AR15 Primer - A Beginner's Guide

[acaligunner]

So ~ You are saying, Buy a COLT !!

[Dirte]

I like seeing this pop up again. This write up was my bible during my build and I'm pretty happy with the results.

[Agent Tikki]

[richard310]

I fell asleep once i read the title... *yawn* what a boring read.

[Dirte]

Sticky status achieved!!

[Agent Tikki]

Originally Posted by Dirte

I like seeing this pop up again. This write up was my bible during my build and I'm pretty happy with the results.

Very very nice stick!

BUT, its too clean! time for a roll in the mud!

[Maxdog]

Thank you for the series. I recently purchased my first AR and found your series very well written. You and folks like you is why Calguns.net is a great place to be a firearm enthusiast.
Long live Calguns!!!!
Thanks again!

[Dirte]

Thanks Agent Tiki. I take that as a tremendous compliment coming from you. Couldn't have done it without your advice from this thread. Now I just gotta find the time to get her dirty.

[glock7]

good stuff, i think this is great for anyone getting into the ar game. but, alas there are some who still cut corners, but it works for them, who am i to say anything? thanks OP, btw do you still have that RUC? how it shooting? i was going to get one of those, but have taken a different direction, i'm back to carbine gas systems now. oh and i can shoot with hand over bore, i just had to adjust LOP on the stock and i'm gtg. thanks again.

[Agent Tikki]

Originally Posted by glock7

good stuff, i think this is great for anyone getting into the ar game. but, alas there are some who still cut corners, but it works for them, who am i to say anything? thanks OP, btw do you still have that RUC? how it shooting? i was going to get one of those, but have taken a different direction, i'm back to carbine gas systems now. oh and i can shoot with hand over bore, i just had to adjust LOP on the stock and i'm gtg. thanks again.

Hi, thx for the kind words! I've since sold the RUC and with the proceeds built another lightweight 16". I really did like the RUC alot, but got an offer I couldn't refuse for it.

As for hand over bore, you can still put a low profile gas block (doesn't matter if its carbine or middy gassed) , and slide a free float handgaurd over it so that you can fully extend your support arm and shoot hand over bore. I think the problem with just positioning yourself further back is that you are moving the center of mass away from you, making it harder to shoot free hand, putting your eye further from the rear sight, and slowing yoru transitions from target to target.

I'm acutally contemplating building a carbine gas build, to get the gas block further from my support hand so that it doesn't heat up the hand guards as quickly.

[pitbuljake]

This is by far the best thread/sticky i've seen on this site, great work!

I too am working on several builds and have little to no knowledge in this area. Thanks for all your effort.

[kdruff2]

Newb question, what's the difference between a lower and a billet lower? Billet lowers seem to be more expensive thus implying better quality???

Matter of fact, what's the difference between an upper and a billet upper?

[Agent Tikki]

Billet is not necessarily better.

Pound for pound forged alloys are actually stronger. There are only a few forges that produce receivers, and forges are multi million dollar investments so there aren't going to be new forges anytime soon. So most forged receivers are going to be alike (with the exception of Mega forged).

Billets are cut from a solid block. They can be altered and customized to look or function differently. They actually take longer to produce, which is why they cost more. They can be overbuilt to be stronger than a forged unit but then they will be heavier.

In my personal opinion, billet lowers are bling. So long as the interior dimensions are in spec, you will see little to no difference in functionality. As long as i'm putting out my personal opinion, I'd also like to say, I'd rather have 8 Anderson manufacturing lowers than one AX4N. Just saying.....

[Snuffleupagus]

Thanks Agent Tikki. I've been reading and trying to learn about AR's for the past two years. I found it bewildering trying to understand all the terminology and choices. Thanks to your primer I finally bought a lower receiver group before the year's end.

[CYNICALifornia]

Thanks for the great writeup. Helped me avoid embarrassing noob questions.

Can't wait to get my AR. :-)

[kaizlf1r]

Thank you for your post,i've owned my first AR15 in dec of this year but didn't stumble upon this until 'after' the purchase.

[kdruff2]

Thank you for the reply in the difference between a forged and billet upper/lower.

I wonder if it would be additive if you incorporated that review into the sticky.

Thanks again!

[wforider]

Just wondering if anyone has a step by step process for checking my recently completed 80% lower after milling for proper dementions.












