I just read a great article written by Robert Whitley of www.6mmar.com fame that was posted on the http://accurateshooter.com blog: What Makes an AR Accurate — Whitley Offers Answers Talk about good timing! This post helped me plan the first wave of accurizing activities for the AR-MPR rifle. My goal is to remove any factors […]
In this video we’ll start the precision loading process by lubing, sizing, depriming, and priming cases. We’ll walk through the features of the Redding Big Boss II, show how to lube .223 cases, validate sizing die setup, and then size/deprime/prime the cases. Next, we’ll cover charging the cases with the Redding 3-BR benchrest powder measure […]
One of the important things to know before loading rifle ammunition is how far out (shallow) you can seat bullets, and what the optimized seating depth is for a particular bullet for your rifle and shooting application. For AR-MPR Phase II, we’re going for maximum accuracy, and also need to assure proper feed characteristics so […]
In my last post, I gave an overview of some of the Redding equipment that we’ll be showcasing during Phase II of the AR-MPR project. I this post, I’ll cover some Hornady equipment that will also be used for this precision loading phase of the AR-MPR project. We’ll cover more Hornady gear (such as the […]
For Phase II of the AR-MPR we will be focused on precision handloading techniques and load development. For this phase of the project, I decided to showcase some of the popular Redding Reloading products that have an outstanding quality reputation. Here, we’ll talk briefly about each of these products. The Big Boss At the heart […]
Now that we’ve build and function checked the AR-MPR rifle (See Brownells Videos for Complete Details), it’s time to move from Phase I (Build) to Phase II – Precision Loading and Rifle Accurizing/Tuning. This rifle has already proven that it’s capable of meeting the original accuracy goal of .5 – .75 MOA (See Range Report […]
The mission for the first range trip with the AR-MPR rifle was to really do two things: First, it was about function checking the rifle. Second, it was about sighting in the Nikon Monarch 6-24x50mm riflescope. A third and less important goal was to see how accurate I could shoot this rifle based on […]
Well, I’m pretty excited to be heading to the range to do the function check on the AR-MPR rifle, and get things sighted in. I’ve got a bunch of 20 round mags on loan, and all of the other accessories that I think I’ll need- but I’ll need ammo for sure. Why not break in […]
In this, the final AR-15 assembly video, we’ll walk through the installation of the takedown pin and the buttstock assembly. Finally, we’ll put the upper and lower together for the first time and establish basic functionality (formal function check to follow in subsequent posts). After all of the planning and work that went into getting […]
Continuing our way through the lower build steps, in this video, we’ll look at installing the Geissele national match trigger assembly, the trigger guard, the safety selector lever assembly, and the pistol grip. Next, it’s on to the stock and final touches! Thanks,Gavin
In this video, we’ll start the assembly of the lower by walking through the installation of the magazine catch, the bolt catch, and the pivot pin. You’ll see a trick for installing the pivot pin that makes use of a dulled razor blade, and a modified section of drill rod. From the video, in this […]
In this video, we’ll put the final touches on the upper assembly by walking through the assembly of the Bolt Carrier Group (BCG), checking headspace, and finally installing the BCG and charging handle into the upper receiver. Note: Here, I show you how to check headspace with the extractor installed. You can also do this […]
In this video, we’ll walk through the process of installing a free-float hand guard. The handguard we’re using here is a Midwest Industries 12″ free float quad rail unit. In the next video, we’ll assemble the bolt carrier group, and check headspace.
We’re continuing here with the upper build process for the AR-MPR rifle. In this video, we’ll walk through the process of disassembling the barrel assembly, replacing the barrel nut with the custom aluminum unit that came with the Midwest Industries freefloat handguard, install the barrel, install the gas block and gas tube, and finally replace the muzzle brake. In the next […]
Gary Wood’s A2-style AR-15 (click for larger version) – Image Copyright 2010 Ultimate Reloader This weekend, we (some friends and myself) put together a lower from scratch, and mated this assembled lower to a pre-assembled 16″ barrel upper. This was both a fun project, and good practice for the upcoming videos on lower […]
Now that we covered planning, the parts lists, and the tools list, it’s time to get going with the AR-15 build process! We’ll start with the upper assmbly, and then move on to the lower assembly. In this video, we’ll start with the upper receiver casting, and install the ejection port cover and forward assist. […]
