Have You Built an AR Lower

@JamesR -Woops. Will get that corrected brother,

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No worries, I was a little surprised initially because I know nothing about building an AR lower, lol.

Just wanted to make sure my cousin got credit. :slight_smile:

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@JamesR -if you ever get the hankering I would be glad to help you through the selection and build process. AP is a good place to get a start. Never had a problem with any of their kit. Got to catch their sales though…

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If this is your only AR build, then what I have to say is a moot point, but if not, all I can tell you is that each build successively gets easier.

But if you move to other than AR-15/5.56-.223, then without first educating yourself, things get somewhat sticky. Not that it’s impossible, but just sticky because beyond that platform, there can be variances between manufacturer specs. But again, if you read, and do a LOT of it, it all starts to come together and gets easier and easier with each build whether it’s 5.56, .300, .308 and so on. It’s like anything else. Surgery is easy to the surgeon, but complicated to the lay person. For those that have gone through several builds, they become like putting together a child’s playhouse, only with way more options and way more cash output. LOL TRUTH!

As for me, I can do them blindfolded, BUT, there is ONE spot that never fails to get me spitting out foul language each and every darned time, and that is the trigger pin. I don’t care WHAT method I use, and I’ve used them ALL, it becomes a stickler for me and I always but ALWAYS end up having to take a few Excedrin Migraine caplets. And now, because I’ve had so many headaches and taken so many Excedrin, it’s killed my kidneys. Specialist tells me they’re now only functioning at 40%. LOL Darned AR’s … they’re gonna’ be the absolute death of me, and I don’t mean by the bullet screamin’ outta’ the nose of the barrel either. …LOL

Maybe that story makes you feel better about your build experience now Dawn.

Ciao

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@ Zavier_D . HAHAHAHAHA…YOUR DESCRIPTION OF YOUR BUILD AND SELF IS THE SPITTIN’ IMAGE OF ME…LOL…

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@Zee . “he SOOOO wanted to help. I finally made him sit on his hands. On the other side of the room. :laughing:

“…on his hands.” (new sentence & time lag) “On the other side of the room”.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I can just keep recreating that mental scene in my mind over and over and over again! LOL

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@fox :joy: I seriously did think he was going to burst into flames from NOT helping :rofl:
… to add to your picture, imagine him looking like Sam Elliott, only stocky, and then you’ll have it perfect :joy:

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Agreed I’ll only buy Aero Precision M4E1s, I like the Juggernaut Tactical billet lowers only for the ambidextrous bolt release, but I can get about 2 AP lowers for the cost of 1 Juggernaut.

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@KenM I built a Seekins Billet Lower complete Ambi. $$$. AP Complete Upper. Don’t mind assembling from stripped upper and have built several that way…

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My son was great about showing me how to do things with his AR as a demo and letting me do it myself. A couple of times he started doing it and caught himself then handed it all back to me. :smiley:

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I like starting with stripped as well since I put in exactly what I would have replaced from the start. The AP lowers are such a great value I have 3 of them and my son has a gen 2.

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I got a flat dentist tool to hold the spring down and slide the pin right in. The best $4 ever spent. It helped in other places also. I used a punch with a hole the the end to put in the bolt release pin. If you don’t have a punch with a hole use a security hex head from your screw driver bit set. This way the hammer doesn’t get close to your receiver. It went right in. Just a couple ideas for the future if you do another one. Congratulations on your build.

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My 5.56 Pew Pew: Seekins lower with AP M4E1 Upper. (And my fur-bud).

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@Dawn glad you got your stick together!!! Well done!!!

Here is a tip i posted previously about that pesky forward hing pin.

For all of us “spring launchers” I have found a simple tool to help with getting them in.

The Home Depot

1/4 in. x 2 in. Zinc-Plated Universal Clevis Pin-815418 - The Home Depot

Enjoy the 1/4 in. x 2 in. Steel Universal Clevis Pin 88008.0, with multi-hole design for attachment to a chain or cable is easy to install and uninstall and can be used with a safety pin to provide enhanced security from The Home Depot

You put the clevis pin in the takedown hole and stick the spring and detent through it and then push it past the clevis pin with an allen wrench or something the right size then rotate the clevis pin 90*. Then use the take down pin to push the clevis pin out. “Poof”, it snaps right in.

For all you Aero M4E1 lower guys and gals I discovered something by … wait for it…

Reading the box. :rofl: :rofl:

The hole for the safety selector spring is threaded #4-40 and Amazon had 1/8" grub screws in that size and pitch for $7 delivered for 100. They are a bit tricky to get in but once in you never have to worry about that spring getting mangled while trying to get you back plate back on after a stock or buffer tube swap. If anyone wants one or more send me a SASE {Self Addressed Stamped Envelope: for you young folks} (PM me for my address) and I’ll send them until I run out.

Cheers,

Craig6

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I’ve lost count of how many detent springs I’ve lost only to be recovered by stepping on them while barefoot. smh

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Very nice on all accounts, I take it you’re a southpaw? My daughter picked up my .300 blackout I just finished switching to a two tone Black and Tan color scheme for better distinction from 5.56/.223. She is a lefty as well, I said just like you play guitar right handed you should try holding the rifle right handed. She said nah it doesn’t feel natural. I said fair enough, you should learn with both…she cut me off and said yeah ambidextrous makes sense. I said you’d then be more like, “ambi-dangerous”, she lit up and said I’m gonna use that line.

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Southpaw all the way @KenM. Been making due with just about anything over the years. We all need to practice with what we have including weak-side appendages. I’m still excited about the southpaw parts on the market. Wonder if Governor Northam is going to look around my house for springs that got away during builds. I could have at least 5-10 class five felonies hiding from me :frowning:

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Those darn springs were the worst part of putting it together. If I had only known about the Clevis Pin before I wouldn’t have “shot” my son, myself, and almost took out a cat with the detent. (No animals were injured in the building my AR.) :cat: :dog:

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I would suggest you get an extra small parts kit to have on hand. If you decide to change parts to enhance your rifle, you may have springs and detent pins go flying or just get lost. Why would you enhance your rifle, you will see very soon that maybe you want an ambi safety or a different angle on your grip, or even a drop in trigger. I don’t think I have seen too many that have not been enhanced. Enjoy!!

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@Craig6 introduced me to the clevis pin trick in the “First AR 556/223” thread. It works as advertised :+1:

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