Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles DIY Assembly Tools

HI All

I was asked to put together a list by another poster. I'm gonna toss out the things I use, optional stuff, and a few other thoughts. Though I mostly quit competition about a year back due to family reasons, I was a top ranked and fairly decent shooter. I had my barrels done up by White Oak Precision/Armament in IL. They do super work. But I always put my own barrels on. I would always let them fix and pin my rear sights though( I only shot iron sight service rifle AR15 out to 1000 yards).

That being said I'm far from being the best shooter ever, but its due to not enough practice standing. And its certainly not the fault of the guns. Mine will hold 1.5 inch 10 shot groups at 300 yards and will hold 5 shot groups anywhere from 2-4 inches at 600 yards.

Basic tools. I"ll list some Brownells part #s for examples when needed. I'm not endorsing them, though I buy most of my tools from them. I'm just using an example so you can go see whats up on the net.
You need a good punch set
Roll pin punch set also 230-112-105 appx 19 bucks
Upper Action block 702-003-015 appx 44 bucks
Lower block(if you want to work the lower) 702-004-015 appx 32 bucks

For float tubes you may need a strap wrench, and a spanner wrench and thats all dependant on what you are using for a tube. I personally use a pipe wrench as my tubes are covered with handguards and a nick doesn't bother me any.

You'll need an armorers wrench 851-115-001 appx 37 bucks
You can get snap ring pliers or use an awl to manuever the ring like I do.

If dealing with handguards the removal tool is nice
Handguard removal tool 100-000-438 appx 25 bucks

Torque wrench if you follow specs. I just get my barrel nuts really snug. I've never used a torque wrench. I put those nuts on and off a few times to mate the threads good. Then snug it down. Never had one come loose. Thats your call.

I take a 1/4 inch round shank screwdriver and grind the tip flat and use that to push the takedown pins out as needed.

FYI on books.
Zedickers books have good info. Though very biased and some issues are what he heard, not from experience and his views are proven wrong. I can't stand the style of writing. And no one ever seemed to see him actually shoot FWIW

Martins books-- good info, though his choice of barrels is mundane but he is a military shooter and give him an MOA barrel and he is happy. He'll shoot it 2500 rounds and replace. His assembly steps are very good though.

Feamster shot a lot and had some really good info in his books. I suggest them. Though they are filled with shooting stories also. FWIW

Fulton Armory. The biggest friggin joke out there ever! Forget them. They'll bend you over quick. And have no experience.(IMHO)

FWIW when comparing prices, the barrel is the most important part that its quality and set up and chambered correctly. You can get there for 350 to 500 bucks just depending. You can go Wilson factory from RRA for less and get a really decent barrel. But for folks to charge 2000 bucks or close to it for a top line gun with a big name on it-- Wow is all I can say. I believe Wilson is an example. Big bucks and too expensive.

The AR is not like a bolt gun that needs tweaking and voodoo. Put a good tube on it, float it, develop ammo and make sure the gun is assembled correctly and it'll shoot just fine. Lets just say I've done this and beat the National Champion David Tubb with an AR service rifle when he was shooting his bolt gun. Of course I could only manage that on the 600 yard line. Not for the whole match. But it still shows that self assembly can be done very well. 600 yards demands super accuracy. I'm not braggin here either about my shooting-- its ok, but I'm showing the gun can do the job.

Hope some of this helps a bit.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff! Your post is very helpful.

Great list there Jeff! It sounds like you've got a whole lot more experience than me with the AR, but that's basically everything that I've got & use. The only extra "consumable" that I'd add is Molybdenum-Disulfide grease to use on the upper barrel receiver threads to prevent galling. Just a little dab will do & you can easily find it at many auto parts stores as wheel bearing grease (or some AR manufacturers market a specific grease for the overly anal AR shooters).

The lower assembly is far easier and can be accomplished with just the set of roll pin punches that you mentioned (and a little bit of dexterity). My first build, a NM A2 with Wilson barrel, was completed with the basic tools you mentioned & nothing more than the US Army Technical Manual and a little bit of common sense. That build will still shoot sub MOA and unfortunately better than I'm capable of doing consistently. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

As I've said before the AR is an easy ride to build & a whole lot of fun to boot.

I do use a tiny bit of grease on the threads of the upper and barrel nut. I happen to use Friction Block for whatever reason. Moly should be good. But I don't use much.

Maybe one day I'll sit down and type up what is needed to make a real tight CMP legal AR15.

