Another "budget" AR, ha, ha, ha.....

[CraigC]

I seem to be incapable. I will give myself credit for having a stripped lower for all of about 10 months before I did anything with it. I went nuts with AR's last year and built several. I had a lull over the fall/winter but got the idea of doing another hunting rifle in brown tones. I originally wanted to do another 6.5Grendel but right now you take what you can get. My original .300Blk braced pistol, put together with a relatively cheap AR Stoner complete upper, is now permanently a 10.5" 5.56 and on guard duty, so the old .300 upper was laying around without a home. Last year I bought an OD green Springfield Saint pistol but a 7.5" 5.56 is just ridiculous. So, I took apart the old .300 upper and put the 8.5" barrel on the Saint. Then I repurposed the upper into a 16" .300Blk with a new SOLGW barrel from Primary Arms. Had a CMMG lower parts kit, several buffers and tubes and put together a new lower with mostly B5 furniture. Already had the Sightmark 1-4x and mount. Added a multicam VTAC sling and presto, another AR. Also had a Fastfire I picked up cheap and a DD 45° mount. Before optics and the suppressor, it was 6lbs 10oz. As pictured, it's 9lbs 10oz. The plan is to end up with burnt bronze Cerakote on most of the metal work. I'll shoot it and play with it for a while first. May end up with a lighter optic to shave some weight.

Forgot to mention, before the optics, there's about $800 in it. I didn't pay any crazy panic prices for any of it.

 

[LoonWulf]

I like the brown and black......
I also REALLY like burnt bronze.......

 

[mavracer]

All mine were budget, just sometimes the budget was a lot more than others lol.

I like the two tone look

 

[IdaD]

Before optics and the suppressor, it was 6lbs 10oz. As pictured, it's 9lbs 10oz.

I've toyed with building a deer rifle in 6.5 Grendel from time to time but every time I think seriously about it, I come back to this. Granted you can build an AR that weighs less, but at the end of the day for a hunting rifle I just don't think you can beat a bolt action. Simple, light, reliable, carries comfortably and you have essentially unrestricted caliber options.

That's a sweet looking AR, though. From a stand it would probably make a really nice deer rifle too as long as the shots are short.

 

[Nature Boy]

Rifle project + Blown budget = status quo

 

[CraigC]

I've toyed with building a deer rifle in 6.5 Grendel from time to time but every time I think seriously about it, I come back to this. Granted you can build an AR that weighs less, but at the end of the day for a hunting rifle I just don't think you can beat a bolt action. Simple, light, reliable, carries comfortably and you have essentially unrestricted caliber options.

That's a sweet looking AR, though. From a stand it would probably make a really nice deer rifle too as long as the shots are short.

I agree, building a light AR takes some effort. The 6.5 I built last year has a fluted 18" barrel and even with the UBR, which is a chunky stock, it came in at a hair over 8.5lbs. The scope can make a dramatic difference. These 30mm tube "tactical" optics tend to run really heavy. I just took possession of a Burris 4x compact scope that weighs all of 8oz. Coupled with the Fastfire that weighs almost nothing, that might be the hot ticket. It's far easier to get there with a bolt gun and I've been looking for a Ruger American Ranch in 6.5 for months. Ice cold aluminum is not a whole lot of fun to hunt with either but I have an idea to address that too. This is just the first stage.

 

[CraigC]

Rifle project + Blown budget = status quo

Yep! To be honest, I didn't really go into it trying to make it a "budget" build. I just thought it would be considering the parts used.

 

[horsemen61]

Rifle project + Blown budget = status quo

It happens to me every time lol

 

[doubleh]

My compliments on your build. It looks nice. By the way, I agree with your comment about the short barreled 5.56's. I have run into a few guys at my range with them that were ecstatic about having the little noise makers. My thought was always "why?". My SIL has a short barreled 9 mm that he is crazy about. My thought about it is the same.

 

[CraigC]

By the way, I agree with your comment about the short barreled 5.56's. I have run into a few guys at my range with them that were ecstatic about having the little noise makers. My thought was always "why?".

