5th4x4

Ok, a couple of things about that: 1) What is an FFL? (so much to learn!) 2) I figured that the fondle factor would be mentioned (makes sense). That said, how would I fondle a "build" before assembly? You gotta understand that I don't know one stock (sight, etc) from another. I know only cookie-cutter military-style features. I never got to play with or try different options. Therefore I wouldn't know "my preference" on pretty much anything. All I really do know that I want is for it to be able to put a hole into the black of a target 500 yds away. Not that I could actually even do that anymore (or even have the place to try it), but I want something that "could" and something that feels familiar to me; something that I'm already confident handling and using. The "options"...... all pretty much luxury items to me. Not that I'd scoff at them, of course. I'm just sayin. So who builds the closest thing to what I already know? Anyone? Or are "tricked-out" assault-style weapons the draw in the first place? Honestly, I really wish I knew what I would like.... but I only know what I had. And I was happy enough with that. Make sense??

You guys are amazing. I feel like I've been carpet-bombed with more info than I can put into action right now. (so I gotta let the dust settle a bit, I think). I honestly thought that I'd just stumble in here, ask what kind of M16-like rifle I could buy in this state, ask for some store suggestions, and then bloat the credit card bill with an impulse-buy. But now you chuckleheads have got me thinking about actually building my own! So now I'm thinking that I should be posting a thread in the AR Discussion forum...... and then vaccilate in that area for a while instead (nah, I'm not really a vaccilator. I just like to fully access a situation instead of just rushing in and then trying to figure out what the heck I just got myself into) Ok, but before I do that, does anyone know if someone has already posted a thread that specifically lists Bergen County/area (north Jersey) guns stores? I really do need to give the "buy" option a full and fair evaluation before I can truly commit to a "build" option. If not, I'll post one and ask the Bergen guys here for their knowledge/input. Oh, and one last thing (<<< don't believe that, btw)... Can I buy online?????????

I'm seriously impressed by you "build" guys. I had friends that worked in the regimental armory, and they were gun geeks of the highest order (this was long before geeks were geeks). You guys would be those guys, so major props to you. And I was a gearhead (cars/engines) before/during/after I became a jarhead, so I can appreciate the tinkering and the customizing that goes into building your own pistol/rifle/M1A1 Abrams Anyway, I've looked at a few of the step-by-step tutorials, and some of it seems pretty intricate. Will I really need to assemble all of the srpings and safety switches and all of that other stuff in order to do this? This is what I remember: The buttstock had a recoil buffer and a recoil spring. I wouldn't be looking to customize any of that, so a 'stock" buttstock would work fine for me. The handguards were just hard black plastic and were removed and installed by pulling back on a spring-loaded ring at the fat end of the base (although that ring was often very stubborn!). But ultimately handguards were simply nothing more than a device to prevent your hand from frying like bacon on the barrell. "Not being burnt" is a luxury item for a Marine, so the aethetics of the handguards weren't given a whole lot of consideration. The sights were just a basic open aperature and a post. I always qualified expert with that setup, so fancy sights might be cool, but sights are just sights in my book (and when all else fails, "Kentucky windage" gets the job done, so sights become nothing more than ambiguous guides). Therefore, I'm wondering if "building" a rifle is like building a racecar, while buying a stock rifle is like buying a car off of the lot. I know the car on the lot... I like the car on the lot... and I could put a round in the body of a target at 500 yards with the car on the lot. So........ Am I a build guy, or a stock guy? (obvously I suspect that I'm a stock guy, but I'm willing to be convinced otherwise.......... especially since this is gonna cost me some serious $$$$$$$ either way, huh??) I guess my biggest question now would be how different are the stock AR's from one LGS to the next. Don't they just mostly sell the same standard model?? (and believe me; nothing gets more standard than a Marine Corps issue M16) Btw... Should I have created a new thread for all of this? (just wondering what the protocol here is on such things)

Ok T Bill.... based on your answer to that, I suspect that the price difference is significant enough to be significant. Btw, I also suspect that there is not actually a standard configuration that gets sold in these LGS's (<<< credit to Arbelest for my ability to reference that term). So much to consider. Guess I better start considering.

WOW!!! HIGHLY MOTIVATING! That's a sweet link. I can smell the metal and the oil right off the screen!

