Oh I started something now.

[fordmano]

Well in keeping up with all this "they are gonna take your guns" stuff.

I decided to build the family a few AR15's.

So I decided to go the build your own from ground up, even doing the 80% mill it out myself,,,, No Serial numbers required...

So I will share a few pictures but I swear if anyone laughs they are gonna get a whoopin!
Can only post a couple pictures from work tonight, I will add more later.
I am surprising my wife with her very first gun, and it will be setup girly.

The first one is my wifes. DUH! and no I have not started the milling yet thats why it is still seperated at the receiver mating.










And here is the starting point for mine.






This barrel is BADASS!!! Full 1" BULL under the forehand and .936" the rest of the length from the gas port forward.


So my wifes it is oviously colored all girly but it has a second meaning and it's a tribute to fight against Breast cancer. Mine is a dual tribute first is Tribute to 911 Never forget and our beloved Military that's why I went with OD green.

I will get some more pictures, feel free to ad your own also...

Still need 2 bolt carrier groups 1 fire control group 1 gas block for mine and My upper receiver and free float forehand to come in,,,, and the milling and fitting.


God Bless America!!!

[Xtracho]

Cool Ford! I've got the plans to build a couple myself. Just have to get home from Brazil and order the parts. Never done this before but it looks like you're pretty well schooled on how to do it. I may have some questions once I get started. And yeah, that barrel is "bad a$$". Now if we can just find some ammo to go with the guns!

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Awesome work. 

[MarkT]

WOW!  Amazing.  Love to have the resources to support this level of creativity!

[fordmano]

Thanks for the compliments, it really hasn't been very tough to do all this I have a lot of time to read when I am at work... Shhh! Don't tell my boss that.

I have actually got a couple guys at work that want me to assemble AR's for them now.., and they want to pay me??? Maybe I need to take some gunsmithing classes and start a new venture.. Nah the wife wouldn't approve... Oh wait I don't seem to ask permission very well but I am good and asking for forgiveness.

All of this is something any one can do, just takes time to search out what your after. I knew I could build with slightly lesser quality parts and make this affordable(sort of) since these will as much family heirlooms as target/defense weapons. So they don't need to be able to run 20-30k rds life span. We probably won't compete with these and if we decide we want to do something special later then I will build others suited for the task.
Another reason I did this was I want to be able to pass down firearms and the bliss of our current 2nd Ammendmant to my boys and then thier kids.

The boys have already decided who gets which one when I and the wife pass on, my younger son said he would be happy with getting his mothers pink gun since he can always swap out the furniture for other colored stuff.

P.S. just as a reference I think I am at just shy of $2,300-$2,400 range now and will probabaly go another $500-$600 before complete... But I have a few extra parts like spare delta rings and full spring kits and one more untouched 80% lower receiver... Shhhh! Nobody knows about that stuff.

[fordmano]

Keep in mind that the wife knows I am building ONE for me only, she has no clue yet how much I am spending or that I am building two or that she is getting anything. I am hoping to hold out for the showing until Mother's Day hope I can hold out and keep the secret that long.

I think she will be pissed, surprised, and overwhelmed with pride and joy all at the same time... Fingers crossed that she continues to be understanding and forgiving as she has in the past...

[fudgie]

Wow! Very nice! Kinda pricey for my taste but very nice work!  

[old2soon]

I can see the bad dude yer wife took out talkin to da devil-yup-honest-last thing I saw was a PINK stock on the weapon she did me with.  Damn good work.  RIDE SAFE.

[fordmano]

Wow! Very nice! Kinda pricey for my taste but very nice work! 

Trust m when I starting thinking about doing all this the prices where much better, there is a world of gouge going on out there.
It was only a year or so ago when you could build 2 very nicely equiped AR's for around $2,000 or less dependng on a couple items like optics. Now everything is anywhere from 30% to as much as 250% increase in prices. You can still do a basic rifle for much less than I am spending but it will be no frills and very basic/plain.

