5th4x4

Well, a gun handle (rear) sight is the only thing that I've ever known... and I already know that I can (could) shoot the sh!t out of that setup. That said, I have no other frame of reference. It's weird how I have altered my original ideas about building (after planning to buy) once you guys had encouraged me to actually build my own. At one point all I wanted was the civilian/Jersey version of my beloved M16. But now.... I'm looking at stuff online, and I'm liking a lot of what I see. And I'm thinking that I probably don't need a replica M16 to be able to shoot - I just need the main elements and the confidence of my past experience with a rifle of that caliber and style. (that's a big revelation for me - as strange as it might seem to some/most - but it's true. Believe me) I'm extremely grateful for everyone's input, and I'm especially grateful for the links that have been provided. I may not have always gone with (/purchased) what was being linked to, but I have certainly used those links to learn what and why those things were being recommended. And then I have used that information in my own searches using that information. BIG HELP. Btw kid, do you have a build thread here? I didn't find one - although I did come across your moto-x stuff here. And that brings back some serious memories for me!!!! I destroyed my Enduro 250 and Suzuki 370 (and myself!) getting wild on knobby 2-wheelers. Btw, you have the look. What look? The look that is known for saying... "I feel the need" (the need for speed!) : P

No comp yet. So feel free to help me spend my money ; ) Lalo made suggestions, but I haven't had the chance to search for them yet (I'm actually cooking dinner for me and my bride at the moment). This thing looks skinny and short (no receiver extension/butt stock yet - but it's on the way) and no handguards or rails (nothing ordered - still undecided), but it still looks deadly : P Btw, I still need a rear sight too. Removable carrier handle, or am I clinging too much to the past??

Pics tomorrow. I work from home... and I work on the computer. So my clients are either quiet.. or else they are active. I've had an unusually active period over the past 2 weeks..... which also happens to coincide with the time-frame of my build!!!! But clients come first. Rifle second. So pics in the morning, before my clients start stirring : )

Just received my upper from BCM today : ) Looks sweet.... and serious!! And you are correct...... it arrived filled with additional goodies! Plus as a jarhead, BCM is more than a supplier of rifles/parts. Those guys are 'on mission'! So first thing in the morning tomorrow, one of their included window decals will find it's way onto my truck. Ooh-freakin-rah! Meantime, should I fire-up the backhoe and bury this thing in the yard until I address the flash suppressor that's on this thing?? I was going to just twist that thing off of there and swallow it, but if I understand the <puke>law</puke> in this state, the threads on the barrell are just as dangerous. Yes?

Well, my "bench" is an old (but sturdy!) end-table. Found it on the side of the road. Looked like 'treasure' to me, so I repurposed it. Bottom-line: Living room furniture and rifle-work go well together! What task doesn't go well with living room furniture? Log-splitting!

You just know that someone is going to escalate that. Something like... "I put my lower together in my lap too....... while riding the bike during an Ironman triathlon. And I finished that leg in 1st place!" Btw, I don't want to know what you used for a magazine block : o

