Well... I've entered the world of M4gery 16"

rickyrick · January 2, 2015, 01:51 PM

I started the month of by deciding to build my own AR. I had intentions of carefully purchasing each part and spacing this out over time... kinda like my own personal lay-away plan...I had the money to buy the rifle outright, but wanted a project lol. Cost was not a factor but always looking for a good deal.

I started with the options for the lower, because all builds you need the lower. I spent lots of time researching and considering an 80% lower... not for avoiding anything, just for the fun of attempting the built. In the end, I opted for a stripped receiver. Christmas sales are good this year, I couldn't pass on the price.

Quick look revealed abundant LPK possibilities, so I passed those for a bit and moved on to looking for barrel options, as upper receivers abounded for good prices too.
I originally did not want an M4rgery per se, but wasn't off the table. The barrel quest caused the project to become an M4ish rifle, because of the availability of these Barrels has made the prices quite low.

Now the popularity of the M4rgery rifles caused me to look at completed uppers as an option. I found myself quite impressed with the low cost.

When I decided that a completed upper was a good option, I thought why not check on rifle kits, sans lower as an option..... sure enough I found a rifle kit from a reputable source for a great price.

So goes the slippery slope. Now the kit is on its way...

Ritz · January 2, 2015, 03:06 PM

And the lucky vendor was.....

rickyrick · January 2, 2015, 03:12 PM

PSA .... They're good to go as long as you don't need a rush shipment...
Ordered with FN barrel

power5 · January 3, 2015, 06:34 PM

Looking to build very soon as well. Got any more details on the parts you are picking up?

BillyJack3 · January 3, 2015, 07:00 PM

Nice! This was my last assembly. I decided I had enough "tactical" ARs so I went as basic as I could. Spike's lower, Spike's BCG, PSA M4 Upper, PSA LPK, Bravo Co. M4 stock, Colt carry handle, S&W tapered hand guards. This upper is the most accurate of my 4. Good luck!

rickyrick · January 3, 2015, 08:55 PM

Yes, basically all psa except the stripped lower. Psa has an m4 16" carbine length gas system rifle kit with FN CHF barrel for 499 free shipping... It's on it's way. The lower I found at a local gun shop for 50.

Psa has some for 350-400, but I wanted the FN barrel. You just have to be patient with the shipping with PSA.... No biggie for me, as the project is gonna get done a lot quicker than I had planned anyway.

biohazurd · January 5, 2015, 03:30 AM

Good choice. I have shot a lot of rifles either partially or fully built using PSA parts and they really make some solid stuff at some really solid prices. Im planning a build in the next few months and the bulk of it will be PSA parts including a Complete Mid-length upper and probably whatever blemished lower Palmetto has in stock at the time. Happy shooting!

rickyrick · January 5, 2015, 08:14 AM

FYI...aero precision has blemished lowers for $44. But I found a lower locally without the fuss of an ffl.

stagpanther · January 5, 2015, 09:06 AM

Quote:

FYI...aero precision has blemished lowers for $44.

They do? I looked and all I saw was $75.

rickyrick · January 5, 2015, 09:13 AM

http://aeroprecisionusa.com/aspx/sto...il.aspx?pid=43

Sorry, now 55$ they did have some at 44$ three weeks ago. Keep checking I guess

stagpanther · January 5, 2015, 09:22 AM

hmmm...not a bad price--actually I've been thinking of a 260 build so I'd go with the 308.

rickyrick · January 23, 2015, 10:01 PM

Well, 23 days of the "PSA wait" are over...

Shipment came today and 30minutes later the lower was assembled and tada...

Got to say that it is a mighty fine kit, trigger is great

Will try and shoot it tomorrow

Mobuck · January 25, 2015, 08:19 AM

Now the popularity of the M4rgery rifles

About the only GOOD thing stemming from this is the lower cost. Even though I have no need for the cut and don't claim to be Rambo, I have several simply because they're cheaper.

rickyrick · January 25, 2015, 09:27 AM

Well it was a mix of balancing my shooting habits with cost.

I took an honest look at the intended use for the rifle and saw nothing that any AR style couldn't do... No reason to break the bank even though initially I was prepared to spend much more

The best part is, my lovely lady has already suggested starting another one..

JayPee · January 25, 2015, 09:48 AM

Good choice Rickyrick. I put together an M4gery from pre-assembled PSA upper and lower and have been very pleased with it. I have heard that the PSA upper receivers have the same manufacturer markings as the Colt uppers, and that their stripped lowers are made for them by Aero Products. If this is true, in combination with the FN barrel, then PSA pretty well rings the bell on good quality. FYI I have been around five PSA assembled lowers and have reached the conclusion that their Milspec triggers are about the best I have ever had anything to do with. Not bad at all usually....Still Milspec, but not bad at all. I'm about to order one of PSA's folding aluminum BUIS.