A cheap stripped upper is $99 a basic barrel is $99 the lowers, you can go polymer for around $90 plus transfer fees and taxes and shiping so that could easily get up to $250 here in Kaliforniastan. iron sights $40, lower parts kit $100, full furniture around $100, buffer tube $30, might get lucky and come with furniture set. Complete bolt well I can't seem to find one for less than $150, A charge handle $25 Delta ring setup $25, magazines $30+ each. Gas tube $15, gas block $25

So absolute minimum less anything I might have missed here. This comes up to around $960+ tax & shipping Oh and a couple specialty tools possibly.  Now if you go anything fancy like a good barrel and a nice upper lower set and nice bolt and nice trigger,,,,,, $2,000 God forbid you want really nice glass to shoot behind WOW!!!!! I have seen $2,500 scopes.

[fudgie]

Ive had mine for 2 months and have yet to shoot it. I may today if the wind is calm. Mine was right at $1000 new.

[MAD6Gun]

 I have had my Colt AR15 H-Bar for some time now. My dad was in a local gun shop and was talking to the owner about mine and my brothers H-Bars. He said right now we might be able to get 4 grand for them. I think that might be a little high but it does not matter. I am not selling it. I would like to build another one someday.....

[old2soon]

The high prices just ain't on the left coast. I can't even find .22 cal ammo. My little local gun shop has got what he's got-most everything he tries to order gets backordered. He went out to his range to pick up his old .223 brass. I was looking at some of his hand guns and some of the prices have been changed upwards 2 or 3 times. What he has done though-any pistol he sells will come with ONE BOX of ammo. Good luck with your builds. RIDE SAFE.

[fordmano]

Well, I am getting really close now, Started the milling and drilling on my 80% lower receivers I only have anything done on the wife's since I want it ready for Mothers Day and I actually have every part to complete hers. I still need the upper receiver, some sort of optics and a hand guard for mine.

So here are a few pictures of the drilling and milling.




Time to move up in drill size.




Drilling just about completed, now onto the milling



Sorry the picture quality is so horrible.


This is just about 3/4 completed. need to finish hogging out the major material and then some finish passes and the side holes.

[fordmano]

SO here is the finished upper receiver less the flashlight and laser. All tightened up and the BCG (Bolt Carrier Group) installed, gas tube in place with gas block set and set screws tightened into some dimples I drilled into the barrel to help keep setscrews SET! LOL!  I am considering some angled iron sights for back up on both guns, since both will have electronic primary sights, Mine will probably be something in the area of 4x-16x-40mm











Busy as HE!! but loving it, the wife is completely clueless that I am building two rifles and has no idea she is getting one for her very own. Although she did see both credit card bills and asked me to verify charges since it seemed to be a lot for being spread across 2 cards and some also coming from our regular bank account. She asked me are you almost done spending money yet and I told her NOPE, but I will be very soon. So since I have played along with her and told her that everything looked correct and I managed to get some money back after I sold off a few lower receivers I bought for 2 other people she has completly eased up on questioning me and even took me to a new local gunstore and bought me a couple items to help this build along.

[fordmano]

Time for a progress report.

Well I finished milling/drilling my first 80% receiver over this past weekend. seems to work... well all the parts fit in where they belong.
The finish is not what I would say I am overly proud of but I will just keep this upper/lower receiver closed. This one is for the wife anyway so it most likely will be a Safe Queen and that means it will rarely get seen.





This first one took WAY longer than I expected, probably spent 10-12 hours checking fiddling with and resetting things. I am doing this all with a "regular guy" type of 13" large table top drill press.

I actually fully assembled it with all the parts that I plan on using on the build for the one for me.  But since the wife does not know she is getting one I will have to change out the parts with her pretty pink stuff later. Sorry I did not take a picture of the parts installed,,, silly me.

Here is a couple of the in process pictures.

[fordmano]

Yesterday My Bro-In-Law came over for me to hold his hand and walk him through the process on his 80% receiver.
It went a little faster this time got it down to a bit under 7 hours, keeping in mind he has no clue and I had to explain everything 4-5 times on every step and explain the relationship of the last step and the next following step.... Damn, that was fairly painfull for me.

Well the finish is a lot better this time, and yes I did the finish milling for him. I really miss machining, I did that as a living some 24 years ago before I was hurt on the job and had to change careers.

Here is the happy new AR15 receiver owner after a very long day of milling & drilling.

[fordmano]

I started on my second one this afternoon, I have about 2.5 hours invested so far and looks like I am a little bit over half done with this one.

I plan on spending a lot of extra time on the finish passes for the milling in the hopes the surface comes out nicer than my first one.

This is the finish I am shooting for!

