First AR builds, slowly upgrading!

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  • jcm055

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    Nov 10, 2013
    72
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    Ruston LA
    I recently got into the AR world when a friend gave me a complete lower and I picked up a Radical 16" upper and Vortex Sparc AR with some mags on sale. Realizing I'm pretty blind, I nabbed a 3x magnifier from a guy in here and enjoyed plinking for a while.

    A couple of months ago a friend needed a bcg/ch to finish his build and I had been thinking of upgrading so I let it go...a few good deals later I ended up with another whole gun lol.

    Lower is the same Bushmaster but with a Rock River 2 stage trigger, PSA 18" .223 Wylde rifle length upper with a Fail Zero bolt. While it wasn't exactly what I was looking for I caught a Bushnell 3-9x40 scope on sale for $22 after rebate, and added a mount from Amazon. Also grabbed some 45* iron sights and bipod from there as well. So far it seems pretty good, i only got enough rounds through it to get the scope and irons on paper before rain blew in but I'd like to try to see how far I can stretch it out.

    I was left in the same situation as before, needing a bolt for my first carbine! I decided to try to lighten it up as i'd like to try my hand at a carbine match before terribly long. Picked up a Brownells lightened NiB bolt group, an MFT minimalist stock and ditched my vertical grip and magnifier. I've got an adjustable gas block coming, along with a Precision Armament M4-72 comp (i had some generic one a friend gave me but it's going on my 18"). Next step is to find a 1-4 or 1-6 optic (i really like the ACSS reticle Primary uses!), lighten the hand guard and find a good affordable single stage trigger. For the last I've been eyeing the Rise RA140 drop in and on the hand guard I think I'll order one of the Guntec light weight units.

    Pic of my rifle on the attachments and I'll snag a pic of my carbine tomorrow! Hope to update as I go along and learn things.
     

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    thperez1972

    ESSAYONS
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    Dec 28, 2015
    5,714
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    Baton Rouge, LA
    I was left in the same situation as before, needing a bolt for my first carbine! I decided to try to lighten it up as i'd like to try my hand at a carbine match before terribly long. Picked up a Brownells lightened NiB bolt group, an MFT minimalist stock and ditched my vertical grip and magnifier. I've got an adjustable gas block coming, along with a Precision Armament M4-72 comp (i had some generic one a friend gave me but it's going on my 18"). Next step is to find a 1-4 or 1-6 optic (i really like the ACSS reticle Primary uses!), lighten the hand guard and find a good affordable single stage trigger. For the last I've been eyeing the Rise RA140 drop in and on the hand guard I think I'll order one of the Guntec light weight units.

    Pic of my rifle on the attachments and I'll snag a pic of my carbine tomorrow! Hope to update as I go along and learn things.

    Take a look at ALG Defense triggers. The initials stand for Amy Lynn Geissele. She's the wife of Bill Geissele. Rumor has it the ALG triggers are provided by Geissele. The ALG triggers are supposed to be a budget friendly way of getting a better than Mil-Spec without going full match quality. The triggers run $50-70. I haven't used them but I've heard some good things about them and they've been recommended to me more than once.
     

    jcm055

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    Nov 10, 2013
    72
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    Ruston LA
    Take a look at ALG Defense triggers. The initials stand for Amy Lynn Geissele. She's the wife of Bill Geissele. Rumor has it the ALG triggers are provided by Geissele. The ALG triggers are supposed to be a budget friendly way of getting a better than Mil-Spec without going full match quality. The triggers run $50-70. I haven't used them but I've heard some good things about them and they've been recommended to me more than once.

    Thanks for the link, I'll definitely keep those in mind. From the sounds of it, i'd wager it feels similar to the PSA enhanced trigger. I've shot one of those and they felt much better than the Colt trigger if my carbine. I waited too long on the Rise trigger, it was on sale for $84 when I was buying everything else.
     

    340six

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    Apr 12, 2012
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    Kenner, La
    I put the Complete AR15/M4 Mil-Spec Lower Parts Kit with ACT Trigger in my Bayoushooter lower. Think it was $120.00 The trigger by itself is just 70-75 bucks.
     

    jcm055

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    Nov 10, 2013
    72
    6
    Ruston LA
    I have the Mega Arms trigger with NiB finished hammer combo. What a great trigger for a budget man. Pre travel and over travel adjustable. Super crisp. You have to check one out, well worth the price.

    http://www.jsesurplus.com/JSETACTICALTRIGGERBYMEGAARMS.aspx

    I put the Complete AR15/M4 Mil-Spec Lower Parts Kit with ACT Trigger in my Bayoushooter lower. Think it was $120.00 The trigger by itself is just 70-75 bucks.

    Appreciate the other offerings guys, not making my decision easier haha.

    Finally got to get a pic of the carbine, nothing fancy so far. Brownell's lightweight NiB bcg, MFT stock, still has the Radical receiver/barrel/hand guard. I've got an Anderson lightweight upper receiver i'll put on when I pick up the hand guard I want. Next step is a 1-4 or 1-6 optic I think. I haven't decided if I'm gonna keep the vertical foregrip or not though, but the BUIS will go on next time I go to the range.

    35844737_10101977678638448_2745155847913996288_n.jpg
     

    jcm055

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    Nov 10, 2013
    72
    6
    Ruston LA
    Get yourself a more comfortable grip to... Those A2 grips do the job, but if you're going full custom, might as well have something more comfy in your hand too.

    Yeah I shot a friend's Colt with a BCM grips yesterday and it was much better.

    So my wife got me the Primary Arms 1-6x with the ACSS reticle I'd been wanting for my birthday along with an Aero mount. Also picked up an Odin Works adjustable gas block that hasn't gone on yet (waiting to get a light weight hand guard and do both at once). A friend also loaned me a single stage CMC to try in the gun and I loved it. Oh and I tossed on the Precision Armament M4-72 muzzle device...makes fun fireballs lol. Pic below attached of how it sits now.

    Got to run both guns yesterday and sight scopes in (the one on my 18" had come loose). I took several different boxes of ammo I have collected to try and was able to get sub-MOA with Hornady Black 75gr. I tried some Hornady Frontier 75gr but it wasn't as tight of groups. Everything I read is they are Lake City loaded with the same bullet as the Black but I kept getting fliers. The Wolf Gold did the best of the cheap ammo I had. I was surprised the American Eagle did the worst in both my guns.
     

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