Building an AR Puppy

Have you had a chance to hit steel with it? I think you would be surprised how much harder it hits than a .223. I typically load a hornady 150 gr with around 15-15.5gr of lil gun which is a little on the warm side. When you hit the steel plates, you can definitely tell it is NOT a .223 or 5.56 round.

Not a lot of steel opportunity out this way. But I can certainly say that the recoil is more than the 5.56, which is rather minimal. Although I can't clearly remember back far enough to recollect shooting the AK, I suspect this is more in that league. It is, after all, a .308. And a 155gr one at that. Remember that the Garand shoots the same projectile, only a good bit faster.

I expect this will be quite enough for hunting.

It seems like 300 blk is one of the preferred hunting round for hogs.

So. ?Any of you done business with Damage Industries.

They sell AR parts. Not all, but some. Can't remember how I found them, but I bought some stuff from them. One was a rear plate with double hinge slots. I ended up not using it, but it wasn't a lot of money.

They have sales from time to time. Recently they had a sale on front grips. Nothing fancy, just a front AR grip. It isn't terribly long (something I like) so it doesn't get in your way. It attached with a simple screw grip. It has a cap on the bottom (appears water proof) that opens to the inside so you have a compartment to put "stuff" in - were you so inclined. It is, all in all, rather neat. I bought 2 because I think they had a sale for something stupid like $15 each.

You guys might find Damage Industries interesting to peruse.

I have never done business with them before, but it is good to know that you had a good experience.

Cornmastah wrote:I have never done business with them before, but it is good to know that you had a good experience.

I think having as many sources as possible is a good thing. We had lists back on GRRN of vendors for various things. I think I started a couple of those here, but I don't think we have a listing of AR vendors.

Yeah, don't ever buy any HeadDown stuff (if they are still in business). I got ripped off by them--ordered a Gundudes AR lower back in the day for around $225ish and then they ran away with my money.

Ouch! That hurt. ?Were they a scam, or went bankrupt, or what.

I think maybe the bankruptcy route... I saw a few AR parts at a local shop with their brand on it, so it looks like they came back at least for a little while. Their website still exists, but I won't post it and generate traffic to them.

?Have you talked to them at all lately. If they came back, perhaps they have the record and can still fill the order. They DID after all charge you.

It was a few years ago or whenever the Gundudes had that preorder for a gundudes lower going on. I tried back then to get a refund or something equivalent but got no responses--I've since chalked it up as a loss and am a little wiser with whom I do business now.

Upper question. CDNN is having yet another sale. This time it's AR uppers. I note they have what they call a "custom upper" with a stainless 24" barrel, crowned (no threads), free floated, etc. Low block gas block. Comes with everything but the bolt and charging handle. I have those.

My question is: the barrel is 1:8 twist. I am given to understand that to shoot stable heavier bullets you need really a 1:7 twist. But I don't know if this is good enough. It is relatively cheap - $369 - and you would be paying just that for a quality match barrel. But no point in buying it if the proper twist for such a rifle ought to be 1:7. I think.

?What say you guys.

I'm building a Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) clone, to shoot the commonly paired M262 77gr 5.56 type round. A 1:7 twist is the accepted standard for the heavier bullets. However, a 20" 1:7 heavy barrel is somewhat hard to find. 1:8 is thought to work well with the M855 green tip 62 grainers. I'm going to wait for the 1:7.

Guess it depends our your expected use.

I've owned two ARs in the past 30 years...first was a Colt CAR-15 back in 1986...yeah it eventually got sold~~the other was a post-ban Bushmaster..very accurate beast~~also sold...haven't been feeling a hankering for one until recently when they've become so...common...I'd never try to build one but a friend at work really loves his "entry-level" S&W...and with the prices coming down maybe I ought to snatch one up and stick in the closet...I did qualify Expert on the USMC range with a nice new M16A2 courtesy of President Reagan back in '85....

Great rifles....sure hate cleaning them though...still....an old jarhead ought to have one in his collection amiright?

