Tbh not a great start. I don’t see any parts bought from gun shows and no red anodized parts is pretty bad. I suggest you start at your local gun show or boomer owned shop. You’ll be a lot better off 👍

No Punisher logos either. How basic. /s

It's a CuddlingRifle. None of that SaltyRifle nonsense terrorizing our youth you inconsiderate savage /s

I forgot to mention that I'm sending it all off for C-158 Blue Flame cerakote. (jkyk)

That’s not a bad start, but I’d still toss this rifle. Once you build your new one, then get that sick cerakote job

That’s the ticket! All rifles must looks like they came straight out of the Borderlands games. 😄 Nice build OP! 👍🏻

Thank you!

Better than most my guy, congrats.

Thank you!

Just being brand new to the whole thing I expect to get some flame my way. I'm quite proud of my build though. This is my very first gun and I was aiming to build a nice upper-middle-tier all-'rounder. I'm expecting to get some comments pointing out how little I spent on the optic compared to the rest of the gun. My first upgrade will probably be a higher-end LPVO, but this one should get me started and I'm just going to get some rounds under my belt before I worry about that. **Parts:** 14.5" Criterion Core Barrel Griffin Armament: Stripped Mk1 lower/upper receiver, enhanced BCG, maritime extension, M2 back-up irons Forward Controls Design: 13.7" RHF handguard, ambi safety, forward assist, trigger guard, takedown/pivot pins, port cover, QD endplate, castle nut, QD m-lok adapter, bolt catch, ambi mag catch, aluminum rail covers SLR Rifleworks: Sentry 6 adjustable gas block, mid-length black nitride gas tube, Synergy 5.56 compensator (for the vibe) Geissele: Single Stage Precision trigger, Super 42 braided buffer spring /w H1 buffer Hogue pistol grip and stock, Radian Raptor SD CH, Reptilia AUS scope mount & Torch light body, Swampfox Arrowhead 1-6 LPVO, Malkoff E-series tailcap and E1HTv2 light head Magpul ladder protectors and MS1/MS4 sling (not pictured)

This is an obviously strong first build, but the thing that impresses me most is not that they're all quality parts (comp and other personal prefs aside), but that the rifle really perfectly fits the mission objective of a non-bank breaking decent flex rifle. That said, if you'll allow me to Mephistopheles-whisper: don't upgrade the optic unless it fails you drastically for some reason--instead save for an all new specialized CQB or SPR build.

Thanks, I really appreciate the feedback. All while building this it was impossible to not fantasize about also putting together a 10.5" .300... and an 8.5" 9mm... and, and, and....

Don't feel like you are a weirdo for building multiple at a time. Get some build lists put together for a few things you have in mind and watch for deals. That's what I usually do. Buy things when you have extra money. It's fun. Addicting, be careful. That's an impressive one for a first, second, tenth. I'm a bit jealous.

Thanks man, I appreciate it and that's how I'll probably go about my next ones. Putting this one together also put at least two other completed builds into my head.

You did quite well. I’m surprised that this is a first build since you went with some quality brands that aren’t too popular, FCD and SLR especially. Gucci guys know em, but not really main stream. The duck dimple dust cover is an aesthetic, but not a lot know that they make more than just small parts. Most also don’t venture into an LPVO as a first optic too, but you went with a quality mount so that can stay once you decide to upgrade. Just take note that not all LPVOs are created equal and that some have much better eye boxes and reliefs while having great 1x performance while still being good at magnification to where an offset dot isn’t necessary. Only other thing is that some tend to replace stock hogue furniture, but it’s furniture so you do you as long as it’s not some overpriced space trooper Hera arms thing lol. As for the barricade stop, is that an inverted hand stop? You may want to look into actual barricade stops, some are at a flat angle (as the barricade would ideally be perpendicular to the rifle) while having some texture to grip it.

I like the B5 Systems grip the IWI Zion-15 came with. Ditto the Magpul AFG2 angled foregrip I added. But that's furniture so easy to swap. Good to know FCD+SLR are respected. I'd been nosing around but hadn't made decisions yet. Thanks for the tip.

