I want to build a rifle

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Say, you think that title will pop up in Sequential Threads? :smiley:

I have an early-style M-16 flash hider; the three-prong kind, as opposed to the newer birdcage type. I also have an old surplus butt stock with the sling swivels that actually swivels, and no trap door for the cleaning kit. (The newer ones are fixed.) I think I even have an OD sling with the buckle. It sure would be nice to build a ‘retro’ AR-15 that looks like the M-16s from the early-to-mid-'60s.

With guns in the news lately, I thought again about doing this build. The thing is, the lower receivers available are of the later -A1 style. I could get a Colt Model SP1 and swap the bits on that, but that’s expensive. I have a carbine I built a couple of decades ago, which is all Bushmaster except for the lower receiver. Maybe I could grind the protrusions off of the lower receiver to emulate the early M-16, and get a Bushmaster lower for the Bushmaster upper. So I bought a Shotgun News.

Well, what do you know? There’s a company that makes the flat-sided ‘retro’ lower receivers. And they’re cheap. Wouldn’t you know it? I go to their website, and they are not accepting any new orders since last Tuesday because they’re behind in production. I requested to be notified when they are accepting orders again, and I got a reply that they would. (That surprised me, since they said on the website that they are not processing faxes, answering the phone, or answering emails.) Fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I can always change the lower receiver on the carbine with a Bushmaster one, and use the Essential Arms lower on the spare upper I have.

2

Go for it and send us pix. You will probably need some Tiger Stripe camo to go with it :smiley:

Capt

3

Like this?

:smiley:

4

Nice one really nice. I spit iced tea all over my coffee table.

Capt

5

I’ve been thinking about going the DIY route as well, lately, although for more practical reasons. I think there’s a good chance a new AWB will fail to pass, but just in case it does, it would be good to have a few (dozen) stripped lower receivers acquired beforehand that I can buy parts for later. Of course I’m not the only one thinking that; stripped receivers are quite difficult to find all of a sudden. :stuck_out_tongue:

Good luck on your project, though; I’d love to see pics of that too!

6

How easy it to build one, does everything fit together and work or do you need special tools and a gunsmith? I’m going to a gun show tomorrow and even if I can’t afford a whole rifle at the moment I was thinking I’d better get a lower if I have a chance.

7

AR-15s are quite easy. The parts just go together. Never had any issues with headspacing. You do need a special barrel wrench to put the barrel on, and if you go for the collapsable stock you need a stock wrench. Otherwise, just a screwdriver, drift punch, crescent wrench, and a small hammer.

8

For a total parts build, lower receivers at least seem pretty easy; you don’t need any heavy duty tools, just things like pliers, mallets, screwdrivers, and a little stamped-metal tool for tightening the castle nut on the buffer tube. Here’s a Youtube video showing the process of assembling a complete lower receiver. Looks like fun!

9

The AR-15 and the 1911 pistol are about as close to “open source” designs as you can get; although 'cos it was designed so long ago, building a 1911 would require hand-fitting and really should be done by a gunsmith. ARs are fairly “modular” and can be assembled relatively easily.

10

Interesting video. Of course he’s doing the opposite of what I want to do. I want to build an ‘M-16 A-nothing’ style. He looks like he’s building a ‘tactical’ style. His internals were different, the stock was one of the ‘badass’ styles popular with some people, the pistol grip was funny-looking, the magazine release extension was a ‘trick out’ item, and even the trigger guard was different. I’ll bet he has a flat-top upper, and maybe even a piston. I don’t find that style particularly interesting. I’m not that kind of shooter.

I’m more into the ‘official’ evolution of the type. My Colt is unmodified, with the triangular fore end and no forward assist. (I’m picking up a 1979 carbine next week. I’ll modify it with a fixed buttstock.) For comparison, I built an ‘A2’ style – heavy barrel, round fore end, fully-adjustable rear sight, finger ridge on the pistol grip, 5/8" longer buttstock, round forward assist. Basically, it’s ‘as-issued’ (except not automatic, of course). Another one is an ‘M4’ style, depicting another version in use by the military. It’s like the ‘A2’, but with a short heavy barrel and a standard collapsing stock. The spare upper is an ‘A1’ carbine with the teardrop forward assist and the windage-only rear sight. The one I want to build is of the style before the style emulated by my Colt. So the collection would be the civilian analogues to the M-16, the improved M-16 (the Colt, with the improved stock and flash hider, but without the forward assist), CAR-15, M16-A1 carbine, M16-A2, and M4. For completeness I should have another one with the forward assist and the triangular fore end to emulate the M16-A1 rifle, but I’ve no plans to fill that gap at this time. The modern special ops style… I’ll leave the ‘badass warrior’ style to the badass warriors.

