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In this video, Hank Strange will instruct you on how to build your own AR-15 starting with the lower receiver. He will lay out clear and concise instructions based on his years of experience and expertise to help you become your own armorer.
Tools for Building an AR-15 Lower Receiver
Here is a list of the products that Hank uses in this video to complete the build:
Great video. Anyone thinking about building a lower should save this video and refer back to it. I built a PSA lower recently and since it was my first time it did take me about an hour. I kept referring back to the video. The only special tool I bought was the armorer's wrench. I already had the punches and pliers.
Nice presentation. As it happens, I assembled one yesterday. My PSA kit included a spare detent pin and spring, which is wonderful but (thankfully) I didn't need them.
I find it helpful to print out the instructions from
https://www.ar15.com/guides/files/tutorials/assembly/lower/index.html?gid=183
because I don't build these frequently. Also, those instructions include good suggestions on the sequence of assembly. Some of the steps in the video would be better performed in a different order than shown; for example, starting the bolt catch pin before inserting the spring/buffer and catch (I do use masking tape while driving that particular pin).
The front takedown pin detent is definitely the most risky step and I don't have the special tool but you can do it using a needle-nose plyers and box cutter if you are careful.
It really helps to have something to hold the lower securely so you can use both hands; a piece of wood clamped in my vice worked OK for me. I wrapped the wood with duct tape to get a snug fit in the magazine well.
This is probably a 20 minute job of you have all parts and tools "at the ready" or half a day if you need to hunt for things.
The PSA kit was really nice in that related parts were bagged together so you don't confuse similar parts (like springs). Open each bag only when you need those parts to avoid confusion or losing stuff.
Really awesome. Thanks to Hank and everyone that took the time to do this. It was very generous of you. I especially liked the American Flag. Y’all Rock!
Great video to have available since I purchased 2 lowers a while back and plan to build them out soon. Like that pivot pin tool to make life easier. Hate to waste an hour looking for a part I dropped. Guess I'll add some extra pin/spring parts to my collection. :-)
You should be making all kinds of tutorials like this. Ever since YouTube censored gun building videos, it’s impossible to find a good gunsmith tutorial.
I have been building ARs for several years. Since it is usually several months between builds I find a video to help me refresh my memory (I'm 81) I have probably seen 10 or 15 different videos. I have book marked a couple of the ones I liked. However, this id the ABSOLUTE BEST lower build video I have seen! Thanks for a great video.
Well done and pretty good production values, speaking as one of your customers with a studio background and a couple of Emmy nominations. Clear closeups and no music in the background was key.
Like to see an upper video with takedown, build and assembly to lower to go with this, thanks.
Very nice I’m definitely getting that take down pin tool. For the roll pins I use channel locks with one jaw wrapped in electric tape to avoid marring the finish. I press the pin in with the channel locks until just before it engages, locate the part with a punch and press the punch out with the pin. Then a light tap with the punch to make sure the end of the pin isn’t proud and a snag point. You know what would be handy is a tap and set screw for the detent and spring on the back. That would eliminate the risk of bending the spring as you spin in the buffer tube with the retainer and castle nut. Great video I really enjoyed it.
Hank, this was something at 66 yrs Young, that I would never had attempted. You have changed all that, Great Instruction, Great Video. Thanks Much Sir. Looking for to an Upper and or complete weapon. Keith, USAF Controller.
Super video. The author didn't mention how the springs sometimes grow wings and fly away never to be found again. Keep some spares. I either bevel the roll pins, or use spiral wound pins, and hollow roll pin punches to ease assembly. I also use a bit of antiseize lubricant at dissimilar metals. Eases R&R especially in moist or corrosive areas.
I noticed that the kit doesn’t come with a slave pin for installing the Trigger group. How do I keep the holes aligned to slide the trigger group pin in?? This is defeating me.
Great video.. thank you! But i have an issue I'm going i can get some assistance with... I think i may have missed a step because i have an extra spring and detent... Is that normal?
While I have quite a bit of experience with the M16/AR-15 platform, this was my first time building a lower. I bought a 10.5" barreled 300 blk pistol kit from PSA. I had watched a previous video from Midwest Industries on building a lower, but they didn't get as close and detailed as this video. This video was great and easy to follow, although I did use a tip from the MI video for the front takedown/pivot pin assembly. Basically you put a punch (or screw driver in my case) that is slightly smaller diameter through the takedown pin holes from the opposite side that the pin goes in from, and use that to hold down the detent. Then as you line up your takedown pin it pushes the punch out of the way, being careful to ensure that the pin is now covering the detent, and then just slide the pin in and your good to go. Again this was my first time putting together a lower from a build kit, and I'd say it took me about 1 hr - 1 1/2 hr doing it on my living room floor without any special tools. I did have to run out to the garage a couple times to find a few tools I didn't think about. Everything went together fairly smooth, and it passed the function check. Things are a bit stiff, although I got to say the EPT trigger feels good, and an bit of an improvement over a standard GI/milspec trigger. Its not neccesarily lighter, but it does feel smoother, with just a little creep. Since I didn't have a vice or the AR-15 vice block, the bolt catch was really the trickiest part for me. I think if I had the vice and vice block, and I do another build I could probably do it in 30 - 60 minutes after doing this one. Even without the vice and block I managed to put everything together, without loosing any springs or detents (although there were a few close calls), and the only cosmetic damage I can see is where I used the punch to drive the bolt catch roll pin flush. Other than that I managed to not scratch anything else up. I also noticed as someone else mentioned that my kit came with an extra spring and detent for the takedown pins which I thought was a nice touch from PSA. My lower was an Anderson Manufacturing stripped lower, and seemed to go together well with the PSA kit. The 10.5" 300 blk upper seems mate up to the Anderson lower well. The only issue I can see is that the lower is more of a flat black, while the upper is a bit darker and a bit shiny. No biggy since I'm toying with the idea of doing a DIY paint job for this build anyways.
Thanks to PSA for providing these build kits, and also providing a easy to follow video tutorial on putting them together. I definitely have another build or two in mind after this one.
-Semper Fi
I’ve recently gone on an AR building spree and, on every occasion, watch Hank’s lower build to refresh my memory. Straight forward presentation with no irritating background music. Great job.
