Tag Archives: AR

ARBuilds

Assembling an AR Lower – Step 2 of 11: Installing the Trigger Guard Assembly

The second step is to install the trigger guard.  Now I do not use the kind with a detent that allows you to open the trigger guard.  I prefer aluminum trigger guards from either Magpul or Brownells.  The one you see here is from Brownells and is made from billet 7075 aluminum.  I like how it is slightly oversized for gloves and Brownells prices it quite reasonably at $8.47. The front is threaded with a set screw and the rear has a roll pin – they include both in the package.  A polymer Magpul unit came with the lower build kit and I just put it in my box of spare parts.

Take a minute and check the fit.  The threaded part goes forward and the hole that goes all the way through to the rear.   Just ensure it is going to line up appropriately.

I like to first install the front set screw to help line everything up.  Just use a quality allen wrench – I have been burned with cheap allen wrenches that round the socket so now I pretty much stick with Bondhus and Eklind though there are probably many other good enough brands out there.  I snug the set screw down but do not go crazy torquing it in.  Bear in mind you are threading a small screw into aluminum and that allen key is giving you quite a bit of leverage.

Once that front screw is in and the trigger guard is better held in position, it is time to install the rear roll pin.  Now you have a number of options to install the rear pin and I am going to tell you about the two I use:

Option one, use a starter and roll pin punch to drive in the roll pin.  Now there is a real important thing you need to do – be sure you use a block to support the lower “ear” of the receiver or you may snap it off.  If it breaks off, you just ruined the receiver – game over.  I use a Wheeler block to support the receiver and you can use just about anything – over the years I have used generic gunsmithing blocks and even pieces of wood. For the last 2-3 years I’ve used the Wheeler block and like it.

Don’t try to use a generic punch.  I like to use a Squirrel Daddy roll pin starter to get the first part of the pin installed and then an Astro Pneumatics 1/8″ roll pin punch to hammer it in the rest of the way.  Of course you can use whatever brands you want but the bottom line is that you need to line the pin up vertically to drive it straight in and you must be careful not to slip and mar your receiver.  This is why using the correct punches matter.  The starter punch gives you a lot of control and by using the roll pin punch, you can keep your punch on the pin.  Because of my tremor, I am not very good with hammers and punches but can do this provided I use the two types of punches mentioned.

The Wheeler 156945 bench block does a good job helping you both hold and support work.  You want the “ears” on the receiver to be supported.  There are plenty of stories of guys not supporting the ears, trying to tap in the roll pin that holds the trigger guard in place and then breaking off an ear.  Whether you use the Wheeler block or even a piece of wood – be sure to support the ears.

Note how nicely the Wheeler 156945 bench block supports the AR lower.
This is a roll pin starter punch. This one is made by Squirrel Daddy.

Option two:  Wheeler Engineering makes a nice simple tool to install or remove that roll pin.  Boy does it make it easy and this is my preferred method.  The little tool is super simple – it has two pins that fit into the end of the screw.  A long one for removing the pin and a short one for installing the roll pin.  You just line things up and then tighten the screw.  The pin goes into the hole in a very controlled manner and your finish is protected.  Stop once your pin is flush with the receiver.

Other options:  I have seen guys use pliers with the jaws wrapped in tape, modified C-clamps, and more.  You can Google around or search on Youtube to see a variety of approaches.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

AR Parts Sources

There are a lot of reputable AR parts vendors online but beware of eBay and bargain basement dealers that sell airsoft parts and tell you they will stand up to firearm use – they will not. At any rate, here are my top sources of AR parts:

ARBuilds

Assembling an AR Lower – Like Legos for Men with Special Comments on Pistol Builds

I have to admit that I like a lot of different firearms including both AK and AR platforms.  So I am not purely an AK fan though my business is largely built around that.  I have owned many, many different ARs over the years including tactical, DMR, snipers, pistols and flat out range toys.  I don’t have much free time any longer so the AR platform gives me a chance to tinker with different combinations and see what I like.

