What is there for a 'smith to do to an AR platform?

[Bryson]

I'm trying to think to myself what exactly a gunsmith could do to an AR-platform rifle -- AR15 and AR10 -- that would be an improvement. The only thing I can think of would be a trigger job.

I'm not well versed in precision rifle, I'll get that out of the way right now. I like to think that I'm learning, but there are still a lot of things I have no idea about. This would be one of them.

On a bolt gun there are all sorts of things, like truing the action and bedding and such. I can't for the life of me think of anything outside of free-floating a really quality barrel and adding some good glass that would be a send-it-to-a-smith type of job.

There's gotta be something though. Georgia Precision sells plenty of AR10s if Sniper's Hide is any indication.

[SethB]

Proper assembly.

Trigger jobs don't work on ARs, or more accurately they work until they don't, and then you have to go buy a new FCG.

[Robb Jensen]

That's not to say all 'smiths' are equal. Quite a few AR companies cannot properly assemble ARs.

Actually the front of the threaded portion of an upper can be trued so that the barrel sits square in the upper receiver. A 'smith' should be able to properly assemble with the correct torque values etc. and should properly stake a carrier key, CAR/M4 stock nut. A 'smith' should check headspace, firing pin protrusion, and could ream the chamber to 5.56mm NATO and verify everything works properly according to the TM. Again not all 'smiths' are equal. Some 'learn' on your stuff.

I work on AR platform rifles and carbines daily both new and stuff people bring in. Most of the time I have to restake carrier keys etc (even on new stuff).

[TJUrban]

If you want to learn more about accurate ARs, there are a number of great books out there on precision ARs including Feamster's "Black Magic", Zediker's "The Competitive AR15" and Derrick Martin's "Complete Guide to AR15Accuracy".

best

Tim

[deadwood83]

gotm4 covers quite a bit of it.

Some other improvements for the accuracy oriented: match grade barrel, windage adjustable front sight tower, 1/4MOA clicks on the rear sight, slimmer front post, interchangeable aperatures on the rear sight, DCM-style free float tube, add a JP trigger kit, endine buffer, gas buster charging handle, LMT 'Enhanced' bolt(matched to barrel) or crane 0-ring on other matched bolt, M16 carrier. Those are some improvements I think worthwhile and none of them really change the appearance of your rifle. Some of them you could do yourself, others I personally wouldn't attempt.

On the endine buffer, you won't really feel any difference when sitting at a bench or prone but once you shoot without support like that the difference is very noticeable.