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Joined: May 2002
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 15,593 |
Gonna say that for me it's all gonna boil down to a pencil barreled 16 or 20" carbine, to kick things off.
What Is out there for sale today?
Tried a couple of times to call PSA and they don't answer.
"Chances Will Be Taken"
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Joined: Feb 2004
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,170 |
Bud's had pallets of various ARs in the $500 price range the day I bought the rifle in the OP.
I chose it because it was the only variant he had with the pencil barrel and no front sight on the gas block.
It's just a very basic, fairly light AR and I've made it a bit lighter except for the optic, of course. I've got some fairly skeletal aluminum handguards ordered for it that will remove a couple of ounces from it and that will be the extent of my modifications.
Tennessee Arms makes a polymer lower that will take a couple more ounces off the total weight. kwg TA polys are junk... IMO. bought two last year, was pretty stoked initially but they are out of spec, pivot to takedown pin dim is off, not a huge deal as it makes for tight lock up when you slam the upper on the lower to get it to ride up on the raised portion of the lower. The pin holes are tapered and too big, when you force the TD pin out, the detent comes out with it...... Not something I want when opening up the action. These were 80's and I could have sent them back after I cut them in 1/2...., they never could or would answer my question if the FFL and the 80's come out of the same mold..... I ended up making brass bushings for the takedown pin and pressing them in, it works now. But never again will I invest this much time in a inferior part. Kaiser makes some light receiver sets that I think are quality. So far so good, but I have not put it together yet. about 1/2 the weight of AL. I have a couple that are either on a rifle now or have been. I had to do a little shaping to fit the rear of the upper but nothing drastic. A round file and a couple of minutes. I had one rifle I used an A1 upper with a 14.5 inch skinny barrel, an extended A2 flash hider I had weigh in at 5 lbs and 8 ounces empty. The ones not currently on a rifle are just waiting for my next build. I'm thinking a 300 blackout with a skinny 16" barrel and an aluminum blast can. I doubt I can get it down to 5 lbs and 8 ounces again but with a light weight bolt carrier and a slick sided upper anything is possible. I never had an issue with a take down pin detent coming out. That's a new one on me. I did tap the rear detent hole with a 4x40 allen screw to hold the detent in when I changed the buffer tube. The only thing I wish TA would do is change away from that big ugly logo on the side. Less is more. kwg
For liberals and anarchists, power and control is opium, selling envy is the fastest and easiest way to get it. TRR. American conservative. Never trust a white liberal. Malcom X Current NRA member.
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Campfire Oracle
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OP
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 79,321 |
What's yer max budget, old timer?
What kind of optic do you want?
MM I don't know that I have a budget, per se. And I have no experience with optics on an AR I'd kinda like Bristoe's rig with a good aperture sight to begin with. And experiment with optics as I go. Most places are sold out of pretty much everything. If you do find something in stock the price is going to be jacked. It's probably best to wait a few months until there's enough out there to choose from.
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 15,593
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 15,593 |
What's yer max budget, old timer?
What kind of optic do you want?
MM I don't know that I have a budget, per se. And I have no experience with optics on an AR I'd kinda like Bristoe's rig with a good aperture sight to begin with. And experiment with optics as I go. Most places are sold out of pretty much everything. If you do find something in stock the price is going to be jacked. It's probably best to wait a few months until there's enough out there to choose from. Yeah... No real hurry...
"Chances Will Be Taken"
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 23,628
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2006
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Who's barrel is it wearing? FN chrome lined. MM
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Joined: Dec 2005
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2005
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For a house gun I'd want. KelTec RDB. In fact I do want one to launch varmint bullets fast enough to come apart in a couple layers of drywall. Suppress it.
Living in a world of G17s and 700s, wishing for P7s and 202s
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Joined: Sep 2006
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 23,628 |
Gonna say that for me it's all gonna boil down to a pencil barreled 16 or 20" carbine, to kick things off.
What Is out there for sale today?
