Earlier today, the Governor of Colorado signed three gun bills into law and Magpul is standing firm on their decision to move out of the state.

If embedded video does not display, view this post on a desktop browser or visit ABC7 News.

House Bill 1224

• Bans possession, sale, or transfer of magazines over 15 round capacity.
• [PDF]

House Bill 1228

• Law abiding firearm purchasers will pay a background check fee.
• [PDF]

House Bill 1229

• Requires background checks on all firearm transactions.
• [PDF]

While these bills are slated to go into effect on July 1, two ballot measures have been proposed in an attempt to undo these restrictions.

Magpul also reaffirms that the Boulder Airlift program will continue to operate as planned. If you aren’t familiar, they’re working to provide standard capacity magazines to responsible Colorado residents who wish to own them before HB1224 goes into effect.

If you’re a resident of Colorado and wish to jump in line to order your PMAGs, visit Magpul.com for more information.

For those outside of Colorado, don’t feel left out:

Customers in the rest of the country should rest assured that the airlift only takes a small portion of our production, and magazines and other products are continuing to ship to the rest of the nation. Our transition to a new home will occur in a phased and orderly a manner to allow us to continue to serve our customers during the move, as well as to allow an orderly transition for affected employees. We are actively working on those plans.

- Magpul 

The final verdict is yet to be written but Magpul does consider themselves to be in “occupied territory.” There also is no official word on exactly when Magpul will leave Colorado or where they will go, but they did share their statement on Monday through a Facebook post:

…we will have no choice but to leave [Colorado] if the Governor signs this into law. We will start our transition out of the state almost immediately, and we will prioritize moving magazine manufacturing operations first. We expect the first PMAGs to be made outside CO within 30 days of the signing, with the rest to follow in phases.

As most of you know, ITS Tactical is proudly based in Texas and according to the Denver Post, Texas Governor Rick Perry sent a letter to Magpul saying that no other state “fits the definition of business-friendly like Texas.” We wish the best for Magpul in their transition out of Colorado and stand with them in their decision. We’ll also be here to welcome them to Texas with open arms if they choose to take Governor Perry up on his proposal.

Colorado is being used as a testing ground for national gun legislation and we continue to urge you to contact your local representatives and make yourself heard!

Just as many States are experiencing across the US, our firearm rights are at stake. Colorado is the most recent to introduce several anti-freedom bills that could potentially affect great companies in our industry like Magpul and Impact Weapon Components, to name a few.

Magpul posted a request for help in contacting legislators regarding a ban on mags in CO, which would force them to stop making P-MAGS and move from Colorado to resume production. We’d like to request that you take a few minutes and read through Magpul’s statement below and do what you can to help.

Magpul is urging Colorado Residents show up at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver on Tuesday, February 12th starting at 9:00 a.m. and continuing throughout the day to voice their opposition to HB1224: Prohibiting Large Capacity Ammunition Magazines. Even if you’re not a CO resident, please help spread this information to those you know that reside in CO.

Via Magpul on Facebook:

In addition to the national battle to protect our firearms rights, many states are currently engaged in their own fights. Here in CO, a state with a strong heritage of firearm and other personal freedoms, we are facing some extreme challenges to firearms rights. We have been engaged in dialogue with legislators here presenting our arguments to stop legislation from even being introduced, but our efforts did not deter those of extreme views.

After the NRAs visit last week, several anti-freedom bills were introduced by CO legislators, and a very aggressive timeline has been set forth in moving these bills forward. The bills include:

HB 1229, Background checks for Gun Transfers–a measure to prohibit private sales between CO residents, and instead require a full FFL transfer, including a 4473.

HB 1228, Payment for Background Checks for Gun Transfers– a measure that would require CO residents to pay for the back logged state-run CBI system (currently taking 3 times the federally mandated wait time for checks to occur) instead of using the free federal NICS checks.