By the way, if you find the rattling of the Milspec collapsible stock to be a bother, you can mitigate it a great deal by wrapping short pieces (approx. 3") of electricians tape around the sides and rear of the buffer tube. Then put a coat of silicon spray on the tape with a cotton ball to make the stock slide properly on the tape. You don't want the tape to stick out the front of the stock when it's in the rearmost position, which will tell you how long to make the tape. The number of strips depends on the individual rifle. On one rifle I got away with one strip on each side and another rifle took one on one side and two on the other. So it's pretty much trial and error, but once you get it right, the stock rattle is reduced quite a bit. Anyway just FYI.

Again, nice goin' on the PSA rifle.

highpower3006 · January 25, 2015, 01:41 PM

I built a PSA Mforgery several years ago and it has been a great rifle. I personally don't like the look of the 16" barrels so I went with a 14.7 with pinned flash suppressor.

henschman · January 25, 2015, 03:33 PM

Those FN CHF barrels are awesome. Anybody else remember how much Noveske used to charge for rifles with this exact barrel (FN double thick CL CHF "machine gun steel") back when they were the only ones who sold them? It is amazing how cheap they are now that PSA has started selling them en masse. A friend has one that is free floated and it shoots incredibly well, especially considering that chrome lined barrels aren't "supposed" to be accurate. Yeah, the M4 profile isn't my favorite either... might as well just go pencil all the way instead of just under the handguards... but they aren't TOO terribly front heavy, and with some of the prices you are seeing on them, it's hard to ignore. Meh, pencil, M4... small issues. The important thing is you have a very solid rifle with solid components that meet and actually exceed the mil specs in the case of your barrel. Enjoy!

JayPee · January 25, 2015, 05:08 PM

Here's mine. It's a pre-assembled PSA upper coupled with a PSA pre-assembled lower. Rear sight is an LMT, trigger is ALG ACT, ambi safety, MagPul pistol grip and handguard. I use a slip-on pad for additional length - Amazon.com $11.00. Shoots very well.

rickyrick · January 26, 2015, 06:49 PM

Nothing fancy but here it is

rickyrick · February 4, 2015, 06:46 PM

What do you think about this leather handguard cover I'm making?

It's still being worked but I may leave it a little rough

power5 · February 4, 2015, 09:27 PM

Anderson 16" RF85 upper. Anderson closed lower. MOE stock. Bushnell trs25. Just put it together. Need to get to range to adjust sight.

rickyrick · February 4, 2015, 09:50 PM

Let's get a review on that red dot when you use it

I've been thinking about picking up a couple of those exact ones

But I'll probably get a weaver 1-4 for the carbine

power5 · February 5, 2015, 04:05 PM

Not an AR expert by any stretch but the dot is not too bad so far. This just involves looking through it last night and seeing how quick I can acquire the dot when bringing rifle up. Very bright but again it was night so. Lots of favorable reviews is why I picked it up. Only slight wish would be for it to have flip up covers instead of the elastic rubber covers. This will only be a defense and range gun so there will be no testing the dot when rolling around in the dirt. I am not that fond of the riser that came with it. Does not seem to be a great fit. May look at a larue since they claim you can remove without having to rezero. Not that I intend to remove the dot.

I plan on heading to the range this weekend to break her in though so will report back.

Derbel McDillet · February 7, 2015, 12:26 PM

Rickyrick:

Who makes your rear sight? I might want to get one.

rickyrick · February 7, 2015, 01:13 PM

UTG.... But I suspect that several sellers use the same sight....
I swapped the springs and such out of a real milspec carry handle sight... Just to ensure reliability.... Even though it seemed fine on its own...

