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chad
22nd March 2011, 01:05 PM
i have an AR that admittedly i know very little about. i know i needed one, so i got it, but i have never really shot it all that much, nor do i really know all that much about ARs at all (ask me about berettas though ;D).

anyway, it's got a fulton armory lower (far-15) and the upper assembly is a stag arms.

instead of spending hours pouring over ar15.com and youtube looking for good resources, does somebody already have them figured out and could you just link me to them? i'm looking for info on disassembling, maintenance you should do, etc. i know how to shoot it of course, but i don't really know the inards that much or how to tear it down for a proper "100%" cleaning.

tia.

NOOB
22nd March 2011, 01:11 PM
http://www.alpharubicon.com/leo/fieldstripar15exe.htm

Libertarian_Guard
22nd March 2011, 03:32 PM
Chad

When you reassemble the bolt carrier group, be sure to possition the ejector side of the bolt to the side of the rifle where the cases will be ejected. On standard right handed rifles, it's on the right hand side. The bolt face must be positioned correctly before the cam pin is inserted through the bolt carrier and into the bolt. If you get this wrong, the ejector will be 180 degrees out, and that's a problem.

With standard Colt's you could never get this wrong. The holes & shafts are tapered so that couldn't go any other way. But with the hodgepodge that you've got, be careful, some parts from a left handed AR could be there!

chad
23rd March 2011, 08:14 AM
hmm. well hopefully it's put together okay. a marine buddy of mine bought all of the parts and assembled it for me.

undgrd
23rd March 2011, 11:45 AM
Youtube for AR15 fieldstrip.

The procedure will work for most (read non piston) AR15's. It's surprisingly easy once you've done it a few times.

Gangsta99
23rd March 2011, 04:46 PM
Yeah field striping the ar is really easy. You don't really need to worry about how to tear apart the lower once it has been assembled unless something breaks or goes out on it.

If you are not yet a member over on the forums at ar15.com you should join. They have any info you could possibly ever need on this firearm and all the pictures in the world of everything ar15 related.

Just give it a solid cleaning after everytime you take her out shooting and you will have nothing to worry about.

Also if you are interested in picking up one of the 100 round drums, the Beta C-Mag ones which have been running around $250 to $300ish now have a solid rival. KCI out of Korea is putting out pretty much cookie-cutter copies of the drums. Most major sites have them in stock and I got one from 44mag.com for $120 plus shipping. The thing is amazing on my AR-15 which is a Stag Arms upper and lower that I put together.

midnight rambler
24th March 2011, 08:26 PM
Hate to burst your bubble, but someone with no practical experience in the operation of the AR owning an AR parts gun is a really, really bad idea. I suggest if you want the least forgiving poodle-shooter available yet have it somewhat dependable despite its shortcomings, then I suggest you get a quality AR such as a Bushmaster, S&W, RRA, DPMS, etc.

Gaillo
15th April 2011, 01:37 AM
My advice regarding AR-15 rifles:

Most important: DO NOT over-lubricate the gun in the bolt/chamber area. Keep it clean. Use quality mags and ammo. Other than that, it's hard to go wrong - the platform is far more forgiving than most online resources would tend to indicate.

undgrd
15th April 2011, 05:33 AM
My advice regarding AR-15 rifles:

Most important: DO NOT over-lubricate the gun in the bolt/chamber area. Keep it clean. Use quality mags and ammo. Other than that, it's hard to go wrong - the platform is far more forgiving than most online resources would tend to indicate.


Over-lubricate is a relative term. Colt AR's work perfect with a light coat. CMMG's are built to run soaking wet (dealer and smith told me so).

My buddy with a CMMG didn't run wet...failure to eject...basically turned into a 1 shot rifle.


Find a trusted source regarding maintenance and shoot happy!

mightymanx
15th April 2011, 07:32 AM
Buy an AK :taunt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM7HDRhViHQ

chad
18th April 2011, 11:39 AM
Buy an AK :taunt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM7HDRhViHQ


i already have 2 of them ;D

midnight rambler
18th April 2011, 03:39 PM
the platform is far more forgiving than most online resources would tend to indicate.

That entirely depends upon the circumstances. If you're punching paper or you're in a group where someone can cover you when you have an issue while in the midst of a shit blizzard, then maybe you'll be 'ok'. Gotta remember that the M-16/M-4/AR-15 is infamous for 'the mother of all jams' where a spent case gets compacted between the BCG and the top of the upper.

