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Posted: 4/9/2011 5:41:05 AM EDT
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I am sure this as been asked a number of times, but any advice would be appreciated. I have had two ARs previously, both Bushmaster, one 16" postban, that I sold right after the ban, and a 16" no ban LE carbine, that was nice, but a buddy wanted an AR so I sold that one to him with plans to get a 20" A2 or A4.
As far as Bushmaster goes, I was happy with their product, both of mine were well made, no problems. I have found a Bushmaster 20" A2 price seems fair. Never had to call Bushmaster's customer service, but in the industry forum it looks CS has gone down hill. Found a 20" Stag Model 1 that seemed reasonable, but know nothing about their products. After shooting/handling a RRA carbine this past week I was leaning back to Bushmaster. I have also been considering getting a kit and putting together a lower. I've found 20" Delton kits, looked at J&T, Model 1 sales, DPMS and just curious about the qaulity of the kits. I remember reading a couple of horror stories of guys having to adjust windage all the way to one side, loose/tight upper and lower fit, roll pins or other parts not being the right size and other issues. Assembling a kit would be about $150 less than a manfactured rifle, but is the savings worth the headache of any issues that arise with a kit. So what do you guys think? Any other A2 kits out there? Any suggestions on which way to go would be appreciated. |
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Don't forget to count the cost of the tools required to assemble a kit. I've never had any problems with any of the guns that I've built out of parts that I've gathered. I've never bought an entire kit before though. Delton seems to have a good reputation around here, but I can't speak from personal experience.
I say build your own every time someone asks. |
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I would think you will want a govt profile barrel to make it authentic A-2. Delton offers one of these I believe in chrome lined. J&T does not as far as I know have a govt profile A-2 barrel but of the kits I prefer the J&T/Doublestar as I've had better than really expected results with accuracy and quality (hard to get a M-16 carrier in their kits). Don't know about Model 1 personally and don't think DPMS has govt profile barrel either. Bushmaster makes good quality A-2 barrels in govt profile and have used a few of these with excellent results also.
I would personally shop for parts on the EE or equivalent and build or buy either a correct Colt or FN A-2 style upper and put it on the A-2 lower of your choice. Nodakspud offers a correct black or grey colored very high quality A-2 stripped lower receiver which you could have engraved to be as close to real as you can build but this costs extra. Depends on the level of authenticity you want to achieve. The cheap route would be lowest price A-2 lower and quality lpk you can find. Plenty of surplus Colt and FN A-2 uppers out there in the $300 and up range depending on condition and pick up a used excellent condition Colt or FN BCG. Will need a surplus stock and hg's. Last one I did came in under $600 with mag and sling but as stated above you will need a few tools to build the lower even if you buy a complete surplus upper. Probably plenty of people in your area who could lend a hand with your build. Not really a hard thing to do. |
| I just ordered a Stag Model 2 kit this morning from ar15sales.com (already bought the stripped lower through a local dealer). I've read posts where people have put theirs together in an hour. This is my first AR, so I figure it will take a lot longer as I follow along in the instruction manual, gather tools, etc. It will be a labor of love, and when I'm done I'll know every square inch of my rifle. And yeah, $150 saved is $150 I can spend on more toys. |
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Quoted:
I just ordered a Stag Model 2 kit this morning from ar15sales.com (already bought the stripped lower through a local dealer). I've read posts where people have put theirs together in an hour. This is my first AR, so I figure it will take a lot longer as I follow along in the instruction manual, gather tools, etc. It will be a labor of love, and when I'm done I'll know every square inch of my rifle. And yeah, $150 saved is $150 I can spend on more toys. or............... AMMO |
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This is my first AR, so I figure it will take a lot longer as I follow along in the instruction manual, gather tools, etc. It will be a labor of love, and when I'm done I'll know every square inch of my rifle.
I thought this also. Just not that many parts and they go together pretty quick. Clean all the lpk metal parts first (don't bother with springs and detents) then just finger drill the holes lightly. I used a marine corps manual on my first build and a little web help on others. If upper is assembled which most kits are assembling the lower just won't take long. Support the lower receiver when you install the trigger guard and put a little tape around the bolt catch pin area when installing the pin so you don't scratch it. Install trigger and hammer springs correctly and the big end of disconnector spring goes in the disconnector. I did buy a take down pin tool and still use it, but not necessary, also easy enough to make for cheap. Always gently remove stocks and pistol grips so parts don't fly. Have fun. |
| My upper does come assembled, and agreed, the other brands I looked at do also. It's my understanding that getting the headspace right is the most critical part of the whole build, and in this case it's taken care of right at the factory. After work today I picked up a can of CLP for cleaning, and all the parts I need will show up in a box soon. Thanks for the advice, and yes, I will have fun! |
| I say build your own, the 150 you save will cover tools. the AR platform is not very difficult to assemble. they have step by step instruction on this site plus people that will share knowledge when and if you run into any trouble with a basic build/assembly of a complete parts set. |
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Just my $.02 of course, but I would get a kit. The rifles are really easy to assemble, and really do not require a lot of tools. I ordered a 20" Del-Ton kit about three weeks ago (still waiting for it to arrive) and from my previous experience with Del-Ton, they are the way to go.
I think there is something about a rifle that you built yourself that makes it better than one you can buy from some dealer somewhere. Plus with the money you save, you can pick up lots of extra ammo. Ron ...Semper Fidelis... |
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I ordered a Bushmaster 20" upper from PK Firearms. My other choice was Armalite. Both were 1/9 barrels but the Armalite was mil-std barrel steel (if that is important to you) I went with the Bushmaster because of the positive feedback on PK builds. I wanted an uupper ready to go and figured a custom build would ba a wiser choice than a massed produced one.
One more ounce of confusion for you; The Armalite is double hand lapped. I don't know how that affects accuracy, but it does sound like it is worth a look. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Okay, that was easy. My Stag kit arrived yesterday, the upper came fully assembled. Today I started to put the lower together around 5:00 pm. By 8:00 I had finished it, and had also helped make guacamole, eaten dinner, shopped for birthday presents, and run some errands. Tomorrow morning I'll go make some noise. I would definitely do it this way again.
One drawback to the kit, though, at least with Stag, is that they warranty their complete rifles for lifetime, but their kit parts for only one year. |
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Weaver,
Congratulations on your first build. Don't worry about the warranty at all. Did you function test the FCG? Stag is not known for having defective parts like some others I won't mention. If you notice any premature wear on the bolt lugs or possibly the FCG parts send them back for replacement. Probably anything defective will show up pretty quick. Seriously doubt you will ever contact them again unless to buy another kit. Don't think Stag offers an A-2 govt profile barrel but their Hbar 1-9 should be a decent shooter. Have fun shooting it, accuracy should be real good. Run the upper wet with CLP and the holes in the carrier through the port door are for lubricating the gas rings on the bolt. I like a dab of moly lube or synthetic motor oil will alsi work fine on the mating surfaces of the FCG parts and maybe a dap on the hammer (save a jug after an oil change and what's left in it will last you a long time). Wear eye and hearing protection. I also wouldn't even worry about headspace on your next build, something to check, but never seen one out in 20 plus builds. Buy quality parts and you're GTG. Oh' post pics if you can. |
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Been meaning to take pictures, finally got around to it. Let's see if I got this posting thing right. (Okay, so it's not an A2, but all the comments are still relevant to an A2 forum.) Thanks for all the advice - I plan to get a lot of use out of this baby.
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B5iRoYblTbIUOWE3YWNkNjYtYzZiNi00NWQzLWFjZWQtMGYxODJjMmE0NTEz&hl=en_US&authkey=CJab_pEN |
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