The Shooters Corner – Building the Perfect AR-15

by Jack lee

Note: Building an AR from a parts kit. Difficulty level low to medium. Tools required – basic, screw driver, punch, light ball peen hammer, razor knife, 8 inch carpenter clamp or vice, needle nose pliers and Colt wrench.

Is there any such thing as the perfect AR-15? If there isn’t I think I have at least found the combination that comes real close.

Back in the late 1950’s Eugene Stoner developed the first AR-15 later known as M-16 in 5.56 cal. (military only version) to replace the much heavier M14 military rifle (.308 cal.). Since those early days when the black rifle went to Vietnam in 63 there have been literally dozens of variations.

One of the reasons there are so many variants is simply due to the popularity of the little rifle and all the after market goodies out here to personalize yours. I know of a dozen or more types of butt stocks, front grips, not to mention a wide variety of barrel thicknesses, lengths and compositions. And then there are all kinds of trigger upgrades, sights, scopes, lasers, bi-pods, flash-hiders and muzzle brakes. They all contribute to making the black rifle the most customizable and perhaps the most personalized mass produced weapon of all time with possibly just one exception….the venerable AK47.

I’ve built 6 black rifles in the last year and each time I learned a little more. By the 6th build I had read over dozens of articles by other builders, shopped numerous websites for furniture and parts kits and figured I had a pretty good handle on what most shooters wanted in this light tactical rifle. What I went for is the military and police version.

I started with the basic A3 upper receiver (flat top) and the 16″ barrel (heavy) and went for the following upgraded parts and accessories. Let’s call this building tips:

1. Tactical charging handle. It is only a $9 upgrade and it makes a world of difference if you intended to use a scope. It makes reaching for the (cocking) handle a snap even if the scope is hanging over it.

2. Use the one in nine twist with a 16 inch barrel. This is the carbine length barrel and it’s the most versatile. The general rule is the heavier the bullet you’re shooting the faster the twist should be. I’ve seen .223/5.56 cal. Barrels twisted from 1 in 7 to 1 in 12.

The 1 in 9 twist can handle all available bullet weights without compromising any accuracy out to 150 yards and very little beyond that, even with the lightweight bullets. The 1 in 9 is the happy medium here!

3. Chrome lined barrels is another cheap upgrade, and many kits just come that way at no extra charge. The chrome lined barrels simply last a little longer. However, the typical sportsman shooter isn’t going to wear out either the standard or chrome lined barrel unless you are planning to shoot up well over 12,000 hot loads. A chrome bolt is slick and you may a few less jams, but at a $100 it’s not worth it to me.

4. Do a “15 minute trigger job” – you don’t need to buy an expensive target trigger assembly to get good results. A 15 minute trigger job works excellent and costs nothing but your time. You can Google this and get the full “how to” explanation. Basically it involves lightly polishing the trigger contact surface and the sear, but just be careful not to over do the polishing (no filing ever). It’s really easy to break the case hardness and then you will be buying new parts. Bending the hammer spring by 10 degrees to remove some of the spring pressure is a big help to smoothing out the trigger pull and it shouldn’t cause any misfires, if it does buy a new spring…$3.

5. I like any type of Magpul brand furniture, its high quality, looks great, but it’s not cheap. Now, if you are on a budget the standard military adjustable M-4 butt stock and forward grip look fine and this is a very low cost upgrade. Typically you’ll spend less than $25 to upgrade both.

6. The A3 version implies you will be using a scope, but for $35 you can buy the detachable carry handle with adjustable dual peep sighs. Do it. It will allow you to do different kinds of target shooting.

7. Because the .223 cal is considered a medium range round a 4X power scope is about all most target shooters will ever need. I like the compact scopes with mil dot cross hairs. This makes compensating for windage and elevation a snap. Also a civilian version of the mil-scope in 4X only runs about $50 or less for a very decent scope. However, if you do a little competition shooting then by all means step up to a 3X9. You would love shooting with a Leopold 3X9, but we’re talking big bucks. A decent 3X9 scope can be obtained for about a $100, Bushnell, Redfield, Pentax, Burris, Centerpoint are some of the good scopes for the money. However, there are times when you can pick up a second hand Leopold 3X9 for around $130 and this would be a steal of a deal.

8. Forget the flash-hider unless you plan on doing some jungle war fighting. There are all kinds of flash-hiders out here but who cares? What you really want is a good muzzle brake. It’s not that you have much recoil with a .223, but it does allow you to stay more on target with your rapid fire shots. A good muzzle brake will run you about $35-$45. Again, this is one of those small items that add a whole lot of value to your end product.

9. The AR 15 finger groove pistol handle is perfectly adequate, but it you want to jazz it up a bit and add some comfort too, go with a rubber Houge grip. They start around $20 and go up to about $45. I prefer the oversized with thumb rest because I have large hands. It really fits my hand perfectly and it gives excellent control while being very comfortable for those all day trips to the range.

10. The two best parts a-3 kits for the price are offered at Model 1 Sales in Texas or J&S Guns in Washington State.

11. Don’t sweat buying a popular name brand lower receiver. As long as they are made mil-spec you can’t go wrong. That’s another beauty of these rifles, just about everything you will buy is going to be mil-spec and interchangeable with all other AR’s.

One last tip, if you live in California, buy a bullet button magazine release at the same time you buy your kit. This makes your end product legal; otherwise you could face a serious fine and possibly jail time. The bullet button is about $15 and yes, it’s a pain, but it will relieve any stress of operating outside the law.

The total build as I have described should run you under $780, plus shipping.