E.Shell
Ultimate Member
As some may already know, I have finished an AR-15 lower from a raw (0%) forging.
I have begun this thread to show some of the pics and to discuss the process for those interested.
First off, I need to say that I didn't design the item or the process I followed, and without the EXCELLENT instructions and drawings by Mr. Ray Brandes, of Ray-Vin, it would not have been possible for me to do this. I am a contributing member of a great forum called HomeGunsmith.Com, where Mr. Brandes' instructions are linked. This is a great board for those who like to do (some of) their own work, and is focused on home/hobby machine shop and firearms work almost exclusively.
http://www.homegunsmith.com/cgi-bin/ib3/ikonboard.cgi
I also used the stock blueprints from over at BiggerHammer.Net, to verify a few measurements and clarify in my own mind some of the relationships of the dimensions. BiggerHammer is a great repository of technical information on all sorts of firearms.
http://www.sr25.com/
As I had shown in the "ATF FAQs" linked in the other thread, making *your own* firearm is legal to do, essentially with the caveats that:
a) The firearm is otherwise legal to possess,
b) That you are otherwise not prohibited from owning firearms, and,
c) That it is not a semi-auto assembled from imported parts (922r stuff).
The full text may be read here at the ATF FAQ website, under Question #A6:
http://www.atf.treas.gov/firearms/faq/
I began with a "0% 7075-T6 forging, as purchased from DSArms:
http://www.dsarms.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1001
I used a "hobby" mill/drill machine, a Taiwanese "benchtop" model that I bought used last winter, which is pictured below.
A full size mill would be better, both with respect to more table room/travel, and better precision. As it is, the import mill worked fine, and tolerances are easily kept, but I did have to switch my setups for a few operations to allow for the less than adequate table travel. The table moves far enough to reach the entire forging, but, not with the necessary fixtures (4x5x6" angle block) in place.
Once a few items are made as per instructions to facilitate the work, such as side plates to allow the irregularly-shaped forging to lie flat and parallel to the table, and a small block to act as a drill guide to drill that otherwise "$@&%$" bolt catch bore, we can start on the actual work.
I have begun this thread to show some of the pics and to discuss the process for those interested.
First off, I need to say that I didn't design the item or the process I followed, and without the EXCELLENT instructions and drawings by Mr. Ray Brandes, of Ray-Vin, it would not have been possible for me to do this. I am a contributing member of a great forum called HomeGunsmith.Com, where Mr. Brandes' instructions are linked. This is a great board for those who like to do (some of) their own work, and is focused on home/hobby machine shop and firearms work almost exclusively.
http://www.homegunsmith.com/cgi-bin/ib3/ikonboard.cgi
I also used the stock blueprints from over at BiggerHammer.Net, to verify a few measurements and clarify in my own mind some of the relationships of the dimensions. BiggerHammer is a great repository of technical information on all sorts of firearms.
http://www.sr25.com/
As I had shown in the "ATF FAQs" linked in the other thread, making *your own* firearm is legal to do, essentially with the caveats that:
a) The firearm is otherwise legal to possess,
b) That you are otherwise not prohibited from owning firearms, and,
c) That it is not a semi-auto assembled from imported parts (922r stuff).
The full text may be read here at the ATF FAQ website, under Question #A6:
http://www.atf.treas.gov/firearms/faq/
I began with a "0% 7075-T6 forging, as purchased from DSArms:
http://www.dsarms.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1001
I used a "hobby" mill/drill machine, a Taiwanese "benchtop" model that I bought used last winter, which is pictured below.
A full size mill would be better, both with respect to more table room/travel, and better precision. As it is, the import mill worked fine, and tolerances are easily kept, but I did have to switch my setups for a few operations to allow for the less than adequate table travel. The table moves far enough to reach the entire forging, but, not with the necessary fixtures (4x5x6" angle block) in place.
Once a few items are made as per instructions to facilitate the work, such as side plates to allow the irregularly-shaped forging to lie flat and parallel to the table, and a small block to act as a drill guide to drill that otherwise "$@&%$" bolt catch bore, we can start on the actual work.
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