View Full Version : My first Build... Here goes nothing...
Gauss Rifle
04-17-13, 18:26
Hello Everyone,
New guy, Long term lurker, Second time poster. Relatively new to the AR platform but not totally unfamiliar due to spending time with Uncle Sam. I've just put together my first build and I'm looking for feedback. I was limited in what I could buy at the time due to recent events but I'm just about finished.
Here's my build.
- Lower: New Frontier Arms LR15 complete Polymer lower with a commercial spec. collapsible stock. (there were no aluminum lowers at the time)
- Upper: Palmetto State Armory Carbine length, with 16" M4 profile chrome lined barrel.
- Sights/Optics: UTG match grade rear sight, Leapers (UTG) red/green dot.
- Bolt Carrier Group: Waiting on a 5.56 BCG from PSA. Currently running a CMMG 22lr stainless steel conversion. (Imagine my surprise when all the 22lr disappeared... :mad: )
Since I'm setup for 22lr, I haven't fired it yet because I don't have the ability to fire .223 for purging yet; I don't want to clog my gas tube with these dirty Remington 22s.
Is there anything I should look out for? Upgrades, special care with regard to the 22 conversion, polymer durability?
Keep in mind; This is an entry level 'plinker' rifle and not setup for matches or combat.
Thanks in advance.
G.R.
daisycutter
04-17-13, 18:29
Yes, let's enjoy it for a few minutes. Then make sure it never gets that close again.
.46caliber
04-17-13, 19:29
If I was in your shoes, I'd start looking for an Aluminum lower. Prices have come down a bit and they come in and out of availability more often. I'd keep the polymer lower around for the 22lr. If you build or pick the lower right, you'll end up with a solid AR in 5.56 and a polymer base for later building a dedicated .22LR for plinking.
All that said, I've got no experience with polymer lowers so someone that knows more than I, which wouldn't take much, may have a different take. There's plenty of info floating on the site about the Bushmaster Carbon 15, a polymer lower 5.56 and it's pretty ugly stuff. Use the search button on that subject and you'll find some threads to read through.
I have a NFA lower and the same upper build. I have had mine for alittle over a year and have ran over 1K rounds through it with no issues with 223 and 5.56. I did replace fire controls on the NFA lower with a spikes tactical and i put a WMD BCG in the upper when I was building the rifle and I have not had any issues with it. Oh if you are looking for a aluminum lower check palmetto state their lower pop up at least twice a week. In fact two days ago they have blem lowers for 99 bucks. Good luck and go out and enjoy your AR.
Gauss Rifle
04-17-13, 22:48
I have a NFA lower and the same upper build. I have had mine for alittle over a year and have ran over 1K rounds through it with no issues with 223 and 5.56. I did replace fire controls on the NFA lower with a spikes tactical and i put a WMD BCG in the upper when I was building the rifle and I have not had any issues with it. Oh if you are looking for a aluminum lower check palmetto state their lower pop up at least twice a week. In fact two days ago they have blem lowers for 99 bucks. Good luck and go out and enjoy your AR.
Yeah. PSA is the place to go for almost everything AR-related these days... I'm strongly considering grabbing a blemished stripped lower if they pop up again. Then I'll try my hand at building it with a basic lower parts kit.
I'd keep the New Frontier lower as a backup. It never hurts to have a spare lower (or rifle for that matter) lying around...
What are your opinions of those conversion kits? Other than firing a few .223s to purge the gas line is there anything I should look out for?
I'd just keep that build dedicated to 22LR. .
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KustomFalcon
04-17-13, 23:39
I bought a couple FMK lowers before I came across the PSA lower. The deals were so good, I now have a PSA 16" carbine because I couldn't pass any of it up. FYI, I picked up my BCG through Core 15.
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Gauss Rifle
04-18-13, 12:43
I'd just keep that build dedicated to 22LR. .
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Why? You don't think the NFA lower can take the full sized rounds?
It's supposedly a lot stronger than ATI's Omni lower. Those things have a tendency to break at the rear takedown pin.
Why? You don't think the NFA lower can take the full sized rounds?
