Kyle Norris Posted October 7, 2001 Share Posted October 7, 2001 OK, time for me to put another iron in the fire. Long term plan is to get some type of Limited AR for three gunning. Now, being a poor college student I was thinking I could collect the parts over time(you know, a lower this month, uppper a couple months later, ect). I have a pretty good rifle smith nearby(I've used him for some light handgun work), former high power and bench rest shooter. So what are the chances I'll end up with something good in the long run? I know it'll end up costing me more over buying factory, but think I'll get a better gun out of the deal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriss Grube Posted October 7, 2001 Share Posted October 7, 2001 Kyle, Here is a novel approach that seems to be lost on most shooters.... If you buy a part here and there and you know it will cost you more in the long run, why not save the money and buy the gun you want when you have saved enough? You get the gun in the same time if not sooner because you don't have to wait to get the GS to put it together. Seems like a pretty simple system. The only way buying parts is good is if you can put everything together and save the GS fees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted October 7, 2001 Share Posted October 7, 2001 ...easier to sneek parts into the house for some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriss Grube Posted October 7, 2001 Share Posted October 7, 2001 You obviously don't have enough guns! I just tell the wife "oh that ones been in the safe for a couple years" she hasn't caught on yet or if she does she accepts it. At least I'm not in the bar chasing strange anymore. Guns are my only vice these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Dunlop Posted October 7, 2001 Share Posted October 7, 2001 Chris, 'looking after it for a mate' works pretty well too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avalanche Posted October 7, 2001 Share Posted October 7, 2001 LOL No sense of fibbing, is there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellyn Posted October 7, 2001 Share Posted October 7, 2001 I'm a big believer in both custom ARs and slowly building them as you go along to defray costs. 3 gunning requires an AR that consistently shoot 1 MOA to 1 1/2 MOA. Most factory ARs have no problems achieving this as the AR is inherently accurate. But it is SWEET to shoot 1/2 MOA groups out of an AR. SWEET! My Accuracy Speaks open gun does just that. I take it to Police Sniper competitions and let it trash on Robars, Steyrs, etc. The best thing about a custom AR is that it is like Burger King, you can have it your own way. If you want a DPMS extended rail receiver and a Medesha handguard with a 18 inch bull 1 in 7.7 twist barrel with a Clark comp, then you can have one! One thing that I have noticed about all of the good 3 gunners is that none of their ARs are alike. Everybody has them setup differently. Chris is absolutely correct about buying parts here and there. Get a comp here, a receiver there, a trigger system one month and gas manifold another. Then take the whole puzzle to the gunsmith and have him put it together the way you want it. Pretty soon you have an AR and it feels like it was free! Factory guns can be and are competitive in Limited (after a trigger job) but a custom is nice. Be sure that your gunsmith is experienced w/ ARs and don't let him build you a highpower cross the course gun - unless that is what you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHAWN CARLOCK Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 THERE ARE SEVERAL GREAT FACTORY AR-15'S OUT THERE BUT HAVING ONE BUILT TO YOUR SPECS IS THE WAY TO GO. SINCE I AM A GS I HAVE A SOMEWHAT BIAS OPINION, BUT MOST FACTORY AR'S ARE NOT TRULY SETUP FOR 3 GUN. LETS FACE IT 3 GUN IS A SMALL FRACTION OF THE AR MARKET. THERE ARE THE SIMI CUSTOMS JP ETC AND JP BUILDS ARE GREAT RIFLE AS DO MANY OTHERS. TAKE KELLYS ADVICE AND GOTO A 3 GUN GS. ALSO GET YOUR WIFE INTO SHOOTING LIKE MINE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 Beyond a good factory trigger like the JP, its all about the upper receiver. Forget "match lowers" - don't buy the hype!! Loose upper/lower fit? SO WHAT!!! Upper/lower fit does not matter for accuracy so get any old lower and concentrate on good upper parts suited to your needs. Here are some resources: Glen Zediker's Book on AR-15 Accuracy - the bible of ARs http://www.snipercountry.com - look around for a trilogy of articles on how to build your own AR upper at home - not hard to do. http://www.roderuscustom.tzo.com good advice on machining your own lower at home as well as gunsmithing the AR. BTW, are you B.J.'s older brother? If so, stop by Shooters sometime and I'll let you try out my ARs to see what you like before you buy. DVC TY-44934 (Edited by Carlos at 10:11 am on Jan. 27, 2003) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 In the end you'll have spent a bunch of moeny anyway, so build what you want. Soon enough you'll change it. (We all do.) And Shawn, please turn off the cap lock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtm Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 Carlos: Up to a point that is correct, you don't need a "match" lower, but you do indeed need a lower that is of good quality! I have worked on some of the most out of spec, best deal in shotgun news, lowest blow out price....etc lowers, that the holes weren't drilled in the right places, the mag well was mis cut, the mag release button wasn't positioned right, the holes weren't square to the frame, you couldn't fit the lower to any known upper unless it was milled and rewelded and drilled and..... well that should do it!!! Rock River, Armalite, Bush Master, and now DPMS are the way I would go. NO it doesn't need to be a MATCH quality reciever but it does need to be a QUALITY reciever. BY THE WAY I AGREE WITH PAT, TURN OFF THE CAPS!!!!! kurt!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 Kurt - fair enough & I agree the quality of the lower does matter as far as correct fire control/safety position, mag catch position and magwell - my only remaining pre-ban is based on an Oly lower from the early 90s that has a tight and slightly long magwell that has trouble w/ Israeli & Canadian mags going in all the way - and that does affect function. Have not tried Oly recently, but I have seen excellent work from RR Arms. For everyone that is interested, the ealier site I posted was http://www.roderuscustom.tzo.com and it contains information on machining an AR lower from scratch, thus allowing you to machine in any dimensions you want. Not exactly a money-saving venture but is does allow you to build whatever 3gun rifle you want. Regards, C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtm Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 Carlos: Yep my 89 Oly has sort of the same problem. It was long so I had to champher the upper to the lower to avoid feeding hang ups and make mag lock up smoother. I also had to Bevel out the mag well bottom a la 1911 befor Themolds and Orlites could be used, the up side is that it now has a pretty substantial mag funnel so to speak and it does help running mag changes ( easy to take the old file to something that doesn't work anyway!) KURT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sterling White Posted January 29, 2003 Share Posted January 29, 2003 Were this is will - then one will find a way! Kyle...building a custom AR is not a bad way to go...once you have the gun built then you can say...I put this together. You have plenty of resources available to you with the local shooters in N. Va.. Remember...you pay for what you get...go for quality parts including a quality lower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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