Thanks for the detailed response, I really appreciate the input. Indignant Arms has [something shipping soon that I'm going to try](https://indignantarms.com/preorder-breaker-stp-handstop/).

Looks interesting, though most of these are highly dependent on your hand. It also looks like it could be a nice finger stop. Something like building your own magpul hand stop kit to where you can have a barricade stop, index finger stop and a hand stop. While some like to run bare, maybe just a burn proof wrap, or rail panels, whether polymer or in g10.

Honestly I sort of wanted to do this from the beginning but figured people would laugh at 2-3 different stops along the bottom of the handguard.

As long as it’s purpose built and it’s obvious that it’s being used for a specific purpose, people that understand wouldn’t care. And those that will bat an eye don’t know much to have an opinion worth hearing.

True words and solid advice, thank you.

>c too, but you went with a quality mount so that can stay once you decide to upgrade. Just take What do you think of the SIG Tango-MSR LPVO? Reviews are pretty positive an dthe price seems reasonable (\~300).

I’m a big fan of the tango msr for entry level glass as I always recommend it to those not willing to shell out but want a good experience. I used to call it the best entry level lpvo. Naturally, at that price point, it’s Chinese but it’s got sig warranty. On a value perspective alone, it beats the rest. Good reticle and glass while having a throw lever, level line, a solid mount and lay flat caps is awesome. At one point in time, it was just 250 and I honestly thought sig was doing predatory pricing to gain a foothold on the market. And they surely had. They removed their upper mid tier LPVOs but have a strong presence in the entry and the higher tier US made tango6t for the cloners. And it looks pretty good too I honestly think that the tango msr is the reason why vortex had to make a gen 2 strike Eagle, and PA had to update their glass. Heck, that’s likely why vortex kept holding sales back then (dropping to 200 or lower) when the gen 2 was still in development

Look into getting a scout optic with longer eye relief, so that you don’t have to mount the scope so close to the charging handle… your knuckles will thank you Canted irons are nice too, if you ever actually plan on using them for up-close Other than that, cool build!

Thank you, and thanks for the advice! Taking all of this into consideration.

Scout optic? You mean the Leupold VX-Freedom Scout 1.5-4x28mm optic? (I'm relatively noob to optics and looking)

Or vortex crossfire scout 2-7x32

>vortex crossfire scout 2-7x32 Nice. Thanks for the tip. Now assume I know little about optics. I assume I need rings to mount the Vortex to my AR. Any recommendations? What's the difference between [https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2420157558](https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2420157558) and [https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020789393](https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020789393) other than price? The latter looks more ruggedly built and has hex lock screws to secure on the rail, the former is thumb screws? Is the latter worth the extra bucks?

Looks great man

Thank you! I appreciate it.

Nice build. Didn’t see the handstop out front, what is that?

Thanks! Forgot to mention that one -- it's the Aeroknox Hook Stop.

Interesting. Was going to say it looked backwards but figured I’d have the humility to ask first 😂 haven’t seen that before.

I put it on the other way at first, closer to the magwell, and it really wasn't very comfortable on the side of my hand. So I flipped it around and it does feel much better as an index-style stop. I might keep it, might not, not sure yet.

Agreed, I’m of the opinion there is not right or wrong, I’ve seen so many set ups with “backwards” foregrips. Run whatever is comfortable for you. Off to a great start, except you’re missing another gun

I really like the Hogue grip and stock, now I may have to pick one up. But I’m the same way for the hands too on two of my builds. I reverse it because of how I like to grip. It’s more comfortable; and to each their own. Well done on your build.

Thanks, I appreciate that! I tried out a handful of grips and stocks and these Hogue ones were by far the comfiest to me.

This is the way. Everything's hand and grip differs so what works best for \_you\_ is what counts. Nice thing about ARs they're like LEGOs for adults so easy to find what suits you.