[Black Dog]

The right tools, and knowing how to use them = PRICELESS 

Beautiful work 

Black Dog

[bigguy]

+1 what Blackdog said. You've got a liucky brother-in-law.

[Lawdog]

Looking very good.  I would not count on hers staying in the safe. I have got my wife 3 guns now and she still likes shooting my AR best. Just my OP angle sites work good on a rifle that has magnification flip ups work great with holographic sights. Cheaper parts can work just as good as the name brand just as long as they are mil spec. I have built two myself and love them one I carry every day and have about 1800 in it. If I can figure out how to put a pic on here I will.

Both of yours look great to me. 

[fordmano]

Well, I decided to work on #3 receiver today instead of getting a full sleep session. (For those that don't know I work nightshift and usually sleep ALL day on work days.)

So I have about 4.5-5 hours into this one and only have the side holes left and deburring. WOW! I am getting better,,, and a lot faster. I do have one more 80% lower receiver I could do if I really wanted to but I am planning on buying a real MILL soon and figure that would be a great first project for my new MILL.

About 3/4 done and I thought something had gone wrong and this lower had just become a permanent paper weight.
This is what I saw after a lot of crackling noise, I thought I had broken the endmill.


Luckily I got brave and rechecked I was still within tolerance so keep skimming.
Now this is what I ended up with.

Sheer beauty. Almost looks good, even to my picky eyes. Sorry about the picture quality, iPhone and the contrast in depths is horrible to photograph.



Now after assembling the wife's with the internal parts for mine I have put her trigger in and a few parts that were picked specifically for her build design. I swapped her stuff back into her lower and I now know what a proper trigger feels like.
Hers is made by a company named Windham, supposed to be good stuff but I went with a Geisselle Automatics, Super Semi-Automatic Enhanced trigger. Let me tell you there is a WORLD of difference between a $60-$70 dollar trigger group and a $230 trigger group WOW! OH my friggen gawd, $230 WELL spent.

[Karen]

Absolutely lovely, your wife is going to be delighted, for sure!

[fordmano]

Absolutely lovely, your wife is going to be delighted, for sure!

Thank you so very much for the compliments. It helps keep me motivated and focused on the end prize.
I sure hope so, she has seen the credit card bill and ATM statement so she knows I am into this a bunch more than I originally told her to expect.

I almost blew the surprise yesterday, when she for the first time opened one of my packages and it was a Hogue over molded soft rubber finger grooved pistol grip,,,,, In PINK. had to do some fast thinking to figure that one out, she asked me if there was something I wanted to tell her in a joking manner and I told her my matching PINK lacy panties should be here first of next week. She laughed and I told her they screwed up and either I selected the wrong one from the order drop down menu or the menu was goofed up or someone there just made a mistake. PHEW! she bought it I told her I would get it straightened out and ship it back for correct one next week.

[HayHauler]

Good looking work you have there.  The new mill should make it easier to get a good finish AND you can take a bigger bite.  Should reduce your time to produce one significantly.

Keep us updated....

Hay 
Jimmyt

[fordmano]

Ok well I finished assembly on both complete lowers.
I was able to fit her Upper to my lower,,,, that sounds kinda dirty? or maybe it's just me.
This did take a little filing and tapping but they finally went together. I was working with my lower first only since I wasn't sure if she was coming home early and I wanted to only have to try and hide one large item not an entire gun. I figured the direction I needed to adjust would not adversly effect any upper lower combination in the future.

So without further wordy sillyness.




Actually I still need to get my stripped upper and assemble it, and I need to fit her upper to her lower (should have this done tomorrow morning) that's why the magwell pink rubber grip is not installed in these pictures.

And here is the during mating picture.

It shoulders very nicely, and the site is perfectly located for my fit,,, so that means I will have to move it for her since I am a very long armed 6'1" and she is of normall arm length 5'4" honey.

Thanks for all the nice words of encouragement.
I will be polite and not post up any more pictures untill both are completly assembled and ready for the firing line. This has been just about the most fun with this level of stress I have had in a long time.

[fordmano]

ALRIGHTY NOW! The HER's is now completely complete!




And yes it is legal length even out here in KALIFORNIASTAN!





