How to Build an AR-15 Upper Receiver Presented by Larry Potterfield of MidwayUSA
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 มิ.ย. 2024
- Building a standard AR-15 A2 Upper Receiver is pretty straightforward. Watch as Larry Potterfield, Founder of MidwayUSA, shows how it's done. Starting with an explanation of the tools required, from the action blocks to a barrel wrench, the use of each tool is explained in depth. The installation of the ejection port cover, forward assist, front and rear sights, and barrel are all covered. In this build, a demonstration of how to check headspace is shown before assembling the bolt and carrier. Next, the delta ring is installed on the barrel, and the barrel fastened to the upper receiver. Finally, the installation of the gas tube and compensator are detailed.
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This guy cracks me up...."the upper receiver is easier to build than a lower receiver"...30 seconds into him displaying his tools I started looking to buy a complete upper receiver :-)
lol! That's exactly what I'm thinking right now. Those tools will set me back at least a hundred bucks. I want to build a retro Vietnam era A1 build but now I say f__k it, I'll just go to Fulton Armory and buy one that's period correct and ready to put on a lower.
these are just suggested tools ive seen somone get by with a multi too castle and armorers tool
Haha dude you dont need all those tools. He has like 5 types of each tool. Chances are you already have all the tools you need.
he just trying to sell stuff
Yall are a bunch of whiny bitches.
Gotta love a CEO with callused hands!
First time for me to ever comment on youtube. Let me say this about MISTER Potterfield, , when you buy something from Midwayusa and have a problem even if it is YOUR FAULT (wrong part you ordered etc) Larry will make it right. He will even talk to you on the phone and help you do a repair. Treats all his customers with respect. The man is brilliant, and that is one of the few things I respect on this world. If you think hes old, uses too many tools, or repeats himself too much.... he is sharing his wealth of experience for FREE. stop whining, put your playstation remote down, quit texting while driving and if your lucky you may live to be his age!
I agree.....his videos are how to do it right! He doesn't tape his pliers and squeeze a pin in....he uses the correct tool.
absolotluty hes the best guy in the big side of the gun industry, and remember larry has forgot more about gunsmithing than we will ever know
What does having a Playstation have to do with anything? lol
Hey fossilguy... you are wrong! I had an order, about $800 worth that good old Mister Potterfield let me eat over $300 dollars worth of reloading components on. What happened was their shipping department just threw in a container of Frankford Arsenal's lead flux I had ordered without packing it in a separate bag or even tapping the lid on securely. The lid unscrewed itself during shipping and spilled all over the contents of the box. I called Midway less than an hour after the box was delivered to my porch and the rep said they would send another container of lead flux. I unboxed and cleaned everything up and vacuumed clean all the flux. I threw the one hundred .338 Lapua Mag cases and the match bullets up on my reloading shelves and thought nothing more of it........ Until I grabbed that $200+ box of 338 brass to reload. Even after the meticulous clean up job the brass had corroded so bad it was unusable. The bullets were just as bad. In fact, almost everything with metal had corroded. I immediately called Midway and they said it had been to long a time to do anything about.. I explained that as a reloader we often buy our components in advance of its use which I'm sure anyone in the industry can understand..... but hey, we can't help you..... So, Mr. Customer... you loose! So hey, fossilface... stop sucking up and saying things you know nothing about..
@Merman @Merman... Hi there. I think it was about 12 months or so. It could have been a year and a half.. What ever it was, the time frame isn't as important as the lack of customer service. I own close to a hundred guns and don't get to reloading for some of them for years at a time. I buy components in advance and have many components that have been sitting on my shelves or powder locker for 5 years or more. Brass and bullets don't deteriorate unless you do something to cause them to. If Midway had warned me.. "hey there, that flux compound will really screw up any components it contacts", and I did nothing about it.. I'd have to accept the fault as my own.. But, it wasn't me that packed the box wrong. In fact, as soon as I realized each problem that developed from the ordeal I contacted Midway. Their records indicated that and they still offered no recourse.. No matter. I now shop online with Natchess and a few others that seem to have a better customer response.. Now if your a relative or friend of Mr Potterfield's I can understand your insinuation that the timeframe has any big relevance here.. And it would if I had initiated the problem. I didn't.. Who ever packed the order did and if my initial call had been handed off to the right person they could have had me return the order right then and there.. Lesson learned.. Good day..
