All purpose "Help me build my AR" thread.

[Cadillac]

Ok, So PSA got the OD green one back in stock so I went with that. I'm excited to build my Lower Receiver once my ZS lower comes in. On to the upper. I'm debating on what length of upper I want to go with. I'm leaning towards a 20" upper. I'd like to be able to reach out a bit, but I'm not looking for a super long ranged rifle out of it. I'd like to pretend like I have a lot of experience with this platform, but the only experience I really have is that I carried an M16 in the army. What are the pros and cons of 16 vs 20" barrels. Obviously 20" should be a little more accurate, but how much more accurate would it really be? Thanks.

[TDW586]

Ok, So PSA got the OD green one back in stock so I went with that. I'm excited to build my Lower Receiver once my ZS lower comes in. On to the upper. I'm debating on what length of upper I want to go with. I'm leaning towards a 20" upper. I'd like to be able to reach out a bit, but I'm not looking for a super long ranged rifle out of it. I'd like to pretend like I have a lot of experience with this platform, but the only experience I really have is that I carried an M16 in the army. What are the pros and cons of 16 vs 20" barrels. Obviously 20" should be a little more accurate, but how much more accurate would it really be? Thanks.

A 20" barrel is not intrinsically more accurate than a shorter barrel. A longer barrel helps develop more velocity, which is helpful at longer ranges. With modern ammo, this is less crucial, so we're seeing shorter barrels even on weapons designed for long range accuracy. The Mk12 SPR, for example, is a dedicated marksman's rifle used by various US special operations forces and has an 18" barrel.

IMHO, 16" is the best choice for a general purpose carbine for civilians.

[Vicarious_Lee]

I really like gear sector mounts. They can be a PITA to use because they need to slide on the rail, and they are a bit more, but they are the nicest mounts I have seen yet. Much better than the Daniel Defense mount, WAY better than the VTAC plastic mount, and quite a bit nicer than the VLTOR. I have had all three, and I have moved away from the VLTOR scout mounts which I had on my rifles previously.

I bought a light with a gear sector offset, and then added a 1" loop sling mount from gear sector just because I'm prissy. They're ultra-lightweight, seem plenty strong, but are expensive as shit.

I do like their stuff though.

[TDW586]

I know their handstops are extremely well made and a beauty to look at, but a PITA to force onto a rail. Those little suckers do not want to move.

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[hatchtrikk]

I'm on the fence between the IWC/Haley Thorntail or the Gear Sector for the HD build.

All this talk about brands is making me wanna edit my sigline

[Brock Meatstone]

Ok, So PSA got the OD green one back in stock so I went with that. I'm excited to build my Lower Receiver once my ZS lower comes in. On to the upper. I'm debating on what length of upper I want to go with. I'm leaning towards a 20" upper. I'd like to be able to reach out a bit, but I'm not looking for a super long ranged rifle out of it. I'd like to pretend like I have a lot of experience with this platform, but the only experience I really have is that I carried an M16 in the army. What are the pros and cons of 16 vs 20" barrels. Obviously 20" should be a little more accurate, but how much more accurate would it really be? Thanks.

A 20" barrel is not intrinsically more accurate than a shorter barrel. A longer barrel helps develop more velocity, which is helpful at longer ranges. With modern ammo, this is less crucial, so we're seeing shorter barrels even on weapons designed for long range accuracy. The Mk12 SPR, for example, is a dedicated marksman's rifle used by various US special operations forces and has an 18" barrel.

IMHO, 16" is the best choice for a general purpose carbine for civilians.

I've been mulling this over lately and putting thought into a 20" all purpose rifle, but now you've piqued my interest. What specific modern rounds have this improved accuracy/velocity out of a 16" bbl?

[UndeadInfidel]

I'm on the fence between the IWC/Haley Thorntail or the Gear Sector for the HD build.

All this talk about brands is making me wanna edit my sigline

I have IWC micro qd mount and handstop on my moe forend and they work great.

[Bearcat]

Where the fuck are all the BCG's? BCM/PSA/Brownells/Midway/Armslist/Arfcom/Gunbroker etc. all sold out and only have over priced boutique models or cheap shit I don't want like dpms.

[KentsOkay]

Where the fuck are all the BCG's? BCM/PSA/Brownells/Midway/Armslist/Arfcom/Gunbroker etc. all sold out and only have over priced boutique models or cheap shit I don't want like dpms.

How frustrating! You should totally sell that upper at a rock bottom price to get rid of it as fast as possible!

[Bearcat]

Where the fuck are all the BCG's? BCM/PSA/Brownells/Midway/Armslist/Arfcom/Gunbroker etc. all sold out and only have over priced boutique models or cheap shit I don't want like dpms.

How frustrating! You should totally sell that upper at a rock bottom price to get rid of it as fast as possible!

My god, you think $50 would work?

[KentsOkay]

Where the fuck are all the BCG's? BCM/PSA/Brownells/Midway/Armslist/Arfcom/Gunbroker etc. all sold out and only have over priced boutique models or cheap shit I don't want like dpms.