So yesterday afternoon was productive - rifle-wise - for a change. I was all caught up with work issues (for the moment, at least) so I finally had a chance to put something together that didn't involve writing lines of code! And since it was such a gorgeous day, I decided to set up shop out on my screened-in back porch. Ok, so all of you haters can feel free to hate on my high-tech big-money portable work-bench. But all I got to say about that is: Work hard, and someday you too may be able to afford the finest of luxuries like this. (although I'm pretty sure that all of you haters already have a better digi camera than me. Those freakin lines are showing up on my pictures far too frequently these days) Anyway... As you can see, I didn't really have a lot of parts to assemble as of yet. The receiver extension is still in transit, and the upper should arrive sometime today (it left Saddle Brook and is "Out for delivery" as of 5:27am this morning). So my "build" on this day was all about little plastic baggies filled with little metal pieces. And here is how that went: First of all, I used this video as a guide: I advise watching the video all the way through prior to starting. Seeing the "big picture" prior to starting work on the "small picture" stuff will serve you well. In addition, I used this to help me distinguish between similarly-looking pieces and for matching nomenclature to pictures: That is a screen-capture from AR15.com which can be found here: http://www.ar15.com/content/guides/assembly/lower/ There is some solid help to be found on that page. And the guy who made the video actually used the process that is outlined on that very same page for the basis of his video. Ok, so here are my thoughts about the entire process: The trigger guard was super easy. My parts kit came with a standard straight trigger guard, so there was nothing unique about installing it. One end snaps into place, the other end requires tapping a pin in. Real easy. Even so, it was the first piece - and the first pin - that I put on this rifle, so after I got that installed I felt like I had just hand-chiseled Mount Rushmore! : P High fives ensued! My right hand high-fived my left hand, and then my left hand tried to go low... but my right hand left him hanging. (thats just a bit too much overkill for just tapping-in a stupid pin. Seriously! My left hand can't write, it can't throw, and it obviously has no sense of proper perspective when it comes to achievements) Oh, and it's probably wise to heed the advice about supporting the "ears" on the receiver so as not to bend them when tapping in the pin. I used a scrap piece of crown molding, which had a perfectly graduated pitch for supporting the ears. Anything that is about 1/8" thick will work fine for that purpose though. Btw, the trigger guard installation is the 2nd item that gets installed in the video. I jumped ahead only because it was so ridiculously easy to do, and I felt like I wanted the very first piece that I would install on my rifle to be something that would require tapping in a pin, as opposed to just turning some threads. (yeah, I'm weird like that) Ok, moving on to the the magazine catch now (the first item that gets installed in the video). Nothing to it. 3 easy pieces. 2 of them thread together - with a feisty spring between them. I suppose there is a potential for scratching the receiver while turning the magazine catch, but if you depress the button really well, you can get an extra full-turn out of it and still not scratch the receiver. (btw, if you have weak little girlie-hands.... you might want to hire a lumberjack for that part) Oh, and I should probably mention that I had mounted the receiver onto my expensive high-tech magazine block for that part of the installation. Same for the next step below. Ok so far, so good. Next up is the bolt catch. For this part I definitely broke out the blue painters tape in order to protect the receiver from scratches. And after having performed this part of the build, I can see how you can really scrape-up the receiver if you don't. In the video, the guy not only uses painters tape, but then he pauses the video, and then you see that he also added layers of electrical tape as well(!). And after he's finished installing the bolt catch, he laughs himself silly at how much taping-overkill he did : P So all you really need is a bit of tape along the entire length of the magazine well and above the trigger. You're just protecting against the hammer/punch scraping across the receiver, since the pin for the bolt catch gets tapped-in parallel to the receiver (unlike the other pins that get tapped into the receiver). The bolt catch is not particularly difficult to install, but having just installed it, I do have a fresh bit of advice/warning that may be helpful to rookie builders such as myself. The issue that I confronted was: Which spring do I use???? There are 2 short springs that come with the parts kit, and they are similar in appearance. And if you are unfamiliar with these parts, it's easy to start doubting yourself about which one to use. However... First of all, you can consult the image of the parts. Maybe that will help you figure out which spring to use (although I was still stumped). So better yet, watch the video all the way through in advance of building a single thing, and you will learn that the small spring with a slightly larger end on one side is NOT the short spring for the bolt catch. So yes, there are 2 short springs that look alot alike if you don't know what to look for. But once you see the big picture, you'll know. And just for full disclosure: I guessed (!!!). Although fortunately, I guessed correctly (as I only later learned via the big picture). But don't be that guy. That guy sweats for a while : P Ok, I'll post this part and then continue again in a little while..... since the work client situation has suddenly become less quiet all of a sudden :/

Wow, that's hot! I had seen that Gen Four lower and fell in love with the profile - especially on that front wall. Unfortunately I then saw the price.... so I slowly backed out of the webpage :/ But it looks even better with that grip! There are some great curves on that rifle. My lower may lack those curves, but I'll still definitely have to check out that grip. (ok, just looked at your details. Blackhawk. Hmmmm) I had just put my lower together today(!)... with it's standard-issue parts-kit hard-plastic grip. And I can tell you this right now; that ain't staying! Anyway, I hope that you named her something classy... or something trampy. Because she's no plain Jane! Nice job!

Good dig! I've been immersing myself in Magpul minutia to learn everything that I can about these butt stocks. It would be much more effective to actually see/touch, but I'm not geographically situated for such things. That would require travel. And travel requires time. And time/travel is something that I don't really have right now. The STR and the CTR are different enough - as well as similar enough - so I'm not going to get caught up in paralysis by analysis. The butt stock is one of those 'preference' items for people, so gathering opinions is more subjective than it is definitive on something like this. Therefore I've got browser tabs loaded with every kind of option/combo, so I'll most likely pull the trigger on this one based on "gut". Magpul certainly seems popular, so even if my gut is slightly off, it's still going to impact inside the black, so I won't sweat it. On your other note: How common is it to find roll pins in a typical hardware store? I've got an Ace and a Kuiken nearby (Home Depot too, of course). I spend small fortunes in building supply/tool/hardware stores with great frequency, but I've never had need for roll pins before. Common enough? I've never really paid any attention.

I hear ya. When the time is right, it's right. I had actually sat on the sidelines for TOO long. I'd received some bum-scoop regarding an out of state (NY) disorderly conduct change on my record. I was told that Jersey would turn me down flat-out. And since the gun laws are so strict in this state, I actually believed it. But obviously that wasn't the case at all - although I did hit some bumps in the road along the way for that very reason. Overlong delay aside, I'm now building a black rifle(!).... after being convinced that it wouldn't even be legal for me to purchase a Daisy BB-Gun in this state! Guess I shoulda took the advice of the Gipper: "Trust but verify".