And finally, HB 1224, Prohibiting Large Capacity Ammunition Magazines–a measure that bans the possession, sale, or transfer of magazines over 10 round capacity. The measures and stipulations in this bill would deprive CO residents of the value of their private property by prohibiting the sale or transfer of all magazines over 10 rounds. This bill would also prohibit manufacture of magazines greater than 10 rounds for commercial sale out of the state, and place restrictions on the manufacture of military and law enforcement magazines that would cripple production.

We’d like to ask all CO residents to please contact your state legislators and the members of the Judiciary Committee and urge them to kill these measures in committee, and to vote NO if they reach the floor.

We also ask you to show your support for the 2nd Amendment at the Capitol on Tuesday, Feb 12, for the magazine ban committee hearing and Wednesday,
Feb 13, for the hearing on the other measures.

Due to the highly restrictive language in HB 1224, if passed, and we remained here, this measure would require us to cease PMAG production on July 1, 2013.

In short, Magpul would be unable to remain in business as a CO company, and the over 200 jobs for direct employees and nearly 700 jobs at our subcontractors and suppliers would pick up and leave CO. Due to the structure of our operations, this would be entirely possible, hopefully without significant disruption to production.

The legislators drafting these measures do so in spite of the fact that nothing they are proposing will do anything to even marginally improve public safety in CO, and in fact, will leave law-abiding CO residents less able to defend themselves, strip away rights and property from residents who have done nothing wrong, and send nearly 1000 jobs and millions in tax revenue out of the state.

We like CO, we want to continue to operate in CO, but most of all, we want CO to remain FREE. Please help us in this fight, and let your voices be heard!

We have included the contact information for the House Judiciary committee for your convenience:

House Judiciary Committee
Rep. Daniel Kagan, Chair: 303-866-2921, repkagan@gmail.com
Rep. Pete Lee, Vice Chair: 303-866-2932, pete.lee.house@state.co.us
Rep. John Buckner: 303-866-2944, john.buckner.house@state.co.us
Rep. Lois Court: 303-866-2967, lois.court.house@state.co.us
Rep. Bob Gardner, 303-866-2191, bob.gardner.house@state.co.us
Rep. Polly Lawrence, 303-866-2935, polly.lawrence.house@state.co.us
Rep. Mike McLachlan, 303-866-2914, mike.mclachlan.house@state.co.us
Rep. Rep Carole Murray, 303-866-2948, murrayhouse45@gmail.com
Rep. Brittany Pettersen, 303-866-2939, brittany.pettersen.house@state.co.us
Rep. Joseph Salazar, 303-866-2918, joseph.salazar.house@state.co.us
Rep. Jared Wright, 303-866-2583, jared.wright.house@state.co.us

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!

Upper Receiver Introduction

In this series of articles on the Upper Receiver assembly there’s a whole lot to discuss and many things to consider when you’re selecting the parts that will go into your upper. Today we’re simply going to discuss the proper tools and the parts that we’ve selected for our 14.5″ Direct Gas Impingement Hybrid AR-15 build.

We’ll save the individual assembly articles for what to consider at each stage of the build and why. For an in-depth look into the tool selection we’ll highlight below, please refer to the initial introduction article to the DIY AR-15 Build.

While we’ve also referenced the parts we’re using in the original intro article, we’ve broken the list down a bit here to further highlight the individual pieces should you choose to undertake a ground up upper build like we’ll be going through in all these upcoming upper articles.

Parts

Something to note here before we get into the parts list is to ensure you’re aware that the stripped parts we’re linking to in regards to the barrel will require a gunsmith to drill the holes for the taper pins and the pins themselves are not included here on our parts list.

With our 14.5″ barrel you’ll also need to get a gunsmith to permanantely affix the BattleComp 1.5 that we’re using in this build to satisfy the requirements of the National Firearms Act. Permananetly affixing the 1.5″ BattleComp brings the barrel length to the required 16″ length without having to apply for a SBR and pay the $200 Tax Stamp.

