Help Me Build My Latest AR

General Discussion
21

Just finished up ordering everything. I went with the PSA 13.5" handguard I posted originally, I love the look of it and it’ll keep the build looking like a full Sabre as I wanted it to, just with the pencil barrel. Got a 3-screw .625 gas block from Faxon figuring nothing is going to fit their barrel better than their own block, an Aero melonited gas tube, a Leapers quick-connect dust cover, the Aero slick side stripped upper, the Toolcraft nickel BCG, and a Breek Arms Warhammer charging handle.

All in all the build, taxed, shipped, complete pricing for the entire thing came juuuuust about to 900 bones (sans optic) thanks to getting the barrel 80 bucks off on Dvor, an Aero sale $25 off the stripped upper, PSA having free shipping on the handguard and BCG, and finally my FFL being awesome and doing me a solid ordering the lower themselves at the exact price PSA posted saving me paying a transfer fee.

I think when completed this should run with anything out there, and be a significant improvement over my mostly stock M&P Sport II as an AR to shoot standing at < 50m and to run and gun with.

I can’t get the GLx 2x prism just yet because Primary says they’re out of stock until early May, so I may wait for their Memorial Day sale and see if I can score one then, but I’ll probably just slap irons on this thing in the meantime so I can test functionality once it’s together. Excited.

22

I should have noticed the dust cover. The Magpul polymer ones are worlds away easier to install. Buy a few and you’ll love them. Otherwise, I love it! Take some pics when it’s built but I hope you really like it. Love a good lightweight build and you’re doing it right.

23

I’ve never given a dust cover a second thought. I got a nickel-colored mil-spec one for my PA10, that’s about it.

I bought this Leapers because it was 9 bucks and it’s called a “quick install”. Not sure how much easier it can be than an everyday one, but I was curious. If it sucks and doesn’t fit well, I have some other milspec covers lying around here somewhere.

Thanks for your help BTW, if not for you confirming on the BCG I may have gone with a lighter one and spent more money for more problems.

24

I bent a dust cover somehow awhile back and didn’t feel like pulling the handguard off to install a new pin. Magpul had just come out with theirs and I figured why not. It’s literally about 5 seconds to install or remove in a fully assembled upper. Not sure if they’re as durable as a normal one but they’re so stupidly easy to install or remove I don’t know that I care either.

Forgotten Weapons has an old video with James Sullivan who worked with Eugene Stoner to develop the AR-15 talking about this. They said if anything, it should be even heavier for reliability. In a full length rifle buffer setup, it’s way heavier than the carbine buffer. It’s also why I say the Sprinco springs are useful. Having a normal bcg with a heavier buffer makes the whole thing bottom out really hard. There’s some math involved, but normal bcg plus H1 is about 15% more mass. A Sprinco Blue is 15% stiffer, bringing it back into perfect balance.

25

The lower I ordered says it comes with a carbine buffer and Sprinco white spring. Looks like the Sprinco website is full of instructions and whatnot, time to go educate myself a bit.

26

it sounds like you’ve got yourself some good parts that is gonna build you a good rifle. I also agree i think it’ll run with just bout anything out there. good job. I hope to see photos when you get it together.

27

Well, I wasn’t intending to spend any more on this build right this exact moment, but I made the (happy) mistake of browsing the Primary Arms open box section and lo and behold, looky what they had available.

It’s the exact optic I want (which is normally $370, has been out of stock for months, and will be until May according to them,) for a hundred bucks off. So…ordered and now build completely done. Less than $1,200 for the entire rig.

28

wow… that looks like a pretty solid prismatic optic. i like PA’s stuff, i’ve never used their prism scopes though… perhaps i will one day… glad you wre able to find this deal though… that is awesome!!

29

Faxon makes some great barrels… have a few. Had a 16" pencil years ago on a light weight build (4 to 4.5 lbs). The barrel was zeroed cold and was accurate for the first 2 or 3 shots …before walking away because of heat… returning to zero after chilling awhile.
For a one and done, hunting style rifle after a five mile hike, the pencil works. If spray and pray is a home defense strategy, the pencil will work. With only a slight weight penalty over the pencil, Faxon’s Gunner barrels are much better in every situation and for just about every application (…except the long, long range stuff. And that is where their heavy fluted barrels shine.)
Of course, just one opinion… YMMV!

Hope you enjoy building your dream rifle. :+1::slightly_smiling_face::+1:

30

I considered the Gunner, but found a good sale on the pencil, hence why I pulled the trigger on it. Seen some reports that say shots don’t walk, some that do (including yours.) I suppose I’ll find out for myself, but like I said earlier, not building this to be a precision rig and don’t plan on shooting it out past 50-100 often, so I’m not too concerned about it.

