I have been thinking of getting a second shotgun and last weekend I tried out my friends new Mossberg 500 Tactical Tri-Rail. Really nice, but I like my Ithaca 37 alot better. I have decided to change my focus to building an AR. I have a couple Saiga's in 7.62x39 and 5.45x39 and they are great but I am looking for accuracy at greater distance and I want to add .223/5.56. At some point one of the Saiga's may go as I would prefer to limit calibers.

 

I want this gun to be very reliable with the ability to run any kind of ammo without trouble. Cheap Russian included. I have seen guys at the range with AR's that jammed alot and it seemed like they spent more time messing with the gun than shooting it. That is not what I want at all. Has to be dependable. There are so many options out there for all the different components. I would like to buy a stripped lower to start. Cost is not a huge concern to me as I will be doing this over time. I have read good things about Spike's Tactical and PK90 has a few lowers in stock. Are there other options that are better to consider? Which parts of the rifle in particular have the most impact on dependability and ability to run all kinds of ammo? As always, thanks for any help.

i hit steel plates at almost 300 yards with a 14in AR.... accuracy has not been an issue with my gun....

 

a good high quality trigger will aid in accuracy because it will allow you a cleaner pull...

 

mid length gas system will allow you to stay on target for multiple shots...

 

 

The AR15 in not generally unreliable.... but the gun requires maintenance.... if you keep the gun clean and lubed it should run... people who run into issues in many instances are just not maintaining their weapons... russian ammo tends to be dirtier, and thus increases the need to keep up on maintenance... people also claim extractors can wear out faster... I have no personal experience..

 

if you are looking for more accuracy then you would not be shooting that shit anyway.. I exclusively shoot federal out of my AR... it has been extremely reliable and accurate...

Reliability comes with quality components. Get mil spec at least and you should be ok. I've never shot any steel through mine, because as Vlad said the accuracy is suspect and its dirty. But I've put a couple thousand + brass through with no failures.

FWIW, the guys that spend a lot of time with jams dont clean their guns rite. I can shoot anything out of any of my AR's without a problem. You just have to understand that they need to be cleaned and oiled. Also, cheap mags will create feed issues as well.

Guns that dont cycle steel cased ammo well usually will after you get a decent magazine.

At least thats what my personal experience has taught me.

Ken

My $0.02 (probably worth less than that but...)

 

-Stripped lowers. There's a thread somewhere on Arfcom or one of the other forums that talks about how the majority of lowers are very similar and made by only a handful of companies... regardless of the brand. I've got a Spike's and bang-for-the-buck, it's great! Do I think you should go out and spend $400 on a Mega Billet lower... I don't think it's necessary. Spend the difference for more ammo or parts.

-I have a 16" barrel with a comp. Plenty good enough for my use as far as reach/accuracy. I wasn't building a match rifle, or a 1,000 yd tack-driver. At this point, I think it's wise to look for and spend a little extra on the "buzzwords": Chrome-lined, cold hammer forged, etc. (Chrome lining for sure... cleaning is MUCH easier.)

-Trigger upgrade (Geissele, Timney, RRA, etc.) is worth every penny you spend. (Geissele SSA here.) Once you do it, a stock trigger is instant junk. You'll never go back.

-Longer gas system = slightly better recoil management. (Mid-length, rifle length... I have a mid-length. Very happy.)

-Reliable MIL-SPEC components. (I don't think you really save all that much by buying commercial spec parts, so I don't understand why you wouldn't just buy mil-spec stuff.)

-Keep it in good working order, clean and lube properly, especially if it sits for a while. Sure you probably want it to be reliable when the SHTF and it and you are getting knocked about, but that's no reason to neglect/abuse while we're waiting for TEOTWAWKI. Take care of it and it'll take care of you.

-Spend a couple extra pennies per round on better ammo.

 

Heck... spend a couple more pennies on everything. You're building it... so build exactly what you want.

All lowers may be made by a handful of mfg but they are not all spec out the same..

Thank you for the feedback. So far I have picked up a stripped Spike's Lower and I jumped on the recent PSA sale and bought the Geissele Super Semi-Auto Enhanced trigger. I was looking at uppers on Bravo Company's website and came across this one. Any opinions? Also, would this need any modification to make it NJ legal?

 

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-BFH-16-Mid-Length-Upper-Receiver-light-weight-p/bcm-urg-mid-16lw%20bfh.htm

Bayonet lug needs to be removed and that flash hider must be replaced with a permanently attached muzzle brake. BCM makes good stuff.

When it comes to the maintenance of C-L-P, use FIREClean. There are a few videos out there of cleaning after 10k rounds and the stuff is just amazing. You can literally spend 5 minutes cleaning upper with a rag and get right back to shooting, which is great if you plan on shooting steel. If you buy all quality parts, you shouldn't really have a problem with steel. It usually works better with mid and rifle length systems also. It's the carbines that typically have problems with tearing the ejector off because of the timing of the gas.