Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Building an AR

I am a gunsmith and I got the bug for an AR and I'm not going to pay for something pre built. Before I get into the building of this thing I need some answers, like gas port size and how do I headspace the thing. I know there is a tennon or shank that has to be attached but is the there a certain type or cn I use a generic tpye. I am going to chamber it in 17-223 so I'll profile the barrel from a blank. Again no clue on the barrel set up. Other than that I can figure the rest. Also gas tube length? It'll have a 20" barrel. Like I said no clue.

TIA

Adam

Rifle length gas system on a 20". As for the barrel extension I imagine you can use a standard M4 extension. I would start small with the gas port hole, .060 then expand as needed until you get good results.

From my searching I gleaned a rifle length is about 12" from the reciever, correct? As for the .060" hole do I need to use chucking reamer or can I use a standard twist drill?

Adam

I would ream. Yes 12".

I would be interested in hearing who it works out for you. I have a .17 Rem and love it. I assume you will be getting like performance from the 17-223.

Most custom AR barrel makers supply their barrels headspaced with the gas port pre drilled, such as Shilen and Krieger.

Reba the OP (Ab Bentley) is making the barrel from a blank.

Yup from a blank, I am getting ready to purchase the extension and bolt so I hope to have this show underway soon. I also milled out the lower today. Some pics.







Yes it's going to be Laser Pink.

Adam

If you're gonna build it from scratch, why not build it full auto?

Pop on a regular .223 upper and rock out once in awhile.

I'm pretty sure that would get you locked up. The law is pretty clear on that one.

Yeah - not a lot of wiggle room on this one. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Here's a link that the rest of us without a tool room have referred to, good luck with the build:

http://www.ar15barrels.com/making.shtml

No building of new full auto guns since 84 or so?? IIRC.

Can only buy whats out there for sale that had been pre registered.

Just don't want to see someone in trouble from a dumb suggestion.

I think it was 1986 that stopped all new machine gun manufacture for civilian use. There was an amendment on that bill that also would've added in supressors but it was thrown out.

The home builds only allow for semi auto and a 16" barrel, no SBR's FA or AOW's.

The gas port will depend on which buffer and spring along with the pressure your ammo is gonna run. The 17 caliber barrel will be different from a 22 bore I would imagine. Starting small and working up is a smart move.

Edit; it was the Firearms Owner Protection Act March 6th 1986, ( I had just read about the anniversary yesterday. )

Wonder what it protected us from.......

Columbine, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Aurora.......oh wait, nevermind.

This is the other piece that usually gets the smooooth Operator in trouble:

http://www.quarterbore.com/nfa/dias.html

If a man can afford to feed a machine gun, he might as well do it right and buy a transferable M16 for about $15000 that way everything is legit cause unless you got a good supressor, people will take notice when you dump the first mag.

With all the bump firing does anyone bat an eye?

Well it's not full auto but it looks like it. The pictures don't even express how iridescent this bad boy is. The camera couldn't register the colors when it was wet paint.

Adam

How did you machine the square magwell corners?