Tried a couple of times to call PSA and they don't answer. PSA is not answering any phones right now & are in crisis mode. Bristoe is right in that most of the run-of-the-mill basic stuff that has seen rock bottom pricing recently until the panic set in, is now scarce & prices are up. I don't know what your intended use is, but if it's for home defense, then I'd not go with a low-end base gun anyway. Also, off hand, I really can't think of any factory low or mid priced guns with a pencil barrel either. Don't know your interest level in doing anything yourself, but you are likely to get more of what you want if you buy an upper & put it on a lower of your choosing. But that requires some level of interest past just walking into a store & walking out with a ready to go rifle. As for sights, for a short(er) range use plinking gun, a red dot of some sort, a prism sight, or a low powered variable scope are all good choices. Just remember, taken on the whole, you generally get what you pay for. Personally, i'm not into cheap crap; that doesn't mean you have to go exotic, just good stuff from reliable companies. Good Luck with whatever direction you go. MM
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Joined: Oct 2005
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Campfire Oracle
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OP
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 79,321 |
What's yer max budget, old timer?
What kind of optic do you want?
MM I don't know that I have a budget, per se. And I have no experience with optics on an AR I'd kinda like Bristoe's rig with a good aperture sight to begin with. And experiment with optics as I go. Most places are sold out of pretty much everything. If you do find something in stock the price is going to be jacked. It's probably best to wait a few months until there's enough out there to choose from. Yeah... No real hurry... J&T Distributing has a good reputation for quality and they have lightweight barreled uppers including the bolt and charging handle in stock for $468. https://jtdistributing.com/index.ph...complete-upper-front-sight-base-arbu306cPalmetto State has a good reputation for quality and they have complete lowers in stock for $149. https://palmettostatearmory.com/complete-psa-ar-15-lower-classic-edition.htmlIt's just a matter of inserting the bolt and charging handle into the upper, then connecting the upper to the lower. There's no assembly required other than what one would do after field stripping the rifle for cleaning. Allow $25 for the FFL fee on the lower and you'd be into it for about $650 and have a rifle made from reputable sources. If I wanted a light weight AR in today's market, this is how I'd go. 'Of course, J&T Distributing has several barreled uppers to choose from at various prices and you may see one on their page that you prefer other than the light weight model I linked.
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Joined: Feb 2004
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2004
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Gonna say that for me it's all gonna boil down to a pencil barreled 16 or 20" carbine, to kick things off.
What Is out there for sale today?
Tried a couple of times to call PSA and they don't answer. PSA is not answering any phones right now & are in crisis mode. Bristoe is right in that most of the run-of-the-mill basic stuff that has seen rock bottom pricing recently until the panic set in, is now scarce & prices are up. I don't know what your intended use is, but if it's for home defense, then I'd not go with a low-end base gun anyway. Also, off hand, I really can't think of any factory low or mid priced guns with a pencil barrel either. Don't know your interest level in doing anything yourself, but you are likely to get more of what you want if you buy an upper & put it on a lower of your choosing. But that requires some level of interest past just walking into a store & walking out with a ready to go rifle. As for sights, for a short(er) range use plinking gun, a red dot of some sort, a prism sight, or a low powered variable scope are all good choices. Just remember, taken on the whole, you generally get what you pay for. Personally, i'm not into cheap crap; that doesn't mean you have to go exotic, just good stuff from reliable companies. Good Luck with whatever direction you go. MM I just checked Aero Precision. They use Ballistic Advantage barrels who does have some light weight barrels in 14.5 and 16 ". They are currently sold out of all rifles. They were advertising some blemished stuff a few days ago so my guess is everything that is good is sold out and only the blems are left. kwg
For liberals and anarchists, power and control is opium, selling envy is the fastest and easiest way to get it. TRR. American conservative. Never trust a white liberal. Malcom X Current NRA member.
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Joined: Sep 2006
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 23,628 |
Aero uses BA barrels because they own them; nothing wrong with blems if it's just cosmetic & from a reputable company. Reputable companies will not knowingly sell defectives or blems that impact function of safety, IMO.
Aero is a mid-level producer; I really like their lowers, uppers are just OK, IMO but serviceable, their BCG's come from Toolcraft, so those are OK, & I don't have much use for BA barrels............maybe a good one, maybe a not so good one.
