AR newbe question

[ExAgoradzo]

I want to own an AR someday: right now I'm saving up for a 45-70, so it won't be tomorrow that I'll buy one. But I have a few general questions, perhaps you guys could point me in the right direction:

1. Is there a convenient place where I can read that would give me a good understanding on different kinds of ARs and what it takes to 'build' them? I'm talking "AR-101", I'll pretend I don't know the little I do know and start from the beginning...

2.So the two main types are AR10 and AR15. The AR10 shoots the 308 and the AR 15 with the right upper seems to shoot .223, 5.56, 6.8mm, and .458, and .50...This can't be right!? The lower has got to change to do all these different calibers...I'm confused...Does the AR10 have the same versatility or do you need to just get different guns for each of these...I'm telling you, I really don't know much about ARs...

Can uppers and lowers from different companies go together? Is it only certain ones that are interchangeable?

Stupidity is not asking the right questions of the right people; I'm ignorant and would love to be pointed in the right direction on what to read.

Thank you...

 

[velocette]

Ex;
One place has all the information you could ever want or need.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/b/3_AR_15.html

Go there and find to your hearts content.

Roger

 

[230therapy]

I prefer m4carbine.net over ar15.com for tech info.

 

[bkb0000]

www.m4carbine.net for sure... read, read, read some more... if you post a question, resolve yourself ahead of time not to get offended when you get talked to like a moron.

 

[Justin]

M4carbine.net has a much lower signal-to-noise ratio than arfcom. It's a good resource, and there's tons of great info in their archives.

 

[Fred_G]

Looks like you have some good links posted already. I will add this one: http://68forums.com/forums/forum.php

Mainly 6.8SPC, but many knowledgeable and helpful people there, a couple of them build AR uppers professionally, and are very helpful.

"2.So the two main types are AR10 and AR15. The AR10 shoots the 308 and the AR 15 with the right upper seems to shoot .223, 5.56, 6.8mm, and .458, and .50...This can't be right!? The lower has got to change to do all these different calibers...I'm confused...Does the AR10 have the same versatility or do you need to just get different guns for each of these...I'm telling you, I really don't know much about ARs...

Can uppers and lowers from different companies go together? Is it only certain ones that are interchangeable?"

I can answer this question... The main difference between the AR10 and AR15 is the size of the magazine well. The .308 bullet will not fit in an AR15. The AR15 can be .22, 9mm, .45, 5.56, 6.8SPC, 6.5, and a few others. The difference is the upper, and the magazines.

And as long as the uppers and lowers are made to standard specs, yes, you can mix and match uppers and lowers. But not AR10 to AR15.

 

[Carne Frio]

Living where you do, I would go here, first:

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/index.php

 

[Fred_G]

Good link Carne, I did not notice they were from California...

 

[ExAgoradzo]

@ Cold Meat: I hear you on the weird laws in the Golden State: but I don't plan to live here forever...and, that's part of the reason I'm not buying one yet.

I'll check out these forums: wikipedia might answer some questions too. I love reading the comments on THR, I just feel like I'm reading Greek sometimes...