AR Sponsor
Posted: 1/16/2014 5:39:59 PM EDT
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With several span cans of 5.45, plus hundreds of rounds of other commercial stuff (that looks exactly like the milsurp except no red sealant at the case mouth and primer) I have picked up over the last ten years or more,
but only one AK (SAR-2) to shoot it, I decided I needed another gun for it. No AK74 type rifles were available in the LGS's, and even online there were slim pickings. Also, 5.45 AR uppers are not exactly growing on trees either. So, as usual, I looked around the gun room, and sure enough, except for a barrel, bolt, and mags, I had all I needed to build one. I decided this was going to be an ultra accurate, replace all my ARs and AKs top of the line gun. On hand, I had a "blemished" PSA upper, which have stood the test on other builds and I can't find the blemish. And an PSA upper build kit. I checked on BOTH ebay and amazon, and no 5.45x39 engraved dust covers were available so that saved me a few bucks. That was supposed to be about 70$ delivered in parts, but when it came time to do the build I could not find the PSA upper. So I grabbed one of my AeroPrecision ones. With precision in the name, it was a better move anyway. But, my total went up a little. For stripped upper, upper build kit, and charging handle and a PSA enhanced LBK I was now at $212 of delivered parts into the gun I figure. Finding the PSA upper would have saved me about 35 bucks. I should have just ordered a billet one. Some guy at the range said they are way better, plus they look pretty cool. Lower receiver time, I randomly reached into the stash and pulled up an Anderson. These and PSA blemished have been great deals lately. Add in shipping, FFL fee, etc. and this one probably had ran me about 113$. So now we are about 325$ into the gun. I found a pair of the DPMS huge all plastic carbine handguards in the cast off box, and a carbine length gas tube would have been about ten bucks. 335$. Believe it or not, compared to heat shielded old slim CAR handguards, they seem to get less hot. I could only find one place with a bolt in stock, not chromed or fancy coated or anything. 115$ delivered. And it is listed as MILSPEC! The only spare flash hider and crush nut I had was some 22$ SS one I bought when I got the bolt I think but never put on my gun with the SS barrel. Throw in a handguard cap, and we are at 475$. It will look funny and remind me its my 5.45 AR. Plus it will never, ever rust. I then went into one of the most critical ultra precision decisions. Barrel selection. I got one for 65$ delivered! With the ideal 1/9 twist, chromoly, not chrome lined, from an unknown maker, in the white! One of the guys at the gunstore said twist rates for Russian rounds don't matter, 5.45 and 7.62x39 shoot out SS barrels too fast, and that chrome lined does not really matter. My bottle of cold blue had evaporated on me, so ten bucks later this was now a blued barrel. I drilled the gas port to exactly .700 from the .600 or so it was, and figured I had a winner. A buddy at work told me to pick a bit between .700 and .750 and that would be perfect for 5.45. And coming in at $550! I was ready to burn up some 5.45 now! Damn! I did not have a gas block. I called the local gun store that usually has some build parts but none on the shelf. Amazon always delivers fast, and I found the coolest gas block with a top AND a bottom rail! AND made out of Aircraft aluminum. for 16$ delivered. I could probably get one of those nice NCStar light/laser/grip combos and put it there. hell yeah. ($566) It would be here in time for me to finish the build when I knew I would have a couple days to take it out. Shit! No spare optics or ones I felt like snagging on other guns. And I could not find the rear ARMS I though I had laying around, plus it would have no front sight post. I did what any top shelf AR builder would do. I compared Amazon and Ebay and got the cheapest metal pair of flip up sights on either sight in stock and in country ready to ship. 23 dollars later they were on the way. One of the dealers with a lot of very cool Chinese accessories and optics at the last gun show I went to said the expensive sights are just a rip off, the generic ones are virtually made in the same factories. ($589) S.O.A.B.! This was not going to use 5.56 magazines like my 300AAC build. And those bakelite AK74 mags were not going to do much better either. I guess I would be making it to the range at a later time than planned. And I had forgotten to order the Wolf extra power spring anyway. 110$ later and 7 ASC mags were on the way and I also ordered some Wolf springs. Ok, I was into this about 705 dollars now, but like I told my wife, the ammo cost difference and I was Saving money. Time to hit the range! I was going to get some really good lube, but I ran out of time reading the internet and could not decide on one. I was very liberal with CLP everywhere. I lubed that thing up like it was a sailor going to a Village People concert. I also could not decide what range to zero it at. I missed my first day at the range because I was too busy reading threads on it. The next day I went and just decided to zero at 50m, and put some targets at 100m and see where it hit at that range. The mags were all shot with 5 rounds each, ten rounds each, but were tough to get to 25, so I did not go to thirty, will let them break in a little first. I ended up shooting 300 rounds of spam can special, plus a box of thirty of some orange and yellow boxed stuff. I used picnic plate targets because they are about the size of a head, and a guy I know whose brother was in the SEALs says that when he was training with Russian Spetnaz that is how they did it. It was hard to group and zero and it made funny shaped holes. 
