I'm thinking about building a semi-classic AR but in 7.62 Grendel. Not a big budget, under $600 and at that price I'll have to do it piecemeal over time. I've put together complete uppers and lowers and built lowers but that's it. The upper receiver can be flat topped and I can add the handle with rear sight if it's less expensive that way. Looking for some input as to good budget parts.
Considering a New Build (AR15)
- Thread starter kje54
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gotboostvr
Member
sarduy
Member
A lot of sales going on right now, just shop around and you will get what you’re looking for.
Primaryarms.com
Midwayusa.com
AR15Discount.com
Palmetto state armory
Optics Planet
All great places to buy from
Primaryarms.com
Midwayusa.com
AR15Discount.com
Palmetto state armory
Optics Planet
All great places to buy from
BreechFace
Member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2020
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- 3,554
You mean the .30 ARX?
Not much gain over a 7.62x39 given the pedigree goes like this:
7.62x39 > 220 Russian > 6.5 Grendel > 30 ARX
One essentially just did a big loop back to the start. There maybe some minor gains (308 bore) of the 30 ARX over the x39 but not enough to warrant the downsides (cheap blasting ammo, off the shelf premium hunting ammo).
Not much gain over a 7.62x39 given the pedigree goes like this:
7.62x39 > 220 Russian > 6.5 Grendel > 30 ARX
One essentially just did a big loop back to the start. There maybe some minor gains (308 bore) of the 30 ARX over the x39 but not enough to warrant the downsides (cheap blasting ammo, off the shelf premium hunting ammo).
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sarduy
Member
Already have two AR 47s as well as tw0 AR 15s in 5.56. Just thinking about something different. Of course I could go with the .223 Wylde just for the halibut.......... I'm a collector and target shooter.
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Skylerbone
Member
If I gather correctly, you’ve never built a complete upper before, is that correct?
Magpul Bev Block, about $30, torque wrench, most guys have ‘em or know a guy, pencil, a gas block with clear instructions and a set of feeler gauges, or make your year with a JP adjustable $70 that indexes on the barrel shoulder. 17 Design might be worth a nod as an upper receiver, saw them on sale for under $35 last week, I spend a few extra dollars on Melonite coated gas tubes, may not tickle your wallet.
Finally, don’t cheap out too much on the barrel. What’s never fun is poor accuracy. I can happily live with MOA from a gas gun, I can’t sink too far below that. Not sure who’s to recommend as I’m a 5.56 kinda guy.
Don’t skimp on the Bev Block, you don’t want to twist your upper and ruin things before they’re even used. Same with other tools, they really are mandatory.
Edited: just remembered you’re wanting “classic”. The JP FSB version is $150 which might be a no-go, but you could probably find a middy and use a faux FSB clamp on with rifle length guards, dissipator style.
Magpul Bev Block, about $30, torque wrench, most guys have ‘em or know a guy, pencil, a gas block with clear instructions and a set of feeler gauges, or make your year with a JP adjustable $70 that indexes on the barrel shoulder. 17 Design might be worth a nod as an upper receiver, saw them on sale for under $35 last week, I spend a few extra dollars on Melonite coated gas tubes, may not tickle your wallet.
Finally, don’t cheap out too much on the barrel. What’s never fun is poor accuracy. I can happily live with MOA from a gas gun, I can’t sink too far below that. Not sure who’s to recommend as I’m a 5.56 kinda guy.
Don’t skimp on the Bev Block, you don’t want to twist your upper and ruin things before they’re even used. Same with other tools, they really are mandatory.
Edited: just remembered you’re wanting “classic”. The JP FSB version is $150 which might be a no-go, but you could probably find a middy and use a faux FSB clamp on with rifle length guards, dissipator style.
So far the only stripped lowers I've found are $49 and up (17 Design & Anderson). As for the last sentence, remember I'm an AR15 noob so you'll have to translate it into English..........
If the barrel has to be a certain configuration and is only made for 5.56 then that's the way I may have to go, like I said, I don't know. I probably should also mention I want a 20" barrel.
