I want to build an AR help me get started

[5.56×250]

First time I've come across this advice, can you elaborate? I know lots about building/improving bolt guns, but just getting started on gas guns

As you probably already know, the barrel extension on an AR has a seating ring that contacts the threaded extension on the upper receiver. Most uppers ive messed with were almost perfectly square (threaded extension face to barrel/bcg bore). If you get one thats off a little, you have a rifle with the barrel pointing in a somewhat different direction than the flat top rail on the upper ! Probably doesnt matter much if your spraying bullets at a siluette while running around doing acrobatics, but if you sight to barrel axis needs to be straight enough to hammer steel at 1000yds, its a pretty important spec to check and fix, if needed.
If its off a lot, and or you have a tight barrel extension to bolt fit, you might have some bolt binding/reliability issues.

 

[cajun]

The AR uppers,lowers buffer tubes etc are all milspec parts. With any accurate rifle it starts with the barrel and a good trigger. A free float handgaurd is really the only other thing you need.

 

[birdiemc]

Probably doesnt matter much if your spraying bullets at a siluette while running around doing acrobatics,

This made me spit out my coke

 

[nvschütze]

I like the 1005 Tactical two-stage trigger. First stage hits the wall at 2.0 pounds. Keep squeezing and you'll trip the trigger with an additional 2.5 pounds, for a 4.5-pound total weight to send one. I prefer this $90 trigger over my $135 Velocity, which is a single-stage that trips at 3.5 pounds.

The nice thing about the 1005 is that it goes in just like a mil-spec trigger. The Velocity uses an aluminum housing that is held solidly in place by running steel setscrews down hard against the soft aluminum of the lower receiver. You run down two, then run down another two on top of the first two to keep the first two good an' tight. Such a Rube Goldberg set-up. Get the 1005 Tactical and enjoy trigger-trippin' bliss. I even recommended one to a Nevada State Police officer when he pulled me over for a roadside inspection. I saw his patrol rifle in the security device and asked him if he had a personal weapon. He said he did. I asked him what kind of trigger he had in it. He said "just the stock thing." So I clued him in about the 1005. I had to do so-- he let me go with no vehicle nor logbook defects...

AT3 Tactical 2 Stage Trigger Assembly for AR 15 – 4.5 lb Pull Weight

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[nvschütze]

With any accurate rifle it starts with the barrel and a good trigger. A free-float handguard is really the only other thing you need.

A free-float handguard didn't help this one. It shot groups like a shotgun, so I put the Model 1 Sales handguard on it. That didn't help one dam-ned bit. So now I have this very expensive, good-for-nothing rifle that can't hit sewage solids from 33 yards...

 

[Kmccord]

A free-float handguard didn't help this one. It shot groups like a shotgun, so I put the Model 1 Sales handguard on it. That didn't help one dam-ned bit. So now I have this very expensive, good-for-nothing rifle that can't hit sewage solids from 33 yards...

Sounds like you need a new barrel, lots of people like the Saturn barrels out of Brownells and easy fix, but cost money...

 

[5.56×250]

A free-float handguard didn't help this one. It shot groups like a shotgun, so I put the Model 1 Sales handguard on it. That didn't help one dam-ned bit. So now I have this very expensive, good-for-nothing rifle that can't hit sewage solids from 33 yards...

It might be worth checking the headspacing. If you have been ripping 30 rd mags through it, it might need a heavy barrel cleaning too. Also make sure the handguard attachment is solid. I had a floating handguard that used set screws to hold it in place. After s few groups, it loosened up. Blew my mind what that did to my groupings. It must have caused bad harmonics in the barrel because it opened up from sub moa 5 shot groups to somewhere in the 3-4 moa range ! One more small thing to look into .......check and make sure the gas tube isnt clashing with the gas port tube on the bcg. If its not lined up right, it can cause bad harmonics in the barrel too.
If none of those things are your accuracy problem, then you might have a junk barrel. Hope this helps find your issues . Nothing more aggrevating than a high dollar rifle that cant hit solid waste !

 

[cajun]

A free float hangaurd wont make up a bad barrel shoot good. Either your barrel is crap or more likely the gun smith screwed it up pinning and welding the flash hider.

 

[nvschütze]

.. .. .. more likely the gunsmith screwed it up pinning and welding the flash hider.

That's what I think. I ordered a Thompson T1BSB from him in November 2015. It never came; I canceled the order about eighteen months later. I was told maybe a year ago that the gunsmith never ordered the rifle; he was using the $2450 I paid for it as operating cash for his shop. He told me several times over the months and months I waited that "It's on its way. It'll be here in about a month." It was never even ordered; it was never coming-- ever. I got my money back after waiting something like 835 days. I sent the money to my brother and he ordered it. He got it in about a year after the first guy at the counter at his local gun store didn't order it, either.

I wanted it because Sargeant Chip Saunders carried an M1928A1 in the 1960s TV series, COMBAT! I watched it when I was five or six years old, and always liked that weapon. I was finally making enough money to buy one, although I knew it would be semi-automatic. John T. Thompson was so dismayed that 1920s criminals used his guns for nefarious purposes, that Auto-Ordnance never made another machine gun after 1944. The stock slides off with just the push of a button right behind the receiver. I wanted that, even if it was a $290 option-- because Chip Saunders' Thompson had it. If Chip had it, I had to have it, too...

The T1BSB is gorgeous. Dam-ned enjoyable to shoot. Transports me back to 1942. Image attached...

 

[nvschütze]

Either your barrel is crap...

