Is My Thinking Plum Crazy on This?

[TheDoaner]

I have extensive experience with a lot of firearms but not much with the AR. Through work I get a lot of great manufacturer discounts and I can buy some great brands for what it would cost me to build one and that's the only reason I haven't built one. However, I think building one would make me more knowledgeable on the AR platform. From my observations at work, I'm not a fan of carbon lowers because they seem to be the most problematic at our store. I recently had a very knowledgeable customer show me one he built on a $99 Plum Crazy lower that he combined with a DPMS Oracle upper. Upon further examination, I was impressed with the lower. He owns some very expensive rifles but claims this is out shooting all of his others. He's only put 500 rounds through it. So I'd like to hear from some experienced AR guys. Is this a worthwhile project or would I ultimately be happier to stick with steel and just buy one and be done with it? Or will this become like that 1911 thing where I do both and end up collecting several?

 

[ARgirl]

AR's are like potato chips, (or 1911's) you can't have just one... Which in California is a pain what with all the BS mandated by the state. What do you want to do with the AR? I like to target shoot and shoot squirrels. We started out with a complete AR in .223, which I loved to shoot. We then got a bull barrel. It feels much more stable and I like the weight of it. Now, my husband bought an off list lower put the bull barrel on it, got a good 2 stage trigger for me with a 4 lb pull, and a good scope (cuz my eyesight, even with glasses is not as good as it should be). I shoot it with a sling or with a bipod. (The only thing I'm waiting for is a fully ambidextrous lower, as I shoot left handed due to my dominant eye, and it's a hassle trying to eject the mag with my support hand, especially when using the sling) It shoots awesome and I love it, it's my absolute favorite rifle. My hubby wants a "carbine" type, short barrel probably with a rail and a good trigger. My friend just built hers with all the bells and whistles and an Eotech sight. It made all the guys at the range drool... Anyway, the point is build it for you, then you'll change your mind and want another this or that and eventually you'll have enough parts for a second, and maybe a third. Once the left handed/ambidextrous lower comes to fruition, we'll probably have three complete AR's. I have heard some people say they can take or leave the AR, I'm keeping mine!! None of the parts we have are super fancy, but they are all in the "good" range and it works. You're gonna have to get at least one to figure out if you like it or not... I say go for it!!

 

[stovepipe]

try AR15.Com - Your Firearm Resource. (AR-15, AR-10, M4 Carbine, M16, H&K, SIG, FNH, FAL, AK-47, 50 Cal, M1/M1A, Handgun, Pistol, Training, Hunting, and More!) these folks are very knowledgeable .

 

[eagleeyes]

shooting squirrels ?? do you eat squirrel or just kill them for target practice??
but have fun making your own rifles it could turn out to be a profitable business....
best wishes to you and the squirrels

 

[Mobuck]

IMHO The lower has little to do with "how well the rifle shoots" as long as it supports the fire control group producing a decent trigger pull.
As an FFL, I handled several of the PC lowers both stripped and complete. The stripped lowers assembled with name brand parts kits have done well although I didn't add the trigger upgrades. My concern with the completed lowers is the polymer FCG. I feel it's adequate for limited use but should be inspected frequently and watched for signs of wear or rounding off of the sear contact areas. Either of these could result in an uncontrolled runaway.
The PC lowers I handled were very tight at the rear takedown pin and simply would not accept some uppers that were attempted. I put together some very lightweight rifles using the PC lower and DelTon(these seemed to fit best overall) uppers in M4(gery) configuration. The carbine I've been shooting is a S&W M&P15 in 5.45x39 upper and PC lower assembled with a standard milspec LPK.

 

[ARgirl]

We shoot ground squirrels ( not the cute little bushy tailed tree squirrels), they are a detriment to cattle land and also eat feed the cattle normally would. If you do it right, there's not much left over once they've been shot . So it's more for target practice and stress relief than anything else, oh, yeah and to keep the cattle safe and fed, yeah, that too!!

 

[TheDoaner]

Thanks for the quick feedback, guys and gals. I suspected I was probably not going to end up having just one. I don't really have a specific end use in mind. Practically speaking it would be mostly for target shooting, a little coyote hunting, and some seasonal rodent control at my favorite private fishing hole. Then again who doesn't want a tactically equipped Zombie gun for that impending apocalypse? The versatility of the platform is what appeals to me about the AR. I usually approach each gun purchase as an investment for the long haul so I'm just a little leary of lowers that feel like something I nuke my leftovers in. But for $99 it might be tuition well spent towards my AR education.

 

[oldwindways]

I got one as part of a group buy with some other folks up here in New England a while back and I put a 22 upper on it. I have probably between 1 and 2 thousand rounds through it, and once I figured out what kind of ammo it liked, have not had any problems (although that has much more to do with the upper than the lower). I know there were some folks who bought at the same time and put regular 5.56 uppers on theirs and I don't recall hearing any complaints about it. I wouldn't use it to build a match rifle, but for my purposes it does the trick and didn't break the bank (or weigh a ton)

I did have to do some sanding and file work on the interior of the magazine well to make sure all my magazines dropped free, but that may have had more to do with my beat to heck pre-ban mags than the lower itself. The good news is that you don't need any special tools to do that kind of fitting.