My first AR and my first build

[cucucachu0000 0]

hey everyone this is my first time on the site ive owned guns in jersey for a little over a year now and started this build in october before i found this site. i think this thread that i started on xdtalk.com is probably better suited here so ive transplanted it here.

Ive recently started looking into my first AR since hearing obama and romney agree my right to own a scary looking rifle (but in orwellian double speak an "assault" weapon) gets to be decided by the congress. ive been doing some research but havent found a whole lot of info on lowers so im having some trouble getting started.

But just today I got an email from my usual FFL transfer guy that he has some spikes tactical stripped lowers for $110.00. i just emailed back to find out what the price out the door would be. i think if its just tax and 16 bucks for a background check the price should be like 133. How is spikes tactical, anybody have any complaints? is this a good price for the lower or should i keep a lookout for something better?

also i was looking at this website and found some pretty reasonable prices. RGUNS - AR-15 Lower Receivers - 5.56mm: RGUNS, Stripped
has anybody done any business with this site or any of these lowers? im looking specifically at the Delaware Machinery lower for $65, $110 after transfer fee and shipping or the one right above that one the Rguns nickel boron finish for $125, $170 after transfer and shipping.

theres not much of a difference in price and im not sure a nickel boron finish is worth all that extra money im leaning towards spikes any advice from the AR 15 veterans out there?


update 10-25-12: well i decided to just go with the spikes tactical with my ffl guy and i picked up my brand new lower today! 133 out the door, now i have to save up some cash to buy myself a christmas present.... maybe a thanksgiving present as well. heres the pics, i prefer it without the coloring but it still looks fine with it.




now im pretty sure ill be getting a lower parts kit next, anybody have suggestions for that? like i said im new to all of this so its hard for me to see the differences in these just reading descriptions on store websites, but i would like to go for quality i dont want to put in pieces im going to want to upgrade a few months after putting them in.

Another update 11/15/12:

Well im moving on with my build i couldnt hold back anymore!!! i just ordered a spikes enhanced tactical LPK i figured with all the stuff it comes with and the piece of mind of spikes quality and lifetime warranty it was all worth it. and with the exception of the anti roll pins i was going to have almost the same setup anyway.

I ordered from delta3tactical .com, although i had trouble finding a lot of feedback on them i found enough to take a shot. it seemed legit, plus i used my cc with the fraud protections and alerts instead of my debit in case its a scam. anybody have any experience with this site it would help take any worries off my mind.

updated 12/02/12:
I finally got my lpk in the mail yesterday! i ordered it from delta3tactical .com i wasnt overly impressed with them. after two weeks of not hearing anything about it being shipped i decided to call and see what was up and it turned out they were out of stock (would be nice to put that on the website or get an email about that) but said he could build the kit with the separate spikes tactical parts he had there and it will be the same thing and that he would ship that day. these kits are sold out everywhere and i needed me some spikes enhanced loving so i went along with it.

well i got it yesterday so for those looking for a review of the site its not a scam you'll get your stuff it just seems the shop isn't run as efficient as it could be. everything is in the kit that should be there so im happy.

it took me a couple of hours thanks to my internet crapping out only letting me watch the video walk through at 15 seconds at a time before freezing again.... i used this walk through

which was really good even though it wasnt the same lpk. after going through it all i think i could probably do it again in like 30 min.
well here are the pics:




pretty sweet huh? by the way this is the FDE version

Update 3/6/13

Man its been a while since I've even thought about adding another piece thanks to all these crazy prices. I've figured being that I live in jersey that I'll just go with a fixed stock so I dont have to pin anything. I've chosen the magpul moe rifle stock and when I move to a free state I'll upgrade to a ubr. Only problem is I can't find ANY buffer tubes in stock anywhere let alone the rifle a2 sized ones. Anybody know of some secret site where they have these in stock that won't break the bank? This weekend I'm going to a PA gun show to see if I can find anything there as a last resort.

Update 3/26/13



well there has been a change of plans. i didn't have time for the gun show but got a pretty sweet deal from joeboboutfitters.com for a spikes tactical carbine buffer tube (with the upgraded T2 buffer) for $60 and seeing as ive seen them going on ebay for about 120 nowadays, the deal was just too good to pass up. anyway the shipping was fast about 2 days to NJ and ive recently slapped it on so here are the pics.

