant wait for the stuff to come in so i can put the very first round through a rifle i built. gonna be awesome. i will post pics of the finished product. (although it will look like a standard ar, who HASNT seen one of those) but still something about building your own rifle i really like. building it to YOUR specs and customizing it to your liking. plus this will be my first ar anyway. stay tuned for pics in the next week or so. (palmetto upper assembly can take up to 7 days to ship)

[TnShooter83]

I just built my first one a couple months ago.

The trigger guard pin (rolled pin) refused to go in. DO NOT BEAT IT IN.

Those "tabs" are pretty thin and all it would take is a miss of a hammer swing to snap one off.

(Think they could have designed this a little better, but what do I know?)

I took a pair of pliers and smashed one end closed a little bit.

Then I used vise grips to PRESS the pin in. Worked great. So I did the same thing with the bolt catch pin.

Remember to wrap the jaws of the pliers in electric tap so you don't scratch anything.

Also use tape on the side of the receiver when doing the bolt catch pin.

Other than that, all you have to watch out for are the little take down pin springs and the safety spring. Be warned that safety spring can and WILL fly across the room without warning. Don't move the back plate once it is flush against the receiver, hurry up and screw the castle nut down.(AKA: Big nut found on the sliding stock)

I'm assuming you are using a Carbine stock, right?

It's really not that bad. It took me maybe 2 hours.

But in reality, if you know what you are doing you could do it in 30-45 mins...or less

If you have any questions feel free to PM me. If you get stuck I'll be glade to help you.

Here are some links to help:

Build Guide:

http://www.ar15.com/content/guides/assembly/lower/

Good video:

Best tip in that video is at 4:47

It is the razor blade tip....watch it you'll understand.

Also you'll see another reason beating pins in can be bad.

Scratched Receivers....

Edited October 23, 2011 by TnShooter83

[TMF]

I just built my first one a couple months ago.

The trigger guard pin (rolled pin) refused to go in. DO NOT BEAT IT IN.

Those "tabs" are pretty thin and all it would take is a miss of a hammer swing to snap one off.

(Think they could have designed this a little better, but what do I know?)

I took a pair of pliers and smashed one end closed a little bit.

Then I used vise grips to PRESS the pin in. Worked great. So I did the same thing with the bolt catch pin.

Remember to wrap the jaws of the pliers in electric tap so you don't scratch anything.

Also use tape on the side of the receiver when doing the bolt catch pin.

Other than that, all you have to watch out for are the little take down pin springs and the safety spring. Be warned that safety spring can and WILL fly across the room without warning. Don't move the back plate once it is flush against the receiver, hurry up and screw the castle nut down.(AKA: Big nut found on the sliding stock)

I'm assuming you are using a Carbine stock, right?

It's really not that bad. It took me maybe 2 hours.

But in reality, if you know what you are doing you could do it in 30-45 mins...or less

If you have any questions feel free to PM me. If you get stuck I'll be glade to help you.

Here are some links to help:

Build Guide:

:: Guides

Good video:

Best tip in that video is at 4:47

It is the razor blade tip....watch it you'll understand.

Also you'll see another reason beating pins in can be bad.

Scratched Receivers....

It helps a lot to have a few armorer's tools to make the job easier and not damage your rifle while building. For the roll pin, just using a roll pin punch can save you an hour of a$$ pain trying to get it to go in. There's a little tit on the end of the punch to hold the roll pin in place so you can easily tap it in with a small mallet. This is exceptionally helpful for the gas tube since that part is a little trickier than the trigger guard.

[reed1285]

Haha it's funny that you mentioned that because that's the pin that gave me the most trouble on the lower...the trigger guard pin. It was definately a bear. I finally got it pressed in there after I wrapped the whole reciever in tape. I was scared the whole time that I was gonna break one of those ears off as you said. Or that I would miss the pin and hit the receiver with the tiny hammer I was

Using to tap it in. I actually tried pressing it in with a small bench vice I had, but didn't feel comfortable putting that kind of pressure on the receiver. I need to look into getting some kind of roll pin tool, because I don't plan on this being my only build

[Guest hawkeye10]

Here you go. These are the roll pin punches I use. Only use punches as they were intended to be used. Ask me how I know. Don

GNS-043 - Lyman Roll Pin Punch Set Four Round Nose Punches in Various Sizes

[TMF]

Haha it's funny that you mentioned that because that's the pin that gave me the most trouble on the lower...the trigger guard pin. It was definately a bear. I finally got it pressed in there after I wrapped the whole reciever in tape. I was scared the whole time that I was gonna break one of those ears off as you said. Or that I would miss the pin and hit the receiver with the tiny hammer I was

Using to tap it in. I actually tried pressing it in with a small bench vice I had, but didn't feel comfortable putting that kind of pressure on the receiver. I need to look into getting some kind of roll pin tool, because I don't plan on this being my only build

Long before I had a toolkit to use for builds (about 8 years ago) I used a pair of needlenose pliers to hold the roll pin in place and used a small mallet to set it in about a millimeter. Once set I just used a regular punch that I had in the tool box. This process took some time, but with a roll pin punch it takes about 15 seconds to get it in. I just did a build last month and it was a breeze since I had all the right tools. I wouldn't be surprised if you could find a roll pin punch of the appropriate size at a hardware store for a couple of bucks.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Make sure to put the trigger guard in place to support the ears. It will save you. I have put together about 2 dozen AR's in the last couple of months. If I am in the groove I can do one in about 15 minutes. I use a pair of foreceps to hold the trigger guard pin. I apply a little bit of grease to it then give it a good smack with a hammer. It generaly goes in on the first or second wack. After that I use a punch to finish it. The specialized punches do help but a gun can be put together without many tools at all.

Dolomite

[Guest nysos]

The specialized punches do help but a gun can be put together without many tools at all.

Dolomite

I've read many people do just about everything with a good pair of vice grips. I used some cheap punches and a plastic mallet on mine. That, and a second set of hands, mine went together without too much trouble. Had to improvise on a few tools, but that was part of the fun.

[reed1285]

thanks for all the advice, i will be geting a set of punch's before my next build. heck for 30 bucks or less (on midwayusa's site) they seem like a good investment.im having alot of fun building this gun and am planning on after the first of the year starting another one. gonna put it on pause during the holiday season haha. maybe putting a small dab of white lithium grease on it like another guy mentioned to, couldnt hurt anyway. again thanks for all the help!

[Dolomite_supafly]

Not sure about lithium grease. I started using moly bendum disulfide grease a few years ago and it works wonderful. You can buy a big greasegun tube of it at Walmart for under $5. I have put it on people's triggers and they were amazed at the difference.

It is also rumored to imbed in the metal giving a bit of lubrication after it is gone.

Dolomite

[reed1285]

just found out through ups tracking my stock will be in today, gonna tackle that project this evening. any tips/advice as far as stocks go?

[TMF]

just found out through ups tracking my stock will be in today, gonna tackle that project this evening. any tips/advice as far as stocks go?

You got the right stock wrench to put it on?

[reed1285]

yep ordered it with the stock! hurry up ups!!!

[mikegideon]

Here you go. These are the roll pin punches I use. Only use punches as they were intended to be used. Ask me how I know. Don

GNS-043 - Lyman Roll Pin Punch Set Four Round Nose Punches in Various Sizes

Yep. I have those too. Money well spent

[mikegideon]

just found out through ups tracking my stock will be in today, gonna tackle that project this evening. any tips/advice as far as stocks go?

Stake the castle nut!