I've built my share of these rifles, but still enjoy the heck out of watching the old man do this. Yes, he's selling his tools, but he's still cool.
Great videos from Midway as always. Larry is like the Mr. Rogers of gunsmithing, polite, likable and a badass.
The pins never go in as easy as these videos make you think.
No anti-seize on the compensator threads ?
Amazing how, with all the oil and grease, you manage to keep your hands clean at all times. Paying attention to details makes for a neater video, along with the fact that there is no hesitation, approximate or trial-and-error hand moves, etc. Very slick and professional.
Very good information on the tools as well.
J. gM He's probably done it in his sleep.
Larry Potter and the Chamber of Nitride
I like how he builds an A2 upper from parts.
By far the most complete, thought out, and descriptive assembly video I've seen. Larry, you sir are a gift. Kinda like the Mr. Rogers of the gun world...except, you know, with a great company that you built...
Mr. Potterfield, thank you for educating me (us) on the proper way to build an ar 15 as I'm new to this and still learning. I really appreciate your good attitude, wealth of knowledge and willingness to share it. I'd also like to commend you for your fast response to orders and they're always exactly what I've wanted, great quality and great service at a competitive price. What everyone expects without hassle and delays. Good day and thanks again sir.
That torque spec cracks me up. Its like saying my vehicle is anything from a moped to a bus
Exactly 😂
I always shoot for 55 ft/lb on that type of barrel nut just to be as median as possible.
This is the absolute best instruction I've ever encountered.
Process and detail, great job sir!
In addition to using these "how to" videos to promote the use of the tools that he sells, Larry is doing this for teaching purposes. He would be exposed to liability if he taught shoddy methods that resulted in a viewer being injured. I don't know how many of his tools some of you could do without and I really don't need to know. He has a double motivation (two perfectly good motivations) for teaching things the way he does.
Great video and very detailed! You see a lot of young guys putting this professional down, they should keep the dumb comments to themselves and learn a thing or two from guys who have been building AR's longer than they have been around. But I guess they can't help but show their ignorance. And as for all the tools he uses, look at the finished work, not all scuffed up because he's using the right tools for the job. The want to be's always gotta say something.
Preach on!
This is the best video out there for assembling an upper and lower. I always share this with anyone wanting to assemble their own. Its not bubba in his garage saying his uncle daddy told him this is the only way.
I’m sure Larry is someone’s uncle and daddy
i noticed some comments on this series (building an ar upper/lower) that i dont get. i realize you dont need all these tools, as does anyone who would build an upper/lower. yes, midway is trying to sell you stuff. with that being said, this guy has forgotten more about firearms than at least 85% of the people watching this will ever know, including me. he doesnt watch videos, they make them about him. many of the tools shown ARE completely unnecessary, some would be handy and make it a lot easier, in addition, make it a lot easier to prevent marring, knicking, scratching, etc, even if minor. you can use a pair if visegrips to drive a nail, but a hammer sure is nice to have, and i would take a paslode over that, that is all this guy is doing, using the right tools for the job, to do it right with ease, and have the end result be professional, which is what he is. dont know the guy, dont have any affiliation to midway, bought one magazine from them years ago, but it kills me that someone who can tear down their glock thinks they are a gunsmith, at best you are a backyard uncertified armor, and their is big difference. just my .02
Well said! There is always some shortcuts. But professional assembly is always a Big Plus. Plus you don't get yourself or someone else injured or Dead by misalignment or other missteps in assembly.
So is this dude the nicest person in the world?
After seeing this a complete upper for $300 looks like a hell of a deal.
I absolutely love these videos. Larry seems like such a kind man.
The most American thing I have ever watched
I love these videos because some of us want to build old GI/retro builds because we got so sick of fast guy “operator” builds and just want old, classic, battle tested setups
Well made video. You're one of the only videos I've ever seen that actually mentions a torque wrench. Yeah, you can find ways around using a lot of the special tools he lists, but there's no janky work arounds on this video.
this video was golden then, it's golden now.