Over 20 years ago I got to hang out with Earl Banta, a Class II manufacturer who was hired by a certain company out of Virginia to be the armorer for a band of lazy, undisciplined irregulars who were harassing a certain Central American country (and had ties to a certain ME country). This bunch was conducting their operations from the jungle, in the worst possible environment for mechanical devices - an extreme environment where the weapons were NOT maintained on a regular basis. This outfit had a wide array of weapons including HK G3s, AKs, FALs, M-16s, and a few M-14s. Earl said he spent over 90% of his time keeping the M-16s running, and that the rest (excluding the G3s) rarely had function issues under those extreme conditions where neglect and abuse was the rule. There's unlikely to be a real world torture test side by side of such a wide variety of MBRs (and in substantial numbers) ever again, and the M-16 showed up to be the miserable failure it truly is. Which is why it is wholly unsuitable as a standalone EBR in a genuine shit blizzard.

undgrd
18th April 2011, 04:39 PM
You are correct but I think you're forgetting about something. Most AR's on the market today exceed the "Mil Spec" requirements.

ximmy
18th April 2011, 04:40 PM
???

midnight rambler
18th April 2011, 07:22 PM
You are correct but I think you're forgetting about something. Most AR's on the market today exceed the "Mil Spec" requirements.


'Exceeding mil-spec' doesn't mean jack shit, the M-16/M-4/ARF STILL lacks a positive displacement gas system and it STILL shits where it eats. And those piston system retrofits just don't cut it because the AR was designed around the direct gas impingement system, NOT a piston setup.

Here's what a piston conversion does to your vaunted ARF -

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSED4Ubv61xSygxtmpT05h2GE4ppTRAM 5jfdM55Gmj45pNOPVDa3w&t=1

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSNWGeXBWZBdjktTS9NbqQBhMDUBOkuF yzMgOTQxcsLJDYOpCwE&t=1

And the above sort of damage is after only a few hundred rounds. It can only get worse since asymmetrical force is being applied to a (very weak) mechanism which was not designed to take that sort of force.

If the ARF is so awesome as designed, then why the popular trend to convert ARs to piston systems? (Hint: it's because many people correctly perceive that the direct gas impingement system is INHERENTLY unreliable - want something reliable you can bet your life on despite everything else going wrong? get a real MBR, not a Mattel plastic/aluminum poodle-shooter toy)

Oh, I concede that the ARF is a fucking fantastic paper puncher with accuracy second to none and the ergonomics are pretty cool (and as Ximmy pointed out, it is TACTICOOL!!!). But that's ALL it has going for it.

undgrd
19th April 2011, 06:51 AM
If you say so
:oo-->

Gaillo
29th April 2011, 01:21 AM
Some light reading for "midnight rambler" and other AR-15 hateahs...

http://www.defensereview.com/the-big-m4-myth-fouling-caused-by-the-direct-impingement-gas-system-makes-the-m4-unreliable/

Enjoy!

Walter Mitty
29th April 2011, 02:55 AM
Test fire the rifle. At least 200 rounds. Make sure it is running ok.
AR's like to be clean. So make sure you keep it clean.
You need to lay in some spare parts.
At minimum:
1- Extractor w/ 2- springs and rubber spring tensioners ,2-extractor pins.
1- spare bolt that is headspaced to your rifle.
1- Set of gas rings
1- ejector ,spring and pin.
1- firing pin, 2- firing pin retaining pins
2- cam pins

midnight rambler
21st May 2011, 12:33 PM
Some light reading for "midnight rambler" and other AR-15 hateahs...

http://www.defensereview.com/the-big-m4-myth-fouling-caused-by-the-direct-impingement-gas-system-makes-the-m4-unreliable/

Enjoy!


Things that will never change despite the writings of some MIC suckup:

1) the 5.56 NATO round is best suited for shooting varmints no larger than dogs, the round is a miserable failure even when doing 'house-clearing' operations in the sandbox (upon entering a building each 'bad guy' gets a 3 shot burst, and then after the first round of 3 shot bursts the shooters have to repeat the process 'cause the first round of 3 shots didn't fully neutralize the targets - it could not be more lame than that given the pointblank range)

2) the ARF/M-16/M4 shits where it eats - NO amount of 'super-duper space-age special coatings' will EVER eliminate or overcome this problem

3) in a real life, extended torture test in the jungle spanning several months at the hands of the lazy and undisciplined Contras (side by side with AKs, FALs, G3s, and M-14s) the M-16 failed miserably AS A MATTER OF COURSE (naturally soldiers and Marines have depth of support and a mega logistics pipeline supporting them in case of the guaranteed failure of the POS mouse caliber plastic/aluminum M-16/M4) - according to Class II manufacturer Earl Banta who was under contract with a certain 'company' out of Virginia to act as armorer for the Contras (I saw his bona fides including several dozen photos, documents, and articles, Earl was the real deal, no BS); Earl told me he very rarely had to fix a broken AK, FAL, or M-14, and that he spent over 90% of his time keeping the Contras' M-16s up and running

The only 'perfect' attribute of the M-16/M4 is that it is a dream come true for MIC war profiteers with respect to replacement parts, replacement rifles, and lots and lots of ammo since the ammo is so ineffective.

