AR Builds -- What Parts Did You Choose and Why??

What's with the long for-ends on everyone's builds? Is there a practical purpose or am I old school?
I believe it is the latest and greatest "Tacticool" way to run an AR if you are an operator or 3 Gun competitor. You straighten your off arm, lock the elbow, and grip the forend with your thumb on top. Then you can then "drive" the muzzle from target to target in the quickest possible time.

I wouldn't know for sure, because my AR is just a stripped lower in the safe waiting to be built into something.

https://loadoutroom.com/5695/exaggerated-c-clamp-grip-hype-not/

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these are all from 80% recievers milled by myself with no jig... just measure with calipers.

all the FDE cerakote i did nyself with the exception of the handguard on my wife's carbine.
all cheap partskit triggers polished and sears filed and polished to be smooth and light with short, crisp resets

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300 blackout pistol. 10.5" barrel. made the trigger guard, muzzle revice (linear compensator) flashlight mount and modified the bare endplate to take a sling. cerakoted in fde. total cost $380 (w/o optic)

5.56 cabine. my $100 gun i built in a weekend from extra parts so i could take a carbine course at frontsight... funny thing is that i actually shoots better than my wife's carbine that i put way more into. i built parts of the optic riser, the muzzle device, the front sling swivel and wrapped the handguard in paracord

wifey's 5.56 carbine... of course it is the one with all matching colors. this is actually the second rendition of her carine as she blew up the first one when she grabbed one of my blackout mags when she was going to execute a chicken. i didn't make much on this gun other than milling out the 80% , the sling stud, cerakoting everthing and assembling... and the obligatory paracord wrap. total cost $460 (w/o optic

visible off to the side is what will become an integrally suppressed 16" blackout carbine and my first 308 project.
a few pics of the custom parts...

linear comp (?) .. its 2.5" long with the threaded portion at the middle or its length so that it has two chambers; one foreware and one rearward of the muzzle... the purpose being extra air space to buffer the bast. jury is still out on its effectiveness.
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el cheapo LED flashlight turned down to 1" and clamped into an old scope ring i had to make a weapon mounted light.
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was making a thread protector when i got the idea to make a concave bell on the end... i was thinking of a bored shotgun choke... i call it my flash projector and i works great; shoots the flash in a straight line foreware but the cool thing is the sound; each shot sounds like a hollow "whump".
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the startings of an endplate which will achor an "ace" styled skeleton stock. behind it is my basic parts kit plate that i welded a machine nut to for attaching a sling.
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an example of my sling studs... drill and tap lengthways through a brass bolt for a #10-32 stainless machine screw (with a nut welded to its head perpendicular)
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not the fanciest guns but they shoot well and i enjoy the challenge of making what piecced i can. my 308 project goal is to make every piece i possibly can (now getting extrusions to mill my own handguards as well..)
 
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I started my 18" middy build
  • Ruger lower for a something I didn't have and local
  • PWS Ratchet castle nut and endplate cause I thought it was a novel idea and wanted to try it out. https://www.primaryweapons.com/product-url-1893
  • Magpul CTR with grey Larue RISR because I had them
  • Seekins mag release red button because I had it
  • red bolt catch because I had it
  • Magpul MBUS pro offset sights because I got carried away and spent more then I should for now
  • Fortis Hammer nickelene was also due to getting carried away
Just a trigger, upper and some nice glass to go! haha
 
I built this rifle last week.

DSA upper, small parts from Brownell's
AR Stoner 18" fluted barrel
Palmetto NiB BCG
Standard CH, forget who made it
Doublestar rifle length free float tube
Palmetto PA-15 complete carbine lower
Leupold VX-1 3X-9
 

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BCM 11.5" upper with BCM keymod rail
BCM lower
Sionics NP3 BCG
H3 buffer
Geissele SSA trigger
Geissele charging handle
Aimpoint T1, Daniel Defense lower 1/3 mount
B5 stock
Silencerco Saker K 556 with ASR mount
Blue Force Gear sling
Surefire M600
Peq15 laser

The laser is issued but the rest of it's mine. Just found out SWAT is finally getting issued SBR's with suppressors so I guess this will be a nice back-up.
 