MidwayUSA and Palmetto State Arms are two of my favorite online gun sites. I like Brownells too. And have even found some gun parts and accessories on Amazon. Brownells has good videos too. All of this information is helpful to the gun community even though there are differing opinions on just about everything gun related, it's the diversity that keeps it all interesting. Rock on Larry!
Thanks for the great video. It gives me confidence that I could do this with the right equipment.
For a CEO of a multi million dollar company and still gets his hands dirty he’s a COOL OLD CAT!!!
Great video and Mr. Potterfield is a class act!
Thanks for this. Everything after 20:00 or something is what I was needing
Larry is the greatest
Thank you Mr for that wonderful video you are the man
I like how he does this all in a clamshell fixture in a vise, triggering all the "hurr durr, muh reaction rod" and the "you'll shear off the index pin if you don't use a barrel clamp" people.
I love the full length videos you guys do please keep it up (:
This video was helpful for my build, but I have to point out that roll pins are the spawn of the devil.
But that roll pin starter tool looks like it makes it so much easier!
If I get more into working on My rifle I might just pick up the small set,looks like a lifesaver.
The e-clips are actually Beelzebub himself then, I'm fairly certain.
Yes, you can do it with fewer tools. However, there is an inverse relationship between the time it takes to complete this task and the number of specialized tools you use.
There is also an inverse relationship between the number of specialized tools and the amount of profanity it takes to get one of these things assembled.
Tangero and how many people commenting have never put anything together more complicated than a sandwich. Thank you for the laugh!
I seriously thought I would never say the words "fuc*ing" and "bit*h" so much while assembling my first build lmao
A no B.S. PROPER build. Thanks Larry.
Great video, only thing is when using a torque wrench with that kind of adapter the wrench needs to be @ 90 degrees in relation to the adaptor. Other wise the actual torque will be different than what the wrench is set to.
Thanks for the awesome video and keep them coming.
+Michael Bearer
I'm glad I wasn't the only one who noticed that.
Michael Bearer I'm glad you mentioned that.
I'm glad somebody brought that up. That's a good note for this application, or anybody using dogbones with a torque wrench.
I was about to comment about that too, he overtorqued the barrel nut
I can't believe how many people don't understand this and see it done wrong in almost all videos when torqueing with an adapter.
You spent a lot of time on that ancient iron sight from 60 years ago! And I've NEVER seen a builder of the last 30+ years bother to use it!
In fact, most of todays receivers couldn't even mount such ancient sights!!!!!
Hey Larry, re-check your torque wrench usage rules. The barrel wrench, the way you have it on the torque wrench, is acting as an extension and requires recalculation of the torque. However, if you don't like to do simple algebra, turn the barrel wrench so that it is 90 degrees to the torque wrench, then the torque dialed in will be the torque applied.
He's never been to AFRAM/P school!
Looks like he used his torque wrench @ 90° there @23:35
It is to fully seat the round when you load a new magazine. The military teaches to hit it 3 time with the heel of you hand after you charge the first round. This is to assure the round seated if the chamber is a bit dirty. Normally, you would pull the charging lever back and then let go allowing the spring inertia to close the bolt. If silence must be observed for security reasons, you can slowly release tension off the operating lever and then palm the action closed with the forward assist.
Isso sim é um profissional de qualidade usando ferramentas próprias e um cuidado bem meticuloso. Parabéns e um abraço de Portugal felicidades.
Damn I wanted to see the finished rifle!!
Roll pin starter punch
wheres my 10 mm socket?
Actually, my weapon of choice for handling E-clips is a good sized hemostat. Holds as well as a needle nose but you can lock it tight on the clip, lay it on the bench till you need it and install it very easily. I keep a dozen or so assorted size hemostats in the tool box.
That was EXCELLENT!
LAWRENCE POTTERFIELD YOU RULE
Good timing with these videos Larry!