Skylerbone
Member
JP is JP Enterprises, FSB is Front Sight Base (gas block with the front sight built in, middy is a mid length gas system (between carbine and rifle), and dissipator was originally a chop barrel (to 16”) with rifle gas length system so the FSB was about as far forward as it could be (even though it hadn’t moved).
This made for a faster handling “carbine” rifle that didn’t give up long sight radius. @GunnyUSMC has a picture or two I’d bet. Until then, picture the one you posted with the barrel being ~4” shorter. When I get around to it, a faux dissipator will be my next build.
If however you’re looking at 20” barrels you will likely only encounter rifle gas systems so the whole point might be moot.
This made for a faster handling “carbine” rifle that didn’t give up long sight radius. @GunnyUSMC has a picture or two I’d bet. Until then, picture the one you posted with the barrel being ~4” shorter. When I get around to it, a faux dissipator will be my next build.
If however you’re looking at 20” barrels you will likely only encounter rifle gas systems so the whole point might be moot.
Okay, it's not bedtime and I'm not half nodding off.......... Like I said I'm an AR15 noob and may not be be using the proper nomenclature. So to try and be totally clear as to what I'm envisioning when I say "semi-classic" is a M16 A1 or A2 clone but with an adjustable stock as opposed to the fixed stock. From what I've read the clones have 20" barrels.
Skylerbone
Member
Copy. The “faux” means it resembles a classic but under the handguards it’s employing modern technology. If you’re set on a 20” barrel however, a dissipator is not what you’re looking for.
I know what faux means. I'm explaining what I think I want based on what I've read/viewed considering my limited knowledge. I think I assumed AR builds were like Legos, didn't matter who you got the part from they all just fit together.
Having such limited knowledge I'm not always sure I understand what is posted and I'm open to suggestions.
Take your "dissapator", for some reason I'm not wrapping my head around the concept. I've looked it up but still not sure exactly what a "dissapator" is. Is it a part? A barrel system? A type of barrel?
Armored farmer
Member
If you don't have an AR pistol.....shame on you!
#1 son just got this finished..it is Illinois deer legal(believe it or not).
300blk 10½"
Vortex scope
Brace
Works with 5.56 mags
The subsonic ammunition should be excellent HD rounds at 190gr @1050 fps
I already have a pistol so I just need a 300blk upper to get into a deer gun for myself.
I'm waiting for a good price.
#1 son just got this finished..it is Illinois deer legal(believe it or not).
300blk 10½"
Vortex scope
Brace
Works with 5.56 mags
The subsonic ammunition should be excellent HD rounds at 190gr @1050 fps
I already have a pistol so I just need a 300blk upper to get into a deer gun for myself.
I'm waiting for a good price.
I just got into ARs earlier this year, never thought I wanted an AR pistol, now I own two, one AR 47 and one in 5.56.
After some more searching I found a definition (with visuals) on PewPewTactical that made sense to me, I'm a visual learner. Now I know exactly what a dissapator is.
Skylerbone
Member
My bad, I wasn’t understanding what I wasn’t clear on. Makes much more sense now lol!
It's common for we people to forget that we were once noobs in fields we are now well versed in. If I started talking about TPM modules, Chip sets, hyperthreading, mobos, etc without getting into detail most people wouldn't have a clue what I was talking about. Of course even if I explained it some wouldn't get it.
01001011 01101110 01101111 01110111 01110111 01101000 01100001 01110100 01001001 01101101 01100101 01100001 01101110 01010110 01100101 01110010 01101110 00111111
(By the way I cheated, I used an English to binary translator........ Translated: KnowwhatImeanVern?)
Soooo all that cleared up and if I decided to go with a 20" barrel (or any length) do I need say a contoured profile, standard M4 barrel or will any barrel work?
Armorer 101
Member
One day I went by the SOTA Arms store, on line, they had a sale on 30x39 barrels, .308 at 1-10 twist, so I bought one, should have bought a few. Changing the x39 to a .308 barrel with 150g bullets and 1680 makes a different brand of critter. Bill’s original ARc had a 30 version and the 30 Grendel. Woks real good on wild hogs. It and the TAC 30 (based on the 6.8 SPC case) run within 100 FPS of each other.
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