Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

[taseal]

I wathced some videos, and it looked VERY simple. the trigger if anything seemed the hardest.

Now sometimes the videos tend to make things look easy, so it's possible it's not as easy as the videos show it to be.

so I was curious if anyone could give me a first time building experience with one.

same for upper. I haven't seen a video for one (will watch one now) but how hard is that one?

I most likely will buy the upper assembled, but thinking about doing it myself because I'm a lefty, so it would be nice to use a STAG lefty upper for my new .300 BLK build. (and it helps with relase, since most people don't want it, I can't sell them as easy and regret it later LOL)

Then again, if I buy a complete upper from Core15 (the upper I've been looking at) I will have a lifetime warranty, which could come in handy for a caliber like 300BLK so that's really important too

Thanks everyone!

 

[country888]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

With the right tools its not hard. Vice blocks, a vice, armors wrench & punch set.

 

[taseal]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

I was just looking at spikes and apparently they are impossible to find lowers now.

I remember when I was doing similar research, they were considered very good. a built lower was 185 from brownells... bummer

Looking at PSA lowers now as well

 

[thespecialist]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

I've never bought an assembled AR, it's just too easy to build it yourself and have it exactly like you want it.

Also, if you're looking at other manufacturers, check out Anderson Manufacturing for a great lower at a great price. I got in on a group buy on another forum and wish I had bought 10 lowers instead of one. Unless I'm buying billet, I doubt I ever buy anything other than an Anderson lower. The lower parts kits they sell are top notch as well.

 

[Pullum]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

the lower is a piece of cake. not bad at all. just take your time and function check..thats it.

 

[scott123456789]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

The lower requires a punch and a few minutes on youtube. Upper takes a bit more work to install and correctly headspace a barrel. If you are asking about it I would consider buying a complete upper or dropping it off with a competent smith.

 

[Red_SC]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: scott123456789</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The lower requires a punch and a few minutes on youtube. Upper takes a bit more work to install and correctly headspace a barrel. If you are asking about it I would consider buying a complete upper or dropping it off with a competent smith. </div></div>

The barrel is headspaced when you receive it. Upper is no big deal either.

 

[taseal]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Red_SC</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: scott123456789</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The lower requires a punch and a few minutes on youtube. Upper takes a bit more work to install and correctly headspace a barrel. If you are asking about it I would consider buying a complete upper or dropping it off with a competent smith. </div></div>

The barrel is headspaced when you receive it. Upper is no big deal either. </div></div>

so what do you do, thread it on, and tigthen to x amount?

 

[BOL556]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

Check out Brownells website there are very good videos on there and it will explain everything you need to know. That is how I learned

 

[EagleScout501]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

Ive seen all sorts of tools used to put lower receivers together, my suggestion is buy a set of roll pin punches, a brass punch and brass hammer. The rest is pretty easy. I know everyone here seems to call it "barf".com but, you might want to check ar15.com and look at the build it yourself section of the forum. There are more pages of info out there than you will need.

 

[1911-45]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: HAVOC615</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Check out Brownells website there are very good videos on there and it will explain everything you need to know. That is how I learned </div></div> This will help you get the lower together real easy. The upper will require more tools and skill

 

[biner626]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

The only PITA with the lower assembly is the front pivot pin detent and spring. Buy an extra detent. I've launched a couple.

 

[taseal]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Biner626</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The only PITA with the lower assembly is the front pivot pin detent and spring. Buy an extra detent. I've launched a couple. </div></div>

I heard using a box cutter or something, you can push it down and still install the pin. it's thin enough that it doesn't get in the way

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 1911-45</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: HAVOC615</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Check out Brownells website there are very good videos on there and it will explain everything you need to know. That is how I learned </div></div> This will help you get the lower together real easy. The upper will require more tools and skill </div></div>

I think I'm gonna buy the upper built so I can benefit from lifetime warranty just incase I have problems (Especially because I'm going with .300 BLK)

 

[biner626]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

Yeah it's doable. The first one I did went together fine. then the next two I hamfisted and launched pins into the drop ceiling. LOL

 

[taseal]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Biner626</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yeah it's doable. The first one I did went together fine. then the next two I hamfisted and launched pins into the drop ceiling. LOL </div></div>

LOL...

brownells has a nifty little tool to help you with this apparently...