It's supposedly a lot stronger than ATI's Omni lower. Those things have a tendency to break at the rear takedown pin.
No. Between the lower and the optic I'd just leave it as is and have fun with 22.
If not, I'd scrap the optic and the entire lower. Keep the upper and start over.
Gauss Rifle
04-18-13, 14:07
No. Between the lower and the optic I'd just leave it as is and have fun with 22.
If not, I'd scrap the optic and the entire lower. Keep the upper and start over.
Ouch! You're hating on my optic too? That thing's only for close range acquisition. Besides, the thing took a 12 gauge recoil with no problem.
I know the NFA is not aluminum but they had really good reviews with regard to durability. Have you heard anything bad about NFA lowers or are you just an 'aluminum only' kinda guy?
.46caliber
04-18-13, 14:54
Munch, like many on here, probably looks for components that are MilSpec and/or proven for a solid 5.56 platform. Polymer lowers like the ATI Omni or Bushmaster Carbon 15 are not MilSpec and proven. Same with the NFA polymer lower.
Polymer lowers might be fine for range toys or dedicated .22lr setups, but most here wouldn't use one for a hard/duty/defense use rifle.
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Ouch! You're hating on my optic too? That thing's only for close range acquisition. Besides, the thing took a 12 gauge recoil with no problem.
I know the NFA is not aluminum but they had really good reviews with regard to durability. Have you heard anything bad about NFA lowers or are you just an 'aluminum only' kinda guy?
Not hating, just observing (sorry). Most red dot, 1x sights are only meant for close range, I don't see what that has to do with anything. I've personally bought, for the hell of it, some Barska, NCStar, UTG, etc. optics over the past couple years to just see what happened. None held zero, and a few rattled loose in their mounts after a few magazines. Most were returned to the LGS that same day.
How many rounds of 12g did the UTG take? 2.75"? 3"? 3.5"? Shot or slug?
Where are these reviews? I've seen and heard bad things. Yessir I am 'aluminum only', and never bought a poly lower for that reason. I don't need to own a gun made of marshmallows to know that it likely won't work for shit. :D
Gauss Rifle
04-18-13, 17:20
Not hating, just observing (sorry). Most red dot, 1x sights are only meant for close range, I don't see what that has to do with anything. I've personally bought, for the hell of it, some Barska, NCStar, UTG, etc. optics over the past couple years to just see what happened. None held zero, and a few rattled loose in their mounts after a few magazines. Most were returned to the LGS that same day.
How many rounds of 12g did the UTG take? 2.75"? 3"? 3.5"? Shot or slug?
Where are these reviews? I've seen and heard bad things. Yessir I am 'aluminum only', and never bought a poly lower for that reason. I don't need to own a gun made of marshmallows to know that it likely won't work for shit. :D
It's relatively new but I took my UTG out for 55-60 rounds of 00 buck and over 75 rounds of 7.5 bird shot. No problems on my end. I anticipate that unless I do something crazy like put a slide-fire stock on it or start vacationing in Afghanistan, it will continue to hold up.
The NFA lower got good reviews on several forums. If you want specifics, you'll need to use your google fu; I didn't write them down. What I got out of it was that it has a similar origin to the Plum Crazy Lower and it has a superior polymer compound to the ATI. It's been said that as long as you aren't butt stroking people or trying to use a .50 BMG upper on it, it should hold together. It goes without saying that extreme temperatures (Arctic) are not recommended and keep it away from any petroleum-based solvents. This was quite literally the best polymer upper I could buy. At the time, It came down to this NFA lower or the ATI because plum crazies and aluminum uppers were scarce. They also have a lifetime warranty on the NFA.
Think P-mag durability but both the gun and the mag are polymer.
Rock on with your rifle. Get yourself an aluminum lower at some point. It will work fine but there is a reason nobody use those on serious rifles.
Why'd you choose a poly lower?
Gauss Rifle
04-18-13, 17:31
Oh, And for the record, even for the lower price, I would never buy an ATI lower. It's not a question of if they break; rather a question of when. The NFA didn't have the ATI's negative track record So I think I made the right choice for the time...
