Critique My AR Build

[youngda9]

Expensive, ugly, cumbersome, and you could have a much more accurate rifle plus a shload of ammo for the grand you are going to spend on an AR.

There

 

[rhegafd]

Im also not a huge fan of PSA parts.

 

[seedubs1]

Im also not a huge fan of PSA parts.

Would it make you happier if I called it a Toolcraft full milspec BCG? Toolcraft is a DOD contractor for BCGs.

 

[Webster-dl]

Question: when you say "under a grand with scope", do you mean the Vortex Strikefire, or a telescopic optic?

Did you already buy, or are you considering still?

As for the strike fire...I've never used one, but I've used Bushnell TRS-25's, and they can be found for about $75 (check amazon), are shock resistant (use one for my 12-gauge), and, most importantly, have a battery life of about 3-4 months on 5 setting (out of 11) continuously. Not an Aimpoint's battery life or MOA, but is also only about 1/4 the price. Just leave the red dot on, and change the battery every 3 months.

 

[Webster-dl]

Oops...clarification: I meant..."did you already buy all the parts or are you just considering?

 

[Vespid_Wasp]

PSA is good to go in my opinion. If I were you I would have hunted until I found a barrel with mid-length gas since you are going with a 16 inch barrel. My 16" with carbine gas is unnecessarily harsh but I built it before I knew any better. It is very reliable, just not as smooth as my others which all have rifle gas and 18 or 20 inch barrels.

The other thing I would change is to buy a LPK that comes without the fire control group, and use an ALG ACT trigger, or even better a Giessele SSA or SSA-E if you had room in the budget.


Screw back up irons. Just buy a good quality optic that you can trust. I haven't used a Vortex red dot but their variables have been very good for me. Aimpoint seems to be the way to go if you want a bomb proof red dot.

I understand you are keeping it within a budget so take everything I said with a grain of salt. If I were making one change to your build it would be a better trigger. I favor the Geissele for a general purpose build. The JP is very good too. I have one 'mil spec' trigger that is reasonably good and I have no plans to change out. Two others were atrocious and have been replaced.

 

[seedubs1]

PSA is good to go in my opinion. If I were you I would have hunted until I found a barrel with mid-length gas since you are going with a 16 inch barrel. My 16" with carbine gas is unnecessarily harsh but I built it before I knew any better. It is very reliable, just not as smooth as my others which all have rifle gas and 18 or 20 inch barrels.

The other thing I would change is to buy a LPK that comes without the fire control group, and use an ALG ACT trigger, or even better a Giessele SSA or SSA-E if you had room in the budget.


Screw back up irons. Just buy a good quality optic that you can trust. I haven't used a Vortex red dot but their variables have been very good for me. Aimpoint seems to be the way to go if you want a bomb proof red dot.

I understand you are keeping it within a budget so take everything I said with a grain of salt. If I were making one change to your build it would be a better trigger. I favor the Geissele for a general purpose build. The JP is very good too. I have one 'mil spec' trigger that is reasonably good and I have no plans to change out. Two others were atrocious and have been replaced.

I agree with all of this.

Plan is to start off with the Spikes mil spec trigger, and upgrade to a Geissele Super Dynamic Enhanced when funds allow. A $225 trigger is just not in the cards for a $850 rifle build. But it's a future upgrade that I'd like to do when funds allow.

But the ALG triggers, I see no point in. They're essentially just polished mil spec triggers at a premium price. I can polish a mil spec trigger myself for free and throw in a JP spring kit for $10 and achieve the same or better results.

The barrel, I hope I can tune it out a bit with the buffer. If that doesn't work, I may try an adjustable gas block to tune down the gas. If nothing else works, I can sell it for what I have in it and upgrade to a middie.

The Vortex, I figure is a good brand, and I got a good deal on it. If I don't like it, I'll be able to sell it for about a $5-10 loss and upgrade to something else. But everything I've ever had from Vortex has been GTG, so I'm hoping it'll be a decent piece of equipment.

 

[Webster-dl]

About triggers...Franklin Armory has an LPK with their tuned trigger, and reviews of their complete lower mention the great quality of their trigger. Also consider New Frontier Armory LPK...I think they have a metal version of their plastic trigger group which has also been favorably reviewed. Franklin Armory LPK is like $200, NFA like $50.

 

[seedubs1]

About triggers...Franklin Armory has an LPK with their tuned trigger, and reviews of their complete lower mention the great quality of their trigger. Also consider New Frontier Armory LPK...I think they have a metal version of their plastic trigger group which has also been favorably reviewed. Franklin Armory LPK is like $200, NFA like $50.

I'd rather have a Spikes LPK. They come with KNS pins, and I don't see the need to spend any extra on tuned mil spec triggers when I can do a $10 ar trigger job myself and achieve the same or better results. If I'm going to spend extra on a trigger, it's going to be a Geissele or CMC.

 

[Vespid_Wasp]

I have a Vortex scope, so far it is superb. I simply can't torture test a scope I spent $1400 on, so the extent of abuse it will see is getting dropped in dump barrels and maybe bumped into things at 3-gun matches. There is a snipershide video where they drag a Vortex Razor through a pond, drop it from a tower and shoot what looks like 1/2 pound of tannerite within a few feet of the scope. Scope came through with flying colors. I don't think it is VCOG tough but the build quality is excellent and I am a big fan of what I have seen so far from Vortex.