Franken-AR build thread: HICKMAN style

[HICKMAN]

Okay, finally have enough parts and pieces to get started!

Big thanks to many INGOers for answering so many questions I've had and co-workers who make a living building, servicing and teaching these weapon systems. This has been a budget type AR for me, as cash has been limited. I have some new parts, some used parts, some traded parts and some donated parts.

Over the next couple of nights, I'll walk through my build build process. Some stuff I can do, other stuff and have to get help from guys at work.

As for tonight's progress:

 

[HICKMAN]

Installed the IKickHippies SLAP plate and buffer tube

 

[hrearden]

Gotta love putting together ARs. Theyre the closest thing in the gun world to legos. lol. I built one in a dimly lit basement with a cheap ass lower and it shot sub moa.

 

[HICKMAN]

do you all stake your buffer tube?

Or would a little lock-tite and a witness mark suffice?

 

[hrearden]

A witness mark will suffice. I know mil armorers spec is to stake but in my experience, completely unnecessary. The witness mark would definitely tell you if the nut is coming undone and needs to be tightened, but I bet you never retighten if you torque it tight and use some blue loctite. (Ive never even used Loctite and never had a prob).

 

[mvician]

Hammer and punch.
Displace some metal from the plate into the notch on the nut.
Simple and easy to remove if need be.
Don't rely on thinking it will stay tight.
Don't use loctite.

 

[Vlad the Impaler]

Hmmm.
I have blue Loctite and a staked castle nut. Maybe I'm paranoid. Figured it couldnt hurt. I wouldn't go without the stake and only Loctite though.

Your lower is looking good. I favor the OD furniture. The SSA is on my list.....that I'll always have a hard time justifying for the limited volume and type of shooting I do.

Keep the pic's coming!

 

[Fordtough25]

MOE grip feels great, good choice!

 

[jeremy]

do you all stake your buffer tube?

Or would a little lock-tite and a witness mark suffice?

Stake it...

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Roger that.

Steak out . . .

 

[Kirk Freeman]

My question: does that Magpul grip eliminate the gap?

 

[dom1104]

My question: does that Magpul grip eliminate the gap?

Wow Kirk. You really ARE old.

None of us youngsters have even heard about the "gap".

And MOEs are like... what we think comes standard on ARs.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I don't understand. The gap is a real terror, it chews my fingers to pieces, that's I use TangoDown and the Duckbill.

 

[jblomenberg16]

I don't understand. The gap is a real terror, it chews my fingers to pieces, that's I use TangoDown and the Duckbill.

At first I thought you were talking about the "Gap" as in "Mind the Gap" when riding the tube. Then I realized it was the gap in the lower near the grip.


The MOE grip does not fill it, but the MOE trigger guard does fill it to some extent. I have MOE trigger guards on 3 of my AR's and they all fit a bit different, and are slightly more or less effective depending on that fit. Better than nothing at all for sure, but can still leave enough of the lower exposed to chew up the inside of a middle finger in a hurry.

 

[Zoub]

I don't understand. The gap is a real terror, it chews my fingers to pieces, that's I use TangoDown and the Duckbill.

Your gentle, paper pushin' hands will love the MOE grips

 

[jeremy]

OK, WTF is this Gap thing?!

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Your gentle, paper pushin' hands will love the MOE grips

Ain't that the truth.

 

[ctbreitwieser]

OK, WTF is this Gap thing?!

Same here, I have no idea what the gap is, and there's an MOE grip waiting for me at home.

 

[esrice]

OK, WTF is this Gap thing?!

Same here, I have no idea what the gap is,

On standard ARs with the standard "winter" trigger guard (flat) and A2 grips, there exists a gap between them that often chews up the knuckle on strong hand pretty good during extending shooting periods.

The MOE trigger guard and some grips solve this problem by bridging this gap.

 

[jeremy]

On standard ARs with the standard "winter" trigger guard (flat) and A2 grips, there exists a gap between them that often chews up the knuckle on strong hand pretty good during extending shooting periods.

The MOE trigger guard and some grips solve this problem by bridging this gap.

Huh...

Never noticed, could be the reason for that callus though...