Gauss Rifle
04-18-13, 17:42
Rock on with your rifle. Get yourself an aluminum lower at some point. It will work fine but there is a reason nobody use those on serious rifles.
Why'd you choose a poly lower?
I read you. Aluminum lowers completely disappeared by the time I tried to start my build. My goal was to get some kind of mid-range shooting capability. I was sizing up FALs and PTR91s but scrapped the idea of a .308 rifle since there are no nearby ranges that will allow that large of a caliber. So I went AR. By that time the firearms community was scared ****less because of Obama and Romney's bids for office. The result? Bye Bye aluminum uppers... Everyone claimed to be backed up for 6-8 months. The only thing left was polymer.
There were ATIs all over the place but I read the reviews about the fractures along the rear takedown pins and said 'NOPE'! I heard decent reviews on Plum Crazies but they were gone just like the aluminum ones. I found the NFA lower on Joe Bob's Outfitters and pulled out my card...
The rest is history.
You could always sell the poly lower to pay for aluminum now that they are becoming available.
Yeah that's a good idea. Stripped uppers have been popping up in my local arms list from time to time.
KustomFalcon
04-18-13, 17:50
I've gotta say this:
Locally, my shooting community is great. They all do what they can to get firearms into the hands of as many good people as possible, and go out of their way to help however they can. They're welcoming and humble, especially those LEO's that take part in growing the community.
On the other hand, this forum has a significant amount of arrogance and hubris. A number of us getting into the world of defense rifles, have done so at a time that has been entirely inconvenient, and wildly difficult, and expensive to help reinforce the fight for 2A rights against covertly tyrannical A-holes in Washington, and because of the fun of shooting and training. We didn't all have the luxury of paying a relatively nominal price for a Colt complete, or "high end" lower. I bought two FMK lowers for a number of reasons, availability not withstanding. Without getting into specifications, it's not a terrible product, but what us noobs don't need are a group of high and mighty marksmen telling us we have crappy equipment. I had a range master shake his head at me because I have a PSA carbine. I built it, I paid for it, I did a damn fine job, and it puts holes in targets. Frankly, I'm disappointed this community is not more welcoming considering we're increasing the shooting the population, and dumping thousands of dollars into the gun lobby (personally: NRA lifer, GOA member, Calguns donor). But, to each his own, I guess.
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Gauss Rifle
04-18-13, 17:52
Yeah,
I suppose I could. But I think I'll just keep it as a spare complete lower and when my funding allows, buy a stripped lower or two and parts kit from PSA I think I'll wait for the blemished ones to come back.
Like I said, It never hurts to have a spare rifle lying around... ;)
Gauss Rifle
04-18-13, 18:02
I've gotta say this:
Locally, my shooting community is great. They all do what they can to get firearms into the hands of as many good people as possible, and go out of their way to help however they can. They're welcoming and humble, especially those LEO's that take part in growing the community.
On the other hand, this forum has a significant amount of arrogance and hubris. A number of us getting into the world of defense rifles, have done so at a time that has been entirely inconvenient, and wildly difficult, and expensive to help reinforce the fight for 2A rights against covertly tyrannical A-holes in Washington, and because of the fun of shooting and training. We didn't all have the luxury of paying a relatively nominal price for a Colt complete, or "high end" lower. I bought two FMK lowers for a number of reasons, availability not withstanding. Without getting into specifications, it's not a terrible product, but what us noobs don't need are a group of high and mighty marksmen telling us we have crappy equipment. I had a range master shake his head at me because I have a PSA carbine. I built it, I paid for it, I did a damn fine job, and it puts holes in targets. Frankly, I'm disappointed this community is not more welcoming considering we're increasing the shooting the population, and dumping thousands of dollars into the gun lobby (personally: NRA lifer, GOA member, Calguns donor). But, to each his own, I guess.
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Thanks man, There will always be mil-spec snobs out there; no hard feelings to those guys. Those are people who take extreme pride in what they do. As a former serviceman, I was not afforded the opportunity to get that deep into the nuts and bolts of the AR15/M16 series rifles, so I'm seeking those aspects out now in my spare time. Sure; a Colt or DPMS would be nice but like you said; availability is the key word here. As long as it reliably puts holes in paper and bad guys alike, I really can't ask for more.