Below you’ll find links to the “Group” part (in bold) as well as the individual parts contained in the group in a sub-category below it. Some sub-category listings are simply features of the group.

• BCM 14.5″ Mid Length Upper Receiver Group (Can be purchased complete here)
  • Cold Hammer Forged 14.5″ Barrel with 1/7 Twist
  • HPT / MP Inspected Barrel (High-Pressure Test / Magnetic Particle Inspected)
  • Chrome Lined Barrel and Chamber
  • 5.56 NATO Chamber
  • M4 Feed Ramp Barrel Extension
  • M4 Feed Ramp Flat Top Upper Receiver
  • Mid-Length Gas Tube
  • Mil-Spec F-Marked Forged Front Sight Base
• Daniel Defense AR15 Lite Rail 9.0
• Ejection Port Cover Assembly
• BCM Forward Assist Assembly
• BCM Bolt Carrier Group (MPI) (Can be purchased complete here)
  • HPT/MPI Bolt
  • Firing Pin
  • Cam Pin
  • Firing Pin Retainer Pin
  • Chrome Lined Carrier and Gas Key
  • Staked per Mil-Spec
  • Black Extractor Insert
  • BCM Extractor Spring
  • Mil-Spec Crane O-Ring
• BCMGunfighter Charging Handle Mod 4
• BattleComp 1.5 Compensator (w/ included Crush Washer)
• Magpul XT Rail Panels
• Magpul AFG
• Magpul MBUS – Rear
• Midwest Industries MCTAR-TS

Tools

• Vise
• AR-15 Vise Block
• Padded Vise Jaws
• Brownells Upper Receiver Action Block
• Ball Peen Hammer (4 oz.)
• Nylon/Brass Hammer (Optional)
• Taper Pin Starter Punch (Optional to drive out Front Sight Base Taper Pins)
• Starrett Punch Set
• Brownells Roll Pin Punch Set
• Brownells Roll Pin Holder Set
• Front Sight Bench Block
• 1/2″ Drive Torque Wrench (capable of 20 – 100 foot pounds)
• Screwdriver
• Multi-Tool or Needle Nose Pliers
• Barrel Nut/Combination Wrench w/ 1/2″ Cut to accept Torque Wrench
• Proprietary Barrel Nut Wrench (If your Picatinny Rail requires it – the DD Rail we’re using does)
• Snap Ring Pliers (If removing a Delta Ring to install a Picatinny Rail)
• Small Flashlight (Optional)

Stay tuned next week as we continue our DIY AR-15 Build with the first part of our Upper Receiver assembly installling the Ejection Port Cover and Forward Assist!

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.

Buttstock Installation

Before we get into the actual steps of installation, let’s talk a bit about the selections we’ve made on parts here and why we recommend them.

Mil-Spec Receiver Extension (buffer tube)

Commonly referred to as the buffer tube, Receiver Extensions are available in a Mil-Spec or Commercial version. The differences are typically that the Commercial tube is made from extruded aluminum rather than forged aluminum like the stronger Mil-Spec tube. The two differ in size as well and you’ll find more aftermarket stocks built for the Mil-Spec tube.

As a rule of thumb here, inquire about the manufacturing process of your Receiver Extension, as there are instances of extruded Mil-Spec diameter extensions being sold out there.

Why Stake?

Something we’ll get into with the installation video is staking the Receiver End Plate and Castle Nut. This is done to ensure the Castle Nut doesn’t work free and allow your Receiver Extension to turn. If allowed to turn, the buffer retainer could release causing a headache and leaving you with a non-functioning firearm.

Staking is the process of pushing the metal from the Receiver Endplate (Sling Plate) into the staking slots on the Castle Nut. Four of them are available and optimally you should at least try to stake in two spots if possible. With many of the newer sling plates and their flared orientation, you may not be able to get more than one spot staked. That was the case with our IKICKHIPPIES SLAP Plate as well as the Magpul ASAP we’ve got on another build.

