Fun Stuff > MAKE
Gunsmithing (no politics)
GarandMarine:
--- Quote from: Skewbrow on 06 Jul 2013, 22:58 ---Do report on the results of your first tests on a shooting track!
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Going out tuesday to make sure everything's functioning properly so I'll make sure to report.
--- Quote from: Method of Madness on 06 Jul 2013, 23:00 ---I'm just curious, is it cheaper to buy the parts than it is to buy a fully assembled rifle?
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Like CSM said, absolutely yes... in most cases. Depends on what you want really. A "sporter" quality AR-15 can be had for about $700-800, (especially now that the black rifle price bubble has burst and things are mostly back to normal) and while that will get you a functioning rifle that will be good for target practice and hunting, it's also as entry level as you can get. Not that they aren't good rifles... but there's quality in everything, and especially in mechanical things of all sorts, quality differences between parts can be extremely difficult to explain clearly to the un-initiated. There's also some elitism BS in there with AR-15 parts in particular, especially when it comes to scopes. Asking about quality scopes or red dots that don't cost half a month's pay (if not more) on places like AR15.com will absolutely get you flamed harder then suggesting that Diane Feinstein* is a nice lady.
All told I spent about $950 (with transfer fees) on just the rifle, I would guess that I'd probably pay around $1500 if I bought it as a complete rifle from Palmetto State Armory (the company I purchased my upper receiver from) based on their prices for similar rifles.
One of the major benefits of the AR-15 system is again back to LEGOs and Barbie Dolls for Men(and women/non-gender specific individuals who wanna play too) is JUST getting the lower receiver. With my single AR-15 lower I can run a ridiculous number of rifles in all sorts of calibers with just that lower and in some cases the same bolt carrier group.** This can be pretty cost effective for a lot of shooters as it saves you a not insignificant amount of money on rifles and parts as a barreled upper receiver can be had cheap in many cases, (compared to a full weapon) so it's a matter of more bang for your buck. Personal example, after I make a few upgrades to my current set up (for CSM: H2 Buffer, BAD lever, etc) I'll be purchasing a second AR upper receiver chambered in the .300 Blackout round, which is a .30 caliber bullet designed to be 100% compatible will all AR-15 parts including magazines, as I recall you only need a barrel swap. As I intend to do wild boar hunting in the Southern U.S. this heavier round is giving me more punch on a fairly dangerous and heavy critter over the 5.56/.223 (the AR-15's native round(s)) but again, fraction of the cost.
CSM honestly given how many people expressed interest and asked us stuff in the Gun Laws thread, I have to say I think this thread's a good idea. It might be an alien concept for some of our fellow forumites, but how can we make ourselves better understood as enthusiasts, and as members of a uniquely American sub-culture to a global audience if we only talk about something we're passionate about behind closed doors? That's what breeds bias, misconceptions and ultimately prejudice.
*Diane Feinstein is the senior Senator from California, a democrat and the queen of the gun grabbers, thus she is the mortal enemy of gun owner types (the politically active ones at least) sponsored the last attempt at an assault weapons ban this year, and was key to the '94 AWB.
**Bolt Carrier Group: The BCG is the part of the rifle where all the interesting stuff happens. In semi-automatic weapons, the gases of the shot propelling the round down range also moves the BCG back, ejecting the spent casing and resetting the firing pin, as well as locking the next round into place for firing. This video provides a decent illustration of what's happening.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9HmmUIiMCA
Pilchard123:
--- Quote from: GarandMarine on 07 Jul 2013, 01:14 ---[...] I'll make sure to report. [...]
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No, the gun does that. :P
GarandMarine:
Not with a good suppressor installed... >.>
Caspian Sea Monster:
--- Quote from: Pilchard123 on 07 Jul 2013, 01:46 ---
--- Quote from: GarandMarine on 07 Jul 2013, 01:14 ---[...] I'll make sure to report. [...]
--- End quote ---
No, the gun does that. :P
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::slow clap::
Skewbrow:
My only exposure to semi-automatic rifles (well, my only exposure to firearms) is from my conscript duty, when we used the local variant of a Kalashnikov (aka AK-47). As in your explanation, the force of gunpowder gases is partly redirected to eject the spent casing and reload a new round from the magazine. But in a Kalashnikov the pressure of the escaping gas is used to move back a piston inside a tube sitting on top of the barrel (IIRC there's a small hole on the ceiling of the barrel to let enough of the gas to go that way), and the motion of that piston does all the work. May be I missed it in your video, but I didn't see that happening there? Looked more like the pressure was directly causing the moving parts to go back and do their magic? May be slightly different way of achieving the same end result?
I'm a bit curious. If there are two (or more) different ways of doing it, what are their relative dis/advantages. The bits given to us (in the early 80s) were that Kalashnikovs have a reputation of being quite dependable, i.e. rarely malfunction. Having that extra tube was a concern for us conscripts in the sense that it was one more part we needed to take good care of (oil it and clean it after using the rifle). After all, that tube is also exposed to the corroding effects of gunpowder gases.
I would be a bit worried about having any of that corroding effect on the precision crafted parts: lock, action (?) ... Arrgh, I need to make a Wiki-dip to learn the correct English words for rifle parts - hoping to edit this late...
Edit: This wikipedia page lists some alternative ways of automatically powering the cycle. Garand and Kalashnikov seem to both use what's called "long stroke gas piston", but I didn't find AR-15 in that page. The same as M16?
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