Just depends on what your objectives & acceptance threshold is.
MM
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Joined: Jan 2011
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2011
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Bud's had pallets of various ARs in the $500 price range the day I bought the rifle in the OP.
I chose it because it was the only variant he had with the pencil barrel and no front sight on the gas block.
It's just a very basic, fairly light AR and I've made it a bit lighter except for the optic, of course. I've got some fairly skeletal aluminum handguards ordered for it that will remove a couple of ounces from it and that will be the extent of my modifications.
Tennessee Arms makes a polymer lower that will take a couple more ounces off the total weight. kwg TA polys are junk... IMO. bought two last year, was pretty stoked initially but they are out of spec, pivot to takedown pin dim is off, not a huge deal as it makes for tight lock up when you slam the upper on the lower to get it to ride up on the raised portion of the lower. The pin holes are tapered and too big, when you force the TD pin out, the detent comes out with it...... Not something I want when opening up the action. These were 80's and I could have sent them back after I cut them in 1/2...., they never could or would answer my question if the FFL and the 80's come out of the same mold..... I ended up making brass bushings for the takedown pin and pressing them in, it works now. But never again will I invest this much time in a inferior part. Kaiser makes some light receiver sets that I think are quality. So far so good, but I have not put it together yet. about 1/2 the weight of AL. I have a couple that are either on a rifle now or have been. I had to do a little shaping to fit the rear of the upper but nothing drastic. A round file and a couple of minutes. I had one rifle I used an A1 upper with a 14.5 inch skinny barrel, an extended A2 flash hider I had weigh in at 5 lbs and 8 ounces empty. The ones not currently on a rifle are just waiting for my next build. I'm thinking a 300 blackout with a skinny 16" barrel and an aluminum blast can. I doubt I can get it down to 5 lbs and 8 ounces again but with a light weight bolt carrier and a slick sided upper anything is possible. I never had an issue with a take down pin detent coming out. That's a new one on me. I did tap the rear detent hole with a 4x40 allen screw to hold the detent in when I changed the buffer tube. The only thing I wish TA would do is change away from that big ugly logo on the side. Less is more. kwg Mine were 80's.. maybe different than the FFL ones, maybe their mold is worn out? If they drilled them after they came out of the mold they would be sized and true, I think they are tapered so they come out of the mold easier.... I did some filing to make them mate up better, no big deal there..... they would never address these issues....but, what the hell do I know... from my experience I cant recommend.
For those without thumbs, it's s Garden fookin Island, not Hawaii
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 18,454 |
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Posts: 17,390
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 17,390 |
“Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils.” - General
John Stark.
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 30,954
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 30,954 |
What's yer max budget, old timer?
What kind of optic do you want?
MM I don't know that I have a budget, per se. And I have no experience with optics on an AR I'd kinda like Bristoe's rig with a good aperture sight to begin with. And experiment with optics as I go. Most places are sold out of pretty much everything. If you do find something in stock the price is going to be jacked. It's probably best to wait a few months until there's enough out there to choose from. Yeah... No real hurry... John, Black Rifle companies tend to be very patriotic. It's common to see good to very good sales on the holidays, especially the 4th of July and Black Friday. We might see some deals this weekend for Memorial Day, but then again with some companies a month behind on shipping....maybe not. It will be interesting to see how the next few Holidays play out sale wise. Overall MM's given you some real sound advise. I really like the light weight build he shared, but it's a top shelf gun. The only thing that could of made his build any better is if he'd given it to me ,<grin>
Last edited by antelope_sniper; 05/19/20.
You didn't use logic or reason to get into this opinion, I cannot use logic or reason to get you out of it.
You cannot over estimate the unimportance of nearly everything. John Maxwell
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Joined: May 2002
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2002
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Been working on a property deal and put this on the back burner. But I bought a RR lower privately and ordered an upper this morning. This upper from J&T UpperHave some Winchester 55 gr 5.56 on hand, as I got it cheap. Ordered 400 more m193 from AbleAmmo Question; The front sight on this upper is an "F" marked unit. What are my choices for a rear sight? I do not dislike a carry handle sight.
"Chances Will Be Taken"
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