ArizonaShooting.com

First AR15 I've ever built, and I have to say, I'm quite pleased with the end result (exception being a few idiot scratches... damn that bolt hold open roll pin ). I've been wanting a precision-type AR15 for a couple years now, but couldn't really find what I wanted in the pre-built market.

Couldn't have imagined the building process to be any easier. If you've got any mechanical know-how, I highly encourage anyone to go the DIY route for at least one of your AR's if you've got even the slightest interest in doing so.

The items/tools needed were as follows:

AR15 Armorer's Wrench (DPMS).
Punch set (Home Depot has set by DascoPro, worked for me).
Set of SAE hex keys (Eklind set found at Ace Hardware worked great).
9/16" open-end wrench.
Action block for the upper (DPMS).
Bench vise (to clamp the action block in).
Torque wrench (Home Depot has a pretty nice 3/8" drive 20-100 foot/pound click-type torque wrench by Husky, be sure to get a 3/8"-1/2" drive adapter to be able to attach it to the DPMS armorer's wrench).
Set of pliers large enough to grip the free-float lock nut (Channellock has an oil filter wrench that worked great for me, again, sold at Home Depot).
Flathead screwdriver.
Pair of small "Vise-Grip" style pliers.
Small hammer (I used a rubber mallet).
Blue Loctite.
Electrical tape (to prevent scratching during certain parts of the build process).

You'll also want to have some cleaning fluids and of course some sort of lubricant (whatever you use to clean/lube your other guns). If you get confused at any time, simply hop online and ask Google (examples: "AR15 barrel nut torque", or "AR15 trigger assembly"). The tutorials on AR15.com on how to build an AR are actually quite useful.

Now then, to the details...

Arizona-made parts:

Sun Devil (Mesa): Lower, Upper.
King Armory (Casa Grande): Muzzle Brake/Flash Suppressor.
GG&G (Tucson): Front Flip Up Sight, Rear Flip Up MAD Sight, Harris Bipod Adapter, Sling Thing.
Wilderness (Phoenix): Giles Three-Point Sling.
Young Manufacturing (Phoenix): Phosphate M16 Complete Bolt Carrier Group (Using Bolt As A Spare).
Vltor (Tucson): Milspec Buffer Tube, Buttstock, Low Profile Gas Block.

Since I was born and raised in Wisconsin:

Midwest Industries (Waukesha): SS15 One Piece Free Float Handguard.
D&H Industries (Oconomowoc): 30 Round Black Teflon Magazines.

And other assorted parts:

Lothar Walther (Germany): 20" Stainless Steel Barrel (Heavy Profile, 0.750" At Gas Block, Rifle Length Gas System, Wylde Chamber, 1/8" Twist, Standard Feed Cuts, Threaded 0.5"x28 TPI by Sun Devil), Matching Bolt.
Precision Reflex Inc. (New Bremen, Ohio): PRI Gas-Buster Charging Handle.
Magpul (Erie, Colorado): MIAD Grip.
Del-Ton Inc. (Elizabethtown, North Carolina): Lower Parts Kit.
Harris Engineering (Barlow, Kentucky): HBL 9"-13" Standard Ultralight Bipod.
Unknown Manufacture: Rifle Length Gas Tube.

On the wish list:

Timney Trigger (Phoenix).
GG&G Accucam FLT 30mm Quick Detach Scope Mount (Tucson).
SWFA SS 3-9x42 Scope (SWFA: Red Oak, Texas, Made In Japan).
D&H 20 Round Black Teflon Magazines (Oconomowoc, Wisconsin).

If it's not raining in the morning I'll probably take her out for a function test and get the iron sights dialed in.






Now it's your turn to post up your AZ-inspired AR build.

Nice clean looking piece. Good job.

Did you purposefully opt to not install a forward trim ring? I left it out of mine initially (different hand guard) then later added it. Seems (to me) to give it a bit more of a finished look although I am not convinced there's a serious practical need for it. I suppose it may keep large pieces of debris and small animals from getting between the barrel and the hand guard...