At the heart of the AR is a lower-receiver that can be made by just about anyone as long as it is Mil-Spec.  Now this is critical. Not all receivers are as accurate as they claim to be with their tolerances, hole positions and what not so ask around.  I’ve had very good luck with Anderson (my go to brand for several years now), Palmetto State Armory (PSA), Spikes and Del-ton.  I’ve not had a single problem with any of these brands.  You may not have as much luck with “Uncle Bob’s Lowers made in Podunk Nowhere” so just start with a good foundation.

For the two AR pistols that I will be assembling for the upcoming blog posts, I will be using Anderson lower receivers.

Assembling an AR for a rifle or a pistol is almost identical until you get to the gas tube.  At that point a pistol must use a pistol tube and a rifle will use whatever tube you wish.  I’ll point that out again in post #9.

I am not a lawyer and the following should not be construed as legal advice.  I’m just trying to explain my understanding on how to build an AR pistol legally:

One important item for guys making pistols, to be legal, the receivers must be transferred to use as receivers.  Your FFL must NOT transfer the receiver as a rifle.  There is an FFL notice that once a receiver is built as a rifle, it is a rifle.  If you change it into a pistol, then you are making a short-barreled rifle (SBR) that must be registered.  Oddly enough, you can build a receiver as a pistol and then convert it to a rifle.  [Click here for a link to the ATF letter]

My recommendation is to always take photos of the pistols built appropriately so you can show the paper trail of a receiver transfer from your FFL through to a built pistol.

Also, there is another issue to avoid – do not buy pistol-length uppers (meaning uppers with barrels shorter than 16″) and having them sit around without a pistol receiver waiting.  Buy the receiver first, then corresponding upper and put them together.  Why you might ask?  The concern is something known as “constructive intent”.  You do not want the ATF or others in law enforcement to assume you only have that SBR/pistol upper to put on one of your rifles.  That requires paper work and fees in order to have a legal SBR.  You absolutely can’t just put a sub-16″ barrel on a regular rifle – it will be illegal.  [Click here for the ATF letter about SBRs]

The ATF has ruled that braces do not make a pistol into a rifle.  I have carpal tunnel and can’t hold a heavy pistol so this is good news for me.  So, I bought my Anderson lowers first, my lower pistol build kits from PSA and then an 7.5″ upper from PSA and a 10.5″ upper from Ghost Rifles.  The blog posts that follow document my journey building these two AR pistols.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

AR Parts Sources

There are a lot of reputable AR parts vendors online but beware of eBay and bargain basement dealers that sell airsoft parts and tell you they will stand up to firearm use – they will not. At any rate, here are my top sources of AR parts:

AR & Related Rifles and Pistols, ARBuilds, Gunsmithing, Shooting in General

ATF letter stating you can build an AR pistol from a receiver transferred as such and never assembled as a rifle

1 Comment

Okay, I posted a couple of ATF letters and a guy sent me a message asking if I had the letter specifying that an AR pistol can be built from an AR receiver that was transferred as a receiver and never assembled as a rifle.  It just so happens I did save that one back when I built a couple of AR pistols a few years back.  I like to have the letters of anything someone may ask about and keep them in my case with the weapon when I take it shooting.  At any rate, here is the ATF letter in case anyone else needs it:

Please note that I am not a lawyer and this should not be construed as legal advice.

 

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

AR & Related Rifles and Pistols

Very Good AR Lower Assembly Guide Web Pages – Not videos

So in my last blog post, I gave you a number of Youtube videos you can watch to learn how to assemble an AR lower.  In this post, I’ll give you some web pages where you can visit them and read step by step instructions with photos.  This way, you can print you the pages and have them by you for reference if so desired.  As with the videos, check out all of the links and see how the authors do the assembly of their AR lowers.

First off, AR15.com has an assembly guide you can check out:
http://www.ar15.com/content/guides/assembly/lower/

Here is one from the Arms Guide:
http://thearmsguide.com/3277/how-to-build-an-ar-15-lower-receiver-tools-and-components/

The Truth About Guns has a guide:
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/06/foghorn/ask-foghorn-assembling-an-ar-15-lower-receiver-from-a-stripped-receiver/

The New Rifleman does as well:
http://www.thenewrifleman.com/how-to-build-a-lower-receiver/

 

I hope this helps you out!

