Building my own AR???

[Shootmoore]

I just ordered my barrel/bolt/carrier assembly from AR15 Performance; it's a 16" PacNor stainless steel barrel with 12x3 button rifling and ARP's 6.8x43 chamber (have been shooting under 1" in 16" Recon barrels. . .so my PacNor should be able to beat that), a matching headspaced ARP 9810 SuperBolt and carrier assembly, abnd I also got the 6.8 etched ejection port door.

Now I have to save some more cash to grab a MagPul PRS stock, a railed foream and low profile gas block, muzzle device, lower parts, and a scope and I'll be set!!!

Very nice!  I am in the process of rebuilding an old CAR-15.  You are much farther ahead of the game than I am.  Just when I think I have found the item I want, I find something else that I might like better.   

Shootmoore

[atomicjoe23]

Oh tell me about it. . .I'm the exact same way.

I've decided on the lower parts group, and I  know ultimately what trigger I will be upgrading to, I also know what muzzle device and stock that I want. . .but I'm still struggling to decide on the railed forearm and gas block (although I have narrowed it down to either YHM or PRI) and the scope.

[Shootmoore]

Oh tell me about it. . .I'm the exact same way.

I've decided on the lower parts group, and I  know ultimately what trigger I will be upgrading to, I also know what muzzle device and stock that I want. . .but I'm still struggling to decide on the railed forearm and gas block (although I have narrowed it down to either YHM or PRI) and the scope.

Nice, I think my problem is I keep waffling on the intended use for the weapon.  While I would like to use it for yote hunting, most of my use of the AR platform has been for tactical use.  I am trying to find a happy medium in the development of this rifle.  One that I can slap a scope on and use with some success as a yote gun in the fall and winter, yet still keep it viable as a tactical weapon both for work and self defense purposes and or to use in 3 gun comp.  If I was a rich man I would just build two, but the almighty dollar is the deciding factor in the end.

Shootmoore

[atomicjoe23]

Where are you having the problem at?

Caliber selection or in all the goodies that would go on a tactical gun.

I have hear of 3-gun before and know that it is some type of competition, but I don't know much about it or the requirements for it.

I will be using my AR primarily for hunting, but it will still be up to the task of home defense. . .the 6.8 is perfect for me. . .accurate enough and low enough kick to use as a 'yote & bob gun, but a big enough caliber and with the 16" barrel and being selective with component selection still maneuverable and light enough to lug all day long hunting deer, elk, bear, and cougar.

I wouldn't be surprised if the AR (as long as we can stupid legislation away) will become the hunting gun of choice in the future.

[atomicjoe23]

Just ordered a magazine to go with my AR build. . .only ordered one at the moment, but I got it from PRI . . .a 25 round mag from PRI for $25!!! Not too shabby. . .the 25 round 6.8 mags are on sale right now from PRI if there are any other 6.8 AR shooters on here. . .that's about half what they normally cost!

[atomicjoe23]

Oh yeah. . .and I finally settled on the forearm I'm gonna get. . .at least to start off with (God these AR's are probably gonna end up costing me a LOT of money!!!). . .

. . .I'm gonna get a Yankee Hill Machine Diamond railed forearm and a low profile gas block from YHM to match. . .I don't know what length forearm I'm gonna get yet. . .I have to wait and see where the gas block is drilled on the barrel (the barrel I'm getting was already drilled. . .someone ordered it from AR15 Performance and never paid for it. . .there loss, my gain!!!) but I want my forearm to cover the gas block. . .since this isn't a combat rifle I don't really need BUIS's (I don't I might reconsider that since I am gonna use this rifle for bear and cougar, but I can also mount the front sight on the picatinny rail vs. the gas block. . .I just don't like being able to see the gas block protrude from the forearm. . .the rifle looks much better without a visible gas block).

I would really like to get a PRI carbon fiber forearm with a full length top rail and then the mini rails at the 3, 6, and 9o'clock positions, but I'm not going to pay over $300 for my first forearm when I still have to buy a buttstock, compensator, scope and mount, and some misc. parts and tools to assemble this thing. . .ultimately this will cost me more than if I had bought a turn-key rifle, but I'm not complaining. . .I'm getting a billet upper/lower assembly that has absolutely no slop (never have a need for an Accu-Wedge) and a custom made Pac-Nor stainless steel barrel in the process. . .and it's not like it's gonna cost me a lot more. . .right now I'm still in only a ground with only a buttstock and lower parts to finish up. . .so I think I'll be under $1500 for the whole thing to be complete. . .not bad considering how much some these AR's can run. . .and I can't hunt everything in WA with this one gun. . .should end up being very light with a 16" barrel and if I end up getting a carbon fiber forearm that will help as well.