If you plan on switching out your endplates and experimenting to find the one you like best, you can utilize blue Loctite (non-permanent) on your Castle Nut after tightening or torquing it down (specs below). The Castle Nut is also a great place to add a witness mark, particularly if you leave it unstaked.

Buffer Differences

With this build we’re using a Bravo Company H (Heavy) Carbine Buffer, which is weighted with 1 Tungsten and 2 Steel weights. As your gas tube is shortened (From Rifle Length to Mid-Length to Carbine Length) it becomes more important to utilize a heavier buffer to regulate the added pressure pushed into the Bolt Carrier Group by a Direct Impingement system like we’re building here.

The heavier buffer absorbs the added pressure, as well as partially delaying the “unlocking” phase in the cycle of operations. This delay can help with early/hard extraction problems which occur when the bullet hasn’t departed the barrel and there’s still built up pressure in the cartridge case.

Piston guns also tend to run better with an H buffer to mitigate their inherent hard extraction due to the close proximity of the piston to the gas port. Heavier buffers can also help to control bolt bounce, which is the bounce that occurs when the Bolt Carrier Group returns after making contact with the Receiver Extension.

Utilizing an H Buffer in this build is also a test for us, as you’re never going to truly know how everything in a build functions until you get out and shoot it. One last thing to mention here is that underpowered ammunition in combination with a heavier buffer may cause malfunctions. We’ll be testing that too though.

Action Springs

Commonly known as a Buffer Spring, the Action Spring is an often neglected and tremendously important part in maintaining a properly cycling AR-15.

A Carbine Action Spring, like we’re using with this build should be between 10 1/16 in. and 11 1/4 in. If it falls outside of these parameters it should be replaced, this is it’s go/no-go measurement. On a rifle length spring the go/no-go changes to 11 3/4 in. to 13 1/2 in.

Parts Needed

• Magpul MOE Stock (Mil-Spec Model)
• IKICKHIPPIES SLAP Plate
• Receiver Extension (Buffer Tube)
• Receiver Extension Nut (Castle Nut)
• Carbine Action Spring
• – The following parts are in the Stag Arms Lower Parts Kit –
• Buffer Retainer
• Buffer Retainer Spring
• Rear Takedown Pin
• Takedown Pin Detent
• Takedown Pin Detent Spring

Tools Needed

• Lower Receiver Vise Block
• Stock Wrench
• Center Punch
• Ball Peen Hammer (4 oz.)

Assembly Instructions

• Thread the Castle Nut onto the Receiver Extension Tube with the Cuts facing aft.
• Place the Receiver End Plate, in this case a SLAP plate, on the Receiver Extension with the raised area facing forward.
• Thread the Receiver Extension Tube through the back of the Lower Receiver, stop just before the Buffer Retainer hole.
• Insert the Buffer Retainer Spring and Buffer Retainer into the hole and depress the corner of the retainer with your index finger.
• Hold it down while continuing to screw in the Receiver Extension Tube until the Buffer Retainer is trapped down by the tube.
• Insert the Rear Takedown Pin halfway in the hole from the starboard side. Ensure that the cut in the pin is facing aft.
• Place the Takedown Pin Detent into the hole in the back of the Lower Receiver, followed by the spring.
• Move the Receiver End Plate into position to set just on top of the Takedown Pin Spring. Press it against the spring, being careful not to bend the spring.
• Screw down the Castle Nut to lock the spring in place and tighten with your buttstock tool to the proper torque of 40 ft. lbs. or just make it tight!
• Alternatively you can use Blue Loctite (not Red!) to ensure your Castle Nut doesn’t come free or stake it.
• To stake the Castle Nut, take your Center Punch and drive some of the material from the Receiver End Plate into the pre-cut areas in the Castle Nut. Optimally you want at least two areas staked, but when using some end plates you may have just the top area to stake. This was the case with the SLAP Plate and also the Magpul ASAP we’ve used in the past.
• It’s also a good idea to make a Witness Mark so you visually know if the Castle Nut is coming loose on you.
• Insert the Action Spring and Buffer into the Receiver Extension Tube and finish the Lower up by installing the Magpul MOE Buttstock on to the Receiver Extension Tube.
• This is done by pulling the release lever pin straight down to get it all the way on. It’s a pain in the butt on the Magpul MOE, as most collapsible buttstocks simply require you to pull town on the release lever.