How frustrating! You should totally sell that upper at a rock bottom price to get rid of it as fast as possible!

My god, you think $50 would work?

That's asking a lot, man. You might be able to find some poor sap willing to spring for it though!

[TDW586]

Ok, So PSA got the OD green one back in stock so I went with that. I'm excited to build my Lower Receiver once my ZS lower comes in. On to the upper. I'm debating on what length of upper I want to go with. I'm leaning towards a 20" upper. I'd like to be able to reach out a bit, but I'm not looking for a super long ranged rifle out of it. I'd like to pretend like I have a lot of experience with this platform, but the only experience I really have is that I carried an M16 in the army. What are the pros and cons of 16 vs 20" barrels. Obviously 20" should be a little more accurate, but how much more accurate would it really be? Thanks.

A 20" barrel is not intrinsically more accurate than a shorter barrel. A longer barrel helps develop more velocity, which is helpful at longer ranges. With modern ammo, this is less crucial, so we're seeing shorter barrels even on weapons designed for long range accuracy. The Mk12 SPR, for example, is a dedicated marksman's rifle used by various US special operations forces and has an 18" barrel.

IMHO, 16" is the best choice for a general purpose carbine for civilians.

I've been mulling this over lately and putting thought into a 20" all purpose rifle, but now you've piqued my interest. What specific modern rounds have this improved accuracy/velocity out of a 16" bbl?

As far as accuracy, again, barrel length does not directly effect accuracy, contrary to popular belief. A 16" barrel is just as inherently accurate as a 20" barrel.

Accuracy is more directly influenced by the quality of the barrel (many companies make match grade, high quality 16" and shorter barrels) and the quality (consistency) of ammunition. If you're looking for the best accuracy, short of handloads I'd suggest trying Black Hills 69 or 77 grain OTM loads.


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[Regular Guy]

Where the fuck are all the BCG's? BCM/PSA/Brownells/Midway/Armslist/Arfcom/Gunbroker etc. all sold out and only have over priced boutique models or cheap shit I don't want like dpms.

PSA does have some DD BCGs. I think they're $130?

[Cadillac]

Ok, So PSA got the OD green one back in stock so I went with that. I'm excited to build my Lower Receiver once my ZS lower comes in. On to the upper. I'm debating on what length of upper I want to go with. I'm leaning towards a 20" upper. I'd like to be able to reach out a bit, but I'm not looking for a super long ranged rifle out of it. I'd like to pretend like I have a lot of experience with this platform, but the only experience I really have is that I carried an M16 in the army. What are the pros and cons of 16 vs 20" barrels. Obviously 20" should be a little more accurate, but how much more accurate would it really be? Thanks.

A 20" barrel is not intrinsically more accurate than a shorter barrel. A longer barrel helps develop more velocity, which is helpful at longer ranges. With modern ammo, this is less crucial, so we're seeing shorter barrels even on weapons designed for long range accuracy. The Mk12 SPR, for example, is a dedicated marksman's rifle used by various US special operations forces and has an 18" barrel.

IMHO, 16" is the best choice for a general purpose carbine for civilians.

I've been mulling this over lately and putting thought into a 20" all purpose rifle, but now you've piqued my interest. What specific modern rounds have this improved accuracy/velocity out of a 16" bbl?

As far as accuracy, again, barrel length does not directly effect accuracy, contrary to popular belief. A 16" barrel is just as inherently accurate as a 20" barrel.

Accuracy is more directly influenced by the quality of the barrel (many companies make match grade, high quality 16" and shorter barrels) and the quality (consistency) of ammunition. If you're looking for the best accuracy, short of handloads I'd suggest trying Black Hills 69 or 77 grain OTM loads.


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Ok, as far as brands. I've narrowed down to the LAR Ops-4 and the BCM MK - 12 uppers. Are there any others I should be considering? I'm not ordering for a while. For now I am going to get a cheaper .22 upper to plink around with as I save up for a good upper. Thanks.

[TDW586]

Ok, as far as brands. I've narrowed down to the LAR Ops-4 and the BCM MK - 12 uppers. Are there any others I should be considering? I'm not ordering for a while. For now I am going to get a cheaper .22 upper to plink around with as I save up for a good upper. Thanks.

BCM Mk12 uppers are dead sexy, if you can get one in stock I'd highly recommend them. There are a lot of other great uppers out there. If you're looking for extreme accuracy, I'd suggest either the BCM Mk12 you mentioned, the Larue Stealth Sniper System or DMR-16, or the JP-15. All really nice uppers for a DMR/SPR platform.

[RickOShea]

Where the fuck are all the BCG's? BCM/PSA/Brownells/Midway/Armslist/Arfcom/Gunbroker etc. all sold out and only have over priced boutique models or cheap shit I don't want like dpms.

BCM has their Auto BCGs in stock....And I see that the price has gone up since the last time I ordered a couple.

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-Bolt-Carrier-Group-MPI-Auto-M16-p/bcm%20bolt%20carrier%20group%20auto%20mp.htm

[UndeadInfidel]

Where the fuck are all the BCG's? BCM/PSA/Brownells/Midway/Armslist/Arfcom/Gunbroker etc. all sold out and only have over priced boutique models or cheap shit I don't want like dpms.

