Right on! AR-15 DIY kit on sale

a reply to: JinMI

Oh yeah, I am just wandering if there is something similar to solve the quirks ND described with the polymer lowers during take down

a reply to: JinMI

all the lower parts kits come with springs and detent pins, my experience with the 80% I got was the takedown pin hole just isn't long enough (design flaw) so when you pop it out, rather than it hold it's position, it flops. (best way I can describe it)

a reply to: JBurns

I'm not sure it's in all of them, but I bought a 4 pack of them, and they are all the same.

www.polymer80.com...


Check this site out, they have .308 along with others.

a reply to: network dude

I have not had this issue, what brand did you use?

originally posted by: lordcomac
I've been meaning to get an 80% kit all year, but every time I come close I start getting questions about my router I don't have the answer to.
No drill press available, and I'm not in a position to have one just now.

Good luck to you! It is a rewarding experience to build your own firearm, whether it’s a kit or even a zip gun. I have built a number of pipe shotguns as well as .22LR

LC, if you have (or can borrow) an electric drill this will work too. There are “maker places” in some locations that have tools you can use on site, and since it is only a lower receiver (once drilled) so there should be no issue taking it there but you could always ask in advance just out of respect.

Not sure about routers! Would be an interesting experiment though

originally posted by: Im2keul
a reply to: network dude

I have not had this issue, what brand did you use?

www.tnarmsco.com...

I like to fix up old guns, bluing them and cleaning them and replacing a little part but never have thought about building one. I actually don't think I would trust a gun I built myself, I am not a machinist, I am a builder and I can fix lots of tools and cars.

I am not brave enough to shoot a gun I built. I rebuilt the brakes on my sixty five 305 honda motorcycle when I was young...they worked great stopping the bike from going forward, but I put a part in wrong and went up a hill, when I stopped, they did not stop the bike from going backwards. That was the first set of brakes I ever put in. I learned to make sure I never made a mistake with brakes again and have put at least a hundred sets of brakes on vehicles after that.....I'll just buy a gun if I want to get another one.

a reply to: rickymouse

The engineering has been done for you with these. As long as you follow the instructions you're fine.

a reply to: JBurns

Dunhams..
Sportmans warehouse. www.sportsmans.com... 2BRemington&text=#?kwr=ar-15

Both have completed sets S&M P&M with iron and NATO red dot sights for around $600.00.

I bought the exact rifle in 2012 for $1400.00

Spare parts would be nice.

Just picked up a 700 Nitro Express at RURAL KING at Beaver Valley Mall.... they got Gatorade, chickens and a nice shotgun selection with all kinds of rounds.

Hop on 376 and it will take you to beaver valley mall.... old Macy's store.


Edit: to add website And not excited about Steely Dan tonight 😑

edit on 22-11-2021 by Bigburgh because: There's a hole in the bucket dear liza dear liza

a reply to: Bigburgh

Depending on where he's at Rural King at Clearview Mall in Butler is pretty well stocked up.

a reply to: rickymouse

Just pick up a kit that assembly only. It's cheaper to build it yourself not to mention relaxing, rewarding and just plain fun. I'm currently finishing up a .458 SOCOM build for my gf for Christmas. It's the last one on her gun bucket list. Last year she got an AR-10 and a .300 Blk, plus a Colt Python for anniversary/birthday.

a reply to: network dude

Interesting! I will keep an eye on these as they come along. I couldn’t resist getting started, so I have all my tools in place and a good portion of the evening set aside to work on them

I have never done a polymer, but I have built a few aluminum 80% lowers. They preform very well, but take note it’s very easy to screw one up. Be cautious milling near the selector detent. Also some of the jigs out there are M-16 jigs, do not drill the hole for the auto sear. That’s a violation of the NFA.

Every mistake I have made involved milling to deeply. I find that a small milling machine with end cutting bits help a lot.

Having done quite a few lowers in polymer, billet and forged, I will give you some advice:

1) get yourself a nice cross slide vise to do the milling on your drill press. Lube it up and crank it a lot and make sure its all tight.

2) be it polymer or aluminum, first do your safety holes, then trigger and hammer pin holes then do the bottom trigger hole. Be sure to do it from each side. Reason being, removing the material first will give the polymer flex and you will have crooked holes. For the bottom trigger hole, do not connect the holes, do the front most hole then the rear most. Connect them as your last action.

3) an easy way to control your depth is to get a kreg pocket hole kit and use the 3/8th stopper sleeve on your 3/8 end mill bit to stop from going too deeply. You can line it up from the outside by taking off one side of your jig.

4) dont go as deep as needed first. Leave a little extra at the bottom just in case you measure wrong. You can take more off but cant put material on.

5) Milwaukee metal drilling bits are great for the pin and side holes. Flat bottom end mill bits for the rest.

6) use a 3/8 mill bit to drill your initial fire control pocket holes only to a certain depth. Expand the holes then go deeper. Wd40 sparsely used goes a long way. Dont use too much.

