Kelly and I recently had the unique opportunity to visit the talented crew of Rifle Dynamics in Las Vegas, NV for a behind the scenes look at what they’re all about. It was great to meet such an awesome group of people running the show at a solid American company.
This article is packed full of awesome information on the AK platform, including an interview with owner Jim Fuller and his no-nonsense explanation of 922R Compliance, what to look for when purchasing an off-the-shelf AK, DIY tips on how to keep your AK in top shape and an exclusive first look at the first Rifle Dynamics Production AKs. [Read More…]
Today had been a long time coming, in the past few months we’ve shown you how to take nothing but parts and turn it into a complete AR-15. Starting with our Lower Receiver assembly series and working up to the Upper Receiver assembly series, which culminates today with our final article.
In this article we’ll be going over proper lubrication, assembly, a final function check and finishing it up with firing our completed AR! Lubrication is a mandatory part of keeping your AR running and something to ensure you don’t neglect. [Read More…]
We’re nearly complete with our DIY AR-15 Build! Today we’ll be showing you how we permanently attached our BattleComp 1.5 Compensator and how to check the Headspace.
As these both seem to be elusive steps in assembling the AR, we’ve put them together in this article. Welding a Flash Hider/Compensator isn’t necessary unless you’re complying with the NFA as we are. Since we’re using a 14.5″ barrel, we need to permanently attach the 1.5″ BattleComp to bring the barrel to the minimum length of 16″ and not have to pay for a $200 Tax Stamp and make an SBR (Short Barreled Rifle).
Headspace is also something that some neglect from their assembly, but it’s important nonetheless. Most rifles will be within tolerances even if you mix manufacturers, but it’s always a good idea to check. [Read More…]
Today in our continuing DIY AR-15 Build, we’ll be assembling the Bolt Carrier Group, putting it into the Upper Receiver and talking about some different parts and myths to ensure your build finishes up without a hitch!
The Bolt Carrier Group is particularly important to not only diagnose, but to build properly with good parts right from the beginning. Many malfunctions are directly related to the Bolt Carrier Group, particularly the Extractor within the Bolt.
A BCG is made up of the Bolt Carrier, Bolt (complete), Firing Pin, Cam Pin, Firing Pin Retaining Pin and we like to lump the Charging Handle in with this, though many don’t.
Let’s get into the specifics and talk about the assembly and our recommendations. [Read More…]
Today in our fifth installment of the DIY AR-15 Build Upper, we’ll be installing the Flash Hider. We won’t technically be installing a Flash Hider, but the BattleComp 1.5 Compensator.
The installation steps are virtually the same and we’ll get into detail on what the differences are between a Muzzle Brake, Flash Hider, Compensator and even a Flash Suppressor.
In lieu of the standard A2 style “Birdcage” Flash Hider, we’ll be installing the BattleComp 1.5″ Compensator to bring our barrel length to 16.1″ and comply with the National Firearms Act.
To further comply, we’ll be permanently attaching the BattleComp in an upcoming article, but first let’s walk through the installation steps. While simply threading and properly torquing the compensator might not seem like that big of a deal, we ran into an interesting issue that we wanted to share.
Let’s get into the next step in your AR-15 build! [Read More…]
Continuing our DIY AR-15 Build, today we’ll be installing the Gas Tube and F-Marked Front Sight Base onto our Bravo Company 14.5″ Barrel and nearly completing our Upper Receiver.
Something to pay particular attention to at this point is that your gas tube properly fits through the port that’s left in the upper receiver after torquing your barrel nut down. We described this in our last article and it’s a pain to have to take a rail system apart when you find out the hole you thought was aligned, really wasn’t.
The tools and suggestions in this article will help you in the assembly of these components and hopefully save you from the mistakes that we’ve made in the past when working with the AR platform.
Let’s get into the next step in your AR-15 build! [Read More…]
Continuing our DIY AR-15 Build, today we’ll be installing our Bravo Company 14.5″ Barrel and Daniel Defense 9″ Lite Rail onto our Upper Receiver.
You’ll not only need a torque wrench for this part of the build, but the Daniel Defense proprietary Barrel Nut Wrench. We’ve also got a few recommendations we’ll share in the article as well.
Something we didn’t realize when we initially gathered the parts for this build is that a standard AR Barrel Nut Wrench won’t cut it for installing the Daniel Defense Rail. The cuts on their Barrel Nut don’t match the standard AR pattern and their wrench must be used (which doesn’t come included).
Let’s get into how to properly install, torque and assemble these parts onto your AR-15 build! [Read More…]
Today we’re continuing our DIY AR-15 Build with the first step in assembling your Upper Receiver, installing the Ejection Port Cover and Forward Assist.
We’ve combined these two assemblies, as they’re fairly simple, yet still take some attention to detail to ensure you get them in installed correctly.
Particularly the Ejection Port Spring and what direction to install the Forward Assist Roll Pin. We won’t be building the Forward Assist from the ground up and recommend that you buy an already assembled Forward Assist. It’s not difficult to assemble one, but you’re better off purchasing one pre-assembled.
As mentioned in our intro article on the upper assembly, we’re starting with a stripped Upper Receiver to highlight each and every step. [Read More…]
Welcome back to our DIY AR-15 Build and the start of our tutorials on assembling your Upper Receiver and finishing the build!
In this article we’re going to re-address all the parts and tools you’re going to need to assemble your Upper Receiver. While there are many complete uppers out there to purchase, we’ll be taking you through a complete upper assembly.
From the forward assist to the compensator and everything in between, when we’re done with this second series you’ll have all the resources available to you to take an AR-15 build from the ground up! Let’s get started! [Read More…]
Today in part eight of our DIY AR-15 Build we’ll be showing you how to install the final part onto your Lower Receiver, the Buttstock.
While we say Buttstock, this step is comprised of quite a few different parts that aren’t in the standard Lower Parts Kit, like the one we recommend from Stag Arms.
This isn’t the place to skimp on quality parts and doing so will cause unnecessary problems that could have been avoided in the first place, namely the Buffer and Action Spring. Believe it or not these are some of the most important pieces of the entire Lower Receiver and are the cause of many puzzling AR-15 issues.
Continue reading for our step-by-step instructions for installing the Buttstock with detailed photos and video. [Read More…]
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