That completes the Lower Receiver portion of this DIY AR-15 Build. Join us back here soon for our first installment in the Upper Receiver Assembly!

Today in part seven of our DIY AR-15 Build you’ll learn how to install a Magpul MOE Trigger Guard into your Lower Receiver.

While installing a trigger guard might not seem to be a very complicated step that warrants it’s own article, there are a few tricks that can help you from making a fatal mistake when assembling your lower.

The ears (pin extensions) that hold the trigger guard roll pin are more fragile than you might think and if care is not taken with this step to find an appropriate multi-level surface, you could potentially wind up breaking one of these off.

If that happens, you might not only be out a lower receiver, but also a $200 tax stamp if you’ve put in to SBR your lower before assembling it. We hope this article will shed a little light on the installation and prevent any catastrophes from happening while you’re assembling your trigger guard.

Continue reading for our step-by-step instructions for installing the Trigger Guard with detailed photos and video.

Trigger Guard Installation

For this step, you won’t be using the trigger guard that’s included with the Stag Arms Lower Parts Kit we recommend, unless you’d like to. The benefit the Magpul MOE Polymer Trigger Guard has over stock trigger guards is the contour and removal of any hard edges that will eventually dig into your fingers after a long day of shooting.

The Magpul Trigger Guards also remove that annoying gap you might have seen at the rear of a standard trigger guard. Not having the gap makes for a more natural roll as you hold the pistol grip. The “V” shape of the MOE also helps finger placement when wearing gloves, as it allows for some extra room.

As noted above, a multi-level surface is what’s truly important about this step to ensure disaster doesn’t strike. There are a few options for this, in the video you’ll see that we were able to use the Magpul MOE Stock and the Lower Receiver Vise Block to create this. Alternatively you can also use the Brownell’s Front Sight Bench Block in addition to the Rifle Bench Block. If you already have these blocks, it’s definitely a good way to go, but you don’t need to go out an purchase them just for this step.

You can always create your own multi-level surface out of wood if you want to spend the time. It’s beneficial to create one out of wood if you plan on building many rifles, as it will save you time and headache in the future. The good thing about the Brownell’s blocks though is that they do double duty.

Parts Needed

• Front Sight Bench Block and Rifle Bench Block (or similar multi-level surface)
• #4 Roll Pin Punch and #4 Holder (or Standard 1/8″ punch)
• Magpul MOE Trigger Guard
• Included Roll Pin and 1/16″ Hex Key Set Screw and Key

Tools Needed

• Bench Vise
• Lower Receiver Vise Block
• Ball Peen Hammer (4 oz.)

Assembly Instructions

1. Rest your Lower Receiver on the Front Sight Bench Block according to the photo, using it in this fashion will give you the support you need so that you don’t accidentally break off one of the Roll Pin ears on your lower when tapping in the Roll Pin.
2. Place the Trigger Guard with the large hole aft; using the #4 Holder, start to tap in the included Roll Pin. Finish tapping the roll pin flush (on both sides) with the #4 Roll Pin Punch. This can also be done without the aforementioned punches, but they do make it easier and prevent misalignment of roll pins.
3. Finish installing the Trigger Guard by screwing down the front set screw until flush, using a 1/16″ Hex Key.

Join us back here soon for our 8th installment in the DIY AR-15 Build where we’ll be assembling the Buttstock before moving on to the Upper Receiver!

Today marks the start of a new series on ITS Tactical where we’ll be walking you through the COMPLETE assembly of a Direct Gas Impingement AR-15. There’s an awesome offer involved with this build too, so be sure to read on below to find out what’s in store!