But if you are handy with a dremel and have a carry handle laying around; you can make one, because all it really is just a cut down carry handle

January 2, 2015, 01:51 PM	#1
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	Well... I've entered the world of M4gery 16" I started the month of by deciding to build my own AR. I had intentions of carefully purchasing each part and spacing this out over time... kinda like my own personal lay-away plan...I had the money to buy the rifle outright, but wanted a project lol. Cost was not a factor but always looking for a good deal. I started with the options for the lower, because all builds you need the lower. I spent lots of time researching and considering an 80% lower... not for avoiding anything, just for the fun of attempting the built. In the end, I opted for a stripped receiver. Christmas sales are good this year, I couldn't pass on the price. Quick look revealed abundant LPK possibilities, so I passed those for a bit and moved on to looking for barrel options, as upper receivers abounded for good prices too. I originally did not want an M4rgery per se, but wasn't off the table. The barrel quest caused the project to become an M4ish rifle, because of the availability of these Barrels has made the prices quite low. Now the popularity of the M4rgery rifles caused me to look at completed uppers as an option. I found myself quite impressed with the low cost. When I decided that a completed upper was a good option, I thought why not check on rifle kits, sans lower as an option..... sure enough I found a rifle kit from a reputable source for a great price. So goes the slippery slope. Now the kit is on its way... __________________ Woohoo, I’m back In Texas!!!

January 2, 2015, 03:12 PM	#3
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	PSA .... They're good to go as long as you don't need a rush shipment... Ordered with FN barrel __________________ Woohoo, I’m back In Texas!!!

January 3, 2015, 08:55 PM	#6
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	Yes, basically all psa except the stripped lower. Psa has an m4 16" carbine length gas system rifle kit with FN CHF barrel for 499 free shipping... It's on it's way. The lower I found at a local gun shop for 50. Psa has some for 350-400, but I wanted the FN barrel. You just have to be patient with the shipping with PSA.... No biggie for me, as the project is gonna get done a lot quicker than I had planned anyway. __________________ Woohoo, I’m back In Texas!!!

January 5, 2015, 08:14 AM	#8
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	FYI...aero precision has blemished lowers for $44. But I found a lower locally without the fuss of an ffl. __________________ Woohoo, I’m back In Texas!!!

January 5, 2015, 09:13 AM	#10
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	http://aeroprecisionusa.com/aspx/sto...il.aspx?pid=43 Sorry, now 55$ they did have some at 44$ three weeks ago. Keep checking I guess __________________ Woohoo, I’m back In Texas!!!

January 2, 2015, 03:06 PM	#2
Ritz Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2013 Location: Virginia Posts: 283	And the lucky vendor was.....

January 3, 2015, 06:34 PM	#4
power5 Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 2012 Posts: 247	Looking to build very soon as well. Got any more details on the parts you are picking up?

January 3, 2015, 07:00 PM	#5
BillyJack3 Senior Member Join Date: May 2, 2012 Posts: 423	Nice! This was my last assembly. I decided I had enough "tactical" ARs so I went as basic as I could. Spike's lower, Spike's BCG, PSA M4 Upper, PSA LPK, Bravo Co. M4 stock, Colt carry handle, S&W tapered hand guards. This upper is the most accurate of my 4. Good luck!

January 5, 2015, 03:30 AM	#7
biohazurd Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2009 Posts: 340	Good choice. I have shot a lot of rifles either partially or fully built using PSA parts and they really make some solid stuff at some really solid prices. Im planning a build in the next few months and the bulk of it will be PSA parts including a Complete Mid-length upper and probably whatever blemished lower Palmetto has in stock at the time. Happy shooting!

January 5, 2015, 09:22 AM	#11
stagpanther Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2014 Posts: 11,787	hmmm...not a bad price--actually I've been thinking of a 260 build so I'd go with the 308.

January 23, 2015, 10:01 PM	#12
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	Well, 23 days of the "PSA wait" are over... Shipment came today and 30minutes later the lower was assembled and tada... Got to say that it is a mighty fine kit, trigger is great Will try and shoot it tomorrow __________________ Woohoo, I’m back In Texas!!!

January 25, 2015, 08:19 AM	#13
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	Now the popularity of the M4rgery rifles About the only GOOD thing stemming from this is the lower cost. Even though I have no need for the cut and don't claim to be Rambo, I have several simply because they're cheaper.

January 25, 2015, 09:27 AM	#14
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	Well it was a mix of balancing my shooting habits with cost. I took an honest look at the intended use for the rifle and saw nothing that any AR style couldn't do... No reason to break the bank even though initially I was prepared to spend much more The best part is, my lovely lady has already suggested starting another one.. __________________ Woohoo, I’m back In Texas!!!