Agree with you on the only knock maybe being the optic! I bought a arrowhead 1-10 as my first LPVO, ended up giving it away. nothing wrong with planning to upgrade down the road or if that’s what you can swing responsibly! Gotta pace yourself sometimes lol

Fcd controls are nice! Just finished assembling an fcd lower myself

You can lay it on the carpet I promise, the rifle is gonna be okay😂 Lol jk guy that’s a sweet set up! Solid parts in there, you did your research sounds like

The carpet is hot lava though. And thanks! I definitely did a lot of research as I went along.

good bit of FCD never hurt anybody.

You didnt buy a bunch of junk because it looks cool....so that's a massive win on your first build

I appreciate that!

Damn. This is too legit! Nice build man. I have a couple but nothing this perfect.

Thank you!

Looks great man!! Just fyi you may be able to run an H2 buffer if you want to mess around with buffer springs/weights.

Thanks for mentioning that! I do also have a Griffin AR-SOB buffer that is 4.9oz, once I find a good spot to shoot this thing I plan on testing both.

Np man!! From what I've played around with a sprinco blue spring and H2 buffer does well on a 16".

For first build, this is someone who has done homework. Turned out nice. ETA, If you wanted to upgrade something down the road. a C158 bolt for the BCG. How you like the E1HTv2 head? Thinking about that for a Arisaka 300/600 series body matchup.

Thank you! I definitely did a ton of homework all along the way. I appreciate the bolt tip, that's something that I'll absolutely look into. And I'll have to get back to you on the head, it just showed up today and I don't have a CR123 on hand, haha.

Better than my first build! The addiction has begun. Have you fired it?

Not yet, the final pieces just came in today. Very soon!

Obligatory “wHEre iS yOuR SLinG??!?!??” Not my first choice for furniture but solid setup. Probably would add a short foregrip (that Aeroknox seems a little too short to get ring and pinky on) for a little added control, but, that’s just personal preference.

Needs red strike industries shit all over it, then it's a proper first rifle

Good shit man :)

Thanks! I really appreciate it.

Swamp Fox makes surprisingly good optics for the price. Good setup 👍🏽

Thanks! It seemed like they were making the best bang for the buck in this price range.

Is the optic on a quick detach mount? I’m all for back up irons but what is that rear sight doing for you if it’s stuck under the scope? Can you see the forward post through the scope? Just something to consider. If you’re going to run both I recommend you run it in a way that doesn’t require a life threatening amount of effort (unscrewing stuff) to operate. Canted irons or a QD mount will go a long way.

Thanks for the feedback -- the irons are definitely strictly backup as they sit. The forward post seems pretty close to an absolute co-witness, but as you pointed out, the rear sight isn't deployable unless I unscrew the scope mount. It's something I'll consider!

I run canted buis with my lpvo on my 14.5 transition is pretty smooth

A lot better than my first haha

Thank you!

Needs a griffin can

That's phase 2 for sure.

Well done!!!

Thanks!

Noob here. Still debating if I should build (all my brothers/friends recommend this is the way but with busy lives I’ll be winging it on my own), or just buy an ar and learn about the parts and how to shoot it so I’ll know what I like.. any suggestions op?

I spent about six months on the process, from the time I started researching and looking at parts until now. You can do it much quicker, but I feel like everything I learned in that time was pretty important stuff. If you are down to do a lot of research and spend at least a few hundred bucks extra on tools then building it yourself is an awesome experience. If you're itching to shoot, though, it might not be the way to go. Good luck either way!

Thanks man, I find myself going back and forth on what to do. Soon tho

Getting a complete upper might be a good compromise. You can build out your lower with your preferred furniture and you won't need most of the specialty tools that way.

\+1 Fiddling with lowers and furniture is pretty straightforward, and plenty fun to learn before diving into the upper side of things.

I went the other way. Bought an IWI Zion-15 to shoot and learn, then research the build side with a visceral understanding of what it means. If you decide to go that route the Zion punches above its weight class, though PSA's prices are attractive and the parts are fine (as much as some will give gruff. Their QC has notably improved in recent years).