We’ll be starting this journey with an introduction to the series where we’ll go over the laws surrounding owning and building your own AR, as well as the parts we’ll be using and the tools required. Up front you should know that building your own AR-15 isn’t as hard as you think and there’s not better way to learn about the AR platform than to build one from the ground up!

Rather than go over an assembly of a standard AR, we’ve included what we feel to be some of the best and cost effective hard-working aftermarket parts to consider when building your own AR. This series is also a supplement to our articles on How to Keep Your AR Running. We decided to undertake this new build series so we’d have details to refer to when we discuss in the common wear parts and replacement schedules.

Special Offer

Before we get into the build and laws, we’d like to mention a special offer for ITS Tactical Plank Owners and Crew Leaders ONLY. We’ve partnered with Spike’s Tactical to put together a special run of stripped lowers with the same ITS Tactical Logo Laser Engraving seen to the right.

The stripped lowers will run $99.00 plus a $5.00 engraving fee. Spike’s will be handling the payment and we’re not making any profit on these, we’re doing it as a thank you to our supporting members! As this is a members only purchase, please click here for all the details on how you can reserve your ITS Tactical engraved lower!

These are very much a limited edition and won’t be available for long!

AR-15 Laws and Restrictions

The very first and most important thing we’re going to mention is to always KNOW YOUR LOCAL STATE LAW! While we’ll go into some specifics regarding laws and restrictions, you should always defer to your state law. Federal law has NO RESTRICTIONS preventing you from owning an AR-15!

We’d suggest familiarizing yourself with the past Federal Assault Weapons Ban and what life used to be like back in late 1994 thru 2004 and how the government stepped in with restrictions on so called “assault weapons.” While there have been attempts to revive these restrictions, nothing has even reached the House floor.

There are however, quite a few state restrictions on owning an AR-15 in California as well as other state restrictions on things like stocks and flash hiders/suppressors. It’s depressing to even talk about them and perhaps we’ll address those at some point, but for the sake of brevity, just move out of California.

Under federal law, the Lower Receiver is the only serialized part on the AR-15 and the only part that is considered a firearm. This means that the ATF requires the buyer has a Federal Firearms License or uses a licensed FFL dealer to conduct the transfer of the Lower Receiver from manufacturer/distributor to buyer.

Form 4473 will need to be filled out and most FFLs will take care of this transfer for you by charging a fee, commonly refered to as a “transfer fee.” This can range from $25 to $75 depending on the dealer. It never hurts to call around to your local dealers and find out if they deal with FFL transfers and what they charge for transfer fees. Just always use a reputable dealer!

An exception to this is if you’re buying a lower or firearm from a private individual who isn’t a licensed dealer, in this case you DO NOT have to fill out a Form 4473.

Short Barreled Rifles

Now that you understand the federal laws surrounding the lower, you’re probably wondering about barrel length and aftermarket parts. The National Firearms Act classifies any AR-15 having a barrel length under 16″ or an overall length under 26″ (with any collapsible stock extended) as an SBR (short barreled rifle) and listed as an NFA firearm.

So basically you have to have a minimum 16″ barrel or a minimum overall length of 26″ with a collapsible stock extended. You can however have a 14.5″ barrel with a permanently attached flash hider/compensator that brings the 14.5″ barrel up to the minimum length of 16″. That’s what we’ll be doing in this series.

As the lower is the only serialized part, you can technically purchase any size barrel, complete upper or any part for that matter without any worry about federal law. Pay attention to this next part though, because as soon as you assemble the firearm using those parts you’re subject to federal restrictions under the National Firearms Act.

We’re not going to get into the intricacies of owning an SBR in this article and will save that for a future article, but it’s definitely not illegal by any means. You just have to fill out a Form 1 to register a dedicated lower as your SBR and write the BATFE a check for $200 to buy a tax stamp. There’s of course a little more than that to it and since the lower is what’s registered as an SBR, you could have multiple uppers/barrels of different lengths that you swap out on that lower and still be in NFA compliance.

