I bought the lower a while back but I finally got the rest of it today. I'm excited to go to the range.
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I finally got an AR
Freezypellets
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I use oil, specifically Synthetic motor oil. Never grease, as it can accumulate too much gung from being a direct impingement rifle that puts dirty gasses into the receiver when firing. You want something more fluid than grease. Also, grease tightens up in cold weather when you don't want it to.
Why Synthetic oil? Its always a point of discussion among AR owners as what is the correct oil to use.
My thoughts are that it protected my Toyota Pickup for 365,000 miles while I owned it, and it's still on the road with the same engine 6 years later after enduring extreme high temperatures and extreme loads when hauling.
If it worked for that, it will work in guns. The Competition shooting guys that I hung with agreed when reliability is a key factor.
I started with the AR platform when they were the most inaccurate rifle on the planet in the military. Getting a thousand rounds through one when it was needed was impossible making them into single shots. No cleaning kits, no instructions on cleaning. Also a dirty powder was being used.
1:14 twist that did nothing but make them tumble and fly everywhere.
I hated that platform for a lot of reasons.
Somewhere around Y2K, Won a cheap AR at a QU banquet. Was about to trade it before firing but took it to the range. That thing was accurate! WTF?
Fast forward to now, There is a plethora of the Ugly Black Rifles in the gun safes in multiple calibers, some costing more than I should have spent.
100% sold on that platform currently.
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945 Posts
Makes sense to me. I was always more of an oil guy but several people had told me to use grease so I was trying it. I'll go back to the mobile 1.
One of my customers was telling me about just how much he hated the AR15 from having to use one in Vietnam. He said your better off using it as a club. It sounds like they were a nightmare when he was in the army.
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The earlier versions were a nightmare. Many GI's were found with the bolt carrier group in their lap and a bullet in the head when trying to clean them in the field.
The later versions that included the cleaning kits, instructions about disassembly, cleaner powder, etc corrected the earlier issues and they became great combat rifles, still in use today.
You have already discovered with the scope you mounted and the earlier advice about how important the glass is.
I'm a huge proponent of eliminating the GI trigger and replacing it with an aftermarket. I have several with Timney triggers that are awesome but there is a company here in Oklahoma that is making some danged fine triggers that are a drop-in, no gunsmithing or armorers background required making some great triggers that will make the accuracy over mil-spec triggers night and day.
Rise Armament in Broken Arrow Ok.
You can get their 3.5 lb trigger with a pretty fair break and take-up for under a hundred bucks on sale occasionally.
If you're into super light, they have those too as well.
Great triggers are just as important as great glass.
The later versions that included the cleaning kits, instructions about disassembly, cleaner powder, etc corrected the earlier issues and they became great combat rifles, still in use today.
You have already discovered with the scope you mounted and the earlier advice about how important the glass is.
I'm a huge proponent of eliminating the GI trigger and replacing it with an aftermarket. I have several with Timney triggers that are awesome but there is a company here in Oklahoma that is making some danged fine triggers that are a drop-in, no gunsmithing or armorers background required making some great triggers that will make the accuracy over mil-spec triggers night and day.
Rise Armament in Broken Arrow Ok.
You can get their 3.5 lb trigger with a pretty fair break and take-up for under a hundred bucks on sale occasionally.
If you're into super light, they have those too as well.
Great triggers are just as important as great glass.
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945 Posts
I prefer about a 5 lb trigger. I had a hard time getting used to my gun that has a light trigger and I find it incredibly hard to shoot accurately. I haven't tested the trigger on this one yet but I'm going to hold off on any real mods for probably at least a few months because I've got too much money in it. I'd like a trigger that I could adjust the weight as I get to be a better shooter.
I'll probably pick up a better scope first before I do anything else to it.
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2,415 Posts
Here's a basic, but mostly correct video on how to install/time your flash hider man. I'll add that I still install anti-sieze on the muzzle threads...because you may want to change that device in the future.
Crush washers are cheap.
Crush washers are cheap.
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2,415 Posts
Also, if your handguard is not properly timed/aligned to your upper...it'll be because the barrel nut needs to be adjusted. Depending on where it is clocked will determined whether you need to tighten it down more...or shim it because it is overclocked.
You may have some contact with your gas tube and barrel nut too...Depending on design.
