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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

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karlunity

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Time for an AR?
I never liked the AR but I am thinking that it may be time. I am thinking of selling or trading some bolt gun type mil sups...with the brass and dies . I dont have a close range any more and i dont need the money..so
I want a chrome barrel accurate to 500 meters...
What do you think buy or build?
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I was under the impression that the Lowers now would take 556 or 308?

but I dont know..so any info would be welcome.

I shall start looking around for parts in the local shops than hit the net.

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You have to pick a 556 or a 308 lower. The 556 lowers will take 300 blackout, 7.62x39, and various other uppers, but not 308. Those have to be longer. I'm getting email ads from the big sellers like grabagun, brownells, etc., and I'm seeing "name brand" complete AR's for under $500. I don't think you can build one for that.


I'll just leave this here:

Varminter.JPG

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Thanks. I dunno if I would recommend pine for flooring, but that's how the house came. The kitchen floor is oak from the University of Arkansas' Old Main building when they remodeled it.

 

I kinda went a bit overboard on that AR. Lilja barrel, top of the line PRS stock, best bolt, etc. I have a Valdada scope on it now, too, that cost more than the rest of the rifle, my first real nice piece of glass.

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Karl, unless you want the 308 AR for hunting 223 is the best way to go for a plinker or a SHTF doomsday rifle. The big factor is the cost of ammo and the availability of mil-surp M-16 mags. If you reload, 223 components are considerably lower in cost. Especially if you buy in large quantities. Some of the lower cost AR's have poly lowers. I've read plenty of good and bad net chatter on the poly lowers but the larger well known manufactures offer up a lifetime warranty on the lower frame. There was a manufacture here in the Phoenix area selling poly lowers and fully assemble AR-15's. Most posts I saw on local boards praised his warranty service. The weak spot I saw most complaints was the housing surrounding the trigger. The downside how ever was his closing his doors and going out of business. Most of the poly AR's I've seen at gunshows the past 2 or so years. Seemed to have beefed up by adding thickness to the trigger guard weak spot at the expense of not being able to open it for a gloved hand one can do so with metal lowers. Before you decide on caliber. Do a net search and compare the best price on a thousand 223 vs 308 projectiles. If you can live without a forward assist and dust cover. Smith and Wesson has a very reasonably priced, metal lower AR-15. I bought one for my son a couple years ago and to the best of my knowledge. Not a single hick-up shooting a 50/50 mix of Wolf brand steel cased or my mild handloads. A rough guesstimate of shooting in excess of 500 rds.

My Granddaughter and daughter in law shooting my son's S&W AR-15. We shot up about 300 rds that day with absolutely no jams.

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My early 70's Colt AR-15, sub model SP-1.

ar-3.jpg

ar-2.jpg

No forward assit.

ar-1.jpg

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Fellas.

I just recalled what a pia it is to clean the chamber of an AR to the degree that it needs.

Thus upon reflection I am sticking with the SKS as well.

Thank you for your good advise

karl;

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Karl, I wouldn't say it is a PITA. I've put thousands of rounds through my early Colt SP1 and never worried about the chamber. Actually, I don't think it's ever even had a chamber brush in it. Not that there's anything wrong with an SKS, but an AR is an interesting rifle too.

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You can certainly stick more stuff onto an AR. There are aftermarket stocks with promise for the SKS, like the Tapco T6 stock, but you are limited. BTW, the ceremonial guards in Prague carried SKS with a black plastic stock.

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I'll second what Doc Hess said, I've put thousands of rounds through one of my AR's and have never used anything but standard bore brush and patches to clean it.

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I'll second what Doc Hess said, I've put thousands of rounds through one of my AR's and have never used anything but standard bore brush and patches to clean it.

I've had my AR-15 for nearly 40 years and can only recall cleaning the chamber the hard way with the GI issue toothbrush only a few times. Very easy to blast the teeth area clean with an aerosol can with a tube.

 

A bit off subject but if it is a military type semi you're considering don't over look the Mini-14 and somebody is also manufacturing brand new M-1 Carbines. Both are very simple to clean and maintain but unfortunately both are over priced in my opinion. Might also consider going though the red tape and acquiring a DCM M-1 Garrand.

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I have a nice inland M1 carbine from 1944.

And a whole BIG coffee can of brass : ) Even found the bayonet!! Got it in 88 as I recall for $210 !

Gentlemen I shall consider your remarks, Things do change and AR ammo is cheap and easy to find.

Thank you karl

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I do like the SKS. Accurate to 300 meters and perhaps I have read 500. Easy to clean and it never jams.

The M-16 E1 I had? Accurate to 480 meters, light, and detachable mags..but a Pain to clean and if you did not clean it twice a day once at night and once first thing in the morning. it jammed..I saw that happen and to a marine who was very very earnest about his duties, came from a German family. : ) As I say based upon the word of you gentleman, I shall look into it.

So far as I know Gen Puller preferred the 1911 and the 03! hey if it works....

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Friend of mine in Nam in the early portion of the war tells some real horror stories about the M-16. One story in particular. He was choppered in the assist some Marines that were surrounded and greatly out numbered. When they arrived the Marines were all dead and Charley no where to be found. My friend claimed the first Marine body he found had a cleaning rod in the barrel of his M-16 in an apparent attempt to unjam it. Other Marines were found with their M-16's disassembled or having a bayonet jammed in the ejection port. The VC known to never leave anything behind especially weapons obviously didn't see any value in the M-16's and left them.

 

During the NRA Convention in the early 80's. I had to get between my friend and a rep at the Colt booth. My friend described the situation with the dead Marines and the rep made some remark about the Marines being at fault for not keeping the M-16's clean in a some what arrogant tone. My friend lost his temper screaming loud enough the crowd went quiet. "you sold the Army on the GD idea these POS were self cleaning and didn't bother to issue cleaning kits with'em". The Colt rep started to say something about dirty gun powder when the Colt people pulled their rep away. My friend that lost his eyesight later in the war later told me his killer instinct from the war came back and he would have physically attacked and possibly killed the rep if he could have seen or got his hands on him. As I led my blind friend away he shouted "best day in my life when the Army took the Colt POS and issued me a Blooper and 45". He also shouted "gee its swell its a Mattel".

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Your friend is right. In fact there was a shortage of cleaning rods and patches. The instructions were that rifles were self cleaning and even some rumor that over cleaning would harm the bore or chamber..forget which.
Almost as soon as I got in country I wrote home and asked my folks to send a .22 rifle cleaning kit many of us did. We would cut down a m-14 patch or use old skivvies. Part of the problem was that a round left in the chamber sometimes overnight ..sometimes only for a few hours, depended where you were or the season, would corrode and stick in the chamber, head separation and that, as you know, takes a case extraction tool which NOBODY had or even saw. Sand or dirt you MIGHT be able to fix in a hurry; a stuck case you were SOL. Or the gas system would foul up and you would firing single shot...bang..pull the charging handle..bang pull the charging handle.
Now, if you cleaned the rifle twice a day..ok..as long as you are careful with oil and dirt, and how long the round is in the chamber and keep the rounds in the mags clean..hard if you are a grunt. Oh yeah the sights? They sucked compared to the M-14. I understand they fixed that in the later rifles.
As to the powder change, I have read of that, but as I understand it, the change went into effect before the rifle went into general issue.
The older NCOs, who had connections, they carried M-3s and one his M-1 carbine or the M-14 and he would get ammo from the M-60 guys. karl

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