On the other hand, this forum has a significant amount of arrogance and hubris. A number of us getting into the world of defense rifles, have done so at a time that has been entirely inconvenient, and wildly difficult, and expensive to help reinforce the fight for 2A rights against covertly tyrannical A-holes in Washington, and because of the fun of shooting and training. We didn't all have the luxury of paying a relatively nominal price for a Colt complete, or "high end" lower. I bought two FMK lowers for a number of reasons, availability not withstanding. Without getting into specifications, it's not a terrible product, but what us noobs don't need are a group of high and mighty marksmen telling us we have crappy equipment. I had a range master shake his head at me because I have a PSA carbine. I built it, I paid for it, I did a damn fine job, and it puts holes in targets. Frankly, I'm disappointed this community is not more welcoming considering we're increasing the shooting the population, and dumping thousands of dollars into the gun lobby (personally: NRA lifer, GOA member, Calguns donor). But, to each his own, I guess.
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Listen man, my lowers are LRB or PSA stripped. Nothing fancy. But they're made of metal and they work. My 12" SBR upper is actually also from PSA. 80-90% of all other parts on my guns were used. Stocks, optics, mounts, uppers, rails, etc. All used. Buying the right shit for the job doesn't make one a snob.
Yea the market sucks, but there's stuff out there. Recently put together a 14.5. Between Armslist, the EE, and eBay...no problem. Took a week to source parts.
Thanks man, There will always be mil-spec snobs out there; no hard feelings to those guys. Those are people who take extreme pride in what they do. As a former serviceman, I was not afforded the opportunity to get that deep into the nuts and bolts of the AR15/M16 series rifles, so I'm seeking those aspects out now in my spare time. Sure; a Colt or DPMS would be nice but like you said; availability is the key word here. As long as it reliably puts holes in paper and bad guys alike, I really can't ask for more.
I understand man, and I didn't mean to come off as a dick. Just saying you've got a good 22 going - stick with that, maybe swap uppers, and drive on. All I was saying is that, over time, I think you'll regret a 223/5.56 with the parts you listed.
KustomFalcon
04-18-13, 19:54
You misunderstood me. I don't mean arrogance because what you have is nice, rather what other people have that's not to everyone else's standard. I'm not singling this thread out, I've seen it over and over: "You should get rid of that and get a ____ that isn't a POS..." if a poly lower is what can be had now, build it. It's not going to crumble on you, and if it is, ask Glock what kind of fairy dust they put in their polymer compound.
I'm for everybody getting what they can afford in order to strengthen gun owner's position in this country.
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Gauss Rifle
04-18-13, 23:46
No harm done guys, In all actuality, the time until I get sick of my current build won't be for quite a while, as I have very limited experience with ARs/M16s. In training, I hit the targets and qualified for watch so they strapped a rifle on my back and said "go patrol..." End of story.
So now, I have to learn about these rifles as if I'd never touched/fired one before. I was operating under the 'any gun is better than no gun' mindset when I bought this thing. When I finally pull the trigger (pun intended) on a PSA upper, that will be my SHTF/I mean business rifle.
Meanwhile, I can test the durability of my NFA lower and see if anyone other than glock can make a decent polymer gun.
KustomFalcon
04-19-13, 00:12
I'm very happy with the PSA upper and lower I bought. I never put the FMKs together but I also read good reviews.
Sent from my Cessna
There are quite a few firearms that are supported by polymer. Have been for years. It's not like any combustion happens in the lower. I've built 2 NFA lower guns for a couple of folks and they seemed to be good to go. 6 months later and they are still going strong. I say drive it till the wheels fall off of it. If you do plan to shoot 5.56, you may want to at least get a more robust optic. One that will last you a while. Those Chinese ones don't like to live long. I'm for one am very glad to have more folks on board with the 2nd amendment. Power in numbers. Welcome to the AR world, you'll figure it all out in time.
While some folks lack the Tact that most of us typically have, they do mean well. The whole buy once, cry once thing has been learned the hard way by most of us. While new to this forum, I'm not even remotely new to the M4. Been shooting since I was 6. You learn a thing or two after almost 30 years. Especially when 8 of those were spent wearing an M4 for my uncle.
