When each of my kids turn 18, I provide them the custom rifle of their choice, and when they pass 21, I provide them the pistol of their choice.
My son has turned 18, and unlike his sister, he does NOT want a FAL for his custom rifle - which makes it easier for me:-)
So, he and I have discussed this at length, and he is wanting a 0 - 350 meter general purpose carbine, but with the ability to place shots with around 1 MOA of accuracy. As you can imagine, being 18, he has no idea where he will end up or what his firearm needs will be, but the flexibility of the AR platform will allow him to adapt over time if he needs to.
So… here is what I’m thinking:
Noveske FFL lower
MUR 1S upper (I have one and like it)
Centurion 14.5 barrel (I have a 16" version, and like it)
FSP
Pinned vortex flash suppressor
LMT enhanced bolt (only online knowledge, nothing first hand)
LMT standard M16 carrier (I prefer m16 carriers)
BCM gunfighter mod 4 charging handle
Colt and G&R LPK parts
Geissele SSA-E trigger
LMT RE
Blue Sprinco spring
H buffer
MOE stock
Hogue grip
A round FF HG ( I have a JP precision on my carbine, but do not think that the way it is mounted is something I want to put on a gift rifle.)
BUIS - undetermined
Red-dot - Liking the T1 micro, but still undetermined (we know he won’t have the sighting references for 1 MOA shooting with a red dot, but I expect the future will include a more precise optic)
Sling - undetermined
Light - x300
Questions:
For the mission of this firearm, do you see anything wildly out of line?
For the undetermined items, do you have a preference? If so, why for the item you specify?
For the specified items, any thoughts regarding the suitability of the selected items?
Regarding the lower, I have not seen an FFL - I have read about them, and it looks to me like this would be a nice “just in case” type of upgrade, but I don’t know jack about them, really. I do trust Noveske to not produce garbage, though.
I would strongly suggest you build him a 16" version as well given your statement above. Pinning a flash hider is the converse of flexibility should he later decide he wants another type of rail, muzzle device, etc.
A few other comments:
You don’t need the fancy buffer spring. I’d get a H2 buffer as a spare or even recommend the A5 buffer/RE in lieu of the carbine RE setup.
The Noveske FFL is a very nicely finished lower, but to me is not of necessity. You can get other lowers such as DD that have modestly flared internal magwells, cost $100 less and work very well.
Grips with finger grooves do not conform to my hands. This is just a personal preference and your son may feel differently of course.
I love the Geissele triggers, but don’t use the SSA-E’s on fighting guns. The trigger pull is far too light for that purpose. I’d suggest a standard trigger group to train with initially and upgrade to a different tigger later on if he desires (not the SSA-E, perhaps the SSF).
Definitely a 16" barrel. A troy TRX Extreme or MI SS12 would fit the bill for a forend. Vltor A5 stock system. A 1-4x variable would be a good optic, put it in a LaRue mount. Vortex makes a great 1-4, their Viper PST. Zero-stop, good reticle, solid adjustments, etc. Not too expensive either.
I’d say a VTAC with the 2-1 addition would be the ideal sling, fully modular, very comfortable, etc.
The Ergo grip would be a good grip for the rifle, I love mine. I’d say for a precision rig a Magpul CTR stock would be a better choice, guarantees no rattling in the stock. Put a LaRue RISR on it and you’ll be set.
I had a Hogue grip really piss me off today. Can’t say I recommend one. The depth of the safety selector spring recess in the grip was definitely not deep enough. It was causing the safety to bind up. I tried cutting down two springs with no success. The safety was still either binding up or rotating freely no matter what I did with the spring. So, I put the grip in a vice in an attempt to drill the hole a little deeper. The f’ing damn grip collapsed and broke with minimal pressure. It must have had a crack already present under the surface of the rubber. Needless to say, at that point I said screw it and put a Magpul MOE on the lower with a new spring. No more problems.
Thank you all for your replies… I have been unable to post for a while, so I apologize for the delay in responding.
Regarding the 14.5" barrel issue… My daughter’s AR is 14.5 perm’d, and my new rifle is 16". My son’s review is that he want’s the shorter barrel. Since he’s shot both, and knows the implications of the perm’d FH, and it will, after all, be his rifle, I think we are set on that point. Unlike many kids, he arrived at this decision after about 8 months of debate and research on what he likes. If he decides down the road he wants to change, he can take off the entire barrel and build up a new front end.
I really appreciate all the comments. While we shoot (casually) AR’s and of course FALs, etc, it is very helpful to have your thoughts at hand for discussion during the build process.
So… on the blue sprinco spring… I have this in my new carbine. It appears to be quite a bit stiffer than our other AR’s. The new rifle shoots ok though. I was under the impression that CS springs were the way to go for longevity. Is this correct?
Now, on the idea of a KAC rifle… or parts… it seems to me that it may actually be cheaper to buy one of those and update it with the twiddle bits he wants specifically, vs build one from scratch. I believe I have somewhere around $1700 in my carbine, not including the optic. So clearly a LMT/BCM/DD/Colt rifle would be a cheaper starter rifle. However, money is not the issue here. The gift of a serviceable rifle for life is.
Based on comments, the trigger is now back on the table for discussion at home, as well as the grip. We are using the Hogue grip on 3 AR’s, without an issue, but I don’t like the idea of it being fragile… dropping a rifle is a real-world issue.
Order an upper from Noveske with the MUR you like, 14.5 stainless barrel(very capable of the accuracy you want), and a 13’’ TRX extreme. The upper ships with BCG and a gunfighter. As far as an optic take a look at the Leupold VXR-patrol. The firedot illumination is daytime bright and works very well. You also get a lifetime warranty.
Its funny someone actually mentioned the hogue grip problem as I just had this issue. The problem was that the grip was weak, soft, whatever in the hole of the safety detent spring. When the spring was compressed it would bulge out of the side. Basically pushing the rubber into a bump on the top right side of the grip. That bump would interfere with my bad ass ambi selector. Not enough clearance. I dont know if that was the same problemas above but I like my BA Ambi too much to buy a hogue again. Not bashing on Mr Hogue’s company he makes many fine things. Just not interested in those.
Hope that helped you better understand what I think my issue was and what I think Aocake’s issue was.