Right:

Left:

and the sick looking buffer engraving:

so i essentially have a working lower just need to find an upper for a non outrageous price..... that may take a while. in the mean time i will be looking for a new stock, now that i went and bought the carbine length buffer tube i no longer have the option of the magpul MOE fixed rifle stock which was the original plan. i still don't want to pin a stock especially not into this pretty/expensive of a buffer tube. right now im just waiting for magpuls MOE coming soon stock here: STOCKS - MOE® Fixed Carbine Stock ? Mil-Spec Model and for only $50 too. any news on when it actually comes out? the most specific i can find is spring 2013. ive seen others like the battle ax but besides being kind of ugly which i could deal with, they're over a hundred dollars... id rather just put the tube against my shoulder. so if anyone has any recommendations for a fixed carbine length stock please help out a brother behind enemy lines!

 

Update 6-13-13 Well im back, and this time with a hot off the presses Magpul MOE fixed carbine stock! got a tip from a comment in a gun blog that they started shipping to dealers and only found one website with them ready to ship at that time and that would be http://pkfirearms.com/ i ordered Sunday night and got it in today (thursday). here it is right out of the box:

 

it came with to collars one that sits right up against the receiver for flat end-plate(?idk what its called) the other is for magpul's ASAP sling mount end-plate (and others like it). it seems to have a pressure design that uses friction to hold the stock in place with the final safety of the collar and a screw holding the two together, to keep it from coming off. giving it a few good tugs it seems pretty solid, its not going anywhere. overall im happy, here are some glamour shots of my work in progress so far.

Left:

Right:

 

well now im up to the complicated/expensive part. the upper..... i was previously thinking i would just buy a complete upper but with prices still pretty high and my inability to give up 6,7, or 800 dollars in one shot and still need to buy optics is keeping me on the sidelines and im thinking about just putting the whole thing together myself over time. anybody have experience with this? would it really be to much for an AR noob like me to figure out? so what do you think? should i just keep saving? or start buying up my parts now?

[DargZ 5]

Nice choice with the Spikes. You would've regretted getting anything directly from Rguns.

 

Pinning stocks is not hard. You can pin the stock without drilling into the buffer tube if your intention is to not damage the buffer tube. I got the STR which gives you a good cheek weld. You can drive a pin to prevent the lever to adjust the stock from releasing. You would have to dremel some of the material off the corner of the friction lock but when the friction lock is engaged, you can barely see that corner or the pin.

 

For a quality upper, BCM seems to be getting uppers in all the time. If you buy the upper from them, you can add a BCG which is even harder to get.

[cigarsnscotch 0]

welcome to the site, I see you took my advice on xdtalk to check this site out.

[NJSigfan 218]

Nice looking build. Since I'm building my own AR. Ill be following this for some helpful tips and hints

[cucucachu0000 0]

Nice choice with the Spikes. You would've regretted getting anything directly from Rguns.

 

Pinning stocks is not hard. You can pin the stock without drilling into the buffer tube if your intention is to not damage the buffer tube. I got the STR which gives you a good cheek weld. You can drive a pin to prevent the lever to adjust the stock from releasing. You would have to dremel some of the material off the corner of the friction lock but when the friction lock is engaged, you can barely see that corner or the pin.

 

For a quality upper, BCM seems to be getting uppers in all the time. If you buy the upper from them, you can add a BCG which is even harder to get.

 

thanks for the help, ill look for a youtube video of that maybe i could do that with a ACS as well. ill keep a look out on that website it looks pretty empty right now, im broke for now anyway but thanks im totally new to these rifles so im clueless about what companies are quality so every recomendation helps.

[cucucachu0000 0]

welcome to the site, I see you took my advice on xdtalk to check this site out.

 

haha yea i was getting a minimal response at that site anyway and i plan on joining old bridge rifle and pistol club in a couple weeks so i thought id get to know my gun owning jersey brethren a little better.

[cucucachu0000 0]

Update 6-13-13 up in original post

[Displaced Texan 11,777]

I don't know that you can really 'save' a lot of money by building an upper yourself. Recently, I've seen (and bought) assembled uppers that were less expensive than the sum of their parts, or  close enough that it didn't make it worthwhile to build.

Example, I recently bought a PSA Premium 20" upper for an A4 rifle I have. It has a CHF, MP tested barrel made by FN, and was under $500 out the door, less bolt carrier group. IMHO, hard to beat for the price.

If you want to do it for experience, that's another matter.

[NYMetsFan86 9]

looks good man. looking forward to seeing the finished product. I understand what the gentleman above is saying. I have a 5.56 and 7.62 build going now and both uppers were expensive in pieces. 

[cucucachu0000 0]

yea i wasnt thinking it would be cheaper, just dont have the cash at the moment to plunk it all down at once. figured doing it one piece at a time would make the hit in the wallet go down smoother. Im having trouble finding complete uppers in stock, i cant believe these parts are still so hard to find. what im really worried about is putting parts together that dont really go together and make the gun run like crap.