I never even thought of it as an option, but I really am tempted to just build my own! It will require a major suppression of "immediate gratification", but I think it would be pretty cool. HOWEVER........ If I get "the configuration" that I want, it still has to be legal, right? So the configuration is still limited, right? (unless I plan to defend the siezure of my freedom and my tricked-out weapon until they pry it from my cold dead fingers, I guess). I'm thinking that it's probably best to just keep it legal here in Jersey (because if me and the house wind up riddled with bullet holes, my wife is gonna be pizzed!), so is the custom configuration really worth the hassel? Could I just buy a stock configuration, and then modify that afterwards? I'm seriously wieghing both options, so I'd really appreciate some experienced/educated thoughts on this.

For yuks..... (a time-out during war games at 29 Palms, Mojave Desert, CA) No mags.... just posing. The weapons weren't hot, but the temperature sure was! (I'm bottom-left)

I did take the oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States..... and I continue to take that oath very seriously..... which is why this freakin state (and others) drives me crazy!!!!!! So anyway, thank you. Yes, "freedom"... "He who has lost freedom has nothing left to lose"

I do appreciate that, but I'm no hero. I just did my time (Ronald Reagan was my Commander in Chief... which means that I did my time a long time ago!) and I loved/hated every minute of it. I'm sure there are other Marines on this forum who were asked to do a lot more than me. And there are so many others who have given way more than any of us could ever imagine. And it's those heroes who deserve our greatest thanks and appreciation: https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/Default.aspx?tsid=167&campaignSource=CDRO&source=B100107&gclid=CISm4e_-w7gCFcie4Aod-woAaA I do enjoy talking about my time in the Corps and meeting new Marines, but I'm not very comfortable with all of the "thanks" that people are kind enough to express. My wife has explained that I should just be gracious and accept people's appreciation. But I did nothing extraordinary. My pride in the Corps and the camaraderie that I share with my brother Marines is why I make my service known. I do that for those who went before me, and those who have come after me. I honor them, so I graciously accept everyone's "thanks" on their behalf. This has been a rather verbose way of deflecting some of the appreciation that has been shown to me here, but if any of you clicks on that link because of this, I will gladly act as an ambassador for those who truly deserve your appreciation. I'm just a dopey guy who enjoyed being a Marine, so I'm a bit uncomfortable with all of the appreciation. You should hear how savagely we would brutalize each other on the Marine Corps forums!!! So I'd happily settle for something in-between

Never underestimate a Marine's ability to volunteer for the stupidest things

Yup. Okinawa is perfectly paired with the word "stuck". I spent 4 years in an infantry regiment (5th) and I miraculously evaded the 6 month Okinawa rotation. That is NOT the norm, believe me (albino tigers are less rare than that!) Anyway... hopefully he doesn't come home with a new wife(!). (new tattoos however, are practically a given)

LGS is Long Gun Store???? (I guess it's time to start adding some new acronyms to my already overpopulated list)

I see. Hmmmm.... Well, I think that my decision will be made on whatever is quickest, I guess. If the wait time isn't too long, and if the process isn't too involved, I'd probably opt for a stock rifle ("in before the ban" as they say. I'm seriously nervous about that). If I can get the parts quickly enough, I don't mind taking whatever time it takes to assemble it. That will just make it feel more like "my rifle".... which would then really hammer home the Marine rifleman's creed: This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will... My rifle and I know that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit... My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will... Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy, but peace! ...which would be classic!!!! (btw, there was a time when I could recite that word for word. Age and time has reduced that to the first few lines only now) I live in the Paramus area. I know that there is a "Dick's" in Paramus, and there is a "Ramsey Outdoor" in Paramus (soon closing) and one in Ramsey (duh). I have no idea what they stock, but I guess I'll ask. Does anyone know of someplace else in the Paramus area? I've never really had gun shops on my radar until now, so my familiarity with what is around is sorely lacking. And yes, I did read further in that "build" link. I saw tools mentioned; about $100 or so. Hmm.