I have two stripped lowers, and am researching/buying parts for at least one of them. Too bad you guys don't ship to Canada.
amazing video as always :D
i like tetra grease. i got a tube of it in 2013. still got more than half of it left. and i clean my guns at least 2 times a month
The next time I hear "Roll Pin Starter Punch" I'm gonna Roll Pin somebody in the Starter with A Punch.
Every time I hear it my mind automatically fills in "a pair of needle-nose pliers and the finishing hammer"...
The things people spend money on these days. Lol With all of the tools this guy has it almost seems possible to go back to 1985 and kick Biff in the nuts.
#RollPinFluxCapacitor
Starter punches are so nice… why brag about driving a Honda? Get a Cadillac.
You would think from these assembly videos that the AR was more grease than metal lol
Thanks very Detail video
Interesting way to stake the gas key; never seen in done like that (BCGs I've seen are staked from the outside edge of the gas key).
when I put together my ar I got an assembled upper and did the lower myself. I'm only 5 minutes into the video and there is no way on earth building the upper is easier than the lower. no freaking way. look at all those tools!
it's easy trust me. he's just showing a complete proper way of building it with the proper tools but half the stuff you don't need. Look up some other videos
This video is great, but it would be nice if it were indexed so I could go right to the part I want to watch. Thanks for the help Larry!
Is that a joke. It IS indexed.
@@beeleo - My comment is a year old and it wasn't indexed at the time. Good job on jumping to conclusions though.
Same deal. It always gets dirty around the rings and bolt back. Just scrape it off carefully and get as much off as you can. Some guys use a ultrasonic cleaner, but I have never tried that to see if it works better. I soak in Simple Green and then scrape and lightly oil.
Nice video and good information. I call BS on your barrel nut aligning perfectly with the gas tube port opening on the first try, Larry! Anyone who has ever done this know they never do and you end up tweaking it several attempts before you get it right. That is why the torque spec is so wide.
Fantastic
More tools than parts!
Good Gawd man, I only have a cordless hand drill and bit set.
Thank Goodness I have these two hands, opposable thumbs and a descent set of eyeballs, else I would have bought ALL THEM EXTRA TOOLS.
And at no point in assembling this rifle did you get an urge to kill? Amazing!
I wish I could get my bolt to go in the carrier that easy
Please do the same video for an AR-10 / SR-25! Thanks!
I use a pocket knife to scrape carbon off of the bolt tail. It's much more effective than a brush IMO. When clean, coat the boat tail with a grease that will leave a film when it is burned off. I like Superlube synthetic grease.
My firing pin isn't quite as snug in there as yours. At 19:15 where you pull back on the firing pin with the small tool and it doesn't seem to move. Mine moves pretty easily with just my fingers. Maybe 1/4" or a little more. Is that bad?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought you were supposed to lay down some RTV sealant between the gas key and the bolt carrier? Also you're supposed to keep the barrel nut wrench 90 degrees to the shaft of the torque wrench.
Great video thanks!!! Heres a question though. I have a 2 piece drop in quad rail hand guard. The top of the hand guard rail does not align side to side. Up and down is perfect but it's off side to side. I called the manufacture and they suggested to torque the barrel nut some more to see if that will align it. The gas tube looks to be nice and straight with the barrel nut and receiver just by eyeballing it. Don't have the tools to check everything but, wouldn't tightening the barrel nut bind the gas tube since it looks like it's already aligned straight?
No. But that won't fix your issue either.
The torque adapter he is usingon thetorque wrench has to be on a 90 degree angle for a proper torque.
No it doesn't. The original Colt and military manuals say that the torque is properly read when using both wrenches together.
Dude, the range in the manual is 30-80 pounds. That sure sounds like a really precise range to me.
Wow all you kwyboard gunsmiths out there lary potter is a great gunsmith ivdoubt any of you could come cloae toatching his skill
Lol whats up with your spelling skills?
It seemed like putting the sight together on the original issue rifles is the hardest job ever associated with the AR 15/M16.
thanks!
Never seen a gas key staked that way before
23:00 is it necessary to take account for the tool length when making the calculation for the torque setting on the wrench or just set it to spec? Just curious
I feel like with all the money that goes into all the tools, I mite as well but a complete upper. Probably all adds up to the same.