Actually a gore guard probably isn't needed because any debris will just dribble out one of the forend vent holes.
Nice pics...and gun too.

Nice job.

Sorry it was such a PITA to track down a KA-1222, we're trying to get inventory on some of these items back up to normal.

Very nice.

I want to build something similar, thanks for the inspiration.

That looks bad A$$

Looks good! I like the handguard. Reminds me of a Sterling!

Great looking rifle. What's total investment for parts?

Took the rifle out yesterday afternoon to get the iron-sights dialed in. Since it was just a quick-and-dirty rough draft of a sight-in, no pics of the groups. One thing to note: This AR is one of the softest shooting centerfire rifles I've ever laid hands on. The stainless HBAR with the KA-1222 brake really make this thing recoil very comfortably. Not nearly as loud as I expected it to be either. Secondly, the standard trigger is definitely getting swapped out next. A Timney will be a very welcome change.



Even after getting some items either on sale or as part of combo deals, the total price tag of everything pictured (excluding the mags and ammo within) came to a higher-than-expected $1,815. But considering it's getting close to being exactly what I was wanting, I'm quite content with that number (and the fact that it'll go up once I get the trigger, scope mount, and scope). I can post up a price breakdown if there's enough interest.



No worries Joey, I actually found one on short notice after all. You were right though, Sun Devil had them in stock (I think Quentin Defense also carries them, as they're listed on the website). When I picked up my barrel from Sun Devil, I asked them if they had your number on hand. Instead I guess I could've just as easily asked if they had one of your brakes. Hindsight is 20/20 I suppose. Either way, Randy (nfa-user) was the quickest to reply to my WTB ad, so I went ahead and picked one up from him.



Originally I contemplated buying the trim ring, but after deciding to go with the stainless Vltor gas block (the barrel has a milled flat spot under the gas block area, perfect for set-screw blocks), I thought I'd show off as much of the stainless goodness as possible.

Nice work! Have you weighed the rifle (just trying to relate to soft-shooting observation)?

Thanks for a glimpse of what's possible in the AR universe.!

MR2

Since I don't have a fish scale or any other accurate method of individual item measurement, I used the bathroom scale method. Not too accurate (it's a digital that rounds to the nearest tenth of a pound), but I took several readings and averaged them out.

I think the spreadsheet it pretty self-explanatory, but here's the breakdown. I'd take my weight, then weigh myself while holding the Sun Devil. Then I'd reweigh myself, then I'd weigh with my Eagle Arms. Reweigh self, reweigh with first rifle. Reweigh self, reweigh with second rifle. Finally I weighed myself while holding both rifles. Averaged all the weights, then subtracted the weight of myself to get the rifle weights. As a secondary method, I took the total weight of myself plus both rifles, subtracted the average measured weight of myself, and then subtracted the average measured weight of each rifle to get the weight of the opposing rifle.

Sun Devil: Rifle pictured above with items listed. Weighed without magazine.

Eagle Arms: Forged Eagle Arms Lower, Forged Eagle Arms A2 Upper, 16" HBAR, A2 Birdcage Flash Hider, CAR-Style 3-Position Buttstock, Standard CAR-Style Handguards, Wilderness Giles 3-Point Sling, Standard A2 Pistol Grip, Standard Phosphate AR-15 Bolt Carrier. Weighed without magazine.

As separate comparisons, I weighed myself with a 20" Israeli-style (wood furniture, no bipod, no carry handle) DSA StG-58 (steel receiver), and it came out to the same weight as the Sun Devil, 149.4. With a 16" Austrian-style StG-58 (steel handguard, bipod, no carry handle, synthetic buttstock, steel receiver) came to 149.8. A 16" MSAR (fluted barrel, all synthetic furniture, optic model) dialed in at 148.0. All were measured without magazines.

And yes, before someone comments on it... I know I'm a skinny bastard.

You're not alone. I get crap from my co-workers all the time for my weight, especially after they watch how much I eat at staff parties.

Nicely done! You're going to love the SS 3-9x42. Mine's not going anywhere soon, I can say that much.