 

[SIG700]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

For holding down the detent on the front pivot pin, I found a little trick that seems to work very well (with basic tools). All I used was a pair of tweezers, razor blade, and an allen wrench (I want to say 5mm). Hold the sides of the detent with the tweezers, while pushing it down with the razor blade, until the detent is fully down in the housing. At this point, insert the allen wrench thru the pivot pin holes, from the opposite side of the detent. The allen wrench will then hold the detent down as you remove the razor blade. Next you just use the pivot pin to push the allen wrench out of the way, and you're done. I forget where I read to do it this way- but its made this job much easier (the two times I've had to do it).

 

[taseal]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SIG700</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For holding down the detent on the front pivot pin, I found a little trick that seems to work very well (with basic tools). All I used was a pair of tweezers, razor blade, and an allen wrench (I want to say 5mm). Hold the sides of the detent with the tweezers, while pushing it down with the razor blade, until the detent is fully down in the housing. At this point, insert the allen wrench thru the pivot pin holes, from the opposite side of the detent. The allen wrench will then hold the detent down as you remove the razor blade. Next you just use the pivot pin to push the allen wrench out of the way, and you're done. I forget where I read to do it this way- but its made this job much easier (the two times I've had to do it). </div></div>

that's a good way of doing it. thanks!

 

[Downzero]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SIG700</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For holding down the detent on the front pivot pin, I found a little trick that seems to work very well (with basic tools). All I used was a pair of tweezers, razor blade, and an allen wrench (I want to say 5mm). Hold the sides of the detent with the tweezers, while pushing it down with the razor blade, until the detent is fully down in the housing. At this point, insert the allen wrench thru the pivot pin holes, from the opposite side of the detent. The allen wrench will then hold the detent down as you remove the razor blade. Next you just use the pivot pin to push the allen wrench out of the way, and you're done. I forget where I read to do it this way- but its made this job much easier (the two times I've had to do it). </div></div>

You can even use the rear pivot pin instead of an allen wrench.

 

[kylechildress]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: taseal</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I wathced some videos, and it looked VERY simple. the trigger if anything seemed the hardest.

Now sometimes the videos tend to make things look easy, so it's possible it's not as easy as the videos show it to be.

so I was curious if anyone could give me a first time building experience with one.

same for upper. I haven't seen a video for one (will watch one now) but how hard is that one?

I most likely will buy the upper assembled, but thinking about doing it myself because I'm a lefty, so it would be nice to use a STAG lefty upper for my new .300 BLK build. (and it helps with relase, since most people don't want it, I can't sell them as easy and regret it later LOL)

Then again, if I buy a complete upper from Core15 (the upper I've been looking at) I will have a lifetime warranty, which could come in handy for a caliber like 300BLK so that's really important too

Thanks everyone! </div></div>

Here you go, I had to re-upload this video, but this is an old video I made of the trigger. FYI I have a new method of assembling the trigger though, I put in the trigger unit first, then pin it, then hammer, and pin the hammer. PM me and what ever part you need help with I will make a video for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEZ5Sip6Bb0

 

[Red_SC]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: taseal</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Red_SC</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: scott123456789</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The lower requires a punch and a few minutes on youtube. Upper takes a bit more work to install and correctly headspace a barrel. If you are asking about it I would consider buying a complete upper or dropping it off with a competent smith. </div></div>

The barrel is headspaced when you receive it. Upper is no big deal either. </div></div>

so what do you do, thread it on, and tigthen to x amount? </div></div>

Basically the barrel slides straight into the upper receiver until a shoulder makes contact, and then the barrel nut is slid over the barrel and threaded onto the upper. It clamps the two together. Depending on how the barrel nut is made, it may have a series of holes around the perimeter through which the gas tube passes into the upper receiver. If that's the case, you tighten the barrel nut to a minimum torque value, and then continue to torque until the next hole lines up. The allowable torque range is very wide.

