Good AR-15 Kit?

[5 DOLLAR FOOT LONG]

Twist rate is really a minor concern. If you intend to shoot to 300+ yards then 1:8 or 1:7 are your best bets since they stabilize 77 grain bullets better. Any twist rate will be fine out to 100 yards or so with 55/62 grain.

e: stag is good to go, the first AR I had was one of theirs and it was fine.

 

[weekendracer]

Twist rate is really a minor concern. If you intend to shoot to 300+ yards then 1:8 or 1:7 are your best bets since they stabilize 77 grain bullets better. Any twist rate will be fine out to 100 yards or so with 55/62 grain.

e: stag is good to go, the first AR I had was one of theirs and it was fine.

This, unless you are building a tack driver, competition shooter.

 

[ScottS]

So to address some of the posts here:

• My friend (who convinced me to do a AR build) has a large workshop where he has done his AR's and most likely has all the tools I will need
• I am really liking the products I am finding on Stag Arms, thanks for that.

Last question really is: how significant of a factor is the twist rate of the rifling?

[EDIT]: I am Looking at buying this kit from Stag and perhaps upgrading the trigger grouping and stock at a later date

As far as twist rate goes, this isn't a bad rule of thumb.

 

[mac1911]

So to address some of the posts here:

• My friend (who convinced me to do a AR build) has a large workshop where he has done his AR's and most likely has all the tools I will need
• I am really liking the products I am finding on Stag Arms, thanks for that.

Last question really is: how significant of a factor is the twist rate of the rifling?

[EDIT]: I am Looking at buying this kit from Stag and perhaps upgrading the trigger grouping and stock at a later date

Again it comes down to what you want from the rifle.
What type of shooting and so on. Will you be reloading ammo or just buying what ever "affordable" 5.56 is on the shelf.
1/8 twist covers a lot of ground.

Give a few things to think about.
My RRA NM with heavy free float and added weight to the stock and hand guards is about 13.5lbs I shoot it in NRA service rifle matches where wheight is your friend. The X ring is 1moa , 10 ring is 2moa. So a good barrel and match ammo go a long way to helping you
You don't really want a 20" 12lb rifle for carbine classes where your average torso, hit on target style shooting does not lean heavy on "accuracy" more so dependability .
There's a bunch of little things too.
Example of that is if I sling up to tight with my milspec A2 where the sling attaches to the front sight base I can pull my barrel off enough to change poi.
1. What do you plan to do shoot range fun, positional target shooting, bench, run and gun ?
2. What are your expectations of accuracy
3. Iron sights , optics, both

 

[CrackPot]

So to address some of the posts here:

• My friend (who convinced me to do a AR build) has a large workshop where he has done his AR's and most likely has all the tools I will need
• I am really liking the products I am finding on Stag Arms, thanks for that.

Last question really is: how significant of a factor is the twist rate of the rifling?

[EDIT]: I am Looking at buying this kit from Stag and perhaps upgrading the trigger grouping and stock at a later date

That Stag kit will help you build a nice assault weapon. It has an adjustable stock which you will need to pin or replace and a flash hider that you will need to replace with a muzzle brake and pin and weld.

Buy the pieces separately including the upper. Build the upper also. Buy a fixed butt stock. Buy a crowned barrel. Save yourself some cost/work.

 

[hehe3301]

That Stag kit will help you build a nice assault weapon. It has an adjustable stock which you will need to pin or replace and a flash hider that you will need to replace with a muzzle brake and pin and weld.

Buy the pieces separately including the upper. Build the upper also. Buy a fixed butt stock. Buy a crowned barrel. Save yourself some cost/work.

This kit comes with a option for a fixed stock and pined and welded comompensator at no extra cost, and I priced it out piece by piece, it's more expensive to order indavidual parts because the kit is on sale.

 

[endus]

Cost of ammunition is a big factor unless you plan on reloading. I have yet to find any cheap(ish) 77gr ammunition.

 

[ScottS]

That Stag kit will help you build a nice assault weapon. It has an adjustable stock which you will need to pin or replace and a flash hider that you will need to replace with a muzzle brake and pin and weld.

Buy the pieces separately including the upper. Build the upper also. Buy a fixed butt stock. Buy a crowned barrel. Save yourself some cost/work.

Might just be me, but that strikes me as an odd way to put that.

 

[92G]

i wouldn't bother buying a complete lower kit because you will be replacing the trigger and grip. for this reason there are available these kits without a grip or trigger. then go buy yourself a nice trigger, grip and some KNS anti-walk pins....good to go on the lower.

 

[ScottS]

i wouldn't bother buying a complete lower kit because you will be replacing the trigger and grip. for this reason there are available these kits without a grip or trigger. then go buy yourself a nice trigger, grip and some KNS anti-walk pins....good to go on the lower.

