9mm ar15 upper - build it or buy it?

[zachomega]

Just a little gun porn.



The barrel isn't tightened on the receiver yet. The wrench for it arrives tomorrow.

-Zach

[DavidH]

Very nice. So what’d you end up doing? Bought or Built? What is it? Get a good deal?

[zachomega]

Very nice. So what’d you end up doing? Bought or Built? What is it? Get a good deal?

Built.

Spike's tactical upper, lower, bcg, charging handle.
Kaw valley pistol heavy buffer (pretty sure it is just a 308 buffer set - 10 oz with heavy spring.
Cheap stock. Don't recall what they called it.
Odin works rune 12.4" rail.
Faxon 14.5" barrel with integrated brake.

I could have spent a lot less if i went with a different rail, bcg, barrel, and upper. But everything works like it is supposed to.

I bought everything from joebob outfitters.

The only piece I'm happy with is the end plate. See my thread on that for more.

Now I have to save some pennies up for another holosun green dot.

-Zach

[Norun6]

FYI....some nice Foxtrot Mike sales: http://forum.pafoa.org/showthread.ph...06#post4201406

[DavidH]

Oh cool. You went with all good name components.

Yeah you spent more than you COULD have. But obviously ain’t a big deal. I was in your same boat years ago...before I knew some things. Funny, I was actually among Spikes Tactical’s FIRST customers! I bought a Spikes stripped upper & lower.(This was over 15 years ago!) Guys on the forums were ACTUALLY coming down on me! Telling me I should’a went with a “PROVEN” & better trusted manufacturer. LOL! There were like 5 different places back then, J/K. But can you believe that!? A time when people thought of Spikes Tactical as UNPROVEN & UNTRUSTED!? Crazy! Anyway, after that first set, I ONLY purchased Spikes stripped uppers & lowers from then on. Built a LOT of ARs using them. Used them in fact, up to just a few years ago, when I started machining 80% lowers. And as far as FORGED uppers & lowers go, they ALL use basically the same ones from 3 different companies. That is unless Spikes, BCM, Larue, Colt, LMT, etc., built their own Foundry Forges...(I can assure you they DIDN’T!) I can show you two IDENTICAL uppers, one costing $150 & the other costing $50!

But I digress... Main thing is, Spikes is GOOD stuffs! And you’ll be happy with it. While it would have been nice to save money on the countless builds I did over those 12-13 years, I don’t regret them. You won’t either, and you can always save money on your next build.

[hunterdan]

When I built my ar9, I did a fairly cheap build, using a mag adapter kit, but eventually went to a dedicated lower. I bought the upper complete and bcg from Delta team tactical. 16" upper, nothing fancy, but for plinking at 25-50 yards, it works. Is it top quality stuff, probably not. But for less than 1000 rounds/year, it's been working well for the past 2 years or so.

[zachomega]

I finally got the crows foot today to put the barrel on.

Firstly, the 9mm upper doesn't fit the wheeler clamshell thing. The brass deflector is very much in the way. I permanently modified the upper clamp with a Dremel to hold the upper receiver. It looks like garbage, but it worked. I can replace the upper vise block later.

Nothing unexpected with the barrel install. My first time with the Rune handguard. Odin works uses that vibra lock or whatever it is. It is a thread locker of sorts but it isn't like loctite.
I had never used it before. It is messy and smells like solvents. I wouldn't have used it if it were on the receiver but the barrel nut threads into the adapter which is threaded onto the receiver. Kind of a really goofy setup so i installed it with it on as per the instructions.
So to recap - receiver threads have aeroshell grease - handguard adapter threads onto that by hand - use a pin (included with the handguard) to line up the adapter - the adapter does not hold the barrel at all and just threads onto the receiver - with the barrel in place, apply vibralock (or whatever that crazy looking pink stuff is) to the barrel nut - thread barrel nut into adapter after it begins to set (again - not like loctite) - torque to 50 foot pounds.

So as far as i can tell, the barrel nut pushing against the barrel's flange pulls the adapter (which again is threaded onto the receiver) and that tension (plus some thread locking compound on the adapter) is what holds it all together.

My other upper i built has an Odin works ragna handguard and it just has a barrel nut that threads directly onto the receiver. They included that vibra stuff but i elected not to use it with the traditional barrel nut holding the barrel directly onto the receiver setup.

At this point, i believe it is ready to fire. Now i have to stock up on some more high cap Glock mags.

-Zach