Saw that stock in the "stock pinning" thread. Bravo Co has it for $76 Midway for $76 Amazon for $74 Cheaper Than Dirt for $69 Gonna need a separate receiver extension and buffer/spring too, so any specific considerations regarding that?

Waiting for the budget, or a nudge? I can't help you with the former, but I can certainly help you with the latter. I wasn't going to build at all... but the chuckle-heads here had nudged me relentlessly. And now I'm thankful to them for it. And they are not only good at nudging, but they are also really good at guiding the process - as you can see. So uhh.... nudge-nudge.

No progress beyond the acquisition of the lower receiver/lpk. But I figured I'd post the picture of the lower in it's still stripped state... I hope to at least start work on some of the assembly today. But "real" work takes precedence at the moment (I gotta be able to pay for all of this stuff!). Btw, the upper should arrive by Monday. (and boy will I have questions!) I haven't actually found the stock/buffer yet. I utilized my dedicated "shopping" time for the stock on reading the stock pinning thread here instead. I wanted to educate myself a bit before I went running off buying a stock without a clue. However I'm relieved to know that I can do the pinning myself, so that opens things up for me quite a bit. Now I just need to once again dedicate some time to the actual shopping part. (there is just not enough time in the day!) Ah yes, the naked lady mud flaps. You bet! Oh wait.... You mean the EGA and S/F??? Oh yeah! That's sweet! It's on the wish-list.

Ok, so now that everyone has me all paranoid about these springs, I'm even more determined than ever to ace that aspect of it! Although I gotta admit, I'm somewhat haunted by this....

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one benefiting directly from this thread/build. And yes, the "progress pictures" will be forthcoming now that there is a basis for making progress. And having some actual parts to assemble is quite vital towards attaining that objective

Oh. I see. It's a guide. My bad. I thought that is was meant to be used as a (bent) punch or something. So uh..... never mind :/

Resembles a hex wrench, so I suppose I could grind down the edges of a similarly-sized hex wrench for that purpose (yes/no?). I'm not cheap... just resourceful. "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome". It's the Marine Corps way... and it still works for me!

I gave up the 'gars about a decade ago.... so my offer was strictly of a "virtual" nature. Sorry for the tease ; )

My time is a bit too limited for a proper post at the moment, but the lower receiver is now in my possession.... AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!! Cigars for everyone!! (more later)

Getting lots of good wisdom here: the pivot pin detent will fly away from you; put the lower in a plastic bag; the Lord loves a workin' man; don't trust whitey; see a doctor and get rid of it. Oh wait... some of that I learned at the movies. Now just 30 minutes away from picking up the lower.

Trying to grasp onto whatever forward progress can be found at this point, and that came in the form of today's UPS delivery.... A minor advance (to say the least) but it's ground gained. Of course my enthusiasm was severely tempered by the fact that the FBI is currently playing keep-away with my lower receiver while they determine exactly what kind of a domestic terrorist the 18 year-old me was/is :/ (which, if they are truly interested, would be the kind that actually has the hair-brained idea that the 2nd Amendment should actually apply to me!) But I digress. So anyway, not even 5 minutes after the parts kit was delivered, I received a call from the (*cough*) FFL (*cough*) informing me that the lower had just been released for transfer. So I'll be picking that up later tonight. (hopefully for real, this time!) So that's 2 pieces of good news back-to-back. And that means that I can actually start building something tomorrow! Ok, so it's nothing worth shooting off fireworks and popping bottles of champagne about, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and this is another simple single step along the way. And speaking of thousand mile journeys.... The upper that I had ordered left Hodgkins, IL at 4:04am this morning. So I'm hoping that the driver has a lead foot, and a girlfriend at the Parsippany sorting facility that he can't wait to see! Hammer down!!!

OOPS! Apparently this "guy" Jon is an Admin here So lets try that again: "Yup, Jon the Admin mentioned exactly that early in this thread"

Yup. A guy named Jon mentioned exactly that early in this thread. And now that I actually have some experience in the matter, I totally understand.

I used to weld.... but that was during 'shop' class, back in HS. Nowadays, I can solder... but that's about the extent of it. But bhunted had mentioned a place out in the Woodland Park area for that kind of stuff though, so I'll just have to increase the size of my AO, I guess.

To make matters worse, my local FFL/gunsmith is nothing more than a paper-pusher in search of a personality (although it's highly doubtful that he has even the slightest intention of actually looking for one anyway). His "shop" is the size of a glorified mop-closet... occupied by a hoarder. However, he hoards everything except firearms. Or firearms accessories. Or anything firearms-related. In fact, if there is actually a gun in there somewhere.... it's probably the type that is filled with water. Pinning? No, he doesn't do that. Perhaps that's because he has no bench. Or tools. Or space. Or even a mop... although the place could definitely use one. So overall, my lower receiver transfer has pretty much been a total bust so far. On a positive note, my upper has been spotted in Wisconsin. So as long as the Feds actually allow me to eventually build this thing, I've got another piece making it's way towards me.