Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

My AR lower came in and I was able to take my new baby home today.

Time to get some parts to put this thing together as I have the funds. This is what I hope to be my one and only AR build and will be treated as my SHTF rifle.

Anyways, I've seen lower kits from $100 for Daniel Defense all the way down to this closeout buy at $30. I don't mind spending the money where it counts, but other than what's probably a less comfortable grip am I going to notice any drawbacks to this $30 kit?

http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.ph ... s-kit.html

As my Grandpa would say "Opinions are like butts, Everybody has one"

i would say cheap kits from reputable companies is are fine. Most of the small parts like (selector detent springs or selector detent) are manufactured in the same factorys then sold by whatever company placed the order; very few companys make everything in house.

You can always upgrade individual parts later like triggers, safety selectors, grips...ect

Also Good Luck on this being your ONE and ONLY AR build

I just built a lower using the Palmetto MOE kit. It was on sale a couple weeks ago for like 50 bucks. It has the Magpul grip which is well worth it. The cheap standard grips suck.

Good luck. Do yourself a favor and get a roll pin starter.

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Been thinkin about an AR build but I need the book "AR's for Dummies." Which part is the one ATF regulates? And, what caliber should I be looking at cause this is gonna by my SHTF gun as well. I want to keep costs under control, but don't want a POS either. Cost for ammo is also going to be a factor.

I've use PSA in the past and would use the again. If I were building one now, I would order this

http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.ph ... d-kit.html

Swampman ,its the lower receiver that ATF considers the firearm and regulates,,, I like 5.56 myself. . plenty of ammo available and easy enough to carry ,, Good companies are Stag Arms, Bushmaster, Fulton Armory...

Thanks for the input.

After looking at what comes in the parts kit, I think I'm just going to get the parts individually. As it is, it looks like I'm going to be replacing the grip, the magazine release, and the safety switch with different parts anyway. Why bother spending the money on a kit that I'm going to be replacing half of anyway?

Might not the kit actually be less expensive than the individual parts particularly when shipping is included?

Also, I'm kinda wondering if a kit like this would be good for spare parts. Given the seeming preference for milspec stuff, is there really a milspec lpk? If so, what makes it milspec (a milspec spring?)?

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GeneFrenkle wrote:Might not the kit actually be less expensive than the individual parts particularly when shipping is included?

Also, I'm kinda wondering if a kit like this would be good for spare parts. Given the seeming preference for milspec stuff, is there really a milspec lpk? If so, what makes it milspec (a milspec spring?)?

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Yes, the kit would be less expensive, but when looking at what the kit includes and what I want (better grip, ambi safety selector, ambi mag release, better trigger) I started thinking about why bother with the parts kit at all? Sure it would make for a good spare parts kit, but I can purchase that at a later date.

GeneFrenkle wrote:Might not the kit actually be less expensive than the individual parts particularly when shipping is included?

Also, I'm kinda wondering if a kit like this would be good for spare parts. Given the seeming preference for milspec stuff, is there really a milspec lpk? If so, what makes it milspec (a milspec spring?)?

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MilSpec = A Crappy Trigger jk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Sta ... y_Standard

I get LPKs without grips for extras cause i'm swimming in A2 grips from old builds

Yea, I understand what milspec means, but it's unclear what it means wrt parts kits particularly in terms of reliability. I'm talking about pins, clips, and springs.

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GeneFrenkle wrote:Yea, I understand what milspec means, but it's unclear what it means wrt parts kits particularly in terms of reliability. I'm talking about pins, clips, and springs.

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I'm not a metallurgist so i can't help you with that. but we are talking about small parts that can get lost or broken that can adversely affect you rifle without them. So I just keep extras handy

just my $0.02 but the russians or chinese probably don't use top shelf springs or clips in their AKs

0ne5hot wrote: just my $0.02 but the russians or chinese probably don't use top shelf springs or clips in their AKs

An AK is a different animal. I could probably make the springs for it. Heck they do it in the hills of Afghanistan.

BTW, If you find a place to buy a basic parts kit for a reasonable price, let me know. I would like to get a geissele and magpul grip.

RWBlue01 wrote:

0ne5hot wrote: just my $0.02 but the russians or chinese probably don't use top shelf springs or clips in their AKs

An AK is a different animal. I could probably make the springs for it. Heck they do it in the hills of Afghanistan.

AR fire control group


AK fire control group


I fail to see how they are not simular both have a trigger, a hammer, a disconnect, and retaining pins. other then the fact that the AK uses one spring for the hammer and trigger and the AR uses two springs for the same job also the AK spring can be a single wire if you so desire to roll your own

I would recommend the Spikes Tactical lower parts kit. It utilizes turned pins from KNS and you shouldn't have any future in that respect. Good luck finding a kit though.

0ne5hot wrote: I fail to see how they are not simular both have a trigger, a hammer, a disconnect, and retaining pins. other then the fact that the AK uses one spring for the hammer and trigger and the AR uses two springs for the same job also the AK spring can be a single wire if you so desire to roll your own

Sensitivity to the spec..

The AK, can function just fine with springs of different weights. Try screwing around with the fire control parts in an AR or M16 and you start to get misfires and sometimes jamming.