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BCM 11.5" upper with BCM keymod rail
BCM lower
Sionics NP3 BCG
H3 buffer
Geissele SSA trigger
Geissele charging handle
Aimpoint T1, Daniel Defense lower 1/3 mount
B5 stock
Silencerco Saker K 556 with ASR mount
Blue Force Gear sling
Surefire M600
Peq15 laser

The laser is issued but the rest of it's mine. Just found out SWAT is finally getting issued SBR's with suppressors so I guess this will be a nice back-up.
Very nice build and parts list . How do you like the Sionics NP3 BCG? I have been wanting to try one.

I just ordered their "gutted ar15 lower" because I couldn't find any stripped ones in stock. Pretty neat idea with the takedown pins, trigger guard, bolt catch, and receiver extension (staked) already installed.
 
Very nice build and parts list . How do you like the Sionics NP3 BCG? I have been wanting to try one.

I really like it. I didn't have any issues with the BCM BCG, but running suppressed I was curious how the NP3 was. Turns out I can clean the entire thing with one paper towel. Everything except the bolt tail wipes off ridiculously easily.
 
First pistol build, second AR build.

Aero Precision upper, lower, and LPK
Gearhead Works Tailhook MOD2
BCM MOD1 grip
BCM Gunfighter charging handle
Toolcraft BCG
Rosco Manufacturing 11.5" barrel (made in my home state)
A2 FH
Midwest Industries gen 2 FF quad rail.
Magpul MBUS Sights

All done except time my FH, and full rattle can drab/brown. I see an EOTech in my future....
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On all of my AR builds I decided what I wanted, look, purpose, feel and built from there. I did swap out several grips and fore ends till I liked what I had. Ended up swapping parts with people or borrowing parts to see if I liked that feel and look. I am doing a SR25 based clone now. I am putting specific parts on that I had previously had hands on. So that build is a little more strict on its build out. I can start piecing it together but I just need to find where I stashed all the bits and pieces.
 
Caught wind of a pretty great deal on Ballistic Advantage barrels via Reddit, and decided to build myself a 'nice' rifle.

Savage MSR stripped lower receiver
Aero Precision upper receiver
Ballistic Advantage 16" midlength Hanson profile w/pinned LPGB
Aero Precision Atlas S-One 15" handguard
Daniel Defense stock
Daniel Defense PG
BCM Enhanced LPK
DSA buffer tube
Armaspec Stealth captive buffer
Strike Industries Venom flash hider
Strike Industries EL charging handle
Strike Industries Enhanced bolt catch
AIM Surplus NiB BCG

Just finished it today, and it weighs 6 pounds, 4.5 ounces. Balance point is about an inch behind the pivot pin empty. The flash hider rings like a tuning fork whenever you manipulate it, which I find hilarious.

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Just need to find some deals on a RDS + magnifier + QD mount and I'll be gtg.
 
I built an AR that I was hoping would be as close as possible to a do-it-all rifle. I wanted as much accuracy as possible in as light a weight as possible. I chose a BCM 18" 410SS barrel in 1:8. I chose the 410 because it is a tiny bit harder and more durable than the 416 used in most other barrels. The 1:8 allows the use of the widest range of bullet weights that I would fire. It has a medium contour so is a bit lighter than a full bull. Also, the 18" barrel has a rifle length gas system so as to keep port pressure and recoil to a minimum.

I chose the Troy Claymore linear compensator to put as much noise down range, rather than laterally as possible. And to reduce the dust signature from muzzle blast.

For an upper I chose the VLTOR MUR-1. It's a bit heavier than a standard forged upper but has the highest build quality and tolerances of any forged upper.

