My first AR builds

jfeenin · Sep 23, 2014

Earlier this year I decided I was going to do my first AR build. I bought my first stripped lower and built it from scratch with a little assembly tutorial by Tigerstripe (Thanks again!).

Seen above with the 10/22 it has a Magpul STR butt stock, Magpul trigger guard and an Ergo grip. I then traded my Pap M-70 (See the eastern bloc range trip thread for pictures of that) to UAG for a Stag upper. On that I ended up replacing the hand guard with a Magpul. Originally it had my LMT rear sight but that has since been replaced with a detachable carry handle so I can keep the LMT rear sight available for use with it's matching front sight. It now also sports a nickel boron BCG. That initial build was done back in April.

I always felt a lot like I kinda cheated by not doing the whole upper myself. Queue the second AR project started in August. For this build I started with a stripped PSA limited edition SC lower and a completely stripped upper. Add in a B5 butt stock, Rainier Arms Select Match 16" Mid length black fluted SS barrel, nickel boron BCG, Leupold VX-R Patrol scope, Leupold Alumina lens covers, Wilson Combat TRIM hand guard and Accu-Tac flash suppressor and of course the Ergo grip. I really like those grips. They came on my first AR and they've been put on every one since. I did some function testing the other day with Tigerstripe and it seems to function as designed. So after a month or so of part by part overspending I have managed to turn this;

into this:

Crunchy Frog · Sep 23, 2014

Very nice!

kg4kpg · Sep 23, 2014

Lookin' good!

bigfutz · Sep 24, 2014

So what did you use to install your barrel, i.e. what type of receiver vise block, barrel vise jaws, wrench, etc? Any shims, etc required for barrel nut alignment? Any anti-sieze, thread locker, etc? Any issues?

jfeenin · Sep 24, 2014

bigfutz said:
So what did you use to install your barrel, i.e. what type of receiver vise block, barrel vise jaws, wrench, etc? Any shims, etc required for barrel nut alignment? Any anti-seize, thread locker, etc? Any issues?

Well that's another part of the second build that I decided would be different too. In between the builds I also moved and I now live in a place big enough for me to actually have a small work bench. So in the intervening time I have invested in a vice, non-marring vice jaws, a Brownells bench block, A ProMag upper and lower receiver vice block set, a PRI gas block fixture, a Wheeler Engineering Delta Series pivot pin & roll pin installation tool, and of course a set of brass roll pin punches. So I think that covers what vice block etc and any other questions that may arise there.

Now on to the barrel nut line of questions. Your questions to me suggest some amount of familiarity with the Wilson Combat TRIM rail. So the easy question first. Did I use the enclosed shim, yes. In fact I am not sure I have read any review about this setup that didn't require the use of the shim to get it anywhere close to alignment even after tightening and loosening several times. So yes it has the shim in it. And yes there was an issue. Wilson Combat kind of messed up on the design in a way that makes installation a pain unless you happen to have a specialty thin 1 3/16th crowfoot wrench from Snap-On or something. The groove in the circular section of the barrel nut for the wrench is 3/8" wide. Unfortunately any standard wrench that size, crows foot or otherwise, is 1/2" wide and will not fit. You'll note that on the video on Wilson Combats site for installing this rail they use a large set of channel locks to tighten it. In the instructions it tells you to use a crowfoot wrench standard wrench or adjustable pliers to tighten it to 30-50 ft-lb's which if you're a stickler for torque, and I would have liked to have been, the only real way of the three to do it is with a crowfoot. In this case an expensive and not readily obtainable one. But then is any crowfoot that size readily obtainable? In the end I ended up horsing on it with a big set of channel lock pliers. It's at least 30 ft-lb's and it may exceed 50 I am not sure but it isn't coming loose.

For that very reason I wouldn't recommend this rail. Once installed it has a great feel. It's very solid but they explicitly claim it can be installed with commonly available tools you have around your home. They actually say that. However it cannot be technically installed properly with tools around your home unless your home is an auto mechanics shop. I do like it and I will keep it but right now the Geissele Super Modular rail that comes with the tool to torque the barrel and costs $60 less might be a better option.

bigfutz · Sep 25, 2014

Sounds like you have the complete setup as far as tools go - should make a big difference on subsequent builds. So did you go with the NoMar plastic barrel jaws or other? (I've seen aluminum and hardwood.)

I've had some issues aligning the barrel nut, not so much with the gas tube, but getting perfect alignment of the indentations on the nut. For a Midwest SS rail, this alignment is key due to the fact the rail has a set screw in the bottom that lands in one. If you're off, the top rail won't align flat with the upper receiver rail.

jfeenin · Sep 25, 2014

For the vice jaws I got these plastic ones from Home Depot for under $10: http://www.homedepot.com/p/BESSEY-Non-M ... /204986223

They aren't firearm specific but they work fine...

The Wilson combat barrel nut doesn't interfere with the gas tube in any way but the rail is connected to it with 6 screws so again if it's off, same issue. The big issue with it I had was that you can't use a standard barrel tool on it, nor any affordable or commonly available wrench in a store. I got it though. And yes the idea of the tools was so I could build this and maybe other new ones and also more easily work on the ones I have now as well. You can never have too many tools