GA Guides

I’ve had lots of conversations with gun-geeks about barrels and lowers. We can talk triggers until we’re blue in the face. But I’ve yet to anyone truly debate the AR upper. Uppers are just not that sexy. But this is a crucial aluminum shell that holds some of the AR’s most active components. It can’t be overlooked!

When deciding how you want to build an AR-15, the lower often takes center-stage. The lower receiver ties the whole rifle together. And it is a popular stating point for most builds, which means there are numerous options for material construction, style, and how much effort is required to finish them.

In our continuing coverage of the ins-and-outs of AR-15 construction, we’re going to break it down. The rifle, that is–and the tool box. Ever seen a list of all of the parts of an AR-15? It is long. So put together a checklist, and make sure you have all the tools. If you are going to build an AR-15, you will need to be at least somewhat organized.

As we continue our series on how to build an AR-15, we ask a complex qeustion. Direct impingement or piston operation. Should the gun stick to the time-tested formula for basic gas operation, or do you want a cleaner running machine? We’re looking at the differences in this week’s installment.

Looking to build an AR-15? What caliber will you choose? .223 is just the start. Before you get into the build, you need to know exactly what you want your rifle to do. You can always stick with the traditional 5.56, but is that the right choice? Here’s a list of the most popular calibers and what they deliver.

The writer’s at GunsAmerica are coming to gether to share their expertise. Over the next few weeks we’ll be featuring expert opinions on the ins-and-out of building an AR from the ground up. If you’ve got that itch to do it yourself, or have ever thought you might build an AR-15, this series is for you. Here’s the intro…

If you shoot handguns regularly and you are not already a reloader, you have almost certainly considered becoming one. If you are an experienced shooter, then this is probably something you consider on a regular basis and just haven’t decided if it is right for you. And if you are a relatively new shooter, you probably have a lot of questions about it. In both cases, it can seem overwhelming. Let’s try to address some of the common questions, think about who should and shouldn’t do it, and take away some of the mystery. To keep things simple, I am going to focus only on handgun calibers—and use primarily 9mm and .45 ACP as examples, because that’s what I’m loading these days.