You may have some contact with your gas tube and barrel nut too...Depending on design.
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2,415 Posts
And I don't know what that hole in the bottom of your handguard is.
I thought it was a boss for a QD sling attachment at first...but now I see that it is threaded. Wierd.
I thought it was a boss for a QD sling attachment at first...but now I see that it is threaded. Wierd.
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25 Posts
His has a jam nut. It was probably tightened with a strap wrench instead of a spanner so with a little torque, the handguard will move. If it has "timing screws" they may off or not used at all because of what you said and the assembler used only the jam nut with a strap wrench. The threaded hole is probably for a sling swivel...YHM and some others used to do that. It's pretty useless.
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945 Posts
What's y'all's favorite AR wrench and vise block?
I was looking at the mag pull vise block because I saw it in a YouTube video and it looked pretty good but I also saw some dramatically cheaper options and I wasn't sure how important quality is on them.
I was looking at the mag pull vise block because I saw it in a YouTube video and it looked pretty good but I also saw some dramatically cheaper options and I wasn't sure how important quality is on them.
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945 Posts
I'm seeing great reviews on the Magpul and Real avid armorer's wrenches so I was thinking I'd probably go with one of them.
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19,075 Posts
Most of those wrenches are the same. Mine was $25 back 20 years ago. Have no clue what they run now, but it's worked to build several from scratch.
Buddy has the magazine and receiver clamps, so I borrow his if needed.
Buddy has the magazine and receiver clamps, so I borrow his if needed.
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730 Posts
I have a wrench not sure what kind I need to find out I bought it from an individual but it won’t fit the nut on the buffer tube so be careful
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25 Posts
I use an old DPMS from 15 years ago. They are the best overall IMO but they are discontinued. they pop up on ebay on occasion. Wheeler has a good-ish one and there are various versions of the Army ones all over. Smith Enerprises, Brownells, tapco, etc. Primary arms and Brownells probably has everything you need.
I'm not a fan of the Magpul and the Real Avid looks like something a Klingon would use and they're both kind of junky.
I use a standard Wheeler receiver vise and block and a reaction rod. I also use a barrel vise for torquing MD (30+ft lbs) for suppressors vs a reaction rod. Don't use a receiver vise block to do this. You can wreck your receiver - the index pin can shear and the notch can get torn up.
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25 Posts
You'll need a barrel nut wrench specific to yours. What kind of handguard is it?
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730 Posts
It’s not the handguard it’s the nut that goes over the buffer tube attaching the stock to the lower
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25 Posts
Lol, missed that. Was wrapped up in the handguard conversation.
Unless you have something really off, all you need for the locknut is any regular spanner for the locknut. Some multitools have a three tooth spanner for only the modern A2 locknut and they're not always the best., but the single tooth spanners work best IMO.
I don't like these for locknuts. They only work on one kind and they like to slip and tilt.
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730 Posts
The teeth on mine don’t line up for some reason
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It could be for a barrel nut like a Daniel Defense or something. They look almost exactly the same but the teeth are larger, or don't line up because it has a different radius or something like that. Brownells and Midway have various locknut only wrenches. This one is super cheap
Power Custom AR-15 Castle Nut Wrench 1911 Barrel Bushing Wrench
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1,519 Posts
Welcome to the addiction! I've assembled way more ARs than I currently own. They're just so easy to slap together and take apart it's silly. I changed a handguard on an upper recently, took me more time to round up my tools than it did to remove the optic and handguard, unscrew the barrel nut, screw on the new barrel nut and install the handguard, then reinstall my optic; took less than 20 minutes.
As far as AR specific tools I use: wheeler vise block, wheeler fat torque wrench, Tapco armorer's wrench, a good set of roll pin specific punches really helps on the lowers, a good crows foot set or large spanner is your friend for some of those off brand barrel nuts. Have fun!
As far as AR specific tools I use: wheeler vise block, wheeler fat torque wrench, Tapco armorer's wrench, a good set of roll pin specific punches really helps on the lowers, a good crows foot set or large spanner is your friend for some of those off brand barrel nuts. Have fun!
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2,404 Posts
I bought, sold, and traded AR’s and AR parts ALOT from 1998 until Y2K was a non-event. I shoot them well but have never liked them. The only two that I reasonably like are my 17hmr’s. I have my thermal on one now only because it’s the best platform for it.
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