Ok, great! First of all, I have to assume that the stock AR's are backlogged(???). If not, then I'm on that in a hurry! Would I have to order it/buy it in-person from a dealer, or can I order online? How does that work? If the wait is long for a stock AR, I would definitely be willing to build my own. I certainly broke-down the M16 a million (2 million??) times during my enlistment (Marines clean their weapons far far far far more than they will ever fire their weapons). Then again, I probably didn't actually have to break it down (and then reassemble) as much as would be required to actually build one from scratch. Still though... I'd give it a go - as long as there aren't large sets of specialized tools that will cost me more money than the cost of the parts(!). I'm mechanically-inclined, and I'm a rifleman... so if that's not enough to qualify me, please stop me before I commit to something that is beyond my abilities. As for that link to what's legal. Yes, it is VERY confusing. I've read that portion of the law, and it seems to contradict itself in places. That's why I am so glad that I ran across this forum! Like-minded people sharing the limits of the same law. I can't think of a better resource, and this place is already proving valuable (and enjoyable) to me. I really do appreciate all of this very friendly information. I'm very grateful!

I'm glad to hear that you didn't completely dismiss my preference right out of hand, but wouldn't the "wait time" for something like that be Biblical in scale? I would prefer the AR15 (familiarity) but I've heard high marks about the M4, so the shorter barrel is not a deal-killer (besides.... 500 yards is not in my future at this point anyway). As for "neutered" features, I know what state I live in, so I'd be shocked (and happy) to even get my hands on a "wannabe" assault-style rifle. After all, even a neutered dog still has teeth. I'm a noob here... I'm a noob in the modern-day gun culture... and I'm especially a noob when it comes to navigating preferences vs limits when it comes to NJ's aggressive stance on gun ownership. But you (and others here) really seem to know what you're talking about.... so I'm all ears!!!

The only rifle that I've really fired with any consistency is the M16 (during the Corps) and AR-15 (post-Corps). I've also fired a couple of 22's and a fairly beefy Remington, which I don't recall any details about other than it was a bit more rifle than I really enjoyed. So basically I'd prefer something as close to the AR-15 as possible: as far as size, barrel length, handling, etc. I qualified rifle expert with the M16 every year (except in boot camp; I couldn't shoot worth a crap while wearing those black-rimmed prescription glasses that I needed in order to see the 500 yard target) so I would obviously feel pretty confident handling something similar, especially after trying the big Remington (lots of barrel, too much kick). I didn't have a natural 'feel' for that rifle at all. There's just something about the feel of the M16/AR-15, that's like a drug - especially to a Marine.... no matter how long it's been since you've last fired one. The relationship between a Marine and his rifle is like the relationship between a boy and his first dog; best friends, and inseparable. (although the dog would be deadly lethal of course ) I'd love try to forge that type of relationship again, so I'm thinking it's best to stick with a similar breed of dog, as opposed to learning to love a parrot or a ferret or a cat. Does this preference box me in (or out) too much???

Btw... any active duty prowl these boards?

Thanks (again). Wow. Back-to-back post with devildogs overseas. The rotations are constant. Their units are either deployed, or reinforcing again before the next deployment :/

Thanks. Happy to hear that your little brother/my Marine brother will be returning home soon! I assume his unit comes from Lejeune(?).

After 2 decades of living in the People's Republic of New Jersey, I finally decided to try for a FPID. My delay in doing so was due to some bogus info I had been told regarding a criminal record (Disorderly Conduct) from 25 years ago that occurred out of state (NY). Obviously that did not ultimately prevent me from obtaining my NJ license (it certainly didn't prevent me from being issued an M16 in the Corps!), but according to the LEO who I dealt with, it did slow down my approval (5 months!). Seriously!!!! (Ok, fair enough; at least I was actually able to obtain one. That was a huge relief!) Anyway, the other delay in applying was based on my lack of knowing where I could go to fire a rifle in this area. It's been a really long time since I've fired a weapon, and I thought that it would be truly torturous to possess a rifle, but then not be able to fire it and get to know it. (kinda like ordering a delicious meal off of the menu.... and then only being allowed to look at it) There was a time when I participated on various Marine Corps forums, and I was always so frustrated by how many of my fellow jarheads in other states could enjoy such a carefree relationship with their firearms - while I felt that I was being denied even my most basic 2nd Amendment rights, simply because of where I was located. So.... I'm here to acclimate myself into the NJ gun culture, and hopefully it doesn't leave me feeling too hungry. At this point I'm looking to (finally) purchase, and to learn what is necessary to navigate in this very restricted AO that I reside in. And that's the Intro. T