Having said that, I like the Daniel Defense line of "AR" rifles (got 2 of em). I started off my shooting career with a red rider followed by an old tube fed .22 caliber marlin. You gotta start somewhere. Good luck and have fun!
KustomFalcon
04-19-13, 08:25
Scrubber3 Thank you. Very well articulated. If I could find more DD product, I'd be all over it.
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[QUOTE=Gauss Rifle; Sure; a Colt or DPMS would be nice but like you said; availability is the key word here. As long as it reliably puts holes in paper and bad guys alike, I really can't ask for more.[/QUOTE]
Colt and DPMS don't belong in the same sentence. Shit can the NFA along with the DPMS receiver. You'll thank me later...:dirol:
KustomFalcon
04-19-13, 09:14
Colt and DPMS don't belong in the same sentence. Shit can the NFA along with the DPMS receiver. You'll thank me later...:dirol:
While you're at it, off your grandmother - she's just weighing you down. And seriously, get a new car, yours is a POS, and you won't fit into our social club. You'll thank me later.
That's the kind of bloated BS I'm talking about. Yeah, DPMS and NFA aren't DD, but when he pulls the trigger, it fires. You ought to read two posts up, that's what decency looks like.
Sent from my inferior rifle
While you're at it, off your grandmother - she's just weighing you down. And seriously, get a new car, yours is a POS, and you won't fit into our social club. You'll thank me later.
That's the kind of bloated BS I'm talking about. Yeah, DPMS and NFA aren't DD, but when he pulls the trigger, it fires. You ought to read two posts up, that's what decency looks like.
Sent from my inferior rifle
Typical new member reply...:p
Typical new member reply...:p
Yeah, your right, a typical new member reply with wisdom and good points. OP is on track, maybe not the track you, me or someone else would choose, but he is in the ball park. He will work out the bugs and learn at his pace.:dirol:
KustomFalcon
04-19-13, 09:48
Yeah, your right, a typical new member reply with wisdom and good points. OP is on track, maybe not the track you, me or someone else would choose, but he is in the ball park. He will work out the bugs and learn at his pace.:dirol:
+1
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So many hurt feelings...
Yeah, your right, a typical new member reply with wisdom and good points. OP is on track, maybe not the track you, me or someone else would choose, but he is in the ball park. He will work out the bugs and learn at his pace.:dirol:
There's no wisdom suggesting some of the items that he has on his gun. It's not a matter of if they'll fail, it's when. If he wants to experience it firsthand, that's fine. Have fun wasting time! :)
polymorpheous
04-19-13, 14:09
Polymer lowers have a substantial track record of breaking near the receiver extension.
The only company that has seemed to get the polymer lower right was Cav Arms. (Even that is debatable.)
Take a look on how they achieved that with their design.
So many hurt feelings...
There's no wisdom suggesting some of the items that he has on his gun. It's not a matter of if they'll fail, it's when. If he wants to experience it firsthand, that's fine. Have fun wasting time! :)
I didn' suggest anything, he had bought all that kit already. I didn't endorse anything either. Put your reading glasses on and go over the posts again. I replied that way because of the "I have better shit than you" attitude and if you don' have it then you are a fail. He is on course. He asked for help and advise, not negative criticism. You had great suggestions as well as other posters. So, lets keep it that way. And...by the way, I will stay in my own lane with my hurt feelings because my post count isn' as high as yours.:sad:
I just have more free time
7.62WildBill
04-20-13, 08:43
I didn' suggest anything, he had bought all that kit already. I didn't endorse anything either. Put your reading glasses on and go over the posts again. I replied that way because of the "I have better shit than you" attitude and if you don' have it then you are a fail. He is on course. He asked for help and advise, not negative criticism. You had great suggestions as well as other posters. So, lets keep it that way. And...by the way, I will stay in my own lane with my hurt feelings because my post count isn' as high as yours.:sad:
Dude, this is not about "mine is better than yours". People come to M4C for info about weapons that they will stake their lives on.
