AR 15 Armorer’s Course

[CJW]

Vin I will do!,,,,,,

[Vin]

Vin I will do!,,,,,,

Hey, forgot to mention. Chad started his own social media page since FB, Google, YT, etc are all anti-everything now. A lot of his announcements show up there first Check it out - https://schooloftheamericanrifle.com/ but make sure you get on the email list too.

Also to mention, as I saw someone discuss taking a class twice, as a SOTAR alum you can sign up to assist with a future class for free. You can't partake in the class and do a build, but just being in the room and helping other students is quite a refresher course in itself.

Hope it helps.

[LRRPF52]

******************PROFESSIONAL LIST****************
-Brownells Apron or similar Apron
A good Apron is a must for a professional Armorer or Gunsmith.
-Hawkeye Bore Scope
This is for Barrel Inspection, Bolt Carrier Inspection, Suppressor and Muzzle Device Inspection, but most of all it's great for aligning Gas Blocks. The Lyman Bore Scope is MUCH more affordable, but it's not as clear and may not work well for Gas Block Alignment. I will be testing a very cheap alternative soon and if it works, I'll update this post.
-Saturn Barrel Blocks
They grab like no other Barrel Blocks.
-.625 & .750 SLR or BRDE Barrel Dimple Jig
For Dimpling Barrels for Gas Block Set Screws. I recommend a drill bit collar and carbide bits to use these Jigs. A Drill Press or Mill is best but you can use a Hand Drill.
-Carbide Drill Bits for Dimple Jig
-PTG or Brownells Lapping Tool
Get training before using this tool.
-Brownells Magazine Lip Gauge
-Bushnell bore sighter/collimator
-Sweeny Site A Line Spud
Used with the Bushnell Collimator.
-Site Lite Bore Sight Laser
-Arisaka Leveling Kit
-CKT Level
-Badger Ordnance Dead Level
-.625/.750 Flex Hones
For deburring FSB and Gas Block bores
-Rotary Tool
Get training or practice A LOT before using this tool.
-Feed Ramp Rework Polish Kit:
-1/4" Bullet Tip Stone (For cutting the Barrel Extension Ramps ONLY), #8 Cratex Bullet Coarse (Brownells Part # 190-025-081), #8 Cratex Bullet Fine (Brownells Part # 190-025-083), #4 Pointed Mandrel for Cratex Tips (Brownells Part # 190-001-004), 1/4" x 3/8" x 1/8' Felt Bob (Brownells Part # 839-500-025), 555 Polish (For Felt Bob - Brownells Part # 080-555-001)
-M-Guns Throat Gauge
-BRT Gas Block Insert Tap Set
-PTG Muzzle Erosion Gauge
-Merchant/Brownells Throat Erosion Gauge
-PTG Barrel Straightess Gauge
-Schuster Thread Concentric Gauge
Checking for Thread to Bore Run-Out
-Geissele or Surefire Suppressor Alignment Rods
-Granite Slab
For checking for bent or untrue items.
-USGI Barrel Nut Wrench with 3 Prong F.H. Tool
-YHM Lock Ring Tool
-DPMS Armorers Tool
Needed for older Free Float Tubes and some Integrally Suppresed AR's.
-Broken Shell Extractor or Cerro Safe
-Sight Adjustment Tool
-Law Tactical Tool
-AAC 3 Prong Flash Hider Tool
-Schuster Barrel Nut Alignment Rod
-Iron Pipe
Breaker Bar Extension
-Crows Foot Wrench Set
-Damaged Screw Extractors
-Two 3/32" x 12" Drill Rods
For Muzzle Device Alignment
-Geissele Gas Tube Punch Set
-Jewelers Screwdriver Cobalt 759897
-School of the American Rifle Firing Pin Hole Taper Plug Gauge
-School of the American Rifle Lower Receiver Hammer & Trigger Bore Taper Plug Gauge

[LR1955]

This is zakley why I would send my stuff to Montana or LRRP52 and let them deal with it.

I think it would take a solid two days alone to go over all the stuff Montana listed and what it is used for.

Montana and LRRP52 are certainly not Basement Blaster Builders.

And, if you are having problems with your D10 Dozer, Montana has the gear and know how to fix that one too.

LR55

[LRRPF52]

I listed SOTAR’s armorer tool list he uses for 5.56 AR-15s, some of which I have, and others I don’t.

Bill Alexander’s approach for the 6.5 Grendel in the AR-15 is starting from a TDP-compliant set of parts, with his design for the bolt, barrel, and magazines being the different parts with their own gauges and standardization.

I just watched a SOTAR video on an AR-15 a friend sent him to fix, where he found many critical parts totally out of spec that he ended up replacing and correctly installing.

Gas port was way too large, barrel was sloppy in the upper, carrier key wasn’t installed right, extractor spring was worn and compressed, recoil spring was past its life with visible compression well below the spec, roll pins were all spiral pins installed too tightly, gas block was loose-fit, castle nut was thread-locked on out of correct position, barrel extension was really sharp and jagged-edged.

That was on a Black Rain Ordnance carbine.

[LR1955]

I listed SOTAR’s armorer tool list he uses for 5.56 AR-15s, some of which I have, and others I don’t.

Bill Alexander’s approach for the 6.5 Grendel in the AR-15 is starting from a TDP-compliant set of parts, with his design for the bolt, barrel, and magazines being the different parts with their own gauges and standardization.

I just watched a SOTAR video on an AR-15 a friend sent him to fix, where he found many critical parts totally out of spec that he ended up replacing and correctly installing.

Gas port was way too large, barrel was sloppy in the upper, carrier key wasn’t installed right, extractor spring was worn and compressed, recoil spring was past its life with visible compression well below the spec, roll pins were all spiral pins installed too tightly, gas block was loose-fit, castle nut was thread-locked on out of correct position, barrel extension was really sharp and jagged-edged.

That was on a Black Rain Ordnance carbine.

LR52:

I think what these guys do is bodge the blaster together and then deliberately put in a oversized gas port to compensate for otherwise poor and out of spec parts, slapped together enough that it won't fall apart. The oversize gas port allows it to function and for most people, that is good enough.

LR55

[LRRPF52]

LR52:

I think what these guys do is bodge the blaster together and then deliberately put in a oversized gas port to compensate for otherwise poor and out of spec parts, slapped together enough that it won't fall apart. The oversize gas port allows it to function and for most people, that is good enough.

LR55

Yup. They can get away with inefficient carrier 3-bore dimensions (too loose) and allow the guns to run underpowered Wolf for a while until the gun beats itself up. The VISMOD-15 manufacturers know that most customers are only going to buy a few boxes of ammo, do some light plinking with them, and not much more. Slap on a cool Cerakote color to make it look like a quality carbine, with their unique handguard.

Problem is they’re selling these things anywhere from $1100-$2000. You can get a superb AR-15 that is built to TDP for less than $1100 that will run and run thousands of rounds without issue.

[montana]

LR52:

I think what these guys do is bodge the blaster together and then deliberately put in a oversized gas port to compensate for otherwise poor and out of spec parts, slapped together enough that it won't fall apart. The oversize gas port allows it to function and for most people, that is good enough.

LR55

Yup, it is shameful what some manufacturers put on the market and sell to gullible customers..Using out of spec (inferior) parts, the plethora of different manufacturers and custom parts that don't mesh together and slip shod building practices is a guarantee set up for failure.. There is a reason why all things of mechanical value have specs/tolerances and a complete understanding how the parts function together..