crimsonfalcon07

I'd try a 16" rifle length barrel. Got an upper sitting around that needs to be finished out...

Thanks for the feedback. They certainly look like good tools.

I'm not in Texas yet; heading out sometime over the next couple weeks to figure out some housing, move in April/May. For pic uploading, I use photobucket. Sign up for a free account, upload pics, then use the bottom IMG coding to upload pics to forums.

Mostly because I feel like that would be less flexible. I like to keep my options open. Also, I like variable power scopes. Irrational? Maybe. But hey, I wouldn't have done the build if I wasn't at least somewhat invested in building a dream gun.

Any suggestions for something better than the Vortex?

Thanks for the feedback. LGS wants $75 just to check it over, and I'm pretty sure it's fine, what with having Rainier headspace it and all. Looking forward to getting it tuned in. Ordered that Primary Arms scope to placehold for now; it gets good reviews for its budget range, and in the meantime I can eat more ramen and save up for the PST.

Got the new pins in and installed. I was glad I bought 5, because I immediately lost the first one I pulled out of the package. Don't trust me with roll pins, evidently. The next one installed easily and quickly. So, the build is complete for now until I finish saving up for the SJBS. Been thinking about getting the cheaper Primary Arms 4-14x50 ffp scope with BDC reticle for now while I save up for the Vortex FFP Viper PST, since it seems to be getting good reviews, and will help me get used to FFP. My question is whether I need to have it checked out by a competent gunsmith. I've doublechecked the torque values on the muzzle device and barrel nut (50 ft lbs and 60 ft lbs respectively, as per the 45-55 and 55-65 ranges recommended for each by the manufacturers). Rainier says they've headspaced my bolt to the barrel. It passes function checks just fine. Am I good to go, or should I shell out to have it checked out by someone else? Anything else I need to be aware of? I don't have any go-no go gauges myself. Should I buy some for future builds (because whatever I think now, we all know I'll be making more in the future)? Thanks for your input.

Elk is good stuff, but if I have a choice, I'd take buffalo over elk.

308 seems to be an entirely different ballgame than 5.56. There's no milspec, and thus no standard measurements. You have no guarantees of cross-compatibility. I tried the cheap route on BCG too, and ended up holding up my build by 2 months because the bolt couldn't be headspaced to the Rainier barrel. Right now, from what I've seen working on my own PSA build, unless you're going full PSA, you may want to be wary. Certainly I'd avoid the Radical Firearms NiB BCG, in case that pops up in your search.

I think you'll be happy to have that E1 upper, unless the complete upper was the E1 variety. It's pretty sweet.

Just about to go see this. Have the book, and while perhaps the prose isn't stunning, the story and message are gripping enough for me to appreciate it. Honestly, the book is told in a comfortable voice, and flows well. It would have been far worse, IMO, if he had tried to write in a style not his own. RIP, Chris. Truly a hero.

How would you say they stack up against RMJ or Daniel Winkler? I've not had a chance to handle Devin's work in person yet.

http://aeroprecisionusa.com/aspx/store/productdetail.aspx?pid=341 There ya go.

Second the comment about PSA. I started doing a PSA build, and ended up with an Aero build because the PSA parts are out of claimed specs, and won't function correctly with some parts. Aero makes their own handguard (and you can get an M5E upper, which is an enhanced upper with keymod rail). The M5E1 has a fixture built in that the rail slides onto and bolts down with 8 screws, with a low profile barrel nut that rides below the gas tube, and therefore does not require timing. It's not as slim as, say, a Fortis Switch, or something similar. Check out some of the other Aero builds in this section and you can see the difference. Aero also sells BCG's. I originally bought a Radical Firearms one, but it wouldn't headspace correctly to the Rainier Ultramatch barrel I had purchased. I ended up preordering the Aero BCG, and that one did headspace correctly with the Rainier barrel. Aero also sells barrels, so for the most part, you could make it a one-stop shop. They also offer a military discount, if you happen to be in the service, or a dependent.

Gotta say, I'm loving the AR500 carbonfiber nanotube stuff. It's super light (around a pound per plate), but still has multi-hit capability against pistol rounds. And it's flexible too.

Love the SPR, but man, those parts sure are pricey. Just out of curiosity, are you eventually planning on using the SPR muzzle device also? I've still got a few cases of ramen sitting around that I eat periodically. That's helped fund my 308 build...

What's your budget? That makes a big difference in what you can get. It might also help to consider what your purpose would be for using it. If you're just doing some night hunting at relatively close ranges, a Gen 1+ with a good illuminator might fit the bill, for instance. Prices can range WIDELY from hundreds to thousands.

Thank you very much for the offer! I did place an order already, but I'll hit you up if the ones I bought don't work for some reason.

Just about done. Got the barrel and muzzle device all installed, and it's mostly done, except for one small hiccup... I opened the package to install the Sentry 7 gas block, and that darned roll pin slipped between my fingers and disappeared into the nether. I tried buying some new roll pins at Ace, but the smallest they had was 3/32, and those are too large. I believe I need 5/64? I ordered some gas tube roll pins from White Oak, which hopefully will work. Entire build held up because of one tiny roll pin and my clumsiness :( A few more notes. I really seriously love the M5E1 upper. The way it's designed, you don't need to time the barrel nut at all, because it's low profile, and goes under the gas tube entirely. You just need to get the torque values right. According to the AP rep, the value is 65 foot pounds, so I took it to a little over 60, which should be around 65 with the added length of the crowfoot wrench, according to my calculations. Got the AAC brake timed correctly, I believe, and torqued to the middle of the settings as per the card. The Rainier barrel looks beautiful, and evidently headspaced correctly. Once I get that stupid roll-pin in, it should be good to go. However, this being my first build, I'm a little paranoid. Should I pay the ~$75 to have it checked out by a local gunsmith? Is that a ripoff to just verify everything is installed correctly, or am I getting a bargain? I have learned a LOT from doing this build thanks to you all. There have been some hiccups along the way, but I'm glad to be so close to the end. Also, any tips about how I should go about setting the Sentry 7 gas block? Thanks much. This community has been great, and really helped me with this build. Here's a beauty shot so far... Bear in mind that the scope is just a placeholder so I can get a sense for weight. It will eventually have a Vortex Viper PST FFP. I think I'd like to try the EBR-2C reticle out...

Heard from Rainier today. Aero BCG headspaced properly, and barrel shipped out today. Got the wrench I needed to screw on the barrel nut in along with a new upper receiver vise block as well. Barrel should arrive Tuesday, and then I'll get to complete the build enough to get it to go bang. I've also got in 500 rounds of Freedom Munitions BTHP ammo to break it in with.

Primary Arms has Anderson lowers right now for 40 bucks. Kinda thinking about picking one up.

I'd try one of those. But I do love the semi-auto platforms. Springfield's new M1A looks pretty sweet to me too, even if it's not an AR.

Just ordered a pair of prescription revision hellflys. Should have them in a few weeks.

Just got the email that my BCG has shipped. Hopefully it will actually work, and Rainier didn't sell my barrel to someone else while I was waiting or something. Got the tooling to complete the build too, and the AAC muzzle brake. Getting close now!

This makes me wonder about just annealing and heat treating the parts. Presumably it's steel, and likely a relatively simple carbon steel, like the steel used in other parts. The swordmaker in me thinks that it would likely be relatively simple to check the surface hardness and match that with a good proper heat treat.