You can put whatever you what on your gun, I promise you nobody really cares what you use. But the "Brand X is just as good as milspec" BS will not fly. The trends here are established by proven track records with a large group of more-serious-than-average end users. It is not arrogance or elitism. If that UTG scope works for you, fine, but that does not make it the "same" as an Aimpoint.
Just because you bought something doesn't mean you are married to it. Just because you bought something that "we" think is lower quality doesn't mean you are a fool, life is about learning. "We" are trying to help.
Dude, this is not about "mine is better than yours". People come to M4C for info about weapons that they will stake their lives on.
You can put whatever you what on your gun, I promise you nobody really cares what you use. But the "Brand X is just as good as milspec" BS will not fly. The trends here are established by proven track records with a large group of more-serious-than-average end users. It is not arrogance or elitism. If that UTG scope works for you, fine, but that does not make it the "same" as an Aimpoint.
Just because you bought something doesn't mean you are married to it. Just because you bought something that "we" think is lower quality doesn't mean you are a fool, life is about learning. "We" are trying to help.
Ok, got it. Your point is taken with a grain of salt. Again, we are not talking about my gear. We are talking about Gauss Rifle and HIS gear. He already bought that gear, and then asked for advice. It would be different if he did not that buy gear already. But, he did. He is stuck with it now until he updates, trade, throws away…whatever. So, many people gave him good - quality advice. Others, have the need to pipe up and take a giant shit all over posts...what I am saying is, lets talk with the guy and advise with tact...lets talk to him and talk about his post as if he (we) are sitting across the table from each other.
READ THE ENTIRE THREAD. I get that there is better kit out there...I am not a moron or new to this game. I NEVER SUGGESTED THE KIT HE BOUGHT. The wisdom I mentioned is this: Let’s give him friendly advice and not the latter. He now has a weapon that will go bang, which is better than not having a weapon at all. Now the good constructive comments come into play…tactful criticism that will keep him here and wanting to learn. If this is not wise then shame on me. I must be a total **** bag and need to square my ass away. A lot of folks on this forum feel safe behind their computer and talk a lot of smack. The ones offended will certainly reply to this, and I am aware of that and hold myself responsible. Gauss Rifle is new. Let’s guide him instead of being sarcastic and witty about how we post. “You’ll thank me later.”
Classic thread, minus some of the usual, more vociferous, suspects. I suspect many of them have given up.
Time to get out the Hurt Feelings Report forms.
/
Switch over to TOS, they will handle you guys with care...:stop:
KustomFalcon
04-20-13, 20:40
I'll go ahead a grab the message board tough guy certificates while you work on the other forms.
Sent from the back of my hand
Man,
I'd ditch ALL that stuff, save your time, & just get a Colt 6920. As is, that rifle is more or less worthless. If you're gonna do it, at least do it right.
KustomFalcon
04-20-13, 21:23
Yes, because we all know there so many high quality rifles, including Colt, just waiting to be purchased. Maybe you didn't get the memo, but the reason most of us are piecing our rifles together is because supply of quality whole rifles, and quality parts are at a minimum. So far, I've seen very few constructive comments.
Congratulations on your shear awesomeness. The rest of us will make do with what we can find.
Sent from my Motorola brick phone
Yes, because we all know there so many high quality rifles, including Colt, just waiting to be purchased. Maybe you didn't get the memo, but the reason most of us are piecing our rifles together is because supply of quality whole rifles, and quality parts are at a minimum. So far, I've seen very few constructive comments.
Congratulations on your shear awesomeness. The rest of us will make do with what we can find.
Sent from my Motorola brick phone
People should not ask opinions if they don't want them. Also, I would agree with you had I not bought 5 Colts in the last week. They are available. One need only look. Plus, I would rather wait then spend/waste money on cheap, inferior parts for some franken gun that will ultimately fail & has no resale value.
KustomFalcon
04-20-13, 21:52
Again, congratulations on your lucky charms pot of five rifles, which is odd in and of itself. Either way, I'm going to go out on a limb and say the advice he was asking for wasn't, "You're an idiot for building that, go buy a complete Noveske, moron."
Also, while you've apparently got the magic touch, find me some 10/20 FDE pmags for less than $30, thanks.