 

[jake-cutter]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

The hardest thing on the lower is the roll pins for the bolt catch and the trigger guard. They aren't that hard, but if you are not careful you will mar the finish.

 

[fred650]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

FOr firstAR I don't recommend assembling your own upper. Assembling lowers is a piece of cake and after the first few you don't even need a vice just a second pair of hands and you're good to go!

If you're a lefty try the stag lefty upper.

 

[pwc001]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jake Cutter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The hardest thing on the lower is the roll pins for the bolt catch and the trigger guard. They aren't that hard, but if you are not careful you will mar the finish.
</div></div>

I agree, the bolt catch can be a PITA, sometimes I put a few layers of masking tape on the lower behind the mag catch, just incase the punch slips off the pin, it will not mess the finish up.

 

[LivnoutdoorsSPC]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

The absolute easiest way to put the front pivot pin in is to find a clevis pin the same diameter, and put it in from the left side. Then pass the spring and detent through the clevis pin hole. Then rotate it 90 degrees and replace the clevis pin with the takedown pin from the right side. Here's a link for the style of pin I'm refering to:
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/tools-hardw...ght-180372.html

 

[Apothus]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

The biggest pain in the ass that I had was the roll pin for the trigger guard. I couldn't get that shit started to save my life, it just kept falling out. I ended up flaring out one of the sides but finally got it in. It looked like crap but it worked. Everything else went together nice and smooth.

 

[LivnoutdoorsSPC]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

I had a couple of "learning-blemishes" from assembling my first lower, so I used a Birchwood Casey flat black touch up pen and it worked fantastically!

 

[taseal]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: fRed650</div><div class="ubbcode-body">FOr firstAR I don't recommend assembling your own upper. Assembling lowers is a piece of cake and after the first few you don't even need a vice just a second pair of hands and you're good to go!

If you're a lefty try the stag lefty upper. </div></div>

Thank you for your good input for someone who would own a AR for the first time! I'm sure whoever reads that will find it very useful!

 

[HPW]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

If you can follow directions and operate basic tools then you can build an AR. Like most gunsmithing, there are those with more knowledge and better tools that make a living at it. But that shouldn't mean the average guy can't give it a try.

Definitely get some decent roll pin punches. They will make the job easier.

I have used vice grip pliers to start some of the difficult roll pins. Tape off the jaws to protect the lower and pin and then just work it in by clamping, releasing, tighten and repeat. This helped in some of those spots where it feels like you need 4 hands to hold the pin, punch, hammer and springs. Just be sure you have the jaws in line with the pin and hole or you can bend the pin. It's always a good idea to have extras of about everything. Springs and detents can fly off in a hurry and pins can be flared or bent.

 

[BravoSector1]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

BUILD YOUR OWN AR-15

You'll enjoy it that much more...just like any other work you accomplish, and may be able to produce a better quality AR for the money.

 

[Bedlam]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Biner626</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The only PITA with the lower assembly is the front pivot pin detent and spring. Buy an extra detent. I've launched a couple.</div></div>

I do that step inside a large clear plastic bag.

 

[Bedlam]

Re: Difficulty to assemble stripped upper & lower?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pwc001</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jake Cutter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The hardest thing on the lower is the roll pins for the bolt catch and the trigger guard. They aren't that hard, but if you are not careful you will mar the finish.
</div></div>

I agree, the bolt catch can be a PITA, sometimes I put a few layers of masking tape on the lower behind the mag catch, just incase the punch slips off the pin, it will not mess the finish up. </div></div>

For the bolt catch release pin I have always scratched the finish when using a punch and hammer. Always. Even when taping up the lower, the punch goes right through the tape.

Finally I said SCREW THE INSTRUCTIONS and changed tools. I used pliers with the jaws taped up to prevent scratching, and just squeezed it in. SO MUCH EASIER!!! No scratches, no need to have 4 hands, and even the roll pin doesn't get a shiny side like it does with a punch.