Difficulty in building an AR from a lower and how important is lower's quality?

[jkrispies]

So... I live in Kalifornia where AR's are now illegal. However, there's a rumor going around that a (no doubt soon to close) loophole is allowing some "non-namebrand" lowers into the marketplace.

If this rumor is true, this is most likely the last chance I'll be able to own an AR without establishing residence in a different state. So my questions are:

1) How difficult is it to build up an AR from scratch, starting with only a lower? I'm a handy guy, but I don't exactly have a machine shop in my garage. Could I do it on my own?

2) These aren't exactly going to be DPMS lowers. Will a not-so-quality lower have a realistic effect on the reliability and accuracy of the final product? In other words, if I put a Les Baer upper on a POS lower, is it still going to give me match quality performance?

Thanks for the advice,
J

[huck377]

Try ar15.com for step by step instructions.

[kestrou]

jkrispies,

I would be very surprised if "only non-name brand lowers" could be imported, but who knows?

Regarding the lower, if you're planning on taking it to Camp Perry, then I might worry about it, otherwise the accuracy is "mostly" in the upper.

Oh yeah, assembling a lower is pretty simple if you hold your tongue right! ;f

kestrou

P.S. - I'll now wait for flames from people that miss the word "mostly" in my post above! :)

[SlammedDime]

If you can field strip a glock, you can assemble a lower on an AR. I did it with a pair of pliers and a rubber mallet.

[get2now]

It's not hard at all to assemble. Just go slow and make sure you get good quality parts. You don't have long to get these lowers either, that is if you can find a dealer that will do the transfer. Once the DOJ adds them to the list there's only 90 days to get them registered. Make sure you read up on how to do it legally too.
Supposedly there's someone in SoCal that will do them but I don't know who. Check the forum AR15.com for all the different non-brand name lowers. I noticed there were a few.
Good luck.

[Newcop761]

The stripped lowers in question should look fine quality wise. Double Star Arms, Lauer, Fulton Armory, RRA.
Not "no name" so much as not "banned by name"

Go here. Pick someplace close to you and get DROS'ed quick.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/forumdisplay.php?f=81

[Bren]

Originally posted by jkrispies

1) How difficult is it to build up an AR from scratch, starting with only a lower? I'm a handy guy, but I don't exactly have a machine shop in my garage. Could I do it on my own?
It is very easy - on par with assembling a Glock. I've built 2 from parts and turned out excellent guns with no special tools, very little difficult and, for assembling a lower, probably 30-60 minutes of work if you have to read instructions as you go. Look at some of the online instructions and you'll see what I mean.

2) These aren't exactly going to be DPMS lowers. Will a not-so-quality lower have a realistic effect on the reliability and accuracy of the final product? In other words, if I put a Les Baer upper on a POS lower, is it still going to give me match quality performance?

Personally, I'd as soon have anybody's parts as DPMS - some of the best I've seen come from a small Kentucky company called Doublestar that sells lower receivers for about $100. I've built an AR and a 1911 .45 from their parts and they are excellent guns - my CMT/DPMS parts gun, on the other hand, is a lot looser and I'm not nearly as happy with it. I'd say there are plenty of low priced lowers out there that have tight tolerances and good quality - name brand doesn't necessarily mean much.

[SlammedDime]

FWIW, My lower is from Superior Arms with pictograms rather than 'Safe' and 'Fire', and I got a lower parts kit from the same place I ordered the lower from, www.rbprecision.com, and I also got a 6 position stock. With shipping it came to $210 for it all. Not bad IMO. I got an RRA Upper, CAR A4, with chrome lined barrel for $419 off the EE at Ar15.com and 3 mags through another person on the EE over there. Got a nice scope from cabelas, and my grand total for everything came to around $780. Well worth it IMO.