It’s your responsibility to know your state laws on ownership, not ours or the dealer/distributor selling you the parts, so do your homework!

What We’re Building!

We’re assembling a 14.5″ Direct Gas Impingement Hybrid AR-15. It’s a hybrid as it uses parts from various manufacturers and represents what we feel to be some of the most reliable and well made parts available on the market today.

Lower Receiver

• Spike’s Tactical ST-15 Stripped Lower (Members click here for the ITS Logo Engraved Lower!)
• Stag Arms Lower Parts Kit
• Stag Arms Ambi Safety Selector
• KNS Non-Rotating Pin Set
• IKICKHIPPIES SLAP Plate (Sling Plate)
• BCM Receiver Extension Nut (Castle Nut)
• BCM Milspec Receiver Extension (Buffer Tube)
• Carbine Action Spring
• H Carbine Buffer
• Magpul MOE Stock (Mil-Spec Model)
• Magpul MOE Pistol Grip
• Magpul MOE Trigger Guard

Upper Receiver

• Bravo Company USA Upper Receiver
• Bravo Company 14.5 Mid Length Barrel
• Alternatively you can purchase the BCM Upper Receiver Group we’ll be building pre-assembled here
• Bravo Company USA Bolt Carrier Group (MPI)
• BCMGunfighter Charging Handle Mod 4
• Daniel Defense 9″ LITE Rail
• Battle Comp 1.5 Compensator
• Magpul XT Rail Panels
• Magpul AFG
• Magpul MBUS – Rear
• Midwest Industries MCTAR-TS

CRC Hydrographics

We were interested in getting all our Magpul accessories coated while assembling this build, as we’ve had an interest in the durability of water transfer imaging and how it holds up compared to Krylon. We reached out to CRC Hydrographics and are very fortunate we chose them for our needs, as they’ve just released an additional service they call “Grip-Tec.”

Grip-Tec ads an additional flat protective coating on top of the water transfer, which is nicely rubberized! It’s hard to show photos or video of the Grip-Tec at work, but from what we can say about our feedback so far is awesome! It really seems like a fantastic addition to their dipped patterns. Some intial feedback they’ve gotten so far is that it works well both combined with gloves and without.

It’s also important to note that the Grip-Tec is for use on firearm contact points such as stocks, grips, rail covers and handguards, etc. CRC notes that it’s also been popular on bolt action rifle stocks. We’re thoroughly impressed with the quality of the water transfer imaging and are looking forward to getting this build completed and putting it to the test.

Gunsmith Tools

It’s entirely possible to put together a complete AR-15 with not much more than a set of punches, but why wouldn’t you want to have the right tools for the job? We’re going to suggest a few tools that will make your life easier when assembling your AR and save you the aggravation of things like bent roll pins.

The reason this is so important, particularly with the lower assembly, is that the first purchase you’ll need to make after the Lower Receiver is a Lower Parts Kit. The LPK will come with just enough parts to assemble your lower. If you bend a roll pin or lose a part, you’ll either have to find a supplier that sells that part individually, or buy another LPK. Since we’re talking about LPKs, we’ll mention that we’re going to be using a Stag Arms Lower Parts Kit that comes with one extra Takedown Pin Detent. If you don’t know why that’s awesome, you will when we get to the assembly of the Takedown Pins.

As we’ll be starting with the assembly of a stripped Lower Receiver, we’re going to go over the tools that we’ll be using for the lower only. The tools for the Upper Receiver assembly will be discussed in the first article of the start of that assembly. These tools discussed are also not necessarily the minimum you can “get by” with. Our hope is that you approach wanting to learn how to assemble ARs as a way to learn about them, maintain them and keep them running yourself. With that, it’s important to have good tools at your disposal.