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polymorpheous
04-20-13, 22:06
Gentlemen, threads like this is why the report button exists.
It adds nothing to the knowledge base of this forum.
OP, good luck with your rifle.
Yes, because we all know there so many high quality rifles, including Colt, just waiting to be purchased. Maybe you didn't get the memo, but the reason most of us are piecing our rifles together is because supply of quality whole rifles, and quality parts are at a minimum. So far, I've seen very few constructive comments.
Congratulations on your shear awesomeness. The rest of us will make do with what we can find.
Sent from my Motorola brick phone
Again, current market is no reason to not buy right. Just be patient.
The purchase of five rifles is in no way "odd."
Thinking that the purchase of five rifles is odd...is odd...given that we have members with double-digit personal armories.
Let's move past the idea that post-counts or join-dates are a metric for one's ability to contribute, be it a large number or not. If you've experienced some other venue that uses some kind of leapfrog logic to say otherwise....try some kind of daily affirmation where you assert to yourself that you're capable of deeper levels of thought than that. Free your mind.
Some of you might greatly benefit from this; it's worth a read, particularly the parts that describe how nobody is guaranteed to have their balls gently massaged when they ask for opinions: https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=70019
Army Chief
04-20-13, 23:09
Just stacking on with JSantoro, so as to remove any doubt that we are here to insure that everyone plays nice and keeps this on a proactive glide path.
Some folks take longer than others to sort out our site culture -- let's at least try to keep the welcome mat out a while longer as they figure things out.
Thanks,
AC
The good news is you have an AR so have fun the psa upper is nice! Lowers are well lowers. Now comes the bad part, nobody owns only one AR!!!
KustomFalcon
04-21-13, 22:36
The good news is you have an AR so have fun the psa upper is nice! Lowers are well lowers. Now comes the bad part, nobody owns only one AR!!!
+1, x2
Sent from my iPad Miniscule
Gauss Rifle
04-21-13, 23:16
Geez... go out of town for the weekend and all hell breaks loose...
Ok guys, I get that there are better options than what I have. I want to offer my thanks but some of you mil-spec nuts need to chill; not everyone has an extra $2000 to build YOUR dream rifle. Nor does everyone have time to watch every gun related website at once, shopping for specific parts. I am not on a ranch collecting a military pension; I work all damn day. Need I remind everyone that right after I started my build, nearly all AR parts doubled in price and most were totally unavailable. If that weapons ban had gone through, I would have missed my opportunity to buy/build/own an AR so I did what research I could and bought what was readily available. In the same situation, I'd do it again; I have no regrets.
For those of you who didn't read my previous posts, let me clarify a few things...
(1) I started my build just before the reelection, Newtown, gun control, etc. panic buying fiasco. When I wanted to buy a lower, your 'top of the line' picks were NOT available. If they were, I'd be sporting aluminum, not polymer. So let's skip the "you could have bought better stuff" comments because; at the time, I really couldn't.
(2) The purpose of this rifle is to retrain myself on the AR15/M16 platform. I'm a vet and thus no stranger to weaponry. But it's been nearly a decade since I touched one of these and I wanted to get back in on the fun.
(3) Say what you want about trusting my life to a rifle, but given my current lifestyle, this is NOT my weapon of choice for self defense. I have much more effective options available to me that fit the kind of situations that I am more likely to face. For me, the rifle would be at most, a SHTF weapon; in which case I have neither the training nor logistic support to make relying on this particular weapon a viable option.
(4) The NFA lower was the only polymer lower I had researched that didn't crack at the rear take down pin or buffer. In fact; every review I read on it said that this thing can take substantial punishment without failing. Is it the best? No. Is it better than nothing at all? You better believe it.
EDIT: Some of you are actually trying to help and I appreciate that. But please don't try to upsell me on gear I could (at the time) neither find, afford nor even tell the difference between.
Back on topic; does anyone have any input on the 22 conversion kits? maintenance, cleaning accuracy, etc...
I enjoyed this thread and, as a new member myself, found it valuable in terms of understanding the culture as well. Thanks all and GL with the rifle OP. Very cool!