That said, they all go together the same way; and the video does a good job showing how to build a lower receiver. Thanks for posting it. Using the pliers looks a lot easier than using a drift punch to seat the roll pins. Note that you don’t need the castle nut tool if you’re building a lower with the fixed stock. The stock itself holds the detent pin spring, instead of needing that flat bit shown in the video. The buffer tube just screws in without needing the castle nut, and the stock attaches to the tube with a large screw.

As for pics, I’ll try to remember to post some. Of course, in order to build my ‘old school M-16’ I need to get the lower receiver mentioned at the beginning – and they’re not taking orders:

So we’ll see if I’m able to actually get the parts. If not, I’ll have to modify a Colt SP1 by putting on the old-style stock, three-prong flash hider, and a chrome bolt. And spend three times as much in the process just because SP1s are collectible. Even then, the front pivot pin would be ‘wrong’. (Close enough for me, but it would be nice to have the early-'60s pin.) As for the Bushmaster receiver to put on the ‘M4’, I’ve contacted my dealer about ordering one for me, and I hope to hear from him soon. Then I can use the lower that’s on it now for the ‘spare’ upper assembly. Looks like I may have to wait for the panic buying hysteria to settle down.

11

Well, shoot - if you want to build a rifle, give it your best shot.

12

This would be an interesting build. It’s an early prototype version that never went into production. The charging handle latch is different from the original, since the maker found the original to be unreliable.

Right side
Left side

These upper receivers are sold out, and there will be no more made for some time.

Note also the waffle magazines (seen in the links above) and the brown prototype handguards available separately.

13

I’d recommend an AAC Blackout flash hider.

Literally nothingto see here.

Then you add an M4-2000, and you’re golden.

'cause silence is golden.

I crack me up.

14

You know… I really don’t need to build two more. I’d still like to replace the lower receiver on the shorty with a Bushmaster one, and I’d still like to build the ‘old school’ one I started this thread with. But I really don’t need to use that spare upper receiver with the 16" barrel.

This upper is the ‘-A1’ style with the forward assist but no brass deflector, and with the windage-only rear sight. Sixteen-inch heavy barrel with the round handguards, bolt carrier and bolt, and charging handle. Should I:

  1. Sell the complete assembly? (I could probably get $400 or $500 for it.)
  2. Sell the upper receiver and barrel, and the bolt and bolt carrier separately?
  3. Use the other lower after I get a Bushmaster to build a complete rifle and then sell it?
15

Just stopped by to say I have an M4-2000 and its a nice unit. I use it on three different ARs. It makes my 7.5" SBR nice to shoot. :smiley:

16

That’s an arsenal!*
Why do you need so many guns?
Why do you hate children?

*Arsenal - more than 2 guns owned by one person according to the media

What else ya got? :smiley:

17

Saw the thread title and first thought was “Terrific! Another Doper with GOEX on speed-dial”. All to find out its basically assembly. Huge sigh. And here I was wondering if you needed to borrow my rifling machine.

18

Let me toss my two cents worth in and say I’d also like to see the finished product.

19

I’m still hoping those old-style lower receivers will be order-able before too long. It looks as if there may be issues looming though.

Early M16s did not have forward-assist, and the bolt carriers were not cut for them. While I can find several places selling chrome bolt carrier assemblies, I don’t see any that are not cut for forward-assist plungers. I came upon a chrome M16 bolt carrier assembly, without FA, but I think it’s no longer legal to have one if you have a rifle it will fit. I may have to get a chrome bolt carrier with the cuts in it and call it close enough.

Another thing is that early AR-15s and M16s had fairly skinny barrels with a 1-in-12" twist. When I was building AR-15s before, I came across any number of places selling surplus barrels. Seems they’re all gone now. I can find skinny barrels, but they’re new manufacture and have 1:9 twist. Again, it looks like I may have to go ‘close enough’. (Or I can buy an expensive 1970s Colt barrel assembly.)

It looks like a lot of people are building ‘retro’ rifles nowadays.

With the current hysteria, everything is sold out and prices are inflated. Once it dies down, the prices should come down. As it is, and using currently-published prices, it looks like this: Lower receiver, $160; upper receiver, $160; solid butt, three-prong flash hider, and old-style pistol grip, I already have (and I may have the triangular handguards); bolt carrier and bolt assembly, $300; barrel assembly, $200; internal parts, $150; sights and other parts, maybe $50 or so. So we’re looking at about a kilobuck. I should be able to get a Colt SP1 for about $1,500 once things die down. I’d still have to get the chrome bolt. Building my own will still be cheaper, but if it gets too expensive it makes more sense to buy a Colt.