7) mind your heat generated from drilling. Later in the process this is less of an issue. Take your time.

8) a pecking motion is a good way to go so you can get shavings out of the holes and prevent binding.

9) frequently vacuum between passes and drills. This way you can see what youre doing and not mess up.

10) drill press is not meant for side to side motion, more up and down. When youve opened the pocket enough and are making passes, do a tiny bit at a time. You will experience chatter but this minimizes over time.

11) ensure the vise and base plate its mounted on is up close enough to the chuck. This way you can minimize side to side pressure on your press.

12) when i am expanding the pocket, i will fully release the bit up, spin the crank on my vise then plunge again, going in tiny increments. This way larger chunks left get easily milled away so i have less chatter for my milling passes.

13) mind your drill bit speeds. Check inside your press to see if you have a spindle speed chart and adjust appropriately.

14) you will experience a lot of vibration so make sure your chuck is firmly attached to the press! A spinning top with a mill bit is... not enjoyable.

15) wear eye and ear protection. Duh.

16) dont make passes where your rear take down holes are. Widening that area will give you poor mating/slop between upper and lower.

17) i generally will do the rear safety area first then the rest. That area is more delicate due to the safety detent hole so i get that spot done first. Dont take too much off there.

18) be careful at the very front of your fire control pocket. Its easy to punch through to the mag release channel. Not a big deal just cosmetic but you can avoid by making passes with a 1/4 end mill bit. Also, you might find your hammer springs rub the curved interior edges of the pocket. Widen it up with the 1/4 bit.

Ive never had issues with detents falling out where the take down pins are.

Follow the directions for the pin holes. They are not undersized, you just want to put a little oil and fit the pins in left to right first with no equipment on them. This will push out any left over metal shavings. Ive never once had a hole be off size.

Polymer is alright for practice but keep in mind it is polymer. It is a softer material so easier to mill but one wrong move and youve chewed through something and wrecked your work. Also, the continuous jarring of your bolt/buffer over time can weaken and break the ring where your buffer tube screws in. Aluminum is more work but also more forgiving if you spin your vise the wrong way. I also frequently find that some polymer can be ever so slightly out of spec in terms of hole distances, such as the JMT stuff. It still seems to work in most cases but ive had issues before and i dont like the straight through drill jigs.

Use a rounded file to take off the sharp edges. A metal wire brush or scotch brite is helpful for exterior burrs as well.

If you're wondering if your pocket is wide enough, drop the trigger in with the trigger facing up and look at if it clears the edges.

Get yourself a brass hammer, a hollow point roll pin set and a punch kit. Get a torque wrench. Get an armorers wrench. Get an upper vise block. Get a gas block dimple jig. Get a micrometer.

Hardest part of the build is the stupid front pivot/take down pin. Trick here: use an allen wrench that is sized to the hole from the opposite direction so its flush with the hole. Drop in the spring and detent then use a razor blade to press in the detent and slide the allen wrench over the blade. Remove the blade then press your pivot pin in while slowly moving the allen wrench out of the way. If you do it right itll pop right in. Do it wrong and your pin is gone. Wear safety glasses. The strike industries enhanced parts kit makes this easier.

Anti roll pins and anti walk pins are a must have.

Never try to fix something with jb weld. It doesnt adhere to polymer.

Make sure your vise is squared up so when youre making mill passes your pocket isnt off kilter.

Never reuse a poly jig and do NOT use the bits it came with on aluminum.

I always wash my lowers with dawn dish soap and water then dry then use compressed air to clear out followed by gun oil.

NEVER BLUE ALIMINUM ITLL EAT IT AWAY. Brownells alumahyde works well. As does anodizing or cerakote.

I highly recommend buying an 80 lower metal jig from 80lowerjig.com. they have ar10, 15 and you can do some 9mm models.

Ar15 is easier due to standardized parts/milspec. Ar10 not so much as it was never widely adopted for mil use.

Do not over complicate it. Its not hard and is very rewarding to create something awesome.

Ive used cobalt and carbide bits and the experience was not great. Oddly enough, the best bits ive used are the automotive end mill bits (set for like 15/20 bucks) off amazon. I dont generally buy off amazon but these have performed like a champ.

If you have other questions, please ask so you can stay out of trouble! Barrel lengths, parts, braces and safety stuff is critical.

You can find awesome 80 lowers on righttobear.com and other places. Nothing wrong with blem, theyre cheaper and youre going to get nicks and dings over time anyways.

This is my favorite subject as i love to create useful things so again, ask away and i will overwhelm you with information!