BCM has their Auto BCGs in stock....And I see that the price has gone up since the last time I ordered a couple.

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-Bolt-Carrier-Group-MPI-Auto-M16-p/bcm%20bolt%20carrier%20group%20auto%20mp.htm

I wish they'd part out a damn MPI bolt assy and sell it to me. I have a spare stripped spikes carrier that I'd like to turn into something userful.

[Unobtainium]

Where the fuck are all the BCG's? BCM/PSA/Brownells/Midway/Armslist/Arfcom/Gunbroker etc. all sold out and only have over priced boutique models or cheap shit I don't want like dpms.

I hear you. And if you aren't in the CONUS, you are even more screwed choicewise. My only options in building up a spare BCG are DPMS or High Standard. None of the boutique stuff is registered for export, nor is half the tier one stuff. Neither DPMS or High Standard appeals particularly, but unfortunately everything else is sold out and has been for a while...

Guess a mediocre spare is better than no spare at all.....

[Unobtainium]

As far as accuracy, again, barrel length does not directly effect accuracy, contrary to popular belief. A 16" barrel is just as inherently accurate as a 20" barrel.

Accuracy is more directly influenced by the quality of the barrel (many companies make match grade, high quality 16" and shorter barrels) and the quality (consistency) of ammunition. If you're looking for the best accuracy, short of handloads I'd suggest trying Black Hills 69 or 77 grain OTM loads.


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It might sound a bit strange, but down here we've found that the hornady steel cased 55gr SP training ammo is phenomenally accurate in most ARs. In my AR, this ammo produces better groups than I can repeatedly shoot. If you are looking at different ammo options, it is definitely worth a look.

[Greg Focker]

Where the fuck are all the BCG's? BCM/PSA/Brownells/Midway/Armslist/Arfcom/Gunbroker etc. all sold out and only have over priced boutique models or cheap shit I don't want like dpms.

BCM has their Auto BCGs in stock....And I see that the price has gone up since the last time I ordered a couple.

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-Bolt-Carrier-Group-MPI-Auto-M16-p/bcm%20bolt%20carrier%20group%20auto%20mp.htm

I wish they'd part out a damn MPI bolt assy and sell it to me. I have a spare stripped spikes carrier that I'd like to turn into something userful.

?

[UndeadInfidel]

Where the fuck are all the BCG's? BCM/PSA/Brownells/Midway/Armslist/Arfcom/Gunbroker etc. all sold out and only have over priced boutique models or cheap shit I don't want like dpms.

BCM has their Auto BCGs in stock....And I see that the price has gone up since the last time I ordered a couple.

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-Bolt-Carrier-Group-MPI-Auto-M16-p/bcm%20bolt%20carrier%20group%20auto%20mp.htm

I wish they'd part out a damn MPI bolt assy and sell it to me. I have a spare stripped spikes carrier that I'd like to turn into something userful.

?

Holy crap... is someone from BCM reading my posts????

I swear this was listed as out of stock as of my post last night, because I went and checked it specifically.

Anyway... thanks for the heads up. Yoink!

[Werespaz]

BCM has their Auto BCGs in stock....And I see that the price has gone up since the last time I ordered a couple.

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-Bolt-Carrier-Group-MPI-Auto-M16-p/bcm%20bolt%20carrier%20group%20auto%20mp.htm

Bought'd. Thanks for the link, I've been looking for BCG and I hear nothing but good things about BCM (from you guys ).

[Bearcat]

Where the fuck are all the BCG's? BCM/PSA/Brownells/Midway/Armslist/Arfcom/Gunbroker etc. all sold out and only have over priced boutique models or cheap shit I don't want like dpms.

BCM has their Auto BCGs in stock....And I see that the price has gone up since the last time I ordered a couple.

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-Bolt-Carrier-Group-MPI-Auto-M16-p/bcm%20bolt%20carrier%20group%20auto%20mp.htm

I mean't affordable BCG's. Didn't they all used to be like $120 ?

ETA: Regular Guy, the DD BCG's show out of stock.

[Greg Focker]

Where the fuck are all the BCG's? BCM/PSA/Brownells/Midway/Armslist/Arfcom/Gunbroker etc. all sold out and only have over priced boutique models or cheap shit I don't want like dpms.

BCM has their Auto BCGs in stock....And I see that the price has gone up since the last time I ordered a couple.

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-Bolt-Carrier-Group-MPI-Auto-M16-p/bcm%20bolt%20carrier%20group%20auto%20mp.htm

I mean't affordable BCG's. Didn't they all used to be like $120 ?

ETA: Regular Guy, the DD BCG's show out of stock.

I remember when gas was under a dollar a gallon... now these immigrants just drive around all day in their import cars, listening to raps, shooting all the jobs, and driving up the cost of MPI BCGs.
(with apologies to Archer)

I don't think $150 for a quality Mil-spec BCG is unaffordable. YMMV and all that.