OTOH, FALs can be spotted still in service TODAY in the countries where they were originally issued over 50 years ago. The FAL is a *real* rifle in a *real* military caliber, not some Mattel toy knock-off in a fucking small varmint caliber intended for shooting prairie dogs.

http://orientalreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/l1.jpg

http://www.caferustica.com/ebay/zfal/fal8.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Nigerian_troops_in_Somalia.JPEG/220px-Nigerian_troops_in_Somalia.JPEG

http://www.twncommunications.net/Other/Monrovia/Monrovia%20(17).jpg

http://images.wikia.com/military/images/4/4f/391px-FN_FAL_DA-SD-04-01067.jpg

midnight rambler
21st May 2011, 12:41 PM
What a *real* military rifle can take in stride and keep functioning will utterly destroy a Mattel plastic/aluminum mouse caliber toy rifle.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jGpQ0PtBNzE/THYGw4tJGFI/AAAAAAAAAwY/Pl6pMfqzLjg/s1600/image009.jpg

steyr_m
21st May 2011, 06:49 PM
1) the 5.56 NATO round is best suited for shooting varmints no larger than dogs, the round is a miserable failure


I know a guy very well that was in the Canadian Infantry and worked in iraq [plus others in Cdn Armour units]. He has lots of faith in the C7/C8 [M16/M4] and the 5.56 round. Never had a failure/stoppage and as he put it..... the round works in real-life. The 7.62x51mm is better for medium range though.



2) the ARF/M-16/M4 shits where it eats - NO amount of 'super-duper space-age special coatings' will EVER eliminate or overcome this problem


See response above. It is dependable and with the trend towards gas-piston systems, it will become better.

steyr_m
21st May 2011, 06:52 PM
What a *real* military rifle can take in stride and keep functioning will utterly destroy a Mattel plastic/aluminum mouse caliber toy rifle.



Nice pic, but what's missing is why that happened. It looks like it was shot on the side of the receiver [????]. No rifle will function if that happened.

willie pete
21st May 2011, 07:39 PM
What a *real* military rifle can take in stride and keep functioning will utterly destroy a Mattel plastic/aluminum mouse caliber toy rifle.



Nice pic, but what's missing is why that happened. It looks like it was shot on the side of the receiver [????]. No rifle will function if that happened.



Looks like it was cut in two, the edges on the carry handle and below look fairly straight..... I remember the very first time I came in contact with the 5.56/.223 ...I looked at it and laughed too :D ....then I went out and shot one and not only shot it, be shot THINGS with it....sure; it isn't a 168gr .30 bullet screaming down range.....but I do know I wouldn't want to get hit with one, and because the round has a very high propensity to "yaw" upon impact, that partially makes up for a big heavy round......remember the "Beltway Sniper" several years ago? around the DC area? ....those 2 guys killed 10 people and wounded more with a .223 Bushmaster, and at varying distances too....sure I know, LOTS of people have been killed with all types and calibers of guns... I'm just saying.....before you think the 5.56 is some sorta pop-gun, think again


Heres some penetrating pine boards(12).... :o

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot1_2.htm

midnight rambler
21st May 2011, 08:09 PM
1) the 5.56 NATO round is best suited for shooting varmints no larger than dogs, the round is a miserable failure


I know a guy very well that was in the Canadian Infantry and worked in iraq [plus others in Cdn Armour units]. He has lots of faith in the C7/C8 [M16/M4] and the 5.56 round. Never had a failure/stoppage and as he put it..... the round works in real-life. The 7.62x51mm is better for medium range though.

No amount of apologetics will make up for the SYSTEMIC failure of the M-16 in the jungle with the Contras. The system is inherently flawed. If your preference is a second rate rifle (which admittedly is a tack driver if not reliable) in a mouse caliber which has to be massaged to be even marginally effective yet still lacks barrier penetration power, then knock yourself out. It definitely has the edge in the *tacticool* category. lol



2) the ARF/M-16/M4 shits where it eats - NO amount of 'super-duper space-age special coatings' will EVER eliminate or overcome this problem


See response above. It is dependable and with the trend towards gas-piston systems, it will become better.

Did you completely skip over my post #14 on this thread??

steyr_m
21st May 2011, 09:02 PM
And those piston system retrofits just don't cut it because the AR was designed around the direct gas impingement system, NOT a piston setup.


Yes I did.

"Each weapon fired 60,000 rounds in an "extreme dust environment." The purpose of the shoot-off was for assessing future needs, not to select a replacement for the M4............. while the HK416 had 233 stoppages. .........The M4 carbine scored "significantly worse" than the rest of the field with 882 stoppages.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckler_%26_Koch_HK416#Evaluation

The HK 416 is gas-piston driven. Those are good numbers. I'm not trying to knock the FN-FAL, the AK, or the G3 [I'd add the Sig 550, but it's also 5.56] but that's good reliability.

A retro fit isn't always good, depends on the manufacturer. A well tested design should work well.

btw, how do I know the pics you posted were done by a gas-piston system? They could have been, but a picture doesn't tell the whole story. It also could have been by improper installation..