[atomicjoe23]

Just ordered a magazine to go with my AR build. . .only ordered one at the moment, but I got it from PRI . . .a 25 round mag from PRI for $25!!! Not too shabby. . .the 25 round 6.8 mags are on sale right now from PRI if there are any other 6.8 AR shooters on here. . .that's about half what they normally cost!

I was just on the YHM website and their 25 round 6.8 mag's are regularly priced at $21 so I guess I didn't get that great of a deal on my PRI mag. . .oh well, live and learn. . .just orderred my DPMS lower parts kit today. . .now just need a compensator, forearm, buttstock, gas block, and scope. . .found a scope that's reduced in price yesterday and hopefully it will still be there when I have the money for it in about 2 weeks.

[atomicjoe23]

Sorry I haven't posted pic's yet. . .

. . .my 16" AR15 Performance barrel and I.T.S 9310 Super Alloy bolt/carrier assembly showed up today so I'm gonna take some pictures right now and post them up.

Waiting for AR15 Performance to get some more 6.8 etched ejection port doors back from the laser etcher and then I will be getting one of the etched ejection port doors and an 8-port MCD (muzzle control device) from them.

I'm also getting a 12" DMR railed handguard and titanium low profile gas block from MGSS (Mike's Gun Sales & Service. . .aka Jet Supressors). . .just read the MGSS DMR-10 review in the latest "Special Weapons for Military & Police" and that's exactly what I've been looking for in a handguard! A round handguard with rails in some areas and not others and a nice looking texture for the gripping area.

That leaves me with needing to get a buttstock and a scope (getting a Burris Fullfield II 4.5-14).

I definitely don't think I'm gonna have to worry about weight with this rifle. . .the barrel doesn't weigh much at all. . .I don't know how much weight the DMR handguard is gonna add, but using the Ti gas block will help shed a little weight (I know it won't be a ton) so I'm gonna stick with the PRS stock. . .right now with the barrel installed it doesn't have enough heft to it. . .it feels like I"m holding a plastic toy so I think a little weight won't be a bad thing.


So here's where I'm at on what I'm using for this build (an * before the part means I already have it. . .a - means I still have to order it):
*Mega Machine matched billet hexagonal upper (M4 style w/forward assist)/lower w/Mega Machine charging handle
*DPMS lower parts kit
-AR15 Performance laser etched ejection port door (has a cool 6.8 skull logo on it)
*AR15 Performance 16.5" stainless steel barrel (Pac-Nor barrel) w/AR15 Performance 6.8x43 chamber and 12x3 button rifling
*AR15 Perfromance 9310 I.T.S. Superbolt w/AR15 Performance Extreme Duty bolt carrier assembly
-AR15 Performance 8-port tuneable muzzle control device
-MGSS DMR 12" railed handguard
-MGSS titanium low-profile gas block
-Yankee Hill Machine black gas tube
*PRI 25 round 6.8 magazine
-MagPul PRS II buttstock
-Burris Fullfield II 4.5-14x42 scope
-either Troy or PRI flip-up BUIS (forearm mounted front sight) just in case I need to make a close-in shot on a predator coming in fast. . .

Pictures in just a bit. . .

[atomicjoe23]

Here are some quick pic's of the upper/lower receiver assembly w/charging handle and DPMS lower parts group installed, as well as the new AR15 Performance 16" barrel, and the I.T.S. 9310 Super Alloy bolt and Extreme Duty bolt carrier assembly.

Sorry for the not so great pic's. . .I don't really have a good backdrop to put the parts against. . .I'll try to do better later when I have more time.

[byrdman]

I'm not sure if they are available, some lower capacity(shorter) mags might come in handy for hunting.

ETA, I see PRI has 5, 10 and 15's available but boy they are sure proud of 'em.

[atomicjoe23]

Yeah they are. . .YHM offers 6.8 mags at half the price of the PRI mag's. . .

. . .Armalite also offers 6.8 mags, but at the same price as the PRI mag's.

I got my PRI mag for 1/2 price. . .they were running a sale, but I'll be getting some YHM mags next.

From a weight point of view, I'm sure you are right. . .and who needs 25 rounds available when you're out hunting!. . .Some 10 round mag's will probably be the ticket. . .just got the 25 round mag because it was the same price as the all the other mag's and figured it was a better bang for the buck. . .not to mention you never know when another stupid ban on high capacity magazines will come about.

[byrdman]

I fully support and participate in the "buy 'em cheap and stack 'em deep" theory.

Another advantage that I've found is that with less rounds in a mag while plinking, I tend to shoot-up(waste) a lot less ammo.