Added info:

You can trace the fire control pocket shape on top with a pencil if youre concerned about gnawing away at your jig, just use an end mill bit to "trace" the inside shape then do your plunges.

a reply to: JustCallMeAwesome

I'll go with everything you said, except for WD-40. You can get away with WD for light work on aluminum. WD doesn't dissipate heat very well and can cause problems with composites.

a reply to: JIMC5499

I dont use the wd40 for heat, but for if/when the bit starts to bind up in the lower. Generally happens when its time to replace your bit but try to get away with the well used one lol. Also only on aluminum, and only when im doing some of the preliminary plunges for the pocket sparingly on the bit, never for the safety or pin holes. Once that pocket is opened up enough it isnt necessary at all. You dont need fluid on the polymer its soft enough and ive never had a heat issue there. First aluminum lower i did years ago i went overboard with wd40. What an absolute horrifying mess it made. Dry milling has worked much better for me.

For my 1911s hand jig style, i used motor oil. Worked like a charm!

a reply to: JustCallMeAwesome

I've had good results from just plain paraffin wax. The wear on drills is why I recommended cobalt drills. They don't cost much more and last a lot longer. The main thing is to watch your speeds and feeds. I can pretty much judge by eye, but I always start with what Machinery's Handbook recommends. I've done a lot of composites work over the years. You really want to keep oil and other chemicals (WD-40 and anything with petroleum distillates) away from them.

a reply to: JIMC5499

Totally get you and agree on the composites stuff! Really is nothing like a nice solid bit of metal and itll last. Im no machinist and taught myself how to do this. Each mistake was a learning experience leading to rewarding ping sounds. Thankfully got all my mistakes made on the polymer stuff. At this point i dont even need a jig for the pocket so thats pretty neat. If i can do it anyone can. Maybe ill try the wax next time, assuming the wife doesnt object lol.

I recently tried a cobalt finishing bit as well as a cast iron roughing bit to see if i could shave some time off the process. They both caused intense vibration that actually loosened up my vise so i switched back to the amazon set. They had notches on the shanks so not sure they should have been stuffed into my drill press ha. It seemed they were causing some wobble and the chatter was really intense. Definitely better to have the right equipment. Wish i had space for a milling machine. You can also do these with a plunge router and the appropriate jig but eh, i already had the drill press jigs.

The real fun is getting all the parts assembled and playing nice together. I just picked up a drop in cmc single stage 2.5lb trigger and put it in my ar10 pistol. Whoa Nelly.

For anyone else looking at builds, ar15discounts.com has excellent deals. For the finest Chineseum, you can grab items off deltateamtactical. Mixed reviews out there but ive had all positive experiences and they do carry good brands. Righttobear.com for aluminum ar15 80 lowers and dpms ar10 lowers. Aero precision has great equipment on their site. Midwayusa.com is a fantastic resource for parts. Bear creek arsenal has decent barrels, ballistic advantage has good barrels though some complain about the gas port being too small. Kind of a non issue imo. Odin works is a great product but you can get their parts cheaper off the discount sites vs buying direct. Really love the geissele products. Joeboboutfitters has good prices, palmetto state armory is a great resource. Ranier arms isnt bad at all. Cbc industries has good items. Please avoid amazon. I once grabbed anti walk pins there foolishly and they bent before i even tried shooting with them.

Cheaper than dirt and brownells dont generally have the best pricing ive found but in some cases have stuff in stock when others dont.

For ammo, freedom munitions and global ordnance have both treated me well.

For mags, palmetto and natchez shooting supply have been great.

Make sure to get an oops kit or some replacement parts.

Make sure to get barrel shims. If your barrel and barrel nut timing is off you will be annoyed. Better to have and not need. Also good to get muzzle device shims and extra crush washers. This is even more crucial for an ar10. Never had one NOT need the shims on both ends.

You can also do 1911s by hand by grabbing the stealth arms jig and aluminum lowers. Nothing like a beautiful 1911 .45.

If youre doing AR15s, seriously consider a .223 wylde barrel with m4 feed ramps, should be standard on them. You can then shoot 5.56 OR .223 interchangeably with no concerns. I like 1:8 twist. They also make a .22 conversion kit for plinking so you can really max out the build. The .22 conversion kits can have feed issues.

Pistol caliber ar15s are really fun. Youre better off doing a dedicated lower like ar9 vs doing a mag block. Colt style 9mm you dont need a lrbho on the upper since the colt mags press from the rear and colt has a long finger bolt catch. These are sometimes prone to breaking due to the blow back nature so grab a replacement. Glocks style you want an upper with a lrbho (aero has the epc9) unless you dont care about having to charge your gun every empty mag or sometimes having the new full mag not seat up and then fall out on ya.

Important: if you are doing a barrel under 16" long a la carbine style, this is considered a pistol by the atf and you MUST put a pistol brace on this weapon or youre not in compliance. You can technically do a 14.5 barrel and have an A2 muzzle permanently pinned and welded on to make it a 16 inch barrel and therefore rifle status but pin/weld or silver solder makes changing out the gas block a mess if not impossible and gun shops often only do a detent with freaking jb weld or epoxy over the detent. Too risky. Otherwise you need to register the build as an SBR and there is red tape with that.

Oh, do be prepared to spend a ridiculous amount of money on this hobby. Im not going to say how much im in on it for fear of my wife one day finding out