Well after around six months of research, saving money, and steadily acquiring parts I have finally finished building my 18" SPR. Moving to Arizona in the Fall, I knew opportunities to shoot at longer ranges than what's available here in Ohio would open up so I decided to get my feet wet into the long range game. I decided I wanted a semi automatic .223/5.56 caliber rifle but I did not have the money for an OBR so I decided to go the building route. This is a breakdown of the parts I have used, why I used them, and how they have performed after the first range trip.
Armalite AR15 gunsmith kit:
Being a college student building this rifle at a decent price was a concern of mine, but with that said I wanted to make sure the job was done right. While browsing various online firearms retailers I came across the Armalite gunsmith kit which included the stripped lower, LPK, 2 Stage adjustable trigger, assembled upper, BCG, and two charging handles for $450 from DSG arms. While reading that Armalite is not now what it was a few decades ago, I felt confident enough that this kit would be a good base for my rifle to be built on and for $450 I couldn't complain. Upon first inspection the kit was well worth the money. The BCG was properly staked, LPK parts appeared to be in spec, everything fit together and functioned smoothly. My biggest gripe was with the FCG pins provided with the 2 stage trigger, they suck! The pins were out of spec and seemed to move without much resistance in the lower. I immediately order KNS pins to fix the problem but nonetheless A: it shouldn't have been an issue and B: when I replace the Armalite trigger with an SSA-E KNS pins will not be an option. Despite this I still feel like I got a great value.
White Oak Armament 1/7 SS barrel (SPR profile):
Next to optics, barrel choice was a decision that took me quite a while. Originally I played around with three different options being the BCM SS410 barrel, HCS SPR barrel, and the WOA barrel. I tossed out the HCS barrel after LONG thoughts due to price and justifying that price for the purposes I would be using my rifle for, which is essentially long range leisure shooting. I currently have no plans for competitive shooting or anything of that nature for this rifle, but we'll see where life takes me. That brought my next decision down to the WOA and BCM barrel. From what I've read on this and other forums the integrity and performance of both barrels seemed to be right on par with each other. Ultimately, I sprung for the WOA barrel and after my first range trip I am happy with the barrel's performance. I grouped very interestingly today with groups ranging from under 1-2 MOA as I believe the barrel was breaking in but after about 100 rounds or so the groupings started to become consistent and I ended around 1 MOA. I wish I had some pictures of my target from the range today but I may be going back tomorrow to get on the rifle some more so stay tuned.
Daniel Defense 12" lite rail:
I already had this rail from a previous build so I decided to use reuse it for this build and have been happy with it so far. Free float, quad rail , of high quality, and one less part I had to buy to finish this build.
SWFA 3-9x42 FFP optic in Larue SPR/m4 mount:
My decision on optics was probably the longest and hardest decision I made on this build. I considered all options being NF, the Leupold MK4 line, swarovski, Vortex, and I ended up with SWFA. After thinking for a while I threw out NF, Leupold, and swarovski due to price. I decided I just didn't have the money on my budget to buy them as much as I would have liked to and I would not benefit enough from what those optics had to offer me for my purposes. Great optics nonetheless. This brought my decision down to the aforementioned SWFA and the vortex viper PST 4-16x FFP optic. I wanted the 4-16 for a long time but I decided 16x magnification was too much for an AR and the 3-9 would fit my needs fine. From the 200 rounds I put down range today I have been very happy with the optic and mount combination. The SWFA feels very solid and is incredibly easy to use. I've also found using the MRAD system very interesting and even after one use I am really beginning to like it. I have the same thoughts on the first focal plane feature. I'm very interested to see how the optic will hold up over the next few years.
VLTOR A5 system + EMOD:
I have always been a fan of the EMOD stock. Just how it sits in my shoulder and feels on my cheek is perfect for me. I had an FDE one laying around from a previous build and decided to use it on this rifle so all I needed to buy was an A5 tube and recoil spring/buffer and I was in business. I chose the A5 system for a softer recoil impulse and to try something new. I will say though I have noticed the benefits of the A5 on my midlength than on this rifle when I threw my 14.5" (pinned A2x) on this lower earlier though.
Future additions:
As of right now my only additions to this rifle will be a Harris 6-9" bipod and an SSA-E trigger. I'll have to see where things go as I shoot the rifle more but for now I am very happy with where she stands. Right now all I want to do is shoot it and become more proficient with it.
Some pictures for those interested:
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Originally Posted by scottryan
If it wasn't for your roll pin it'd still be sitting on my bench!
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