If what you're wanting to do is make noise, I reckon there's no better. First time I shot it was late in the evening, just before sunset and the muzzle flash was blinding. My immediate thought was, "what the hell is this thing good for?". I was shocked at the difference between it and the 10.5". The .300 does much better in short barrels anyway.

 

[adcoch1]

If what you're wanting to do is make noise, I reckon there's no better. First time I shot it was late in the evening, just before sunset and the muzzle flash was blinding. My immediate thought was, "what the hell is this thing good for?". I was shocked at the difference between it and the 10.5". The .300 does much better in short barrels anyway.

I have referred to 7.5" 5.56 ar15s as "personal flashbang grenades" cause they are such a slap in the face. A short barreled 9mm or 300 blk I get, perfect suppressor host or fun range toy. But those little 5.56 barrels are pointless other than making noise in a small package. Love the new rifle CraigC, show us pictures once the Ceracoat is done!

 

[CraigC]

Mine was terrible, even with the linear comp on it. Truth be told, I bought it because it's green and I couldn't put it down in the shop. Now I can actually put it to good use and there's enough barrel protrusion to put the suppressor on it. I also got 500rds of Berry's 220's for them, for when my S&B subsonic ammo runs out.

This is the only picture I have of it. Which probably tells how serious a purchase it was.

 

[Gordon]

Last year was certainly the year to refine your ARs. I chose to only keep .5.56 in 10 "+ barrels , and .300 in 8"+ barrels and one lonely 6.8 in a 16" . Then AR10s in .308 and 6.5 CM . I wanted to be able to obtain ammo in desparate times, like now and the future. I quit shooting up my stash of ammo for fun. Now I am working the Dillon and boolit moulds for the "fun shooting" . I swapped around components until my sons and I got what we felt would work for us best in interesting times. I really like the .300 suppressed and with NODs for night hunting and patrolling . I also like the 5.56 for all around sustainability in bad times , same for 9mm x19 . We finished up our AR type stuff and have now cached the ones we would want in real bad times in the future . There was lots of time in 2020 to finish up projects and those "stimulus checks" helped

 

[1KPerDay]

I seem to be incapable. I will give myself credit for having a stripped lower for all of about 10 months before I did anything with it. I went nuts with AR's last year and built several. I had a lull over the fall/winter but got the idea of doing another hunting rifle in brown tones. I originally wanted to do another 6.5Grendel but right now you take what you can get. My original .300Blk braced pistol, put together with a relatively cheap AR Stoner complete upper, is now permanently a 10.5" 5.56 and on guard duty, so the old .300 upper was laying around without a home. Last year I bought an OD green Springfield Saint pistol but a 7.5" 5.56 is just ridiculous. So, I took apart the old .300 upper and put the 8.5" barrel on the Saint. Then I repurposed the upper into a 16" .300Blk with a new SOLGW barrel from Primary Arms. Had a CMMG lower parts kit, several buffers and tubes and put together a new lower with mostly B5 furniture. Already had the Sightmark 1-4x and mount. Added a multicam VTAC sling and presto, another AR. Also had a Fastfire I picked up cheap and a DD 45° mount. Before optics and the suppressor, it was 6lbs 10oz. As pictured, it's 9lbs 10oz. The plan is to end up with burnt bronze Cerakote on most of the metal work. I'll shoot it and play with it for a while first. May end up with a lighter optic to shave some weight.

Forgot to mention, before the optics, there's about $800 in it. I didn't pay any crazy panic prices for any of it.

View attachment 982175

I think the black and tan look is cool as is

 

[Demi-human]

Could you get a photo of your background and Dip-it?
Those are some seriously photogenic shelf Shrooms on those logs.

 

[kcofohio]

Looks good CraigC! I like the 300 Blk round. So does my daughter.

I'm hoping my next "budget" is a 6.5 Grendel. I've got one more stripped lower that I want to built it in a PRS. Already have a 223 Wylde 24" HB upper that should be perfect.

 

[CraigC]

Could you get a photo of your background and Dip-it?
Those are some seriously photogenic shelf Shrooms on those logs.

Yeah, I guess it's too late to split them for firewood!