Building an AR

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

McKnife

Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2006
Messages
168
Location
Texas
Does anyone have experience with http://ar15-m16.com???

I finally have my lower receiver and I was thinking about purchasing the Complete 16" AR-15 CAR Rifle Kit from this website.

Any suggestions or recommendations on where to get internals and complete upper? I prefer the M4 16inch barrel, chrome lined.

THanks!
 
I'd look at a Stag Arms upper. You can get them from aimsurplus.com for a decent price, they go for about $475.

Then buy a complete M4 style lower for $200-250.

You'd have one of the best quality AR's out there for less than $800.
 
Not to hi-jack the thread, but is it better to have a 5.56 chamber or just go with .223?
 
Last edited:
If you want to shoot cheap ammo, get 5.56.

I've heard a lot of people say that the Wylde chambers are pretty good too.
 
Now days one has to ask oneself what shooting purpose they have in mind. There are lots of alternatives to 5.56/.223 out there in the AR15 platform. The .223/5.56 is cheap to shoot but can't be used for hunting medium or larger game in most states.

AR15 Platform Alternatives
Cheap plinking: 5.56/.223
Varmint Hunting: 5.56/.223 or 6.5 Grendel
Medium Game hunting: 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC
Large Game hunting: .50 Beowulf or .458 SOCOM
Competition Shooting Minor PF: 5.56/.223
Competition Shooting Major PF: 6.5 Grendel
Long Range Hunting (600 yard): 6.5 Grendel
Self Defense: Any of above
 
on subject: I just bought a stripped lower, I'm buying the lower parts kit and butt stock from midway and ordering a complete upper from del-ton.



off subject: what about the .300 whisper?
 
McKnife, I'm not familiar with ar15-m16.com. However, I can recommend Model 1 Sales (http://www.model1sales.com). I've seen some people badmouth Model 1 Sales, but I've built two AR15s using their uppers/kits and have been completely pleased.

Take a look at this complete kit (less the receiver, which you have):

http://www.model1sales.com/item-detail.cfm?ID=KCEM46CL&storeid=1&image=carm416pre.gif

The one thing I would caution you about is to go ahead and get an M-4 handguard instead of a basic CAR handguard. Those CAR handguards give you very little to hold onto and heat up very quickly. When I built my first AR15, I went with the CAR kit to save a few bucks. After one trip to the range, I bought a Bushmaster M-4 handguard and ditched the CAR handguard. I could have saved some money had I known in advance.
 
Not legal = trouble
Click to expand...

I'm not advocating breaking the law by any means. I'm just saying, 5.56 is effective on whitetail (with proper shot placement and the proper load), regardless of what the law says.
 
What does a M-4 style lower look like?

Just wondering what an M-4 style lower looks like. Or would that be the barrel profile that makes it an M-4? When buying the M-4 style keep this in mind: The barrel profile goes from large to small then back to large, after a few rounds the larger part of the barrel will be cooler than the smaller area of the barrel. IE you can heat up a thinner piece of metal faster than a thicker piece. That would cause an uneven temp of your barrel from one area to the next. You decide what happens then.... Then you have the cooling process of the same areas.... then you add the different metals ( which expand and contract differently) with the chrome lining... and what happens? Now you think of can they actually make the lining the same thickness throughout the barrel? It can be close, but as many people know, chrome lining gives you a little extra wear time, and some ft per second, easier to clean, but you give up accuracy.
The M-4 in its original variant was to have a shorter barrel than the normal A-2 for close quarters combat. The overall length of the M-4 barrel is 14.5 inches and is not legal to own unless you have a registered short barrel receiver.
All of the M-4 profile rifles that are not a registered short barrel rifle, have a barrel length of 16" and really are not the original even though they are shorter than the standard issue 20" rifle.
Just a few notes.........
 
M4 can refer to many of the "profiles" and configurations on the rifle.

An M4 buttstock is generally a 4 or 6 pos. buttstock.

The term "M4" is used a lot "looser" and "general" in the civilian world than in the US military.

My "M4" (or one of them anyways), has a 6 pos. stock, flat top upper, 14.5" M4 profile barrel with a 1.5" permenantly attached phantom flash hider (in order to bring it up to the legal 16" length. The other is the same, but it has a 16" barrel with an A2 flash hider (NOT perm. attached).
 
A civilian "M4" (or M4gery, as some would call it) is generally an AR15 that has a carbine-length barrel (usu. 16") and a collapsible buttstock. This can also describe a CAR, but I've noticed that the term "M4" can be used pretty loosely. There are other hallmarks of a true M4 (other than full-auto capability), but those aren't found on every M4gery. A flattop upper receiver is one of these. Another is a fatter, oval-shaped handguard with double (or at least thicker) heat shields. A true M4 barrel will also have a lighter contour under the handguard, as well as a cutout near the muzzle to attach a grenade launcher.

On mine, I have a 6-pos buttstock, M4 handguard and 16" barrel. However, the barrel length exceeds 16" due to its threaded-on A2 flash suppressor, and it has a heavy contour for its whole length. Mine also has the standard carrying handle instead of a flattop. I think it qualifies as an M4gery, but it's no M4.
 
It really depends on how much you want to spend, and how much quality you want. ;)

I like and recommend LMT upper receivers personally.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

R
  • Locked
Which AR-15 upper?
Replies
20
Views
1K
Lonerider357
L
T
  • Locked
AR Build Question
Replies
1
Views
310
MachIVshooter
MachIVshooter
N
  • Locked
Century arms AR-15
Replies
3
Views
534
RP88
R
M
  • Locked
**PICS** New Upper for Ar-15
Replies
10
Views
797
wdlsguy
W
P
  • Locked
Help me build an AR...
Replies
3
Views
935
*8*
8
Back
Top