1st time builder, have some questions

[Guill732]

I'm looking into building my first rifle and am figuring out what parts to use. My biggest question at the moment is which receiver set. I want my rifle black overall but I like the advantages that NiB coating has to offer for the internals. Does anyone have any experience with cerakote over NiB coated receivers?

Parts looking at buying:

MATEN NiB receiver set

Rainer Arms 20" barrell? or JP Ent 20"  (let me know how these are)

JP Rapid Config handguard

Magpul UBR stock and MIAD handgrip

Mega Arms trigger w/ milspec trigger kit to finish.

DPMS bolt catch

Does anyone know where to get NiB BCGs? and would there be any wear issue with using a NiB receiver and BCG?

Any suggestions on what to finish build with?

My main rifle experience is with my M16A4 from the Marines but i disliked the .223 round. That's why i preferred to carry the M240 when i could. Main use would be range gun and SHTF. not the greatest shot but enough to qual expert so i dont need sniper accuracy per say but i would like to be able to hit a man sized target out at 800yds like i could with the M240. I mainly want it to be reliable and reduce maintenance frequency.

[edgecrusher]

welcome

I have no personal experience with NiB coatings, but I have not heard of any issue using the NiB carriers with in the receivers. The Rainier barrels are excellent, also check out Fulton Armory. You can most likely use an 18" barrel to get to 800 yds, just to open your options up some. You will need a DPMS style bolt carrier group, not the Armalite, and you may want to re-think the mil-spec trigger to something a little better, it'll be the thing you notice most.

[racerken70]

NiB on a 308 bolt carrier can be done by WMD guns, dont know of anyone selling them already coated. WMD should be able to answer your question about the cerro over NiB. I have the maten NiB and the boltcarrier done. so far the combo seems to be wearing well. the maten comes with the bolt catch already installed. I also used a jp barrel kit. and would highly recomend them.

[Guill732]

I did look at WMD as an option for NiB coatings and also for the cerakote. The FA barrels look good and i like that the 18.5" are rifle length gas systems. I'm thinking about getting SS in whichever barrel i choose and get it salt bath nitrided then have it and the receiver topcoated and NiB coat a BCG. Just wasnt sure if anyone already produced a NiB BCG before I went that route. The Mega trigger gives it a 4.5lb break and adjustable creep and replacement pieces are cheap that route. Seemed like a nice option but I am still looking around. Trying to balance the performance and cost is so annoying.

[racerken70]

hard to put a price on a good trigger, the difference between a good trigger and a milspec trigger are night and day

[Guill732]

ok, added some more items to my list of what i am looking at buying. please let me know of any issues you can see.

parts list:

MATEN Ambi NiB receiver set

Rainer Arms Select 20" SS barrel  (will get salt bath nitride treated)

JP Ent complete Low Mass BCG w/ enhanced bolt

JP Ent 12" Rapid Config handguard

Magpul UBR buttstock

Magpul MIAD grip

Geissele SSA trigger set

Slash Car10 buffer and spring

As far as I can tell, I still need:

gas system (block and tube), safety selector, mag release, muzzle device, sights.

Am i missing anything from either list? What do you all recommend for the parts I still need?

for a muzzle device and gas block, i want something I can still use a bayonet with if I can.

[98Z5V]

for a muzzle device and gas block, i want something I can still use a bayonet with if I can.

Then you need a tradition fixed front sight base with bayoney lug, as well as an A1 or A2 type issued flash suppressor. For a .308 AR.  Since the diameter is larger on the .308 AR over the AR-15/M-16 issued flash suppressor, you'd need to be ready to increase the diameter of the mounting hole on your bayonet.

Additionally, you'd need to make sure the traditional front sight base is the same distance from your flash suppressor as that of the M16A1, M16A2, or M4 issued rifles/carbines.

My $0.02.

[edgecrusher]

I like what I see so far, nice choices. I suggest a bad-ass safety lever from battle arms and a troy ambi mag release.

[Robocop1051]

If you're willing to spend the $$$ SI Defense and NEMO Arms both make a NiB .308 BCG

[racerken70]

i see a problem with that combo, the jp lmos carrier and the slash buffer might not work well together due to the weight difference. you might want to call slash to find out.

[Robocop1051]

i see a problem with that combo, the jp lmos carrier and the slash buffer might not work well together due to the weight difference. you might want to call slash to find out.

racerken70 has a point. Check out this link to a member who has that same build.

http://308ar.com/forum/308ar-parts/extractor-broke/?topicseen

[Guill732]

Thanks for pointing that out. I'm gonna skip on the JP BCG. I've inquired to a few companies to see if they will be offering NiB coated BCGs in 308 soon, hopefully i hear back soon before i just go have one aftermarket coated.

[NoFail]

The most important part of your assembly is the barrel. I would start there and get something more special. Like instead of the Ranier Select why not spend a little more for the Ranier Ultra Match SS? Get a JP Enhanced Bolt shipped to the barrel so Ranker can match them... Oh but I think Ranier sells the JP bolt so that's convenient.

Then stick with that Giessely trigger (I never read a bad review about them). All the other parts that's cool & I wish I had MATEN.

If you went with JP LMOS BCG I'd get the Silent Captured Spring from them too. I'm the guy with the LMOS & Slash's heavy buffer who broke the extractor. I'd like to try the silent captured spring but I don't want to pay right now, but I should since my whole entire upper is JP... So is my lower except for buffer.

Get the Ultra Match.... Buy once cry once.

[Guill732]

I've got plenty of time before the receiver set comes in so I'm just gonna hold off on the JP BCG and wait for .308 NiB ones to become available. I contacted several companies and they all said they should have them available by Dec or Jan. Like eveyone has said, its best to get what you really want the first time around. gives me time to shop around more and look for sales on parts i still will need.

[tolbndfishin]

I have the jp low mass bcg with silent captured spring.  Impressions are great so far, but having not shot it yet (its getting its cerakote while i wait on the upper action block to come so i can torque the barrel on) (yeah, forgot to order that until last week).  I owe a review on my scope to another topic here, will add as objective of an evaluation (plus some sure nuff biased opinions i imagine ;D) as i can manage to here if itll help in your decision. 

Russ