The flashlight looks to ride a bit high but in all actuality it is in a perfect location for medium to large hands to reach by just raising your thumb up to it while holding the forehand area. And the laser mounted on the bottom helps to keep one more piece of hardware out of your line of sight, also helps keep the rifle as narrow as possible.


KALIFORNIASTAN legal bullet button with an on off position built in so it can be legal in just a second or two if I need to make it that way,,, LOOP HOLE!

[fordmano]

Well the wife surprised me this afternoon with a picture she had snuck of my Bro-In-Law & Myself drilling & Milling on his reciever.



My garage is very small and very full of all kinds of sh!!!!!!T Including my 68 Mustang hiding under that blanket on the left...

It's pictures like this that make me wonder why my wife stays around am friggen one UGLY S.O.B.
I must be good for something?

[Jess from VA]

Very nice work.  I cannot do pink, but understand.

BTW, I happen to have one of those finger-groove-magazine-well-wraps (forgotten it's proper name), in black (like yours).  I had to file it a little for my Stag, but replaced with a Magpul VFG.  If you want it, it's yours.

[fordmano]

I will never turn down gun parts, ammo, bike parts, fuel or beer.

So in short absoluetly I would be happy to relieve you of it. Shoot me a private message (with address) and I can send you something for the shipping/mailing atleast. Thank you very much. That will come in handy I do have a 3rd 80% receiver that I might build later this year, so I will be collecting parts for it based on how we like the parts I have assembled for these 2.

As far as the pink, I am not keen on it either but I wanted it to be very clearly HER gun. As you're surely aware all those pink parts are replaceable so it is just the newness factor and the girly thing. Both guns will be willed to my Sons and they are aware whom ever gets Moms gun will be able to either change it out or hand it over to thier wife or down to thier daughter if they ever have one. These are in the family only FOREVER guns, they can not be sold or given away.

Hopefully later next week I will have my upper reciever in hand and will ba able to finish assembly on mine.

Thanks again,

Matt

[Serk]

This is inspiring workmanship. Seriously. I wish I had the tools, knowledge and patience to do this myself.

Question though, and I've been wondering it for a while but didn't want to ask for fear of starting an excrement storm, but just curious - I thought an AR15 in CA had to not have a pistol grip? Also did you have to do the "bullet button" thingy on it?

[Jess from VA]

Just shoot me your address in a PM Matt, I'll pay the freight (light, small and no big deal).

Maybe you can send me three rounds of 5.56, cost is about the same now (just kidding).

I tell you I did not like the look or idea of a VFG, but a friend who carried one in harms way for mil. and civ. police said, just try it.  I did, and I'm sold, much better controlability, esp moving the muzzle around at multiple targets at diff ranges.  I use the Magpul handguards, and their VFG is cheap and easy with no rail.

I'm out of pocket for a couple days, but will get to it.

[fordmano]

Question though, and I've been wondering it for a while but didn't want to ask for fear of starting an excrement storm, but just curious - I thought an AR15 in CA had to not have a pistol grip? Also did you have to do the "bullet button" thingy on it?
[/quote]

Thanks for the comment.
As far as California goes as far as I understand, please do not quote me on anything or try and press me for legal support or direction I am NOT an attorney and I have never played one on TV either.

First off the bullet button IS required on any detachable magazine rifle that has any (assault Weapon characteristic feature). YES I have a bullet button installed. As far as I know this model is the only approved version for CA. that is unlock-able so you can have it set as a regular magazine release button if you take the weapon out of CA.
My understanding the permanently fixed muzzle brake, recoil compensator is not an A.W. feature, so long as it is pinned or welded at least 1/3 of the outside circumference. That is not done yet but I will have the Gunsmith take care of that for me, if needed.
16" minimum length barrel is not A.W. feature.
Overall length has to be 30" minimum overall in it's shortest configuration, thus allowing a collapsible stock. If the stock is an issue I will pin it fully open or at the length she needs it to be.
I have pre-ban 30rd mags and also 20rd pre-ban mags that I was able to acquire as rebuild kits and rebuild pre-ban owned magazines. So I can have these also but for ease and to minimize any LEE hassle I have 10rd mags to use at local ranges.
The pistol grip is technically the ONLY A.W. feature on this rifle, thus it's legal. I might be wrong confused, miss led or just outright an idiot but before these go out in public they will be inspected by a local reputable gunsmith at a local retail store with full class 2 FFL for CA. they will let me know what I have to do or have done for me to make sure I am within the law for current CA. laws.