[10X 3,317]

yea i wasnt thinking it would be cheaper, just dont have the cash at the moment to plunk it all down at once. figured doing it one piece at a time would make the hit in the wallet go down smoother. Im having trouble finding complete uppers in stock, i cant believe these parts are still so hard to find. what im really worried about is putting parts together that dont really go together and make the gun run like crap.

Arfcom had them recently (didn't check to see if they still do).  $620 with BCG, and you could order them NJ compliant at that price.  That might save $100 or more in NJ neutering costs, and it can ship right to  your door.

[cucucachu0000 0]

whats arfcom? (new guy here)

[Displaced Texan 11,777]

ARFCOM is AR15.com. They do sell some of their own uppers, and they have a very nice equipment exchange classifieds section where users buy and sell.

 

 

Check out Palmettostatearmory.com

 

They have good deals on nice quality uppers.

 

I'm a Colt guy, but I have a PSA upper (I mentioned earlier), and I'm extremely happy with it!

 

Below is my Colt MT6700 with the PSA 20" Govt profile upper. Great shooter!

[vladtepes 1,060]

What kind of upper do you even want? Things are tough now but I have a spikes upper that I love...

[cucucachu0000 0]

nice, i know you werent in jersey with that big scary mass murdering magazine in that rifle! ill check those sites out now. anybody know what the rules on hunting in Jersey and PA and i guess Delaware with a semi auto rifle? id like to try hunting soon and rather than buy a hunting gun and still build a separate ar-15 i could kill two birds with one stone and save the money. that could definitely speed things up

[cucucachu0000 0]

What kind of upper do you even want? Things are tough now but I have a spikes upper that I love...

what is it that you love about it? im trying to figure out what separates all these uppers. i have heard great things about 300 blackout, and that it works well with hunting deer which im trying to get into but without being aloud a silencer or to build an sbr it kind of makes me want to wait till i get out of Jersey first. i have heard some people say 5.56 is great for hunting certain game like wild pigs in which case i might go with a 20 inch barrel but if i cant really hunt with it i would probably go with a 16 inch 5.56 for home protection/range toy/zombie slayer. decisions decisions

[Displaced Texan 11,777]

nice, i know you werent in jersey with that big scary mass murdering magazine in that rifle! ill check those sites out now. anybody know what the rules on hunting in Jersey and PA and i guess Delaware with a semi auto rifle? id like to try hunting soon and rather than buy a hunting gun and still build a separate ar-15 i could kill two birds with one stone and save the money. that could definitely speed things up

 

That is a NJ legal mag. It is pinned to 15 rounds. The muzzle device is NJ legal as well.

[vladtepes 1,060]

what is it that you love about it? im trying to figure out what separates all these uppers. i have heard great things about 300 blackout, and that it works well with hunting deer which im trying to get into but without being aloud a silencer or to build an sbr it kind of makes me want to wait till i get out of Jersey first. i have heard some people say 5.56 is great for hunting certain game like wild pigs in which case i might go with a 20 inch barrel but if i cant really hunt with it i would probably go with a 16 inch 5.56 for home protection/range toy/zombie slayer. decisions decisions

 

You just described a LOT of uses....

 

As far as hunting animals I can't help as I have no knowledge in that realm...

 

I have two ar15s one is a SBR waiting on a stamp... I plan to eventually do a 300 BLK upper for that but am holding now due to cost and ammo availability...

 

The appeal to the AR platform is you can have multiple uppers as finances allow.... I would not personally get 300blk without first at least picking up a basic 556 upper since ammo is very common...

 

I have a spikes 14.5 in upper with a pinned brake to get it to 16 in... It is a mid length gas system which I feel to be softer... Mid length gas system and good brake has created a really soft shooting gun... This lets follow up shots come quickly... The gun is short and light making it ideal in tight areas.... With all that said I can still reliably put shots on a man size target at 300 yards with just a red dot and magnifier...

 

What upper you should go with is based solely on the intended use..

[Displaced Texan 11,777]

My 'go to', all around use rifle is a Colt 6940 with an 4x32 ACOG.

I have killed feral hogs, and a few coyotes with it, and i consider it more than adequete for the task. In many states, it is not legal to hunt deer with a 5.56mm, so you'll have to look into regs for the state you intend to hunt.

[triton200 0]

I just bought a P.S.A. midlength upper for around $500. Its way more accurate then my Windham. And the brake i put on it causes it to have virtually no muzzle rise. So follow up shots are a breeze.

[cucucachu0000 0]

You just described a LOT of uses....

As far as hunting animals I can't help as I have no knowledge in that realm...

I have two ar15s one is a SBR waiting on a stamp... I plan to eventually do a 300 BLK upper for that but am holding now due to cost and ammo availability...