Thought you might find this interesting, as just an FYI.

This is from Chad Albrecht, who runs the School of the American Rifle, a well-regarded AR15 Technical School located in Glen Burnie, Maryland that "focuses on the popular and modular, direct-impingement AR15 Rifle, Carbine, Short Barreled Rifle, and Pistol. "

Common AR15 Components, Parts, and Mods that tend to have, or lead to issues

-Anti-Rotation Hammer and Trigger Pins
The use of these pins is prima facia evidence the owner/builder has no idea how the AR-15 trigger mechanism is designed to work. The Hammer and Trigger Pins in the AR are designed to "float", so when you lock them in place you can slow the lock time of the Hammer from friction or induce a light strike. Anti-Rotation Pins can also prevent the trigger from resetting as reliably as floating pins. These issues get worse if there is not sufficient lubricant present in addition to excessive fouling.

In my experience as a Gunsmith that specializes in AR's, Anti-Rotation Pins are soft and will gall or break long before a GOOD Milspec Hammer/Trigger Pin. When Anti-Rotation Pins gall it can cause the F.C.G. to not reset or fire. You can also have MORE damage occur when Anti-Rotation Pins break because you won't know they are broke...because they won't fall out. Regular Pins will walk when they break giving you and indicator that they are broken.

Anti-Rotation Pins also require tools to remove the Fire Control Group where the Firing Pin can be used in the field to remove standard F.C.G. Pins (This should NOT be done often as it can damage the Firing Pin Tip). If you get a popped/blown primer in the F.C.G. pocket in the lower, it will require removal of the F.C.G.

IMO, If you want upgraded FCG Pins use Colt or Geissele Pins.

IMO, they are a marketing gimmick. The F.C.G. pins are designed to rotate/float. As long as you don't take the FCG out repeatedly (THIS is how the FCG Bores in the Lower wear out), and lubricate the firearm (no lube = wear and friction) it wont wear out. Guns that fail the Hammer/Trigger Bore Gauge (Yes there is a Gauge for this) test in the Lower Receiver are from guns that were disassembled and reassembled too often.

 

[92G]

Thought you might find this interesting, as just an FYI.

This is from Chad Albrecht, who runs the School of the American Rifle, a well-regarded AR15 Technical School located in Glen Burnie, Maryland that "focuses on the popular and modular, direct-impingement AR15 Rifle, Carbine, Short Barreled Rifle, and Pistol. "

there are some out there who don't like the KNS pins but my few experiences w them have been good. my gunsmith Tim Gostling runs them on his rifles and....well that's all I need to see to know a product is solid. personally just seeing the hammer pin rotate inside the lower drives me nuts. in my little brain I just imagine the steel grinding against the aluminum lower and it tears me apart inside. wish i would completely joking but only half way joke the rest is true.

of course the AR-15 design has succeeded for an awfully long time without KNS pins and done just fine so they certainly aren't necessary.

 

[mac1911]

Cost of ammunition is a big factor unless you plan on reloading. I have yet to find any cheap(ish) 77gr ammunition.

Razor core 77grain match king has been around .50¢ a round here and there. The sierra match king bullet will cost you .30¢ or so . I don't know how good that razor core stuff is but it does not seem to be selling. I really don't see to many people buying "match grade" 223 these days. I know one old timer who shoots PPU match when its on sale he stocks up.
If you are just blasting torso size targets just buy cheap ammo

 

[92G]

i have had excellent results with the IMI 5.56 razor core 69gr and 77gr. phenomenal ammo.

 

[mac1911]

i have had excellent results with the IMI 5.56 razor core 69gr and 77gr. phenomenal ammo.

I was tempted to buy a case at 50 cents per round as like I said those sierra match kings are .30 each or more that I find.
So honestly if this stuff shoots anything under 2moa and closer to 1moa its a good deal as for me a good day I soot 3moa with irons and it cost me less than loading them. Plus I get fresh brass

 

[endus]

Razor core 77grain match king has been around .50¢ a round here and there. The sierra match king bullet will cost you .30¢ or so . I don't know how good that razor core stuff is but it does not seem to be selling. I really don't see to many people buying "match grade" 223 these days. I know one old timer who shoots PPU match when its on sale he stocks up.
If you are just blasting torso size targets just buy cheap ammo

Definitely have not seen it that cheap! On Targetsports IMI is .75 per round. I don't see the Black hills stuff in 77gr at all but the heavier bullets are running around .85 per round.

 

[mac1911]

Definitely have not seen it that cheap! On Targetsports IMI is .75 per round. I don't see the Black hills stuff in 77gr at all but the heavier bullets are running around .85 per round.

it was on sale for the past 2 weeks in 3 places average was .55 cents shipped. the best deal was a 500 round box shipped for .52 cents per round.