[fordmano]

Just shoot me your address in a PM Matt, I'll pay the freight (light, small and no big deal).

Maybe you can send me three rounds of 5.56, cost is about the same now (just kidding).

I tell you I did not like the look or idea of a VFG, but a friend who carried one in harms way for mil. and civ. police said, just try it.  I did, and I'm sold, much better controlability, esp moving the muzzle around at multiple targets at diff ranges.  I use the Magpul handguards, and their VFG is cheap and easy with no rail.

I'm out of pocket for a couple days, but will get to it.

I wasn't sure if I would like the Magwell grip and still not sure since I have never shot with one installed yet but I liked the look of it. I figure I better make hers as easy and comfy to carry and shoot as possible or she won't shoot it. They are easy to take on and off so that is an easy option also. Like you I had to do some filling on the one I installed on mine it didn't want to fit with the enlarged trigger gaurd installed, but like anything else I just modified it for my application. I will be installing the low profile soft rubber ladder covers on the unused rails and taking off the magpul hard plastic rail covers next week. I have them installed on my forehand grip (in OD green of course) so I have a set ordered for hers in of course pink.  As far as the shipping if you change your mind about taking me up on the offer of sending shipping monies let me know I can have a coupel bucks dropped into the mail box the next day, and of course there is no rush on this at all. I am just glad to get it. Thanks a bunch.

[fordmano]

Arrrrgh! Another week till Mothers Day,,,,, stressing that I can't hold out that long to give her this (sporting) Rifle....

I am horrible at secrets and waiting for anything. Fingers crossed I stay strong and don't slip up or "shoot" my mouth off.

Down to ONLY the upper receiver for mine,,, I don't think it will make it here before I reveal hers to her....

[fordmano]

Still a few days to go before the unveiling,,, and I have already made a change/upgrade.

Damn! I figure this is like any other addiction/habit enough is never enough.

So the rail covers I had installed just were not what I liked so I bought a different set in Olive Drab for my rifle that were low profile rubber instead of the ones on the wifes that are fairly large rounded and hard plastic. Well I like these much better. I ordered a set for her rifle and installed them this morning. They are easy to trim to the desired length for best coverage.

These are the ones that were installed.



And these are what I replaced them with...




Much better.




I PROMISE these are the last pictures until the reveil and the finish of mine.

[bscrive]

I only have one question......Do you not see the irony of making a pink gun in tribute of breast cancer?  ??? Especially, since you said you are making it in case they try to take your guns away.  Maybe it is because we don't have your gun culture up here but I have showed this to many of my co-workers and we don't understand why you would associate a gun with breast cancer????

[Black Dog]

Do you not see the irony of making a pink gun in tribute of breast cancer?

What do the MLB, NFL, NBA, IHL have to do with cancer?  Yet they use 'pink' bats, 'pink' shoes, 'pink sweat bands, 'pink' sticks...  They have about as much to do with cancer as a gun, bow, or a rubber bracelet...  It is Breast Cancer awareness, and the hot pink is the color that has been chosen for the symbol.

As usual, all you see a big bad gun 

Black Dog

[Jess from VA]

Additionally, aside from breast cancer, our gun culture has long understood that making things attractive to the feminine people in our lives can often involve pink (or other bright colored) things.  Of course that rifle is no better or worse for its color alone.

[Serk]

You're a very lucky man, not only for the skills to make something like that, but for having a wife that appreciates such a gift for Mother's Day!

If I were to get a rifle for my wife for Mother's Day, I'd need to make sure it was VERY well lubed before giving it to her. Not for operational effectiveness, but so it wouldn't hurt so much when she puts it where I know she'd put it!

[bscrive]

Do you not see the irony of making a pink gun in tribute of breast cancer?

What do the MLB, NFL, NBA, IHL have to do with cancer?  Yet they use 'pink' bats, 'pink' shoes, 'pink sweat bands, 'pink' sticks...  They have about as much to do with cancer as a gun, bow, or a rubber bracelet...  It is Breast Cancer awareness, and the hot pink is the color that has been chosen for the symbol.

As usual, all you see a big bad gun 

Black Dog

Black Dog, obviously you don't see the irony as well.    ???  It's not the colour but the reason for the colour.