The rifle is a Windham Weaponry HBC, so it's a good bet that the barrel is a good piece of steel. A great majority of the reviews I've read about Windham rifles is that they are accurate and function very well. I figgered right away that the pin that secures the muzzle device must have just a tiny portion of it extending into the bore. The bullet is soft, so the pin cuts a groove through the bullet and out it goes. The bullet has been buggered, so it hits all over the place. I have no way to look that far down the barrel so the rifle is nice for lookin' at, but it ain't worth them same sewage solids for hittin' somethin'...

 

[5.56×250]

The rifle is a Windham Weaponry HBC, so it's a good bet that the barrel is a good piece of steel. A great majority of the reviews I've read about Windham rifles is that they are accurate and function very well. I figgered right away that the pin that secures the muzzle device must have just a tiny portion of it extending into the bore. The bullet is soft, so the pin cuts a groove through the bullet and out it goes. The bullet has been buggered, so it hits all over the place. I have no way to look that far down the barrel so the rifle is nice for lookin' at, but it ain't worth them same sewage solids for hittin' somethin'...

Thats unfortunate . I guess the barrel would be class 3 if you cut it behind the pin ? I bet you could find a longer flash hider and have a COMPETENT smith cut, machine , and reinstall the new flash hider. That is, unless your going for an exact copy of a known piece. If that be the case, might have to buy another barrel that fits the spec your looking for.

 

[BrianID]

There is a lot information out there on building AR's. They are very addictive to build. I built my first one less than 2 years ago and just finished my 4th build. You have already been given some good advice but I thought I would add a little information you might find helpful. The last few years I've hunted a lot of coyotes, killing about 50 per year, so I have an opinion of what makes a good coyote gun. I still use my bolt guns for coyotes along with ARs just depends on my mood that day. One downside to ARs is they make more noise. The follow up shots are quicker with ARs which is nice when you have multiple coyotes to shoot at.

There is a stupid federal rule on short barreled rifles and some states have rules that target ARs. Make sure you understand the federal and state rules before you buy your parts. You could probably hunt coyotes with a 10" barreled rifle and no stamp for the next 30 years and never get questioned by law enforcement but why take the chance.

Besides the "lower" you can have all parts shipped to your doorstep in most states. Lowers are not all that expensive so when you do buy one you may consider buying extra to save the time and hassle of going through an FFL.
If you are thinking about buying a suppressor for coyote hunting, do it now because it may take more than a year for the paperwork to be processed. A suppressor is really nice for hearing protection
There are a lot of great calibers for coyotes. A 22 Nosler AR is a great choice for coyotes and I think it will be an excellent choice for you because you already have a 22 Nosler bolt action. If you also want to shoot a lot of ammo at the range I would highly recommend a 223 Wylde.
ARs can be very accurate or shoot terrible. My 223 Wylde will easily shoot 5 rounds in less than a 1/2" on any none windy day. For coyotes hunting I wouldn't try saving $200-$300 by getting a cheap barrel. The barrel is the most important money you will spend. The trigger, free floated Handguard and the bolt are also worth spending money on if accuracy is important. There are many good companies out there for AR parts and barrels.
Attached are a couple ARs I built with coyotes being their primary use. The black one is an AR10 6mm Creedmoore and the FDE one is an AR15 223 Wylde. Both shoot smaller groups than most of my bolt guns. Both have 22" JP barrels, JP bolts, JP adjustable gas blocks and JP buffers. Both have Aero uppers, lowers and Aero free floated Handguards. Both have Giessele 2 stage triggers. They are both heavy guns but I don't mind packing a heavy gun with a long barrel even when extended by a suppressor. My AR 15 is about 10lbs and AR10 is around 14lbs(not counting suppressor). You can easily build much lighter guns if that is your goal.
ARs can be expensive to build. If I had to rebuild them both tomorrow I would estimate about $1500 for the AR15 and closer to $2000 for the AR10(not counting optics). Unless Bloomberg is elected president, you will loose a lot money on an expensive build if you have to sell it on short notice. There are a lot of "Frankin guns" out there and most people won't take a $1500 chance on a Frankin gun when they can buy a factory AR for $500, buy a custom AR or build their own Frankin AR. If you are not in a rush to build your AR you can watch for sales and probably save 10% to 20%.

 

[nvschütze]

I guess the barrel would be Class 3 if you cut it behind the pin? I bet you could find a longer flash hider and have a COMPETENT smith cut, machine and reinstall the new flash hider.

Yes, if the barrel was cut and the rifle sent out into the world with it less than 16" in length, I'd be meeting new friends in Leavenworth. I have thought about putting a new barrel onto it, but it's not a high-priority thing right now. I'll get around to doing something about it sooner or later. Most likely later.

The rifle was not built with any intent to duplicate any existing weapon. Scheels had the buttstock and grip on sale for what I thought was a good price, so I went for it. I am one whom just has to embellish my ARs. A plain vanilla rifle to me is just no fun. I will not say how many I have (Feinswine would soil her Size 58 bloomers), but every one of them is different. Different grips, handguards, triggers, buttstocks, barrel twists, barrel profiles, barrel lengths, steel or stainless, front sights, rear sights, et cetera. It has become sort of a game to see if I can assemble another one that's different from the last...

 

[George Dean]

First time I've come across this advice, can you elaborate? I know lots about building/improving bolt guns, but just getting started on gas guns

I think he is referring to this tool: https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...-alignment-tool-sku080000368-22389-48393.aspx