AR-type Rifles

[rookhawk]

80% lowers are cheap... so are the milling blocks/templates...

I've never milled my own.. but my understanding is you dont even need a mill.. just a decent drill press and some decent bits will get it done..

I've thought about buying a couple of 80% lowers just to play around and see if I can do it correctly..

indeed, but the jig (80%arms) is on super backorder and legislation is passing soon to ban making your own. Hurry.

anyone can use a router and mill there own.

they also make “enhanced“ lowers, copies of the aero precision design. That’s the one to have. Two things that suck about ARs: 1.) the bolt stop roll pin is miserable to install and requires great care to do without scratching. 2.) the upper rattles on the lower. The aero solves both issues with a set-screw. Otherwise 100% milspec.

 

[tedthorn]

I have more AR rifles then I care to admit to.

That being said we use them for deer and prairie dogs

We have some cool AR exotics in our hunting group
6-45
25-45
277 Wolverine
7.62-39

All are very effective rifles

 

[tedthorn]

indeed, but the jig (80%arms) is on super backorder and legislation is passing soon to ban making your own. Hurry.

anyone can use a router and mill there own.

they also make “enhanced“ lowers, copies of the aero precision design. That’s the one to have. Two things that suck about ARs: 1.) the bolt stop roll pin is miserable to install and requires great care to do without scratching. 2.) the upper rattles on the lower. The aero solves both issues with a set-screw. Otherwise 100% milspec.

I've milled one 80% lower

I'm a 32 year Master Injection Mold Maker and will never mill another 80% again

It's 100% not worth it

 

[mdwest]

the cheapest and easiest way to solve the upper/lower slop is to put an o-ring around the post in the rear of the upper reciever that the take down pin goes through..

Costs $0.02... takes 2 seconds.. tightens up the receivers.. and lasts a lifetime..

Set screw works too though...

 

[sestoppelman]

The AR world is much different from when I got my first one, an Oly Arms with cast lower. I later swapped it out for a forged one though, sold it to my brother who still has it. I then got an Armalite M15A2 that is just dead accurate and the best shooter I have had including a Colt Delta that I just sold recently.
Also have a Colt SP1 for a retro gun. More of an M1/M14 guy myself.

 

[Cam Moon]

Here in Canada our brilliant liberal government has banned all ARs. No grandfathering option available or anything. Simply illegal now, and please turn them in or you will be committing a criminal offence. Prior to the ban they were classified as restricted, and were only allowed to be used at a licensed firing range. (And had to be locked while transporting to and from the range and had to be accompanied with proper transportation paperwork) Now completely illegal and a criminal offence to own one. They even banned several firearms that prior to the ban weren't even restricted! .... Now illegal.

 

[AtlBGhunter]

Can Moon- that is terrible. I can’t even imagine...

 

[sestoppelman]

Yeah been a lot of talk about that on the M14 forum, they too are now illegal, along with some 1500 other guns I think?

 

[rnovi]

I purchased my POF AR10 in Burnt Bronze, 14” barrel plus 2” muzzle brake because it was the meanest, nastiest looking AR I could buy in California.

No, seriously.

Best part...I paid for it with a state driven unemployment check. Let’s hear it for using taxpayer dollars to buy the thing that frightens the state so much! .

PS: turns out that AR10 might just be the single most accurate rifle in my safe, regularly turning in 1/2” groups at 100 and sub 1” at 200 yards. I figure the 150gr. Loads I’m shooting are about the equivalent of a 30-30 With that short barrel.

Only about 10x louder. Good Lord it‘s LOUD! LOL!

 

[spike.t]

Another fun rifle is the S&W M&P Sport in .22 LR. It was conceived of as a full size training rifle for AR equipped police forces and the like, but S&W quickly realized they had product with its own market. It is essentially a clone of a AR, but built as a .22. Mine is very accurate, and has a very usable two-stage trigger. I have it equipped with Trijicon scope and a suppressor. It pretty much lives on the backseat of the mule and has accounted for legions of red squirrels (we harvest our pecans), armadillos, and carp down at the river.

What's the reason for shooting armadillos?...never heard if it before....mind you I know zilch about them either...

 

[WAB]

Armadillos are extremely destructive with all their rooting around. I have a 10/22 that I shoot suppressed with a thermal to control them on my friends golf course. They can do thousands of dollars damage to a green in a single night.

Red Leg, does that M&P Sport cycle subsonic ammo well?