The appeal to the AR platform is you can have multiple uppers as finances allow.... I would not personally get 300blk without first at least picking up a basic 556 upper since ammo is very common...

I have a spikes 14.5 in upper with a pinned brake to get it to 16 in... It is a mid length gas system which I feel to be softer... Mid length gas system and good brake has created a really soft shooting gun... This lets follow up shots come quickly... The gun is short and light making it ideal in tight areas.... With all that said I can still reliably put shots on a man size target at 300 yards with just a red dot and magnifier...

What upper you should go with is based solely on the intended use..

Yea I think I'm going to go with 5.56. I didn't realize those ammo prices were so high, maybe if I start reloading one day. Now its only a matter of length of the barrel, I'm going to ask around in the hunting section here to see what an ar could be used for in terms of hunting in the Nj,PA, De area. If I can get some use out of it I'll probably get a 20 inch barrel. otherwise ill probably get something smaller like 16. I have a couple of questions though about the barrel length, I thought flash hiders and brakes were illegal, what exactly are the laws here in jersey concerning that? Are SBRs legal in jersey? I just assumed they were illegal.

[cucucachu0000 0]

My 'go to', all around use rifle is a Colt 6940 with an 4x32 ACOG.

I have killed feral hogs, and a few coyotes with it, and i consider it more than adequete for the task. In many states, it is not legal to hunt deer with a 5.56mm, so you'll have to look into regs for the state you intend to hunt.

Yea that's what I figured would be a good use for the 5.56, hog hunting and the like. Did you get your hogs with your colt or did you have to leave the state for that?

[Displaced Texan 11,777]

Yea that's what I figured would be a good use for the 5.56, hog hunting and the like. Did you get your hogs with your colt or did you have to leave the state for that?

I own a ranch in Texas, and hunt hogs there. More correctly, I would refer to it as varmint eradication because they do a lot of damage to property and livestock.

We do eat the smaller ones, under 100lbs.

All of my hunting is done there.

 

You asked about muzzle devices....in NJ, muzzle brakes/compensators are good to go. Flash hiders/suppressors are not. Muzzle devices must be permanantly attached; ie: pinned and welded in place.

Collapsable or adjustable stocks are not legal.

Unfortunately, neither SBR's or suppressors are legal.

No fun toys allowed in the Garden State.

[vladtepes 1,060]

Yea I think I'm going to go with 5.56. I didn't realize those ammo prices were so high, maybe if I start reloading one day. Now its only a matter of length of the barrel, I'm going to ask around in the hunting section here to see what an ar could be used for in terms of hunting in the Nj,PA, De area. If I can get some use out of it I'll probably get a 20 inch barrel. otherwise ill probably get something smaller like 16. I have a couple of questions though about the barrel length, I thought flash hiders and brakes were illegal, what exactly are the laws here in jersey concerning that? Are SBRs legal in jersey? I just assumed they were illegal.

 

 

I am NOT a hunter.. but AFAIK you can not hunt with a semi auto rifle in PA OR NJ..

 

I live in PA so my options are slightly different..

brake is fine as long as it is not a flash suppressor.. and as stated it has to be welded to the barrel...

[cigarsnscotch 0]

I am NOT a hunter.. but AFAIK you can not hunt with a semi auto in PA OR NJ..

 

I live in PA so my options are slightly different..

brake is fine as long as it is not a flash suppressor.. and as stated it has to be welded to the barrel...

You cannot hunt with a rifle in NJ.

[cucucachu0000 0]

Thanks for the answers guys so I guess I'm getting myself a shorter barrel. I'm glad to have finally gotten my mind made up. Time to get saving and searching....

[checko 180]

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-EAG-HS-Mid-Length-Upper-Receiver-package-p/bcm-uh-eag2-hs.htm

 

 

aaaand your're done.

[High Exposure 5,673]

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-EAG-HS-Mid-Length-Upper-Receiver-package-p/bcm-uh-eag2-hs.htm

 

 

aaaand your're done.

Quoted for awesomeness and truth.

[checko 180]

Quoted for awesomeness and truth.

OP, I do have this one and recommend it highly. Its significantly lighter and obviously shorter than my 16" ar. I got the NFA version of this upper shipped to another house (completely legal) to get the Comp of my choice put on.

 

Bravo makes a very high quality product and this will come complete with buis, BC, and charging handle as well as several extras. Its well worth it.

 

Word of caution that you WILL need compliance work done if you get something from BCM, to pin the comp and/or grind off the bayo lug.

 

[vladtepes 1,060]

Bravo or spikes both work well... I love 14 pinned to 16... Mid length gas system...