AR Meltdown Support Group.

[Scorpio64 5,157]

Hi..... My name is Scorpio and I've lost my mind trying to spec out my build and find the parts.  It's been two weeks since I purchased my last part.  But seriously folks, building an AR can be easy peasy if you just want a working firearm.  Finding all the parts for a very specific set of specs has proven to be a hair pulling experience for me.  The madness has even invaded my sleep.  I've had a couple of dreams about this build.  What I want is either eternally out of stock or part of a kit that I do not need (or want) half the parts of.

 

Arrrrrrgh !!!!  Okay, I feel a little better now.  So are there any other AR noobs on the verge of meltdown here?

[Secret Squirrel 3]

I went through that with my first AR since I started during the gun rush. My second AR I am just taking my time with, I haven't even picked out my lower yet.

[mrg455 6]

What parts are you looking for? I too am in the process of purchasing the components I want/Need to build it. I have found everything with relative ease, my pain has come from finding the cash , not the parts 

[Scorpio64 5,157]

I went through that with my first AR since I started during the gun rush. My second AR I am just taking my time with, I haven't even picked out my lower yet.

 

I just bought two Anderson lowers last week.  One to build up now and the other just to have so I don't have to go through the rigormorall again when I do the next build.  That was about the only smart thing I've done so far.

.

What parts are you looking for? I too am in the process of purchasing the components I want/Need to build it. I have found everything with relative ease, my pain has come from finding the cash , not the parts 

 

The barrel is the big pain in the A right now.  5.56, 18" chrome lined, medium profile, no FSB, mid port, hammer forged, target crown or OAL longer than 18" so I can have a crown turned.  Basically I'm building the rifle around the barrel.

 

And PSA has a nice LBK at a great price that is never in stock.  They have all the parts separately but seemingly never together in that discounted kit.

[T Bill 649]

The barrel is the big pain in the A right now.  5.56, 18" chrome lined, medium profile, no FSB, mid port, hammer forged, target crown or OAL longer than 18" so I can have a crown turned.  Basically I'm building the rifle around the barrel.

You will not find many target crown barrels that are not SS and either bull or heavyweight.  Any reason a SS barrel would not work?  Inherrently more accurate the chrome lined and I doubt you could wear it out.  That may improve your search a little.  18" are not that common right now either.  Pipeline geared up for 16"ers, maybe time and demand will improve supply.

[pbkid6974 1]

Building an AR is a marathon not a sprint. It took me 8 months to get all the parts I wanted. Just find a vendor that offers what you want and sign up for email notification when the item is back in stock. Put everything away and stop thinking about it.

[sof 0]

Yo, Scorpio don't despair. Here's a site which someone (I think it was Igor) fron the forum sent me that should help a lot

.

http://www.arpartsfinder.com/

 

I was going to do the same as you but got a great deal on a Daniel Defense M4V3 (also through a forum member, Lunker)and bought it complete. Next project will be to build an upper with 18 or 20 inch barrel and mate it with Danny boys bottom! But, that's a project for another day and meanwhile I get to shoot the heck out of this one.

Good luck

[Scorpio64 5,157]

Yo, Scorpio don't despair. Here's a site which someone (I think it was Igor) fron the forum sent me that should help a lot

.

http://www.arpartsfinder.com/

 

I was going to do the same as you but got a great deal on a Daniel Defense M4V3 (also through a forum member, Lunker)and bought it complete. Next project will be to build an upper with 18 or 20 inch barrel and mate it with Danny boys bottom! But, that's a project for another day and meanwhile I get to shoot the heck out of this one.

Good luck

Phrasing ! lmao.

 

I am determined to build this thing from scratch.I have every upper component picked out and sourced  except for that damned barrel.   btw, I tried AR parts finder, no luck.  Guess I'll just have to make sure I always have a few hundred $$ in the bank so when the barrel I'm looking for pops up I can grab it.  They are out there, it's just practically impossible to find them in stock, being a special purpose barrel and all.  I think the 18" barrel is more popular than the manufacturers can keep up with.

[sof 0]

I thought it was pretty poetic.

[Bully 749]

Yup.  I'm gonna seriously start my search after the holidays.  My upper showed today and I should be getting my lower late next week/early the following.  Then it's time to lay off the buying and start the researching.  I like the research part.  It's at least as much fun as the buying and shooting, for me at least. 

 

Good luck with your search.  It'll turn up sooner or later.

 

C

[alowerlevel 77]

The barrel is the big pain in the A right now.  5.56, 18" chrome lined, medium profile, no FSB, mid port, hammer forged, target crown or OAL longer than 18" so I can have a crown turned.  Basically I'm building the rifle around the barrel.

 

Thats a very specific set of specs for a barrel, how did you come to the conclusion that thats what you need?  Heres something close to what your looking for https://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/detail&product_id=4049

[Scorpio64 5,157]

Thats a very specific set of specs for a barrel, how did you come to the conclusion that thats what you need?  Heres something close to what your looking for https://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/detail&product_id=4049

 Oh man that is soooo close.  If it was mid ported it would be perfect.  The reasoning behind my specs, hmm.  I guess it's mostly that I want a slightly longer barrel because I'm not going to use a muzzle device and I don't need (or want) a big honking tactical rail. Also, mid ported barrels tend to be less thumpiy on the BCG compared to carbine port.   I'm free floating the barrel with a specter length vented handguard and using a YHM gas block with a flip sight and picatiny bottom.   A rifle length handguard on an 18" barrel would look odd, out of proportion.  Basically I have it all worked out on paper for functionality and proportionality.  As for the barrel, I want accuracy but don't want the additional weight of a bull barrel. If I have to, I will get a bull barrel, if it meets all the other specs, and have a smith skinny it down to a medium profile.  If that barrel you found was mid ported, I'd probably have settled for the govt. profile.

[Brownie^HP 6]

Hey, Scorpio, here's the link to a gun show next month.

 

http://www.eaglearmsgunshows.com/oaks-gun-show-philadelphia-expo-center.html

[usnmars 136]

research the difference between a traditional cut rifling and hammer forged barrels.  Ask any gunsmith that has a bore scope which he prefers.........  it wont be hammer forged.  On the last full blown target rifle build I did, I went through 7 hammer forged barrels until I got one with an accecptable throat.  These barrels were from a very well and respected manufacturer too.  I will say it wasn't my gun I was building, but It was up my alley.... an AR with a Unertl!  now thats classy.....

[Scorpio64 5,157]

research the difference between a traditional cut rifling and hammer forged barrels.  Ask any gunsmith that has a bore scope which he prefers.........  it wont be hammer forged.  On the last full blown target rifle build I did, I went through 7 hammer forged barrels until I got one with an accecptable throat.  These barrels were from a very well and respected manufacturer too.  I will say it wasn't my gun I was building, but It was up my alley.... an AR with a Unertl!  now thats classy.....

I've spent hours researching barrels and I agree that there are some crappy CHF barrels out there, but no more crappy than a poorly made button rifled barrel.  Overall, a well made button rifled barrel is more accurate than a well made CHF barrel, no argument there, but a CHF barrel will outlast a button rifled barrel by a wide margin.  Since I'm not a competition shooter the difference in accuracy is not as important to me as is barrel life.  I do not think button rifling is bad at all, especially for long range bolt action guns.  But for a semi-auto, all the science points to CHF as the best choice as long as the barrel is well made and the rifle it goes on is not intended for long range shooting.

 

An AR with an Unertl?  That must be a sight to behold. <grin>