January 25, 2015, 09:48 AM	#15
JayPee Member Join Date: February 4, 2011 Posts: 58	Good choice Rickyrick. I put together an M4gery from pre-assembled PSA upper and lower and have been very pleased with it. I have heard that the PSA upper receivers have the same manufacturer markings as the Colt uppers, and that their stripped lowers are made for them by Aero Products. If this is true, in combination with the FN barrel, then PSA pretty well rings the bell on good quality. FYI I have been around five PSA assembled lowers and have reached the conclusion that their Milspec triggers are about the best I have ever had anything to do with. Not bad at all usually....Still Milspec, but not bad at all. I'm about to order one of PSA's folding aluminum BUIS. By the way, if you find the rattling of the Milspec collapsible stock to be a bother, you can mitigate it a great deal by wrapping short pieces (approx. 3") of electricians tape around the sides and rear of the buffer tube. Then put a coat of silicon spray on the tape with a cotton ball to make the stock slide properly on the tape. You don't want the tape to stick out the front of the stock when it's in the rearmost position, which will tell you how long to make the tape. The number of strips depends on the individual rifle. On one rifle I got away with one strip on each side and another rifle took one on one side and two on the other. So it's pretty much trial and error, but once you get it right, the stock rattle is reduced quite a bit. Anyway just FYI. Again, nice goin' on the PSA rifle. Last edited by JayPee; January 25, 2015 at 09:58 AM.

January 25, 2015, 01:41 PM	#16
highpower3006 Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2011 Location: Savannah TN Posts: 1,220	I built a PSA Mforgery several years ago and it has been a great rifle. I personally don't like the look of the 16" barrels so I went with a 14.7 with pinned flash suppressor.

January 25, 2015, 03:33 PM	#17
henschman Member Join Date: March 20, 2011 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 47	Those FN CHF barrels are awesome. Anybody else remember how much Noveske used to charge for rifles with this exact barrel (FN double thick CL CHF "machine gun steel") back when they were the only ones who sold them? It is amazing how cheap they are now that PSA has started selling them en masse. A friend has one that is free floated and it shoots incredibly well, especially considering that chrome lined barrels aren't "supposed" to be accurate. Yeah, the M4 profile isn't my favorite either... might as well just go pencil all the way instead of just under the handguards... but they aren't TOO terribly front heavy, and with some of the prices you are seeing on them, it's hard to ignore. Meh, pencil, M4... small issues. The important thing is you have a very solid rifle with solid components that meet and actually exceed the mil specs in the case of your barrel. Enjoy!

January 25, 2015, 05:08 PM	#18
JayPee Member Join Date: February 4, 2011 Posts: 58	Here's mine. It's a pre-assembled PSA upper coupled with a PSA pre-assembled lower. Rear sight is an LMT, trigger is ALG ACT, ambi safety, MagPul pistol grip and handguard. I use a slip-on pad for additional length - Amazon.com $11.00. Shoots very well.

January 26, 2015, 06:49 PM	#19
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	Nothing fancy but here it is __________________ Woohoo, I’m back In Texas!!!

February 4, 2015, 06:46 PM	#20
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	What do you think about this leather handguard cover I'm making? It's still being worked but I may leave it a little rough

February 4, 2015, 09:27 PM	#21
power5 Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 2012 Posts: 247	Anderson 16" RF85 upper. Anderson closed lower. MOE stock. Bushnell trs25. Just put it together. Need to get to range to adjust sight.

February 4, 2015, 09:50 PM	#22
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	Let's get a review on that red dot when you use it I've been thinking about picking up a couple of those exact ones But I'll probably get a weaver 1-4 for the carbine __________________ Woohoo, I’m back In Texas!!!

February 5, 2015, 04:05 PM	#23
power5 Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 2012 Posts: 247	Not an AR expert by any stretch but the dot is not too bad so far. This just involves looking through it last night and seeing how quick I can acquire the dot when bringing rifle up. Very bright but again it was night so. Lots of favorable reviews is why I picked it up. Only slight wish would be for it to have flip up covers instead of the elastic rubber covers. This will only be a defense and range gun so there will be no testing the dot when rolling around in the dirt. I am not that fond of the riser that came with it. Does not seem to be a great fit. May look at a larue since they claim you can remove without having to rezero. Not that I intend to remove the dot. I plan on heading to the range this weekend to break her in though so will report back.

February 7, 2015, 12:26 PM	#24
Derbel McDillet Junior member Join Date: September 6, 2013 Location: Kitsap County, Washington Posts: 316	Rickyrick: Who makes your rear sight? I might want to get one.

February 7, 2015, 01:13 PM	#25
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	UTG.... But I suspect that several sellers use the same sight.... I swapped the springs and such out of a real milspec carry handle sight... Just to ensure reliability.... Even though it seemed fine on its own... But if you are handy with a dremel and have a carry handle laying around; you can make one, because all it really is just a cut down carry handle __________________ Woohoo, I’m back In Texas!!!