3 ARs 3 distinct builds...where to start.

[WestKentucky]

Right now I have essentially 1 complete rifle and 2 sets of receivers. I plan to have a precision rifle, a carbine, and a pistol. I have an Anderson serialized factory finished stripped lower that is part of my complete rifle. I am in no way afraid to strip that lower and swap parts around. I also have an aluminum 80% that I recently finished and a poly 80% that I recently finished. The poly lower came out looking great. The aluminum lower came out functional but ugly.

So given these three lowers, and the three types of builds, what lower would you use for each build? Assume all are simply range toys.

 

[Acera]

You have less choices than you think. That Anderson lower that is part of your complete rifle can never be a pistol, legally. (Unless you built it as a pistol first, then made a rifle later.) You put it out on the internet, it will never go away..............LOL.

If it were me, I would build the precision rifle with the factory lower, General purpose rifle with the good looking poly and put the ugly on the pistol.

Show us some pictures.



.

 

[mavracer]

I'd build a precision rifle with the Anderson, use the poly on the pistol and the aluminum 80% on a beater carbine

 

[LoonWulf]

...how ugly is that 80% i remeber you saying you stripped the ano...if the surface finish isnt horrible id be mildly inlcined to buy some more stripped parts and get them color matched....i always wanted a gray/black acid wash ar.

 

[WestKentucky]

That was somebody else who stripped theirs pickling out the busted bit. Mine is just a bunch of scuffs. It actually looks kinda interesting. I might distress the matched upper to go along with it and just see what I end up with. I feel like it's gonna end up with a coat of krylon, but I might try the DIY hydrodip if I end up going that route.

 

[LoonWulf]

Ahhhh keh, sorry so many ar builds going hard to keep track

 

[MachIVshooter]

If it were me, I would build the precision rifle with the factory lower, General purpose rifle with the good looking poly and put the ugly on the pistol.

This. You don't wanna use a poly lower for a pistol.

 

[WestKentucky]

This. You don't wanna use a poly lower for a pistol.

Why not? Seems I would want the more durable, rigid parts on a heavier gun? I'm curious now.

 

[WestKentucky]

Current parts collection.

3 lowers
2 uppers
2 barrels with matching gas blocks (rifle)
1 stock/tube kit
1 gas tube (rifle)
1 lpk
1 trigger group
1 handguard with barrel nut
1 bcg
1 charging handle
A few mags
Various spare cheapo optics

 

[WestKentucky]

What I need...

1 upper
1 pistol barrel
1 gas block
1 stock kit
1 pistol blade kit
1 rifle length gas tube
1 pistol length gas tube
1 complete lpk
1 lpk less trigger
2 upk
1 rifle length FF handguard
1 pistol length FF handguard
1 pistol bcg caliber TBD
1 6.8spc bcg
1 good trigger
2 charging handles

This ain't gonna be cheap.

 

[strambo]

I'd make the pistol out of the poly lower. Why? The weakest part of a poly lower is where the stock attaches. So, the pistol has no stock and will get a lot less force transmitted through that area even if dropped (less weight).

I'd use the factory lower and best parts on the config you'd grab to fight with if you had to.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Why not? Seems I would want the more durable, rigid parts on a heavier gun? I'm curious now.

Receiver extension housing flex. With no stock against a shoulder to reinforce, the RE housing is taking 100% of the force of spring compression and the buffer slamming into the rear of the extension. Common for poly lowers to break at the rear take down pin, especially pistols.

I'd make the pistol out of the poly lower. Why? The weakest part of a poly lower is where the stock attaches. So, the pistol has no stock and will get a lot less force transmitted through that area even if dropped (less weight).

Your thinking is backwards. See above.

 

[Varminterror]

Agreed - no poly for pistol.

Then again, I don't really dig poly at all. But especially not for pistols.

So that leaves your options pretty straight forward - the assembled rifle has to stay a rifle, so leave well enough alone and keep it as your precision rifle. Use the poly for the carbine, then the ugly aluminum as your pistol.

Do you have an adjustable gas block for the pistol? I'd highly recommend it.

 

[mavracer]

Receiver extension housing flex. With no stock against a shoulder to reinforce, the RE housing is taking 100% of the force of spring compression and the buffer slamming into the rear of the extension. Common for poly lowers to break at the rear take down pin, especially pistols.

In light of that I change my answer lol

 

[strambo]

Your thinking is backwards. See above.

Good to know, I assumed the forces breaking the receiver in that area were external. I don't have any poly lowers anyway, not when I can get forged for under $50.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I assumed the forces breaking the receiver in that area were external.

I'm sure that's also sometimes the case.

I don't have any poly lowers anyway, not when I can get forged for under $50.

IMO, there's no good reason to use them unless going for an ultralight build, which is what I did. They're less than half the weight of a forged 7075 lower.

This build came in at 4.87 lbs with the BUIS and the Micro RDS. Budget was part of it, I wanted to see if I could do under 5 lbs for under $500. The Trijicon MS-04 was free to me, but everything else was bought new. It came in at $520. It's an Ares polymer 80%:



But speaking to the point of RE flex, the Ares units are pretty bulky back there, and can still be flexed quite a bit by hand.