I've built several ARs. It took me getting the proper armorer's tool set, but I did get one. And I'm currently earning my Gunsmithing Certification as well. I think everyone should build at least one on their own to understand how the system works and also how to problem solve both in the field and at the bench!! Building a stripped upper is worth it as well. And of course, learning all the proper tolerances and torques and using the proper loctite is all worth it too!!
I bought my first rifle and built the rest including the lower and uppers. I use primary weapon systems ratchet castle nut and qd endplates and never had to stake the castle nuts. Just torque ton spec and yes I shoot, a lot. I enjoy building them over buying. It was worth investing the money in the tools and learning/gaining knowledge to build them. To each is own. Thanks for the video i dropped a like 👍
If you have class 3 threads, you won't need to stake the castle nut if properly torqued. That said, the ratchet castle nut works one time until you loosen it. Easy to stake the standard castle nut and there is no need to pay more for the ratchet type..
@@hairydogstailcame here to say the exact same thing, the ratcheting castle nuts are a one-time use/torque only, if you ever have to take it off it’s useless at that point
That s&w gas block is still really good...thats a "clamped" on gas block and its different & considered an upgrade from just the set screws w the alignment dimple...most gas blocks are the set screws and they losen and fall out...i have a piston system w the clamp from side screws and I even have 1 less screw than your s&w and never had a 2nd thought ab it...and its a 762...rock solid...but still not as good as pinned
My 1st was a psa freedom. More like pos freedom (it had to go back for repair right out of the box). When i got it back, the flash hider was timed about 70° left hand biased. Damn thing was basically welded on too. It was a 3 minute gun on its best day. Acceptable but not ideal either. As with everything else cheap, QC is often lacking. I ditched it, saved up, and now BCM is my best friend. The hobbies expensive AF but you definitely get what you pay for. Do you want a range toy or do you want dependable, go to hell and back rifle? And would you trust your life with a $400 ar? S&W, Ruger, and probably IWI would be bare minimum for me from now on
IMO if it’s your first rifle buy it shoot it then second rifle build it Reason i say this is cause no one really knows what works for them till they go shoot, and if your not shooting because xyz of that bought rifle then you can build a new one with changes to xyz but your not out of a rifle
Knowing how to properly build an AR rifle is not as easy as most think. The AR is easy to throw together (assemble), but having the knowledge to do it right takes a lot of information, experience, tools, gauges, TDP specs, tolerances, etc. People roll their eyes when I say this until I get their Frankenguns on my bench or when they have problems. The sad reality is most gunsmiths don't have the proper training or knowledge to work on the AR platform. Very few factory built rifles are put together correctly or without out of tolerance parts. I have to cringe when I hear people say it was easy to assemble their rifles, it needs to be broken in to work, you need a heavier buffer when it doesn't cycle correctly, it was stacking tolerances that caused the problem. You need to build the rifle, not assemble it, it does not need to be broken in to function correctly, changing the buffer has very little effect on gas issues and tolerances are in or out of spec, they don't stack.
School of the American rifle on TH-cam is incredible he has showed me all the mistakes,helped me learn a better way, even with the few tools I have
Build (assembling) is the way to go. It’s fun and you learn the rifle.
I've built several ARs. It took me getting the proper armorer's tool set, but I did get one. And I'm currently earning my Gunsmithing Certification as well. I think everyone should build at least one on their own to understand how the system works and also how to problem solve both in the field and at the bench!! Building a stripped upper is worth it as well. And of course, learning all the proper tolerances and torques and using the proper loctite is all worth it too!!
I bought my first rifle and built the rest including the lower and uppers. I use primary weapon systems ratchet castle nut and qd endplates and never had to stake the castle nuts. Just torque ton spec and yes I shoot, a lot. I enjoy building them over buying. It was worth investing the money in the tools and learning/gaining knowledge to build them. To each is own. Thanks for the video i dropped a like 👍
Oh yea I forgot to mention those type castle nuts. I never used them… thanks for your comment
If you have class 3 threads, you won't need to stake the castle nut if properly torqued. That said, the ratchet castle nut works one time until you loosen it. Easy to stake the standard castle nut and there is no need to pay more for the ratchet type..
@@hairydogstailcame here to say the exact same thing, the ratcheting castle nuts are a one-time use/torque only, if you ever have to take it off it’s useless at that point
That s&w gas block is still really good...thats a "clamped" on gas block and its different & considered an upgrade from just the set screws w the alignment dimple...most gas blocks are the set screws and they losen and fall out...i have a piston system w the clamp from side screws and I even have 1 less screw than your s&w and never had a 2nd thought ab it...and its a 762...rock solid...but still not as good as pinned
My 1st was a psa freedom. More like pos freedom (it had to go back for repair right out of the box). When i got it back, the flash hider was timed about 70° left hand biased. Damn thing was basically welded on too. It was a 3 minute gun on its best day. Acceptable but not ideal either. As with everything else cheap, QC is often lacking. I ditched it, saved up, and now BCM is my best friend. The hobbies expensive AF but you definitely get what you pay for. Do you want a range toy or do you want dependable, go to hell and back rifle? And would you trust your life with a $400 ar? S&W, Ruger, and probably IWI would be bare minimum for me from now on
IMO if it’s your first rifle buy it shoot it then second rifle build it
Reason i say this is cause no one really knows what works for them till they go shoot, and if your not shooting because xyz of that bought rifle then you can build a new one with changes to xyz but your not out of a rifle
Go no Go Guage.
Knowing how to properly build an AR rifle is not as easy as most think. The AR is easy to throw together (assemble), but having the knowledge to do it right takes a lot of information, experience, tools, gauges, TDP specs, tolerances, etc. People roll their eyes when I say this until I get their Frankenguns on my bench or when they have problems. The sad reality is most gunsmiths don't have the proper training or knowledge to work on the AR platform. Very few factory built rifles are put together correctly or without out of tolerance parts. I have to cringe when I hear people say it was easy to assemble their rifles, it needs to be broken in to work, you need a heavier buffer when it doesn't cycle correctly, it was stacking tolerances that caused the problem. You need to build the rifle, not assemble it, it does not need to be broken in to function correctly, changing the buffer has very little effect on gas issues and tolerances are in or out of spec, they don't stack.
Yea you’re right, that’s one of the reasons I buy a complete upper bc there is a lot going on.