Thanks for your input and reassurance on the Faxon brand.

31

Got the upper, barrel, gas block, gas tube, charging handle, and dust cover in.

Handguard, BCG, and optic should be here tomorrow barring UPS/USPS shenanigans. Hopefully can get the upper fully built tomorrow.

Lower got delayed as it went out of stock after I had my LGS place the order, but it came back in stock today so should only be a week-ish out.

32

Got the optic (Primary Arms GLx 2x prism) in. I have to say, my initial impressions on this thing are crazy good.

I mounted it to my AK and did some basic ranging as a test, and honestly, the “2x” label of magnification is deceiving. I knew the reticle gave holds for out to 500, but I figured with that level of magnification that range would be optimistic at best. Thought it would be great for CQB to 100 and anything past that would be a stretch. I was wrong, I bet you can really reach out and touch someone with this thing. I think it would be easy to make shots out to and past 300, maybe even to 500. The view is crisp and clear and the reticle’s holds are the perfect sizes when viewed at range. They look tiny in CQB (this is slightly adjustable with the diopter,) but that’s obviously by design as anything within 25m all you’re going to do is drop the big, bold horseshoe on center target and unload…which you can easily do, with both eyes open even. From 50 out, you’ll be focusing and using the holds.

The etched reticle is money for astigmatism, the highest illumination setting is easily daytime bright (if not a little overkill even,) and it has shake awake. Comes with three different riser mounts and 5 bags of screws for attaching the optic to any kind of aftermarket ACOG mount. It really covers all the bases.

When I stop spending money like a drunken sailor, I’m absolutely going to get another one of these for the AK.

33

Is this the one I saw with a reticle for a 9 PCC?

34

Specifically, no. They make this model in a 5.56/.308 reticle and a 7.62x39/.300blk reticle. Primary does sell a SLx 1x prism with a dedicated 9mm reticle though.

You could probably get by with the 2x with a 9mm PCC, though. The ranging holds wouldn’t be on, but are you really shooting 9 out past 100 anyway? Zero it where you want and call it a day.

35

Got everything in, checked it all, and got the upper built. Faxon gas block and barrel are very nice quality. Slickside upper looks nice and clean, love the handguard too, light, solid, and nice grip feel. Barrel sticks out juuuust a bit further than I thought it would, but I think it still looks pretty good. I probably could’ve saved an ounce here or there with a 10" handguard instead of a 13.5" and a small dot sight, but I’d have given up aesthetic appeal and optic quality/capability. I think it’s a reasonable compromise as is and will probably be about 6lbs when complete, give or take.

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36

I think that barrel protrusion amount looks perfect. A shorter handguard would have been fine, but this looks very nicely put together.

37

I agree… the barrel protrusion looks great. i think you did a good build there.

38

Thank you. Hopefully I can get my hands on the lower this week, get it to the range, and pray it doesn’t blow up.

39

im sure you built a solid rifle upper there. I dont think you’ll have to worry about it kablooing unless you are using reloads double charged or something.

40

I don’t have any pictures yet, but the lower came in, so I gave it a good inspection, lubed everything up, and slapped it together.

The forged Sabre lower is very nice overall, mates up solidly with the Aero slickside upper, with only the tiny slightest bit of play, but you really have to get your hands in place and move the two pieces and pay attention in order to feel it. The Sabre stock was more wobbly than I’d prefer, I’m sure it wouldn’t bother most people, but I’m kind of OCD so I took a couple minutes to line the inside with a little tape to tighten it up so there’s no play at all, once I dialed that in the rifle feels as tight as any I’ve handled.

The cheek weld with no riser on the PA prism felt okay, but I shoot with my thumb over the top of the handguard and I could see a blurred outline of it through the optic which was no bueno, so I took it off and installed the lowest included riser from PA.

The Hiperfire trigger will take a little getting used to. There is juuuuust a hair of takeup but trying to gauge it and ride the exact break point without firing was difficult, I’d often engage the trigger when I was trying not to while doing that. However, it’s such a light pull and the takeup is so small you can almost treat it as an instant break which I think I’ll end up doing. The reset is instant, there’s nothing more I can say about it. As soon as you let up the tiniest bit it’s ready to go again.

I like the feel of the Radian safety, I was going to replace it with the Elftmann crossbolt-style, but I think I may orient it from 90 to 45 and see how it goes.

The rig overall is marginally heavier (can notice while holding out, not so much while shouldered) than my S&W M&P 15-22…which has polymer receivers and handguard, so I’m very happy with the weight.

Have to get out the boresighter and ballpark in the optic.

Can’t wait to give it some run.