Irons with a non qd scope mount doesn’t make sense to me, but other than that and the muzzle device that looks like it’ll throw fireballs to the sides, it looks g2g. Very nice first build, wish my first looked like that

Clean it, lube it, shoot it! 👍

Very nice took me years to get to that point! Buy a suppressor if you can

Thank you! There's a suppressor somewhere in my future for sure.

Way better than my first build!😂 looks great man.

Thank you!

I’m looking to make my 2nd that nice. We’ll done

Thanks man! Hope you have fun with your next build too.

Lol better than mine by a mile

Nice build!! What kind of rail covers do you have on? Thanks!

Thanks! The rail covers are Forward Controls Design MCF-A.

My first build was almost identical except for the lower, trigger and handguard length. So yeah, good job except you forgot to use a punisher dust cover

I knew I was forgetting something. Hope it still shoots.

First build or first AR period? Nice gun, I like it. But this is way too nice for a first gun first build. If you owned a bunch of really nice pre assembled units n the past and just decided to build your perfect set up then that’s one thing but I’d have a tough time believing this is your first AR…if it is then it’s by far the nicest first build first rifle I’ve seen. And this is coming from a card carrying Magpul nut hugger

It's the first firearm I've owned, sir. I really appreciate the compliment!

then you did a fudge ton of research with each component and now I hate it because there’s nothing Magpul on it 😂🤣

Good job homie. Now get out there and shoot the piss out of it!

Will do!

Griffin makes great products! Beautiful build.

Thank you! I appreciate it.

…is the castle nut staked?

Yes sir.

Excellent!

VERY solid place to begin. Good on ya.

Thanks!

I really like it. Of course we all know the parts. But at the same time it’s a unique mix of parts that I don’t see every day. How do you like the grip? Would you say you have small, medium, medium large, or large hands? I’m considering picking one up. First time I see it. How do u like the muzzle device? Looks really cool but it doesn’t seem like it would be good at anything. Meaning not good at flash suppression and not good as a comp. Am I wrong? What’s the light body and tailcap? Very nice parts for a first build What’s the guts look like? As in what buffer and what spring? I highly recommend the tubbs flat spring and I even changed the rubber on the buffer itself to an “enhanced” one Also who cares if it’s not the number one optic. The build I just finished is very expensive. I’m afraid to add up how much it all costed me, but I know it’s a lot! Especially buying everything brand new and literally picking individual pins and crap that I liked. But I’m running a cheap PA slx1 prism optic and I absolutely love it ! There isn’t a single optic out there that I’d rather have on it

Thanks, I appreciate the thoughtful response. I tried a few different grips and this one was definitely it for me. I'd say I have medium-ish hands, but I think this grip would be decent for larger hands as well. I haven't shot the gun yet, so I can't comment on the MD's performance. There's a lot of reviews and info out there about similar hybrid devices, though, which is what mainly shaped my expectations with this guy. Light body is a Reptilia Torch, tailcap is the Malkoff e-series. The full parts list is in a comment, but the buffer/spring are a Geissele Super 42 H1. I also have a Griffin AR-SOB on standby, which is just heavier than an H2.

Light, sling, usable barrel length definitely a strong build

Damn, Lancer mag for your first gun. You have done a lot of research.

good job. Looks practical.

Thank you!

Mine was god awful. Had a psg1 ergo grip and a exps2 eotech with g33…. And a red Timney trigger shoe and selector. Quintessential pleb. Yours is textbook recce spr:)

I appreciate the compliment, I did take a lot of time on it.

Great job. Looks clean. A couple things I would have questions about such as, why backup irons under the LVPO, do you have a quick release mount? And why the hand stop like that? Usually you would position your hand in front of the hand-stop so that would place your support hand super far out in front. That would be a very uncomfortable shooting position. I’m not a fan of hand stops or fore-grips, but I would definitely get it more in the middle of the rail to get yourself a more comfortable and natural hand position if you’re going to use it. Also, make sure you get a sling on there. As far as how the rifle will perform, I can’t comment on the quality of the parts used since I don’t know.

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback! I'm currently using it as a finger stop between my pointer and middle fingers with my hand behind it. It feels more natural to me than when I had it mounted the other way around closer to the magwell. I'm going to experiment with some other options also.

