Almost got all the parts for this rifle.

[armoredman]

I have never done this before, but got "talked" into it. So far, Cav Arms lower with recently delivered Cav Arms pivot/retaining pin and buffer pin, Aero upper with Aero handguard, Bear Creek carbine length barrel, 223 Wylde chambering 1-7 and a generic muzzle device, mostly Stag lower parts kit, unknown charging handle and carbine buffer/spring, gas tube and tools eroute. Still need a .750 gas block and bolt carrier group, plus some sort of sights/optics, and a buttplate or slip on recoil pad - this lower was stripped to nothing when I got it.



Yeah, I know. *sigh* It's an AR in my house I am assembling and feel actually somewhat excited about. Go figure. A few more items and it might actually work. I have a buddy local to help me put it together right so I don't screw it up.

[ArizonaGunOwners.com]

[patkelly4370]

I shot my first AR a couple of years ago at age 57. Never have had a burning desire to own an AR.
Shooting that one was "meh, don't see what all the fuss is about". It had no 'character'. And it was someone else's.
So to give it a solid try, and stick it to CA, I decided to build an 80% ghost gun assault rifle (according to CA overlords).
I now have 3 modern sporting rifles (now living in AZ). They're not my favorites, but for me they're the newest kid on the block.
Only help I had with the build(s) was YouTube.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[GringoLoco]

“What Would Stoner Do”

Looks like it’ll be a nice light AR, fun!

Heat will probably melt the thread locker but I highly recommend using some anyways if you go the set screw route for the gas block.  A buddy of mine didn’t take that advice and paid for it!

[brandyspaw]

Yeah, you know I've surprised myself lately that I've been building up the last couple of AR receivers I had accumulated.  I hadn't planned on building them out but I've been scrounging parts as well.

I really don't have a need for these other AR's but parts are now so cheap these days that I decided to acquire the stuff to build up an 18" varmint rifle in 223 Wylde and a plain Jane 16" in 5.56.

[armoredman]

I have 95%, with the gas block supposed to come soon, and I ordered a ToolCraft bolt carrier group yesterday, en route today. All I will need is a buttplate, (this lower was completely stripped), and sights of some kind. Then off to the guy who is going to show me how to do this.

[Boeingflight63]

Nice looking build. Did you get a gas block for it yet?

[armoredman]

I am sorry, did not update on this. Yes, all parts were acquired and it is a VERY fun and easy shooting rifle...trying to figure out again why I avoided ARs all these years.



Now working on the upper for number 2 for the missus. Lower is done, have barrel, gas tube, front sight gas block, charging handle, working on float tube, upper and BCG. Slowy but surely.

Trash Panda is an awesome little rifle, but picky about reloads - have to be done on a small base die set. Now wearing a TRS-32 red dot, it does house and hunting duties, whenever I can get out to go do some coyote doggin'.

[brandyspaw]

...trying to figure out again why I avoided ARs all these years.

Cool that you got it all finished up. 

Yeah, I gave my nephew one of my extra AR lowers a while back.  He used to be adamant that the AR platform just wasn't something he'd ever be interested in.  However, after he finally built up the lower I gave him he made a 180 degree turn around.  He's become a fan after discovering how reasonable decent quality parts have become and how well his completed AR performed.

[coelacanth]

Glad to see you got it up and running.      What's that old TV line?  "I love it when a plan comes together." 

[armoredman]

Exactly, thank you Col Smith. 

I do need to get the rest of the parts for the missus rifle, someday, hopefully while parts are still cheap.

[PogoJack]

Congrats. Great little video.  Trash Panda looks like a lot of fun.  I too avoided ARs for years but now I can't stop building them.    Have you presented your build for the missus yet?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[armoredman]

I can't finish it yet. The lower is 99.9%, just have to install the bolt catch. The upper only has barrel, gas tube, front sight gas block that may not work, a quad rail that really won't work the way I want it, no upper and no BCG. And no money right now. But if things go right, which they might, I might have some scratch in a few months, which would be good because the guy helping me/actually doing 99% of the building is moving and his tools are packed for a few months.

But I did get the original Trash Panda out to the firing line yesterday, and these were some of the results from the 80 yard line;



Red dot was off - cheap dot, but works.



Not bad for the ultimate budget build and a testimony to the many people who helped make it happen.

[armoredman]

Both are done, Trash Panda and Guardian, for the wife, red dot is on mine, (can't get one for hers yet, no funds),. Both use Bear Creek Arsenal barrels, .223 Wylde for me, 5.56mm for her, and accuracy is just fine. Same type of function, neither barrel/chamber i likes brass resized on a standard bull length sizer, but of course anything factory runs like a champ. The giant recoil pad was because the stripped lower was completely stripped, not even a butt plate, and that was what I could find. My son shot Guardian and was pretty good with it, liked it even.

[coelacanth]

 

[ArizonaGunOwners.com]