Built a few AR-15 A3's this weekend...

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Sep 26, 2010
Messages
9,791
I have had three Bushmaster lower receivers and 90% of the parts in the gun safe since 1993 and finally got around to building them. The boys are old enough to shoot now and these are fairly cheap to shoot (I reload so that much cheaper).

I wanted to say thanks to Dave Newton for his advice on building it myself; it was incredibly easy with a minimal investment in tools. I just needed a bench vise ($35 at Sears) and a block to hold the upper receiver (I had one, but it was for an A2 upper and not an A3 flat top) and a set of go-no go gauges and a few hours this evening to assemble two of them. The gas tube on mine was not quite drilled right so I have ordered another.

I think they turned out great as "parts guns" (they all have the same brand of parts in each of them--but not all the same brand for everything). Oldest son's rifle is on the top and youngest on the bottom:

oPDfop.jpg
 
Very nice.

$20,000 fine and 2 years in Jail for doing same in Oz.

Seriously, I'm contemplating getting a Remington Pump (or even better trying to get the pump AR) for here because the antis hate them so much.
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Very nice.

$20,000 fine and 2 years in Jail for doing same in Oz.

Seriously, I'm contemplating getting a Remington Pump (or even better trying to get the pump AR) for here because the antis hate them so much.


Truly sad. Freedoms are so easily taken in times of high emotions and panic, but so hard to get back.
 
For anyone interested, I installed the "Magpul" style trigger guards on all three, but did not use that brand. I found a 100% clone of them on Amazon for 1/2 the cost of Magpul branded guards. They are EXACT replicas in every way and (I think) provide much more room and functionality than the "flat" original style guards.

I guess my point is these rifles can be built very economically if you shop around and watch for sales. I hope to complete mine later this week when the new gas tube comes in. Then off to the range...happy shooting all.
 
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
For anyone interested, I installed the "Magpul" style trigger guards on all three, but did not use that brand. I found a 100% clone of them on Amazon for 1/2 the cost of Magpul branded guards. They are EXACT replicas in every way and (I think) provide much more room and functionality than the "flat" original style guards.


Magpul is a fine US company. We should support them by not buying made in China knock offs of their products. The polymer Magpul trigger guards are only $8 to begin with. Are you really that broke?
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Magpul is a fine US company. We should support them by not buying made in China knock offs of their products. The polymer Magpul trigger guards are only $8 to begin with. Are you really that broke?
No, I am not "broke" as you describe; but at the same time there no point in spending double the money either. I did not use the polymer versions, so perhaps you should ask before jumping to conclusions.

Does it really cost $20 each for the aluminum versions or could they sell them for $15 and still make a profit? So instead of paying $30 for 3 of them I should have paid $60? If you want to contribute the other thirty then I would be happy to use Magpul, until then I can live with my choice.
 
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Magpul is a fine US company. We should support them by not buying made in China knock offs of their products. The polymer Magpul trigger guards are only $8 to begin with. Are you really that broke?
No, I am not "broke" as you describe; but at the same time there no point in spending double the money either. I did not use the polymer versions, so perhaps you should ask before jumping to conclusions.

Does it really cost $20 each for the aluminum versions or could they sell them for $15 and still make a profit? So instead of paying $30 for 3 of them I should have paid $60? If you want to contribute the other thirty then I would be happy to use Magpul, until then I can live with my choice.


american-flag-made-in-china-SS.jpg


I do my part where I can. I buy Made in America, when I can. Pretty soon there will be no jobs left...
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
I do my part where I can. I buy Made in America, when I can. Pretty soon there will be no jobs left...

Understood; but paying double price just because it is made in America does not make good fiscal sense to me. I am just as American as the next guy and do buy American when I can, but only if it makes sense to do so.
11.gif
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime

american-flag-made-in-china-SS.jpg


I do my part where I can. I buy Made in America, when I can. Pretty soon there will be no jobs left...

What about the Acura in your sig?
 
They are addicting to build and May I suggest buying a few 80% lowers and a jig and mill them out it can be done with a drill press and come out great. There are only so many companies that forge the uppers and lowers so any of them are good to go. I am not associated with this company but these are milspec contractor lowers are are good to go http://www.andersonrifles.com/product/80-machined-lower/ You can buy a fully machined lower cheaper from Palmetto armory that is fine lower but it is fun to do it your self. Been into ARS since the early 1970 they are great rifles that can do most everything.
 
Had to add all ARs are parts guns. The quality of the build parts defines the quality of the AR parts aren.t necessarily equal
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
They are addicting to build and May I suggest buying a few 80% lowers and a jig and mill them out it can be done with a drill press and come out great. There are only so many companies that forge the uppers and lowers so any of them are good to go. I am not associated with this company but these are milspec contractor lowers are are good to go http://www.andersonrifles.com/product/80-machined-lower/ You can buy a fully machined lower cheaper from Palmetto armory that is fine lower but it is fun to do it your self. Been into ARS since the early 1970 they are great rifles that can do most everything.

As fun as that sounds, Andersen complete stripped lowers are $49 and I am not sure that I want to take on the machine work (not my forte) for a $4.00 savings. In addition, would I then be a firearms "manufacturer" and have the ATF to contend with? Not what I call fun any day of the week.
 
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
In addition, would I then be a firearms "manufacturer" and have the ATF to contend with? Not what I call fun any day of the week.

The lower is already built by the "gun" manufacturer. You're simply modifying it. You shouldn't have issues with ATF.
 
Originally Posted By: whip
2010_FX4 said:
The lower is already built by the "gun" manufacturer. You're simply modifying it. You shouldn't have issues with ATF.


If you start with an 80% lower, finish machine it, then try to sell it, you will find out quickly that the ATF will ruin your world.
 
Originally Posted By: punisher
Originally Posted By: whip
2010_FX4 said:
The lower is already built by the "gun" manufacturer. You're simply modifying it. You shouldn't have issues with ATF.


If you start with an 80% lower, finish machine it, then try to sell it, you will find out quickly that the ATF will ruin your world.

I've never heard of them being illegal to sell. As long as you're not doing it as a business.
 
Originally Posted By: whip
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
In addition, would I then be a firearms "manufacturer" and have the ATF to contend with? Not what I call fun any day of the week.

The lower is already built by the "gun" manufacturer. You're simply modifying it. You shouldn't have issues with ATF.

There is no serial number on an unfinished receiver and no FFL required to purchase it, so I am pretty sure that I would indeed building it and not simply modifying it--i.e. I would be manufacturing a firearm since it was not previously one when purchased in the 80% state. As another poster stated, attempting to sell it would be a whole different issue. For the $4.00 in savings, this is a non-workable idea (at least for me) and is fraught with ways to be "de-railed" at the hands of the ATF.
 
You can make your own gun. However, selling it is where you can get into trouble with the ATF.

Also the problem with the 80% lowers is that you are forgoing the hard coat anodizing on them. Unless you are going to cerakote/gunkote/duracoat the whole gun, then you will have a mismatched rifle. For the sake of a few dollars I really do not see the benefit outside doing it just to see if you can do it.
 
An 80% lower that you finish is legal to own. Because it's not a "gun" yet, the unfinished lower can be sold & shipped directly to a private citizen. No FFL needed. You can go finish it for your own use....

But the instant you try to sell it, you have now become a gun manufacturer, who is selling a firearm without a serial #, and you're in big trouble. Big trouble.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top