AR & Related Rifles and Pistols

Very Good AR Lower Receiver Assembly Videos on Youtube

Have you ever wondered how to assemble an AR lower receiver and were curious  what free resources are available?  I spent some time on Youtube and collected  a list of videos that show the viewer how to assemble a lower receiver for an AR-type rifle.  I would recommend watching several as each presenter’s methods has pros and cons plus there are different details and camera angles in some cases.

“Gunsmithing – How to Build an AR-15 Lower Receiver” by MidwayUSA


“EASIEST AR15 lower build diy, step by step” by dutchofsc

“AR-15 Lower Receiver” by bgallaher77


I really liked all of the above and hope you find them useful.

AR & Related Rifles and Pistols, Gunsmithing

ATF Opinion Letter on AR Pistols – Some Key Considerations

In this ATF letter, the author asked the ATF’s opinion on a number of great AR pistol related questions.  I am paraphrasing a few points I found important to help folks doing full text searches for opinions:

1) An AR lower receiver is neither pistol nor rifle until it is built the first time.  If you want to make a pistol, a lower receiver must *never* have been built in a rifle configuration.

2) AR pistols do not have a barrel length restriction.

3) AR handguards can be used on an AR pistol

4) An AR rifle and pistol can be in the same household — note, and this is a personal comment, what got a guy in trouble years ago was that he had only an AR rifle and a pistol upper with no lower to mount it on.  I don’t remember all of the details but the main thing here is that you never want it to look like the only reason you have a pistol/SBR upper is to put in on your AR that is legally classified as a rifle.

5)  Magpul angled fore grips (AFGs) are permissible on the bottom accessory/picatinny rail.

AR_Pistol_1AR_Pistol_2AR_Pistol_3

 

I recommend people print and keep copies of letters just in case they need to show someone that some aspect of a weapon was “approved” by the ATF at some point.  Just bear in mind that ATF letters are not absolutes but it helps to have them handy if asked.  A state or local government may have their own more restrictive regulations as well so this may not mean AFGs are legal for everyone everywhere.

Legal Disclaimer:  I am not an attorney and am not giving legal advice.  I am just passing this information along and it is up to you to determine what you can/can’t do.

AR & Related Rifles and Pistols, Gunsmithing, Shooting in General

ATF letter stating that the Magpul AFG is legal for use on AR pistols

Please treat this as reference material only and not legal advice. The ATF does not always adhere to letters, states and local governments are doing their own thing and it’s hard to say what is acceptable or not just to be perfectly blunt. We live in interesting times unfortunately.

Folks, here is an ATF letter saying that an angled foregrip (AFG), such as Magpul’s models, can be used on an AR pistol.  This is the first time someone shared a definitive letter with me vs. hearsay.

12/14/2014 Update:  Here are scanned images of two different ATF letters saying AFGs can be used on AR pistols because they are not considered vertical grips:

atf-afg

This is a second letter wherein they answer a number of good questions about AR pistols in general.  On page three is another comment that the AFG is allowed:

AR_Pistol_1
AR_Pistol_2
AR_Pistol_3

The reason this matters is that a vertical foregrip is not legal without first registering the pistol as an “any other weapon” or AOW.  I recommend people print and keep copies of letters just in case they need to show someone that some aspect of a weapon was “approved” by the ATF at some point.  Just bear in mind that ATF letters are not absolutes but it helps to have them handy if asked.  A state or local government may have their own more restrictive regulations as well so this may not mean AFGs are legal for everyone everywhere.

Legal Disclaimer:  I am not an attorney and am not giving legal advice.  I am just passing this information along and it is up to you to determine what you can/can’t do.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Sources For AR Parts

The following are all vendors of AR parts including barrels, handguards, triggers, magaziness and what have you that I use and recommend:

Beware no-name knock off websites selling generic import stuff. Some of the parts are counterfeit and not rated for firearms use.