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Started By
Message
I want to build a budget retro AR...
Posted on 12/30/21 at 12:57 pm
Posted on 12/30/21 at 12:57 pm
It doesn't need to be amazingly top-of-the-line. I'm satisfied with the BCA uppers that work for me, that lots of AR purists and snobs shite on.
I simply want a plinker that "looks" like a traditional Vietnam era M16, with the fixed stock, triangular foregrip, and the integral carry handle.
What's the cheapest I can put one together? Do I need a 20" barrel, or was it 18"? And is that the 3 prong flash hider, or a birdcage?
I'm not going to buy a Brownell's version for over a grand, I want to keep this around $500 or under.
I simply want a plinker that "looks" like a traditional Vietnam era M16, with the fixed stock, triangular foregrip, and the integral carry handle.
What's the cheapest I can put one together? Do I need a 20" barrel, or was it 18"? And is that the 3 prong flash hider, or a birdcage?
I'm not going to buy a Brownell's version for over a grand, I want to keep this around $500 or under.
7
Posted on 12/30/21 at 1:26 pm to Scoob
Not sure about sources, but you want a 20" barrel with the birdcage. If you want to be really historically accurate, try to find a birdcage that has the slots all the way around. At some point they started making them with the bottom solid so it wouldn't puff up dirt/dust if you were in the prone. You have to index them with crush washers so the solid part is aligned correctly; I don't think the old ones were indexed.
ETA I'm a dummy, the birdcage wasn't adopted until the A2. I thought they were using it during the latter part of the war.
ETA I'm a dummy, the birdcage wasn't adopted until the A2. I thought they were using it during the latter part of the war.
This post was edited on 12/30/21 at 4:04 pm
Posted on 12/30/21 at 2:44 pm to btrcj
quote:I was replying as you edited
OOPPS, just noticed it has collapsible stock.
How about this one?
Yes, choice 2
LINK
is doggone close. I'd rather have the integral carry handle, and the A1 foregrips. But I think I can source the grips out
Obviously, this is what I'd like
LINK
with an authentic lower setup. But that's outside my budget
Posted on 12/30/21 at 5:45 pm to Scoob
Whatever you do, stay the hell away from that 1/12 barrel twist rate.
Posted on 12/30/21 at 7:20 pm to Scoob
You should talk to that seapickle fellow he’s like the A. Hays Town of building ar-15s
Posted on 12/30/21 at 7:41 pm to Scoob
Posted on 12/31/21 at 11:44 am to PaulBurbank007
quote:I have no idea what you're saying here
You should talk to that seapickle fellow he’s like the A. Hays Town of building ar-15s
quote:those look good. I was looking at them.
JSE Surplus carries the complete uppers, but looks like they are sold out right now
I understand that a budget version won't be ultra-correct, so I'm approaching this about the same as a Filipino 1911 instead of a CMP version. I want "close enough", with the correct style of furniture.
Posted on 12/31/21 at 3:23 pm to Scoob
A Hayes was an architect in Baton Rouge who secretly wanted to blow Frank Lloyd Wright, but ended up designing homes with whacked out floor plans, similar to Wright’s, BR yuppies could brag to one another about to the 9 people that had one.
Full disclosure; they’re not bad designs
Full disclosure; they’re not bad designs
Posted on 12/31/21 at 6:57 pm to Scoob
You need a pencil barrel. that will probably be the part that is OOO, the rest should be readily available.
Posted on 1/15/22 at 7:24 am to Scoob
Posted on 1/18/22 at 1:17 pm to ODP
quote:Bump
Brownells retro
So I'm compromising on this, staying budget and going as 'retro' as I can within price.
The BCA complete upper was $244, I went with that. I get it, some folks shite on the brand... I haven't had issues with the ones I own. And yeah- it doesn't have an integral carry handle, and it has a heavy barrel instead of the pencil one.
But the price; $244 and that comes with a BCG. For that and the purpose intended, I can live with it.
Lower- so I've discovered Bayou Pawn is an authorized PSA dealer. Meaning they carry their stuff, and I can get it in-store without paying a transfer fee (as compared to ordering online). And they honor the PSA prices, including Daily Deals. I didn't know that, maybe others did- but that makes them a no-brainer for me. I picked up a pair of uppers from them. They didn't have blemished stock, and the price diff was $10 more (59, vs 49). I very briefly considered the cost of a transfer, and decided to go ahead and pull the trigger.
I grabbed that stock kit from Numrich, an A1 buffer assembly from JSE, got a couple LPKs from Karri's Guns for $26.
This will be the first lower I've assembled instead of buying complete.
Posted on 1/18/22 at 2:52 pm to Flats
quote:
ETA I'm a dummy, the birdcage wasn't adopted until the A2. I thought they were using it during the latter part of the war.
Huh? The M16A1 had a birdcage FH. The XM16E1 had the 3 prong.
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