The funny thing about tools is you can use them more than once and for more than one task
I ´d like to see a video from Mr Potterfield making an 9mm AR 15
TKs
Would like to see the complete and proper assembly of a AR15 lower video, if TH-cam will not allow it then please post it to Rumble.
They have the lower build on their website
Would have thought Mr. Toolbox would have used a Reaction Rod....
Lowers Seem A Lot Less Complicated To Build From Stripped.
@ Midway do you have a complete tool kit to do this job?
which headspace gauges are in the video. I have never seen that design.
14:10 ....ouch... use a punch to install the extractor pin.... I guess I was spoiled with my m16/m4... I'm used to that part being held in place with friction only and being removeable with my fingers :(
What is the blue, disk-shaped device that the bolt carrier is resting on while he is working on the bolt carrier group? It was not listed at the beginning of the video when the tools were displayed. I can't find it on the Midway USA site.
Thanks!
Thanks marchingbluengold
at 26:02 "... the gas tube does not bind in the key..."
How do you recover if this is not the case ?
Noob here & just asking to ask the community.
I bought a 14oz tube of multi-purpose lith grease from TSC a year ago. Just used a tiny bit on some O-rings. Their website says "Doesn't contain extreme pressure additives" & Flash point of 410°F.
Am I correct to assume that grease is just grease for an AR assembly? Doesn't have to be some specialty white lithium gun grease.
Easier to assemble than the lower ??? Does he mine the aluminum ore for the lower receiver ?!
I guess we'll never know how the folks at Midway put handguards on...
And what was shown was the difference between 40 lvl and 50 lvl Small Arm Repair...
I noticed the barrel slid easily in the upper receiver. I have watched other videos where it has to be hammered in with a rubber mallet. Does being loose or tight that affect accuracy?
No. And it's all tolerances.
Yes he will most likely use all these tools, but it is not necessary.
You could get by with the following
Magwell Block
AR Receiver Vise
Torque Wrench
Armorer's Wrench
Roll Pin Punch
Punch Set
Screw Driver (Flat Head)
File Hammer
Needle Nose Pliers
Wheeler Bench Block
Aero Shell M3 Grease
Hi sir . i have a issue with my m4 carbine Hand Guard Ring Wobble please give me a advice how to fix it
Hello sir! Can you tell me the interior diameter of AR-15 barrel before it's rifled by using rifling button?
Is it necessary to put anti-seize on the barrel sleeve itself or only on the threads?
You can put anti-seize anywhere you want. There's never too much anti-seize.
Hi Larry, Don't you need to index your barrel wrench at a 90 degree angle with your torque wrench before torqueing your barrel nut? The way you indexed it will not provide an accurate reading of the torque you are applying.
There is a formula to calculate the correct final torque when using an extension.
Larry can I install t h e select tor switch from the right side due to the face I am left handed
Get an ambidextrous safety selector and you should be good.
hey my bolt is caked with carbon that i cant get off...i even soaked the rear of it (where the carbon is) in hoppes #9, with no results...what do you recommend MidwayUSA?
Use Ballistol and let it soak for a few minutes. I use it on my stuff and the carbon doesn't stick nearly as bad.
When he said you need a little muscle and flexed on us, I got scared.
Several manufactures offer "AR-15 carbon scrapers" designed to make it easier to clean the crud off the carrier. It is not unusual to have to scrape it off.
NOBODY WHO KNOWS JACK S...... WOULD SUGGEST YOU CLEAN A PRECISION PIECE OF A FIREARM WITH A METAL SCRAPER. OH,WELL I GUESS IT GIVES THEM MORE "JUNK" TO SELL. PROPER CLEANING NEVER INVOLVES THE PRIMITIVE USE OF METAL SCRAPERS.
no black o-ring on the extractor aka failure to eject will happen ! / The snap ring that goes over the weld spring has two sides to it ..the sharp side and the round side, the sharp side is supposed to be pointed up towards the end of the barrel. / The gas key must be aligned on the carrier , most manufactures like micro best has slop in allen head screw holes allowing the gas key to twist left or right a couple of thousands.