The match versions are a bit easier as you don't have to hide the float tube and the front sight base doesn't have to be modified etc....

Think of this one. Just heard from a team mate that a shooter was adjusting his front sight for elevation between 200/300/600!! There is a reason to have a set screw under the front sight post. And this fellow was moving the post up and down on sloppy 8/36 threads as he went.....

Sure wished I could have bought a 50 beowulf barrel only. Same for the 6.5 Grendel barrel only. Probably will talk myself into a 7.62x39 upper for the truck one day too. So many choices. And I was in a rut using 223 with all my match shooting. Ah but there are a few bolt gun jobs to be done AND a TC Encore begging for more barrels too....

I profess to be not much of anything, BUT if anyone has a question please shout. If needed hit my home email. I've gone through damn near every problem ever encountered with an AR. INCLUDING a recoil spring getting LONGER..... AND STIFFER(maybe that could happen to my gun, not my service rifle!!)

Jeff

Do you have a 6.5 Grendel, Jeff? That is my next upper, I believe. Like you, I'm hoping that Kreiger or another good barrel maker will start chambering for it. I would think that would happen in a year or two if they show popularity.

What do you know about Alexander Arms? It's curious that their address is the same as an Army installation. Maybe this is common with some defense contractors. My Beowulf upper made by them seems like a quality upper. My very limited experience tells me it's going to shoot good, too. Actaully very good for what I will use it for.

I was somewhat of a help in the 6.5 I did a bit of testing of what was then the 6.5 PPC round. Had to bend some mags a bit to get them to work and test fired the gun a fair amount. Extremely accurate.

I may be test firing it at a 1000 yard range for the NRA meetings in April. We'll see how that goes.

I don't personally own one but have shot enough to know that if I were still in competition I'd have one. Whatever the case, a few hunting rifles now have priority over more bucks in match guns.

It makes the 6.8 pale in comparison for sure. I'd use it in an AR as a 1000 yard rifle. Excepting the any/any matches where I'd use a 7 WSM.

I know Alexander enough. They work with the govt contracts here and there. And the 6.5 came through great in trials. In fact my friends at Ft. Benning AMU are starting to shoot it. Hoping that Grant can beat David Tubb with this round in an AR match rifle.

FWIW the last time I shot the 6.5 was at 600 yards and I could see the changes and refused to touch the sights and still shot a perfect 200.

Walther barrels are good. I'm more fond of a few other brands but cannot complain as to how they shoot.

Jeff

rost495: Be assured that at least one member of this site will eagerly and joyfully learn anything and everything that you have to share about building, operating and maintaining an AR-15. My long-term goal is to cost-effectively build a 1-MOA AR-15 sporter. I have not bought any special tools, but I have bought 3 books: Glen D. Zediker's "The Competitive AR-15" and a pair of books by the team of Walt Kuleck and Scott Duff, "The AR-15 Complete Owner's Guide" and "The AR-15 Complete Assembly Guide." I'm not in a hurry; I'm a retiree and it will take me a few years to put by enough money to do a proper job. I do know that "Cheap is too expensive," so I'm serious about being cost-effective, not just cheap.

Arent headspace gages important? Most say the ar's have close tolerances, but it seems like good insurance. I've been told that the most headspace problems come from chrome bolt and carrier assy's. Also, I agree with your FA opinion.

22- The FA teams assembly books are ok. They are just a pair of idiots with their heads up their @$$. They charge too much. Long story short they came on a competition site I was on and told us that things we were doing with the AR had no use. We proved them wrong(they don't shoot competitively-- well one does if you can call it shooting)and then they started advertising all the mods they had pissed on a few weeks earlier....

To get a MOA rifle you can just about take any barrel and do it at 100 with some judicious loading. If you use a Wilson tube you can easily do it.

Mousegun-
I don't use headspace gauges simply because the important components to me are the barrel and bolt. I buy bolts from a reliable source so I won't get a weird one. And the barrels are chambered by same source.

I've talked to many folks on the lines. Its a rare time when you are not within 5 thou of where it needs to be. And I've been that far out with Krieger chambers and mated bolts.

Consequently I still don't worry about it. Though I will read brand new fired brass with a gauge to see whats going on and how to set up my dies for a new barrel.

Of course YMMV. I just have not found the need for it. Now IF I was going to buy the cheapest bolts and barrels etc.. I'd sure spend the bucks just to be on the safe side.

Best, Jeff