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[John72]

Thank you! Very informative AR guide!

[Efzcsohc]

Thanks subscribed

[Jsalud]

I am in the process of slowly buying part by part for my first AR-15 build. I am beyond grateful for this simple, clear cut, and concise guide. Now if only I can swing more overtime at work!

[BigPimping]

Very nice writeup. Massive info....respect.

[Thomas83]

Originally Posted by BigPimping

Very nice writeup. Massive info....respect.

Indeed +1 very nice!


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[Darryl Licht]

I too used info in here during my first build last summer/fall, kept referring back to it as I purchased more parts.

That's the problem as I see it with the AR... so many upgrade options out there! Then once you amass a fair amount of spare parts via upgrades to a rifle, then you have a pile of parts to start a new build with! It's not a hobby, it's an obsession!

[Ishooter]

I'm not a beginner in the AR world, but this is a pretty good write-up with good effort and time put into it.

[MikeFromWinton]

Thank you, Agent Tikki, for taking the time to reduce your thoughts to the printed word. Very valuable for those of us just venturing into the AR world. Whether what you say is fact or opinion, I took a lot of notes while reading your posts. Thanks again! Great job!

[Kalah50]

First and foremost thanks for putting together this awesome informative thread, wish I had read it earlier!

I have previously been issued an M4 and I am building my first AR.
I am looking to stick with the 1-7 14.5in Carbine platform, that I know well.
I am about to purchase a PSA CHF 14.5in upper and just wanted to make sure I am making a good decision.
The specs seem exactly the same as Spikes and DD is there a reason why PSA is so much cheaper, what would I be sacrificing going with the cheaper PSA (if anything)?

[Agent Tikki]

Hi Kalah. There are some things a factory built DD or Spikes is going to have that your home built wont. Namely, a warranty, maybe matching anodizing on the upper and lower recievers and of course the cool roll marks. The mains specs you're looking out for is the barrel and the bolt and you will be golden.

[cyclhed]

Very informative, thank you Agent Tikki! I cannot see any of the photos in post #7.


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[darkster]

Thanks for the great write up Agent Tikki!! I'm finally convinced it's time to build my 1st AR, Now to start scouring the web to figure out which items to get.

[maztech323]

WOW!!
A lot of good info in this thread.

[dv82u]

Great info! Going to start my build by looking into a matching upper/lower set in SD. My buddies are giving me a lot of info. There's lots of info, but I think I'll do fine.

[ulmapache]

Great info, I'm thinking of building some type of AR to go with my East-Bloc stuff... NOW....for the dumb-*** question... If I want interchangability in calibers, I can assemble a standard lower, and switch uppers in the caliber I want, within reason, correct? IE 5.56, 6.8. 300AAC etc. Remember, I warned you...it's a dumb-*** question...but better than a dumb-***, expensive mistake.

[Agent Tikki]

Just remember, you'll need the correct, Barrel, Bolt and Magazine for interchanging calibers.

[ulmapache]

Which all would be included in a "complete upper" except mag, correct? Appreciate the help for this noob....the other project is turning an old, (4 digit serial #) shot out 8mm Mauser sporter into some kind of scout configuration...action is still smooth as butter...

[Agent Tikki]

Originally Posted by ulmapache

Which all would be included in a "complete upper" except mag, correct? Appreciate the help for this noob....the other project is turning an old, (4 digit serial #) shot out 8mm Mauser sporter into some kind of scout configuration...action is still smooth as butter...

Yes, an upper receiver assembly houses the bolt and has the barrel attached to it. Depending on the caliber you can used the bolt carrier, only having to swap out the bolt itself.

[ulmapache]

Thx for the info!!! I don't anticipate needing more than 2 different calibres...maybe a .300AAC for the base model, (closely matches 7.62x39 performance without the drawbacks of that cal in an AR platform)) and possibly something a bit bigger for the option. Will figger that out when I start that project.

[colotl]

I'm a beginner with the AR15 platform. Thank you for the good information. Very helpful in looking at all the different options out there.

[GoldRiver76]

Thanks for the amazing write up. It answered a ton of my noob questions.

[drumbum27]

Very informative! I was curious what your thoughts are on lands and grooves vs. polygonal rifling in a barrel. I've read some things where people say it makes a huge difference in accuracy and longevity of the barrel and some say it doesn't really make much of a difference.