I chose the Midwest Industries SS GenII forearm because it's lightweight, slim, high quality, customizable and very reasonably priced.

The Giessle trigger should be self explanatory. It's the best at what it does.

For a buttstock I went with the VLTOR A5 system. It has a great reputation for smoothing out the recoil and operation of unusual barrel combos. I didn't want to run into issues with the short dwell on my barrel and didn't want to be continuously futzing around trying to find the perfect buffer weight.

For a scope I wanted as much utility as the rifle it was to be mounted on. I chose the Leupold VX-R Patrol 3-9X40. It offered a clean and clear reticle with minimal holdover points and a single illuminated dot. It has capped turrets to insure no change in settings in field conditions and is only 12" long and weighs only a pound.

I went with the American Defense Recon mount because it has an excellent reputation for quality. And was a bit cheaper than the Larue. If I were on my way to Afghanistan, I would have chosen the Larue. For Central Oregon coyotes, the Adco is super okay.

That's about it. There were some other incidental parts, but that's the meat of the matter. Very accurate so far and light enough to shoulder. About 8lbs or so. Heavy for an AR but not unreasonable, especially considering its capabilities.

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You do know that Geissele recommends AGAINST using KNS pins with their triggers????
 
I want to splurge and buy myself a very good and somewhat expensive bolt carrier group. I want to spend less than $250.. maybe an aero precision nickel boron. Want to add it to my Aero Precision upper. Any ideas? I looked in Midway USA and Brownells and did not see a great selection.
 
I want to splurge and buy myself a very good and somewhat expensive bolt carrier group. I want to spend less than $250.. maybe an aero precision nickel boron. Want to add it to my Aero Precision upper. Any ideas? I looked in Midway USA and Brownells and did not see a great selection.
If you want one of the slickest BCGs on the market take a look at the FailZero EXO Nickel Boron BCG.
http://www.primaryarms.com/failzero-exo-coated-m16-cut-complete-bolt-carrier-group-009-fzm16-4-01-nh
 
I believe it is the latest and greatest "Tacticool" way to run an AR if you are an operator or 3 Gun competitor. You straighten your off arm, lock the elbow, and grip the forend with your thumb on top. Then you can then "drive" the muzzle from target to target in the quickest possible time.

I wouldn't know for sure, because my AR is just a stripped lower in the safe waiting to be built into something.

https://loadoutroom.com/5695/exaggerated-c-clamp-grip-hype-not/

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It also helps when shooting off of barricades......you've got a lot more real-estate to rest the rifle on without using the barrel. My 3 Gun setup, with combination hand-stop/barricade-stop:

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Sorry about hijacking this thread, but I figured there would be more exposure here. Does anyone that has replaced the trigger group in their AR, still have their old parts, and might be willing to part with them? Getting harder and harder to find OE triggers. I have a a DiamondBack DB15 lower on which I used a Delton 16" 5.56 barrel with a flat top upper with forward assist.
 
I want to splurge and buy myself a very good and somewhat expensive bolt carrier group. I want to spend less than $250.. maybe an aero precision nickel boron. Want to add it to my Aero Precision upper. Any ideas? I looked in Midway USA and Brownells and did not see a great selection.

I would go with s Sionics NP3 (nickel Teflon). Better lubricity than nickel boron and they look nice. I also like the cotton Daniel defense bcg
 
image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg My first dedicated 22lr build, just wanted to build something different.

Complete CMMG lower
Brownells Slickside upper
CMMG dedicated 22lr 20" Gov't profile barrel w/1-16 twist
Brownells rear sight kit, disappointed that it didn't come with cotter pin
CMMG 22lr conversion kit
CMMG Colar for use with dedicated barrel
M16A1 furniture, worked on by John at Retro Arms Works
Green canvas sling
Dust cover kit from brownells
 
image.jpeg First 22lr build, next to my first AR build I did about 5 yrs ago. Only now I had my round handguards done by John Thomas
 
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