Stocking up for a future AR build - what parts will be the most scarce?

T

tkglazie

New member
In light of recent events (by recent, I mean the last few years) it seems inevitable that we are going to be seeing a ban the likes of which could make 1994 seem like nothing. (This is pure speculation on my part of course)

I am not really an AR guy, I prefer handgun shooting, but over the next 2-3 years I would like to build an AR as a graduation present for my nephew who is in his first year at a Maritime Academy (he is a big hunter, trapper and gun guy). Of course before I give it to him a gunsmith will go over it with a fine tooth comb and I will make sure to put 500 rounds through it minimum.

I have purchased the lower already, so from an FFL standpoint I am all set.

My main question is, for those who went through the ban before, what parts are going to be the hardest to find in the next few years? Is there anything other than the lower that I absolutely must get now, before things get really out of hand?

The build itself will be nothing fancy, just a normal M4-type A3 with a 1:7" barrel so he can use the heavier bullets if he chooses. He wont be hunting deer with it though for sure, it will probably be more of a plinker.

Thanks in advance
 
No replies yet but I see a bunch of folks have viewed the thread. Figured I would update it once and then move on.

I picked up a Noveske MUR from raniers yesterday. I was crazy watching their inventory evaporate over the weekend. The MUR is the only one let in stock. I paid more than I wanted to for an upper but I figured if I am going to overpay at some point, I might as get an upgraded upper at least.

I am hoping that with a lower and upper in hand I can safely hold off making any additional purchases for a while (maybe next summer). I dont want to skimp on this build so the more I can spread it out, the better parts I can afford.

If there is anything other part of the build that is expected to be in short supply going forward though, I will suck it up and make another purchase. I am about $350 in as it is (had to overpay for a lower since I live in MA and my options were limited)
 
My main question is, for those who went through the ban before, what parts are going to be the hardest to find in the next few years?
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It all depends on what is banned.

In 1994 mags that held over 10 rounds and semi-auto rifles with more than 2 evil features were banned.

From 1994 to 2004 the 5 Evil Features were:

1) Collapsible stock
2) Pistol grip
3) Removable mag
4) Bayonet lug
5) Flash hider

So most AR15's retained the pistol grip and removable mag as their evil features.

It was easy to get A15's without flash hiders, bayonet lugs, or collapsible stocks. No shortage at all on full guns, receivers, or upper kits.

If you wanted all 5 Evil Features, you had to have a pre-ban gun. Those were hard to get at a reasonable price. Receivers didn't count, it had to be assembled into a gun before the ban to count as pre-ban.

High capacity mags were very hard for civilians to get at any kind of reasonable price. Law enforcement personnel could still buy high-cap mags (marked "LE ONLY) at normal prices.
 
Had a customer ask for a custom built AR and I had to go to four suppliers to find the parts I wanted to build one gun. I wish I had bought 25 stripped lowers a few months back when everyone had them.
 
If you wanted all 5 Evil Features, you had to have a pre-ban gun. Those were hard to get at a reasonable price. Receivers didn't count, it had to be assembled into a gun before the ban to count as pre-ban.

How did they know that it was an incomplete rifle? Did you have to take the gun in and have it registered as preban or something?
 
There was no registration of pre-ban guns, there was no way they could tell when it was built. That didn't stop them from writing the stupidity into the law. I was just telling you what the law said in my previous post, not what actually happened.
 
For me locally it's all things bolt carrier group related. Even before the Irish started a lot of folks were in the classified section of the board wanting to buy either parts or complete.
 
From a standpoint of "what is hardest to make?" it would be the bolt, carrier, barrel extension and some of the various bits to complete the rifle, like a gas tube.

The actions are pretty easy to make, especially if one is willing to section them in half to mill them on a plain-jain 3-axis CNC mill as a pair of halves, then screw/glue them together. Magazines can be injection molded or made on a bending brake and with a TIG welder.

But the bolt/carrier group and the barrel extension.. those aren't as easy to make.
 
MaGS, I am not as worried about mags as some. I know I should be, but in my state anything over 10 is illegal anyway.

MRL21 and wyop, regarding BCGs, would you wait for a BCM or similar BCG to come available, or settle on another one, and if so, which one?

Thanks
 
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MRL21 and wyop, regarding BCGs, would you wait for a BCM or similar BSG to come available, or settle on another one, and if so, which one?
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Little bit of alphabet soup here :confused:, I google fu'd the BCM to be Bravo Arms, and I'm guessing the BSG was to be BCG.

I don't really know enough about each company to say that one BCG is better than another and what makes them better. For me, I am not loyal to a brand, I have a CMMG lower, with a Rock River LPK with NM trigger, a DPMS heavy barrel upper, and a Rock River standard barrel upper. Other than the DPMS being a beast to carry can't complain about anything.

So from my end I say right now go with what you can get and get all the spare parts you can for it.

Of course thats just my opinion I could be wrong.
 
IMO, AR buyers spend far too much time obsessing on bolt carrier groups, grips, muzzle brakes, etc and not enough worrying about basics that help a person shoot well.

I've seen people obsess about BCG's and whether hard chrome or nitriding is better, while keeping some piece of crap GI trigger group that feels like cold chunky peanut butter under one's finger. I see people plaster and festoon all manner of nonsense on four-way front handguard rails (including rail covers to keep their hands from being turned to hamburger), yet they scrimp on a good quality barrel. I've got BCG's that range from GI to the latest gee-whiz nitrided nonsense. They all work. Pull the trigger, they all go "bang," the bolt comes back, the case ejects, the next round gets fed, the bolt goes into battery and we start again.

Get a decent BCG that meets government specs. Oil/lube the stupid thing and be done with it. Put the money you save into a good two-stage trigger or a good quality barrel.
 
Understood wyop, but note that this is a gift. If I am going to do it I might as well use the as good a quality of parts as I can afford.

I am actually going to save the trigger for last. I will use a basic trigger from whatever LPK I pickup and use that for the initial build and testing and then upgrade it with a geissele or the like down the road.

I am looking at the trigger the same way I do an optic- build a quality rifle first, then upgrade those items when the budget allows.
 
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from my end I say right now go with what you can get and get all the spare parts you can for it.
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good advice MRL

I took that advice to heart and picked up a JP Enterprise full mass BCG today (for a price that I would never admit to my wife). This kid darn well better appreciate this gun one day;) At least he wont need to worry about a spare BCG for a while...

So for the record thats a stripped lower, a Noveske Vltor MUR (FA/dustcover assembled) and a JP BCG. The budget is blown, but other than mags I am hoping that this will cover the parts that are really hard to find and/or will become impossible to get after the ban.

edit- looks like JP was BSing me when they took the order- no inventory. I guess I expected that, no one has BCGs in stock. I am wondering now if I should cancel the order, or let them fill it at that price? (they claim they will have them in stock shortly)
 
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