Building a lightweight 3 gun ar-15, would you help review my list, thanks

[Peter.Steele]

I did consider getting DI but the piston upper is on sale and is only 4.2 lbs complete (without sights or optics) which i thought was pretty light for a 16in barrel

20" stainless with a 15" quad rail


... only 4.8 lbs.

[agent.5]

Piston adds weight. Furthermore, I seriously would consider carbon fiber handguard to cut weight.

[$P-Ritch$]

yes its for Ca use as well. i will get a bullet button type of device, was hoping to get that new model that was recently posted if the seller responds other wise one of the other brands...i'll have to research which is best. i have a regular bullet button on my sig 556 and one day it came loose so thought i'd try a different brand most likely.

I did consider getting DI but the piston upper is on sale and is only 4.2 lbs complete (without sights or optics) which i thought was pretty light for a 16in barrel

I would recommend going featureless for a 3-gun build. The bullet button in combination with 10 round mags= super slow. Featureless you get to drop mags freely, even if they are only 10 rounders. Then, there is a good chance someone at the match will have spare preban high caps that you could borrow for the day.

Here is the rifle I am currently using for 3-gun. I am slowly building an 18.5" with rifle gas system that will take over one day. It doesn't need to be fancy, especially if you are just starting off. I am just running irons until I can save up for a decent 1-4x.

[SuperSet]

I agree with above posters, that piston will add weight and recoil. If you want a lightweight build, several barrel makers including JP and Noveske make a lightweight 16-18" barrel that you can use with a 13" VTAC XTR or Samsung Evolution handguard. Most of your weight will come from the barrel, handguard or optic.

[bombadillo]

I'd say go with a TRX rail, or VTAC rail, and if you aren't going to put an upper on it, its not gonna shoot very well.

JP stuff is really nice and they have a short offset sight that you can get for close quarters shooting out to about 25 yards or so fairly well. You can look at www.whiteoakarmament.com for uppers and a nice barrel as well. They make great uppers for whatever you want to do. I really like their 18" match barrels. For a good brake, get a battle comp 2.0 or Bennie Cooley comp from JP. I had a JP-15 upper with a Cooley comp on it and that thing would shoot 3/4" groups at 100 from a bench with PMC and a 4-12x40 Mark AR scope all day. IMO, JP makes some of the best uppers out there even if they are expensive. Try an adjustable gas block as well from them as its a bolt-on affair and works extremely well. You can actually shoot the thing as a single shot if you shut the gas all the way off. As for an optic, check out the Burris 332 for a great budget AR scope for a great 3 gun reticle, and a really good price comparatively. They are about a quarter to a third of what an ACOG would run you.

[WW2Buff]

Featureless is the way to build a three gun rifle in CA.

[mtenenhaus]

ok, thanks...that helped a lot. moved away from a piston design and went with a white oak armory barrel upper. i'll update as i start the build. still have to figure out which bb to get, i use the ubbt's on my mags

[Agent Tikki]

Since it sounds like you will use this rifle out of state, I'd recommend the Radlock bullet button. Also Imho a glove with a bb tool on ur middle finger is the best and fastest way to use it.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

A bullet button is useless for anything where fast reloads matter. Look at Exile Machine's hammer head grip, or a solar tactical grip wrap if you are going to have to reload.

As for building your lower, it ain't rocket science. I have literally put one together with a rock and a plastic chopstick. After the first couple, you can do it without the razor/card/specialized tool for the front hinge pin. You just slide the pin straight down on the detent, then into the hole. No problem. The tools you listed are more than enough. Lube the roll pins slightly before you insert them. And use duct tape to protect your finish when you are tapping in the bolt hold open pin. Or the card stock from the packaging of the DPMS blister pack. Or a paper plate. Or anything else you happen to have laying around. Again, this isn't rocket science.

-Mb

-Mb

[CRTguns]

4.2 lbs for a 16" lightweight upper... isn't lightweight.

A 16" lightweight complete gun can be had at 4.8lb.

If you ever get into this game enough to try at a big match, 16" sometimes will lack the energy (due to reduced MV) to knock down steel at distance. Usually, long range steel is of the flasher type, but still, slower bullet menas higher trajextory... somewhat more difficult at range to hit (300yd or so is as far as you should ever have to shoot, unless you're at ironman or the like)

Lose the B.A.D. You'll never use it. You might even regret having it. I've seen two match DQs from the magpul BAD.

[mtenenhaus]

wow, great info....
ok, i changed to a White Oak Armament barrel and upper in 18 in instead of the piston set up. They're mounting a free float forearm and compensator for me and they know i'd like it as light as they possibly can. They sounded great over the phone, now comes a bit of a wait .
i have already purchased the BAD, sounds like i'll not use it. I'll tape everything well, use the card or package material and i purchased some blue painters masking tape. j
I just dros'd the lowers yesterday. not sure how long the upper will take to get here but i'll post more as it develops.

Its getting a bit more expensive than i had initially hoped but i'm learning a lot and its kind of fun.

Now I've got to figure out optics, i don't have anyplace to shoot more than 200 yards if that, thinking about the aim point pro.....the saga continues

[bombadillo]

PRO is a great optic, Strikefire with a 2x magnifier works really well, EOtech is fantastic and they make models with a bullet drop compensator, Burris AR-322, or my preference is a 1-4x tactical scope. I really like the Hi-Lux Leatherwood CMR 1-4x scope with a great reticle for what you want to do with it. Great reviews and around $300 bucks.

http://swfa.com/Leatherwood-1-4x24-CMR-Tactical-30mm-Rifle-Scope-P45852.aspx

[norcal-ar]

+2 for the V-tac handguard!

regarding assembly of AR lowers I went ahead and bought the punches they were well worth it and I bought a stock of the Rock River roll pins for the bolt catch and trigger guard. I have built 5 lowers for my self and have help guide friends with theirs ( they come over and I watch and guide them while I let them use my tools and if they get stuck I will lend a hand)so i guess you could say I have a total of 18 under my belt. Rock River roll pins go in SOOOOO nice and with the punches I have yet to mar a lower. just my .02 on building