Gauss Rifle
04-22-13, 17:50
I enjoyed this thread and, as a new member myself, found it valuable in terms of understanding the culture as well. Thanks all and GL with the rifle OP. Very cool!
Thanks,
It's kind of a mixed bag. Some people have been at this for ages; they know their stuff and they only shoot the best. Others have been in the game five minutes and are just happy they have the chance to shoot after all the political crap we've been seeing.
The obstacle all new guys face in a place like this, is that there is always someone who is just dying to tell you how much your rig sucks because it's not top of the line mil-spec, when all you want to do is plink...
Grains of salt come to mind but there is some good info to be found here if you are patient/persistent.
OP, the beginning of your first post said you want feedback on your build. You got your feedback! It doesn't matter to anyone here what your lower is made of, we are just giving you our feedback. In this extreme time of hard to find parts none of us would have went polymer for the receiver. I would just have sat tight with a slug gun until I could get a proper lower or paid hundreds extra to buy one off of Gunbroker or the like. The problem is people buy first and then come here for advice when smart shoppers come for advice first and are informed buyers. Everyone wants to justify there inferior gun, it happens time and time again here...your situation is not unique. Just pick up a stripped aluminum lower when you can and swap it with the NFA and you should be good to go.
Gauss Rifle
04-22-13, 20:20
You misunderstand. This is not about justification and it's not about the poly lower. I bought it because I wasn't sure if Feinstein's idiot gun ban would pass or not. The masses are getting dumber and more naive these days and I wasn't about to miss out because they have the collective IQ of a bag of rocks.
I own a 12 gauge as my main long arm and wanted to mess with ARs recreationally. That lower was my chance to do so. It very well could have been my only chance to do so. If I had a do over, I would have made the same choice.
I could really care less about aluminum vs poly at this point; that subject has been beat to death even before I joined your forum. For the record, I bought the NFA lower because of positive remarks about it on forums like these.
What I'm more interested in are things like maintenance of the 22lr conversion, its accuracy in a 1:7 twist barrel and cleaning. I hear the fast twist rate really kills the accuracy of 22 and low grain .223 rounds but I really can't see myself using it beyond 25 yards since all our ranges are indoors.
Also, I've been researching everywhere but can't get a straight answer. Other than firing .223 through it, can you actually clean a gas tube or do you HAVE to replace it when it clogs from 22 usage? I did buy spares just in case.
Failure2Stop
04-22-13, 21:45
Get a dedicated 22 upper. It will save you a ton of heart ache and wallet burn.
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Gauss Rifle
04-22-13, 21:51
Get a dedicated 22 upper. It will save you a ton of heart ache and wallet burn.
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For the sake of argument, assume that I'm not in a position to do that. Do you have any input on the conversion?
Failure2Stop
04-22-13, 21:56
For the sake of argument, assume that I'm not in a position to do that. Do you have any input on the conversion?
There are better ways to ruin your blaster for less cash.
It's kinda like asking what strain of chlamydia is the least painful; better to avoid nasty knickers from the start.
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Gauss Rifle
04-22-13, 22:54
No offense, but you are trying to gauge my needs based on your own preferences and ignoring what I already own/have access to. You don't know what my situation is regarding funds, range restrictions, parts/ammo availability or even my intent with regards to 22lr. I appreciate that you are trying to help, but your advice does not match well to my current situation. Simply put; If I were in the market for a 22 upper, I'd buy one. I have neither the funds nor intent to buy another upper at this time. Furthermore, the small amount of 22lr I do have is not enough to destroy my barrel assembly, nor does it justify buying a 22 upper assembly.
Does anyone have any input on the conversion?
Failure2Stop
04-22-13, 23:16
Got it, have fun.
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CMMG makes a good conversion. The market is full of magazines for them too. The conversion package that comes with three magazines costs around $300 and some change.
To be honest, you can actually find dedicated 22lr uppers for just about that price. Complete with BCG and charging handle. A much better deal IMHO than the conversion kit which is basically just a BCG and mags since .22 doesn't like the 1:7 twist rate. And yes, the gas tube will foul up a lil quicker with the conv kit.
HTH
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