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tirod · April 26, 2014, 10:12 AM

One thing you don't necessarily need are special "armorer's" tools. The stickies on arfcom do a good job of explaining alternate methods to prevent having $150 in tools sucked out of your wallet for a one time build experience.

And, if you already have some tools, you already have the experience and know how to apply them effectively.

There are some things that internet experts tend to overemphasize. One, scratching up the parts in assembly. While brand spanking new is nice, the gun will usually not be permanently damaged beyond all use scratching the finish intalling a pin or something. Given enough range or field use, the gun is going to hit the ground, get scraped on obstacles, etc. If a safe queen finish and resale is the goal, then buy it built and lock it up. A shooter is exactly that, used. One more scratch after one week in the field in training is nothing.

Another is taking the TM instructions as the only possible guideline. It's a false assumption, even Colt ignores them on the assembly line. If the rifle is assembled by workers in a plant and meets .gov spec without all the gizmos and special widgets, goes to how much the same .gov doesn't trust armorers and goes overboard to prevent them tearing things up.

Torquing the barrel nut, for example: it's a maximum value not to exceed, and the indicated number isn't the actual measureable amount of force. I'll not bore with the details, the point is to get the barrel nut on tight enough and then turn it slightly more to allow the gas tube to pass between the teeth. The maximum value is to keep from stripping the threads in the aluminum forged nose with the steel nut. That is all. The average lug nut gets tightened more.

So, descriptions of torque wrenches and special adapters fall by the wayside in the experienced view of wrench turners who understand the point. We just tighten and move on. For those who never work on mechanics, then use the recommended stuff. That is a decision no one can make for you. You have to know your skill level, and somebody 800 miles away is no guide in that regard.

Even the better ones mess up. Driving the pin into the trigger guard ears is one, the little flat parts sticking out needs support. Banging away on the lower just sitting on the benchtop is what breaks them. It's another finesse point - hammering pins isn't necessarily the better option. The most expensive roll pin punches and GI spec hammer will still break them off. Don't. Read the stickies on assembly and press a pin in gradually so that the ears are supported and you can't break them. It's another one of those things that aren't understood just from reading the TM instructions.

The most successful assemblies are done reading the instructions. It's not rocket science, they aren't printed in Chinglish, and taking your time is preferred. Once done, go shoot it. Lots. Use quality ammo, the AR15 is designed around full power combat loads - ! Not cheap economy rounds. If you stray from the military spec on ammo, be prepared that it will possibly malfunction. Low powered loads don't generate sufficient quantities of gas pressure to work properly. GI ammo doesn't vary much, and is consistently built to produce enough power to reliably cycle the action. It very much is a situation of getting what you pay for.

As described above, there are lots of reasons the gun may not work, the top three are magazines, ammo, and the operator. If he chooses poorly with the first two, it's still on him - which really makes the user the #1 cause of stoppages. Assembling it yourself means accepting the responsibility for that.

April 26, 2014, 10:12 AM	#8
tirod Junior member Join Date: January 21, 2009 Posts: 1,672	One thing you don't necessarily need are special "armorer's" tools. The stickies on arfcom do a good job of explaining alternate methods to prevent having $150 in tools sucked out of your wallet for a one time build experience. And, if you already have some tools, you already have the experience and know how to apply them effectively. There are some things that internet experts tend to overemphasize. One, scratching up the parts in assembly. While brand spanking new is nice, the gun will usually not be permanently damaged beyond all use scratching the finish intalling a pin or something. Given enough range or field use, the gun is going to hit the ground, get scraped on obstacles, etc. If a safe queen finish and resale is the goal, then buy it built and lock it up. A shooter is exactly that, used. One more scratch after one week in the field in training is nothing. Another is taking the TM instructions as the only possible guideline. It's a false assumption, even Colt ignores them on the assembly line. If the rifle is assembled by workers in a plant and meets .gov spec without all the gizmos and special widgets, goes to how much the same .gov doesn't trust armorers and goes overboard to prevent them tearing things up. Torquing the barrel nut, for example: it's a maximum value not to exceed, and the indicated number isn't the actual measureable amount of force. I'll not bore with the details, the point is to get the barrel nut on tight enough and then turn it slightly more to allow the gas tube to pass between the teeth. The maximum value is to keep from stripping the threads in the aluminum forged nose with the steel nut. That is all. The average lug nut gets tightened more. So, descriptions of torque wrenches and special adapters fall by the wayside in the experienced view of wrench turners who understand the point. We just tighten and move on. For those who never work on mechanics, then use the recommended stuff. That is a decision no one can make for you. You have to know your skill level, and somebody 800 miles away is no guide in that regard. Even the better ones mess up. Driving the pin into the trigger guard ears is one, the little flat parts sticking out needs support. Banging away on the lower just sitting on the benchtop is what breaks them. It's another finesse point - hammering pins isn't necessarily the better option. The most expensive roll pin punches and GI spec hammer will still break them off. Don't. Read the stickies on assembly and press a pin in gradually so that the ears are supported and you can't break them. It's another one of those things that aren't understood just from reading the TM instructions. The most successful assemblies are done reading the instructions. It's not rocket science, they aren't printed in Chinglish, and taking your time is preferred. Once done, go shoot it. Lots. Use quality ammo, the AR15 is designed around full power combat loads - ! Not cheap economy rounds. If you stray from the military spec on ammo, be prepared that it will possibly malfunction. Low powered loads don't generate sufficient quantities of gas pressure to work properly. GI ammo doesn't vary much, and is consistently built to produce enough power to reliably cycle the action. It very much is a situation of getting what you pay for. As described above, there are lots of reasons the gun may not work, the top three are magazines, ammo, and the operator. If he chooses poorly with the first two, it's still on him - which really makes the user the #1 cause of stoppages. Assembling it yourself means accepting the responsibility for that.