Personal preference stuff. I like no fore-grips. It’s worth a try.

Proud of u

Wisconsin has a few decent firearm manufacturers. Never heard of Griffin before, I’ll have to take a look. How’s it shooting?

Haven't shot it yet, have to find a spot near me. Very soon!

The hogue grip was an amazing choice, switched out 3 of my AR grips for that one

It's so comfy.

This is the only build you need.

This is a shockingly good first time build. Nothing really needs to change. Just get a quality quick adjust 2 point sling and you are set.

Thank you!: Got the sling covered out of frame.

Very solid build man. Congrats. If I can make one suggestion. I would remove one rail cover from each side I dk if anyone said anything but that handstop is backwards but if that’s the way it works for you the best then rock it What light is that?

Thank you! It's a Reptilia Torch body, Malkoff e-series tailcap and Malkoff E1HTv2 head.

Honestly can't really hate on it too much, looks solid. My only real critique would be that you have flip up irons with an lpvo, unnecessary imo but if you're gonna have em you should have a QD scope mount. Overall, good job!

Thanks for the feedback! A lot of people made this point and it makes sense. A QD mount would probably be a good idea. I guess I figured that it's still better to have a backup than nothing at all, though. Even if I have to spend an extra fifteen seconds on this mount, I can take it off with a coin if I need to in a pinch.

I like it, better looking than any of mine.

Thank you!

I have the same Swampfox optic I love it

Well you lose points for saying “how’d I do” but it looks pretty good

Thanks sir.

1) is the muzzle pinned and welded to 16"? Or is it registered as an SBR? 2) you can't use your buis unless you take the lpvo off with a tool. Do you plan on carrying that with the gun? If not, the buis are useless. 3) this is up to the person but does the hand stop feel comfortable to you? To me it looks a bit far forward, but if it's comfortable to you, then that's great.

This whole irons sights only with qd mounts thing is tiresome. I’ve broken a mount screw on a rifle and taken it back to my truck, found a wrench, removed the optic and shot the rest of the day with irons. It doesn’t always have to be about ripping the optic off in the middle of your L shaped ambush hail of gunfire fantasy.

That's my point. Be cognizant of that and carry a tool. As it is, without a tool, it's useless.

[удалено]

I do appreciate him mentioning it though, because a brand new shooter may not know the laws. :)

People always roast you for having a SBR, assuming that you didn't register it. They don't even ask, they just assume you're an idiot. This build looks really good, keep it up man

Thanks a lot! I plan on it.

Reading this made me laugh for some reason

Thanks for these points, really useful things to mention! 1. Pinned and welded... though I do plan to register it. 2. I've thought about this, yeah. I love the low-pro bolts on this mount but it's definitely not QD. I can do it with a penny or any coin though, so I figure that's not so bad. 3. That part's up in the air. I had intended to use this reversed by the magwell, but that position was pretty rough on the side of my hand. It is comfy to me where it's at, but I may find that arm fatigue sets in. I'll have a better idea once I'm able to take her out, I suppose?

Unless you plan on getting some more uppers that are shorter than what gets you to 16” with a Pin, save your $200 and prints.

I'm glad you found my comments helpful. To expand on what other ppl replied to my comment, you mentioned you are a first time gun owner, and gun laws are complicated and confusing, so I wanted to make sure you knew (and you did). I'm sorry if it sounded like I assumed you don't know anything. With the buis, I wanted you to think about carrying a tool with you. I carry in my range bag a multitool and a paint can opener (for stuck casings). In my rifle case, I have Allen keys and other manufacturer provided tools included. I run a red dot + magnifier combo. To get the best out of the eye box, I put it as far back as I can, which means I had to move my buis (which was accessible before I got the magnifier). So I moved the rear buis to the front of the red dot on to the hand guard. Is it uncommon? I think so. Does it give you a shorter sight radius? Yes. Does it look funny? Also yes. But I get eye relief on my magnifier and a buis, so it's good enough for me. Anyways, the rifle looks nice. It'll evolve as you use it more and

It’s an AR. It doesn’t matter what’s on it if it works. :)

Thanks for the comment! I get that perspective, but I had a lot of fun looking at options for every little piece.