 

[mdwest]

they are nasty animals that are major carriers of everything from leprosy to hansons disease...

 

[spike.t]

Just wondering what's the best lightest AR in 7.62?

 

[spike.t]

Armadillos are extremely destructive with all their rooting around. I have a 10/22 that I shoot suppressed with a thermal to control them on my friends golf course. They can do thousands of dollars damage to a green in a single night.

Red Leg, does that M&P Sport cycle subsonic ammo well?

Wow ok thanks..

they are nasty animals that are major carriers of everything from leprosy to hansons disease...

Another wow....never realised all that about them....thought they just stumbled around doing their own thing...

 

[mdwest]

Just wondering what's the best lightest AR in 7.62?

Are you talking 7.62x51 (308)?

Or any 30 cal?

You've got lots of light options in 30 cal.. but they wont have the same ballistics as 308..

300 BLK is probably the most popular.. it offers slightly less down range terminal performance than 7.62x39.. but provides the advantage of being 100% the same parts as the standard 556 AR15 with the exception of the barrel.. you can use the same magazines, the same bolt, etc..etc..

7.62x39 is also an option in an AR15.. but you need different magazines, a different bolt, etc.. and older 7.62x39 guns had pretty notorious failure to feed issues.. newer guns seem to have that problem solved though..

If youre talking 308, youre really talking about a similar, but different weapons system.. The 308 requires a completely different lower reciever, and most everything on the upper is larger, heavier built, etc.. very few parts are interchangeable between the AR15 and AR10 systems..

 

[PARA45]

A couple of AR manufacturers that make excellent rifles & components with reasonable prices are Spike Tactical, and Bravo Company USA. For magazines, I'd go with Magpul Pmags they are the best. If you want to built a real inexpensive AR without breaking the bank, and a solid weapon system, look at Palmetto State Armory.

The place I've found to buy Pmags is DSG Arms, they are in TX, and offer 10 packs for less than $100 shipped, and if you are military or LEO you'll get a 10% discount.

The issue you'll have to deal with today, is if you can find one without having to cough up a lung and kidney to afford.

 

[Corey0372]

We used to run Daniel Defense 10" and 14" uppers on Colt M4A1 lowers when I was in the military, with Knights supressors. They were great. But to be honest I own and have owned a handful of ARs over the years, and I don't have a lot of bad experiences with Palmetto State build kits and Anderson Lowers. A high dollar barrel, expensive triggers, free float hand guards are all great. But honestly more range time/ familiarity with the gun is where the majority of accuracy and speed is going to come from. I prefer Mil-Spec triggers just because that's what I have tens of thousands of rounds using, ymmv. The guy with 2,000 rounds of good practice through his $650 AR is probably going to be more deadly than the guy with 200 rounds through his $1,500 dollar AR.

I will say I also own an Aero Precision AR10 in 308 (16 inch barrel), thing is super accurate and an overall tight gun (I guess Aero is considered a somewhat higher end gun?)

Cream of the crop ARs are probably going to be Larue in my own opinion

 

[PARA45]

Red Leg, does that M&P Sport cycle subsonic ammo well?

Unless you have an adjustable gas port, you may/may not have issues. If you are going to shoot suppressed, you may not. However, the easiest way to solve the problem is to switch the heavy recoil buffer with a standard weight. Some subsonic ammo manufacturer will tell you that their ammo will not cycle the bolt.

 

[spike.t]

Are you talking 7.62x51 (308)?

Or any 30 cal?

You've got lots of light options in 30 cal.. but they wont have the same ballistics as 308..

300 BLK is probably the most popular.. it offers slightly less down range terminal performance than 7.62x39.. but provides the advantage of being 100% the same parts as the standard 556 AR15 with the exception of the barrel.. you can use the same magazines, the same bolt, etc..etc..

7.62x39 is also an option in an AR15.. but you need different magazines, a different bolt, etc.. and older 7.62x39 guns had pretty notorious failure to feed issues.. newer guns seem to have that problem solved though..

If youre talking 308, youre really talking about a similar, but different weapons system.. The 308 requires a completely different lower reciever, and most everything on the upper is larger, heavier built, etc.. very few parts are interchangeable between the AR15 and AR10 systems..

Yup the 308 version...

 

[PARA45]

I bought a Palmetto State Armory AR-10 and I've had no issues at all. Haven't checked how accurate it is with premium ammo, but I will soon (once the ranges open up again)