My 1/7 twist barrel shoots the 55 gr bullets just fine.  I can also shoot the heavier 77 gr bullets through it as well.  I haven't tried the 80 or 82 gr bullets in the AR yet, only in my bolt gun.  I would probably stick with a 1/7 twist if it were up to me, but maybe your rifle purposes are entirely different from mine.

In truth I have no "purpose" for an AR. I have 2 fighting ones in 5.56, carbine length. I have a couple lowers unbuilt. I have at least one upper, a VLTOR. I have a low profile gas block, and a number of carbine-length gas tubes. I have a pin kit, with replacement pins for an AR. I have no GOOD triggers. I have no stocks or tubes or whathaveyou. I have a couple replacement carbine length springs and buffers.

Now. ONE consideration is to build a seriously accurate AR. A 20-24" barrel would be great. But if I were buying, I would buy 1:7 - it's what I have on the other AR's (can't remember what is in the .300 BLK, but it's a Wilson barrel, so I expect it's good). It's just that this jumped out at me, with a rather ridiculourlsy good price.

I suppose one can always say you get what you pay for. But with prices falling so much of late, I would expect some things may actually be worth it as less of a price point. Don't know - it's why I asked.

Jim, I qual'd with an M14 in '68. OUR AR's were garbage. Much has changed, though.

With all the low prices lately, I have picked up a few things I've wanted for a while but didn't want to spend the money on (ie: extra lowers, 458 socom, 50 beowulf, etc...)

MrJim wrote:

Great rifles....sure hate cleaning them though...still....an old jarhead ought to have one in his collection amiright?

Damn, straight. Michael Bane believes that every red-blooded 'Murican should own an AR-15 in 5.56, 10 standard capacity magazines, and 1,000 rounds. As a former Marine, you're probably beholden to own at least twice that - going through ammo like you guys do...

Heck, standard load for my platoon in the jungle was 6 bandoleers of mags (each held 7 mags) for a total of 840 rounds. Plus one in the rifle - and a lot of guys had piggy back in the rifle. That's darn near 900 rounds walking around with.

So I would say 1,000 ain't near enough.

1000 rounds minimum. The more the better!

Charlie Foxtrot wrote:

MrJim wrote:

Great rifles....sure hate cleaning them though...still....an old jarhead ought to have one in his collection amiright?

Damn, straight. Michael Bane believes that every red-blooded 'Murican should own an AR-15 in 5.56, 10 standard capacity magazines, and 1,000 rounds. As a former Marine, you're probably beholden to own at least twice that - going through ammo like you guys do...  

I don't even know what a "Michael Bane" is...headed to google

MrJim wrote:

Charlie Foxtrot wrote:

MrJim wrote:

Great rifles....sure hate cleaning them though...still....an old jarhead ought to have one in his collection amiright?

Damn, straight. Michael Bane believes that every red-blooded 'Murican should own an AR-15 in 5.56, 10 standard capacity magazines, and 1,000 rounds. As a former Marine, you're probably beholden to own at least twice that - going through ammo like you guys do...  

I don't even know what a "Michael Bane" is...headed to google

Devereaux wrote:

MrJim wrote:

Charlie Foxtrot wrote:

MrJim wrote:

Great rifles....sure hate cleaning them though...still....an old jarhead ought to have one in his collection amiright?

Damn, straight. Michael Bane believes that every red-blooded 'Murican should own an AR-15 in 5.56, 10 standard capacity magazines, and 1,000 rounds. As a former Marine, you're probably beholden to own at least twice that - going through ammo like you guys do...  

I don't even know what a "Michael Bane" is...headed to google

http://www.dovetailstudio.com/michaelbane/ He's also does one of the best podcasts: Down Range Radio. Self defense philosopher, commentator, raconteur, gun related video/ show producer, author, Cowboy Shooter...

Cornmastah wrote:1000 rounds minimum.  The more the better!

Stuff doesn't go bad. Buy it cheap and pile it deep. Just don't move too often. <groan>

I try to keep at least 1000 rounds minimum of loaded ammo plus the components to load up more.