But after it was zeroed, I was able to get 90% Russian Spetnaz head shots at 50 meters. 
I was concerned about he accuracy and loose groups, but a guy in Multicams at the ranges with a bump fire stock who said he used to be in the Rangers before he was a Delta sniper before he got medically retired at 23 years old said it was more lethal that way, and that was why they make 5.45 AK magazines in 45 round sizes, because it balanced out the lack of accuracy with the lethality. I sprayed it down with Windex and called it a day. I am pretty happy with how it turned out, and think it makes way more sense than that have spent like 250$ more on an Arsenal 5.45 or a name brand AR upper. 
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Ummm, wtf?
First off, "ultra precision" 5.45 with mil-surp ammo? Second, you're getting keyholing like crazy with that 1:9 twist barrel. You need a 1:7 to stabilize that round, no wonder the barrel was so dirt cheap. ... Seals, Spteznaz, Rangers, Delta Snipers. It's getting deep in here! 
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Yes, it is a joke.
I know it is a POS barrel. Gun is real, but pending real sights, optic, LP gas block, and barrel. Sadly, each of the ludicrous claims I inserted are real over the past ten years or so at the range, and gun shops, and at fun shows. And it does satirize the building process some of us do just because we want to build something, when better options might not be that much more money. |
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Quoted:
Yes, it is a joke. I know it is a POS barrel. Gun is real, but pending real sights, optic, LP gas block, and barrel. Sadly, each of the ludicrous claims I inserted are real over the past ten years or so at the range, and gun shops, and at fun shows. And it does satirize the building process some of us do just because we want to build something, when better options might not be that much more money. Haha, well now I feel stupid 
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Quoted:
Rock On!! You used good judgement! The only people to listen to at the range are those with full camo especially if they are wearing a plate carrier. If you ever go to apple creek public range over by perryville you might not think a plate carrier is a bad idea . a kevlar helmet would also be appropriate . |
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Believe it or not this was actually deleted on another AR15 type site.
I can see why people taking it seriously would blow a gasket over how dumb the poster must be, or guys getting the joke and laughing a ton. I did not realize some guys would feel too close to the satire and get insulted. I think my next build is going to be a folding stock, SBR Barret 82. |
| That's is too funny! Sounded like me when I was slapping together a cheapass 22lr AR. The part about listening to people at the range -- one guy at the range I frequent swears he is a gunsmith and tries to feed everybody there boxes of BS about their rifles. By the way -- love those little boat shapes on the paper plates. |
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Actually pretty funny op
I littrrally did see a guy at the range in a full multicam camo set. Sling and everything. Not sure if there was a plate carrier lol. Some people like to play dressup. As for body armor, not a bad idea simetimes. Seems like about 50percent ofthetime I get muzzle swept or someone loads off the line or someone lays the gun down with the muzzle sideways. Pisses me off. Made in the same factories lol |
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