Well, today I finally received my kit from JT Distributing for a 16" CAR rifle.

First, I'd like to talk about JT Distributing's customer service.. Basically, after some shipping delays, I posted to their forums, informing them that I was scheduled to go on a trip this weekend, and asked what it would cost to upgrade my shipping so that it'd get here before I left (Trip fell through, unfortunately).

Jesse upgraded me to three day shipping gratis so that it'd get to me on time. I wish all companies cared about their customers this much.

But! Onto the goods. I came home today to the kit, which was well packed. Some observations:

The kit was packed securely, with what seemed to be a mountain of butcher paper, inside a sturdy box:



Opening it up, we come across the stock assembly...



Going further, we find a catalog, and this suspicious foam wrapped package...



Opening that up, we find...



The well oiled upper. Just a comment here.. this upper is extremely nice. The color matches almost PERFECTLY my Rock River Arms lower. The only major thing that detracts from it is...



Ouch! But it's only cosmetic, so I'm fine with it. There are a couple other spots with finish imperfections, but these should not have any effect on performance (paint on front sight scraped in spots; tool flecks on barrel)

I've not got a picture for it, but the small parts all come in a tidy little zip lock bag, and they're all very well oiled. Come to think of it, almost everything in this kit is liberally coated with a light oil (CLP?). I just wipe off the excess with a rag, and consider the rest to be a bonus.

The small parts, like the upper, are precisely made, and fit like a charm. Actually, they fit so well that if I was off slightly with the pins, they wouldn't go!

Assembly details...

Using the assembly instructions on old.ar15.com, I layed out all the parts on a table, and set to work. The mag catch varied a bit from the website procedure... I basically adjusted my mag catch and the button so that the shaft was flush.

Forward takedown pin detent was a pain as all have suggested... It took me a while to figure out my plan of attack, but this is how I did it: I just took needlenoses, depressed the detent, then used the end of the takedown pin and pressed it down farther, then rotated it into the hole. Worked well and fast.

I couldn't figure out how to take care of the fake telestock, so I asked on ar15.com chat... actually, I asked a lot of times there.. off the top of my head, thanks go to canadian tactical and seth... others, too.

So with their help, I was able to turn this:



into this...



in under three hours!

Thanks go to J&T Distributing for great customer service and kits.. Rock river arms for my lower.. the guys on ar15 chat who helped me.

I'm going shooting tomorrow (well.. today), and will have a range report for you all soon!

Nice pics, good review, now don't forget to follow up on how it feed and fires!!

Thank you for taking pictures! I asked someone to take a picture of a JT Distributing kit for me in another post, but they didn't. Make sure you tell us how it shoots!

This is very cool!  Thanks for the pics.  I have been psyching myself up to put together an AR, but I wasn't sure how to attack it.  I didn't want to assemble an upper from scratch, so their kit would be perfect.  Their price seems to be really reasonable too.  I expect I will give them a call in the near future.  

I don't believe I have seen the assembly instructions on the old AR15 site.  If you get a chance, would you post a link to them?  Thanks.

Hi folks.. just got back from the range...

I'm afraid that I can't really report much, on a couple accounts...

Firstly, the range was pretty packed, so I didn't get much shooting in. 40 rounds or so...

Accuracy at 50 yards was lacking, though this was almost entirely my fault. I'm absolutely terrible at irons. I figure 3". I think a more experienced shooter could do a TON better.

Also, rounds were jamming pretty often, though I don't think this was the kit's fault either. I bought some $15 Triple K mags to use in it, and I think that's where the problem lies.

Next week, I'll go again to the range when it's a little quieter, and maybe ask a range officer to take some shots so I can tell just how accurate it is. I also need to find some reliable 20 rounders...

Oh, and the assembly instructions are at old.ar15.com/docs/assembly/lower/

Looks nice Kc!  Get rid of those Triple K mags, let the action break in a tad, and I bet all your problems will go away.

Thx for the review of the J&T kit too.  I've been wanting to try one of teir kits for a while now.

I built one of there 24" bull barrel kits on a RR lower.

I'm very happy with it.

 Woodchucks beware!  

I would certainly say to slather that puppy up with LOADS of lube as she is bran-spankin-new.  Make sure to get decent mags, or everything you do will cause you aggravation.
As for accuracy at 50 yards....as my Daddy used to tell me, son, if you can't make all the rounds touch up close, don't start moving it out farther.  I have found this to be sound advise.  Worry about distance later, worry about things working first.  It sounds like you are on the right track.

Well, I would like to build my first AR-15. Now for the catch, I would like to do it as inexpensive as possible. Big surprise huh? But since I am pretty much bran-new to Ar's, what do I want? I am just looking to do some plinking at oh, I don't know 5-150 yds. I like the look of the one on this thread. As a matter of fact that is exactly what I want mine to look like. But do I want pre or post ban, and what manufacturer of lower, and how much is all of this really gonna cost me? I would like to do it for like $550-600. Which doesn't sound impossible from the research I have done. Any and all info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Archery, do exactly the same thing that Kc himself did.  Buy a RRA stripped lower (approx $100, plus shipping and transfer fee) and a J&T kit ($434 plus shipping).

Tools will be minimal since the upper is already assembled.  You'll just need the appropriate tools for whichever type of stock you plan to use.

Archery,

You won't want to mess with a preban setup if you want to keep the dollars down.  If you order a preban kit, you will have to have a preban lower that retains its preban status.  That will probably cost you as much as a postban assembled rifle.  A postban stripped RRA lower will only run you about $100.  (I am planning on doing the exact same kit too.)

Okay I hate to sound like a complete newbie, but if I get the A-2 upper, can I put a red dot or scope on it? Or does that require a flat top upper. By the way I must comment on the wonderful response time and general politness i have experienced here on the boards. Kudos guys.

You can order the kit with the flat top option at no additional cost.  But then you'd have to buy the carry handle or one of the various types of weaver rail mounted rear sights.  If you're even contemplating the flat top option I would get it, especially if you think you may want a scope someday.

If you set on getting an A2, you can mount a red dot type scope either on top of the handle or on a gooseneck mount such as this ARMS #39.



The ARMS mount isn't cheap ($125).  You can buy another upper receiver for the price of this mount alone.

OR you can be like some of us and build every imagineable variation of an AR, which is a good thing

Great!

Good to see a fellow Coloradian armed.

Seth, you have a red dot scope mounted on the forward rail, It might be a dumb ? does the red dot line up with the Iron sights, I have a BSA 30mm red dot scope would it work in the same way ? let me know. Thanks

My Aimpoint CompM lined up perfectly with the irons.  I adjusted the windage i think 2-3 clicks and that was it.  It was pretty much dead on right out of the box if that says anything.

I'm not sure about a BSA dot, but I am sure with the proper ring(s) it would line up.

Update, September 17.

Went shooting on Saturday with USGI mags. >200 rounds, no problems at all with South African PMP ammunition.

Accuracy is still difficult to judge since it was just plinking, but I could hit neco wafers at 50 yards prone, if it's any indication.

My only complaint at this point deals with the trigger, which feels pretty atrocious compared to a RRA trigger.. looks like I have my first upgrade lined up.

As an aside, does anyone know of a good carry handle scope that doesn't look funny on a carbine, and won't manhandle my wallet?