Workbench, Vise and Block

The first thing you’re going to need is a good surface to work on. There’s lots of small parts to keep track of in a Lower Parts Kit and a large stable surface is highly recommended. At the same time you’re also going to need a sturdy vise to work from. The reason to have a vise is to securely hold an AR-15 Vise Block that’s used to place the magazine well of your lower on to work on it.

Punches

While it’s perfectly acceptable to invest in a set of good steel Drive Pin Punches like this set from Starrett. While these are some of the best punches you can get, they have their limitations when it comes to working on the AR platform. AR-15s are assembled with many Roll Pins than can easily bend or cause your punch to jump off if you don’t strike them perfectly with a standard punch.

What we recommend is what you’ll be seeing us use, which is a set of Roll Pin Punches and Roll Pin Holders from Brownells. These are superior to standard punches, as the Roll Pin Holders do exactly what they sound like. They feature a hollowed out tip that holds the first 1/3 of a roll pin in an aligned position while you’re starting to tap it in. Once the roll pin has been properly started, you can then come back with the Roll Pin Punches to finish the job.

The benefit of the dedicated Roll Pin Punches is the nipple on the face of each of these that automatically centers the punch and prevents the roll pin from collapsing. This can be especially important if you have to remove a roll pin for any reason, as damage will require replacement of the roll pin. Plus you can damage the surrounding metal.

Another tool we’d highly, highly, recommend is the Bolt Catch Pin Punch which is contoured to ride over the raised portion of the magazine well and drive the Bolt Catch Roll Pin straight and without damaging the surrounding metal.

One last tool is optional depending on how secure you’ll want your Castle Nut that holds on your Receiver Extension Tube (Buffer Tube). We’re jumping a bit ahead, but to properly “stake” the Castle Nut to prevent it from rotating you can either rely on the proper torque, use Blue Loctite (non-permanent) or stake it with a center punch. We’d recommend the Starrett 264E Center Punch or any well made center punch. You don’t need a spring loaded center punch unless you’re buying one to keep in your car in case you accidentally drive into a lake.

Wrenches and Hammers

Since we just left off with the Castle Nut, you’re going to absolutely need a Stock Wrench to tighten the Castle Nut. We like the one we’ve linked to here, as it grips the Castle Nut in three places and has a cutout for inserting a torque wrench if you want to torque the Castle Nut to it’s proper spec of 40 in. lbs. If you do that, you’ll of course need the proper torque wrench too. As mentioned previously there’s other options though, rather than buying an expensive torque wrench. Totally your call though.

You’ll also need a lightweight Ball Peen Hammer (4 oz.) and a Nylon/Brass Hammer or a hammer that won’t mar metal. A set of Hex Wrenches would also be a good investment if you don’t already have a set. We’ll be using a 3/16″ Hex Wrench for the assembly of the Pivot Pin, but we show that to demonstrate how much of a pain it is to install the detent and assemble it so you’ll see why we suggest that you purchase the Brownells Pivot Pin Detent Installation Tool. It’s worth the price to prevent the headaches that come with your detent shooting across the room and crawling around on your hands and knees to find it.

Other Tools and Options

If you elect to not purchase the Pivot Pin Detent Install Tool, you need a Multi-Tool or pair of needle nose pliers to hold the detent while you work your magic to get it installed. You’ll also need at least a 3″ long large flat head screwdriver to install the Pistol Grip Screw. Additionally a small diameter non-maring punch or something similar like a Takedown Tool is needed to depress the Magazine Release Button far enough in to properly install the Magazine Catch.

Again, keep in mind that these are just the tools needed for the Lower Receiver, some are needed again when working with the Upper Receiver, but those tools will be gone over later in the series when we complete the Lower Receiver assembly.

Notes

Now that you know what parts we’ll be building our AR-15 with and what tools we’ll use to assemble it, stay tuned for our next article where we’ll start the build with assembling the Lower Receiver. Specifically the next article will deal with installing the Magazine Catch.

Give us some feedback on this series and let us know your thoughts, have you built an AR-15 before? Are you looking forward to our step-by-step series with detailed video and photos?