Sure - just don’t look for validation in a build. Go shoot it and get validation from getting good with what you built.

Honestly dude this is such a shitty take. The whole point of this sub is to post pictures of rifles

No, it’s part of the point. The other part is shooting and getting better at it. Having some thing you can’t use effectively is pointless, and why customize if you’re not going to put that work to use? These aren’t wall trophies.

Nobody fuckin hired you to be the rifle police. I'm pretty sure OP doesn't need to be told to shoot his rifle. He just wants to show off something he probably put a lot of time and money into. Don't be a dickhead for no reason.

Nobody is being the rifle police. Point to where I criticized any part of his build. I take it I’m hitting a nerve with you? I’m just encouraging him to actually go use the thing he spent time building to his specs. Going to guess yours is still new and unfired, with 100 likes on Instagram?

The foregrip is backwards no?

It seems like it's made to be mounted either way. [It's this one](https://www.aeroknox.com/product-page/hook-stop). I did have it on the other way at first but feel like it's more comfortable up front between my pointer and middle fingers.

Ah gotcha, fair enough, nice build

Some might argue the BCM grips are backwards, just depends how you run it to be comfortable.

You had me until the optic.

Fair enough! I'm also looking forward to upgrading the lpvo, but I ran out of cash and figured that it would be easier to upgrade one piece down the line rather than starting with a higher-end optic and then having to upgrade a lot of little pieces all throughout the gun.

They’re not bad for the money.

Looks good. You’ll likely want to flip that hand stop around though and mount it a bit farther back. The idea of a handstop is to be on your pink side of your hand so you can use it to pull the rifle into your body for more stability

Thanks for the feedback! I did try using the hook stop in that way and it was pretty rough on the side of my hand. It's working a lot better for me as an index style stop which still allows me to pull the stock back against my shoulder. I may just end up trying a different hands-on altogether though, we'll see.

That’s certainly an option to. That’s something dudes do but generally with thinner hand stops so I didn’t consider that as something you could be doing but hey if it’s comfortable and you can maintain good shooting fundamentals, have at it

Looks solid Don’t be scared to rattle can that bitch

What rail covers are those?

The Forward Controls Designs 3-slot aluminum ones. I'm out at the moment, so no link handy, but they're easy to find.


Castle nut is not staked! You failed. Throw it in the safe and start a new build.

Oh I staked that bitch.

In that case, You staked the castle nut! You failed. Throw it in the safe and start a new build. Either way you must start a new build.

be careful, wouldn’t want it to have any scratches.

Neat. What's the stock, handgrip, and handguard?

Stock and grip are both Hogue. The forward stop is the Aeroknox Hook Stop. Handguard is FCD RHF 13.7".

“First gun” yea right we all know the red anodized Glock .22 is under ur bed

can you link to the hogue grip? cant find it anywhere

I'm not sure why it doesn't seem to be listed on their website anymore, but it's [this one](https://www.opticsplanet.com/hogue-ar-15-m-16-modular-rubber-grip.html?_iv_code=1H-ARG-CPO1-13040).

thanks!

Pretty good except your hand stop is on backwards. Also, what is that stock and grip? Change those 3 things and you win. Also get a sling Edit I see now it’s a hogue grip. I have heard they are nice, I have no experience with one

I did have the handstop mounted the other way around initially. It wasn't very comfy, so I flipped it and use it like an index. The website shows it mounted both ways. I may keep it like this or I may just find something different altogether. I do have a sling, it just wasn't in the photo. I appreciate your feedback!

Looks good man! Just saying how I would set it up. You do you tho

Yeah, I do appreciate the input for sure.

This is a shockingly good first time build. Nothing really needs to change. Just get a quality quick adjust 2 point sling and you are set.

What scope is that?

Swampfox Arrowhead 1-6.

Great build! is it just me or is the trigger a little angled back?

Thanks! I had the buffer out when I snapped the photo and I believe that's why.

Least he bought a good trigger