- Location
- Nipissing, Ontario
So I took the leap and ordered a stripped lower. Is there anywhere in Canada that sells a complete kit (minus the lower) for a reasonable price, or, should I just start by collecting parts and build a frankengun?
Bought my first AR lower, no what?
- Thread starter OntarioTim
- Start date
All the small parts like pins and springs are a pain to try and source individually, and is usually a waste of time.
I recommend the ALG lower parts kits from Arms East. They include everything except for a crappy A2 grip, and a crappy mil spec trigger (the 2 most commonly replaced components). This way you can source a better grip you like, and a decent trigger.
Only parts you'll need after that are a buffer tube/receiver extension, end plate, castle nut, buffer spring and buffer but you can find kits that include everything for a reasonable price.
I recommend the ALG lower parts kits from Arms East. They include everything except for a crappy A2 grip, and a crappy mil spec trigger (the 2 most commonly replaced components). This way you can source a better grip you like, and a decent trigger.
Only parts you'll need after that are a buffer tube/receiver extension, end plate, castle nut, buffer spring and buffer but you can find kits that include everything for a reasonable price.
wayupnorth
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northern Alberta
i just built 2 lowers and and working on my 3rd all in the last 2 months.
id recommend True North Arms (and as a added bonus they are sponsors here).
they sell entire kits (LPK = Lower Parts Kit) or individual pieces if you want to do it that way.
i really like how they tell you on each part if its a easy install or not with a rating system and if you need anything else like special tools for the install, made it super easy for a first timer like me.
id recommend True North Arms (and as a added bonus they are sponsors here).
they sell entire kits (LPK = Lower Parts Kit) or individual pieces if you want to do it that way.
i really like how they tell you on each part if its a easy install or not with a rating system and if you need anything else like special tools for the install, made it super easy for a first timer like me.
Travis Bickle
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Upper Lower Middle Alberta
Maybe but an LPK is an LPK.
Almost all of them are made by 2 or 4 fabrication shops anyhow. They just get sold by different "brands" unless they are one of the big 3.
DPMS is my go to for price and quality. Hard to beat that in Canada anyhow.
OP, get a generic LPK for your lower, I recomend DPMS from personal experience. You will have no issues. Save your money for where it counts in an AR15 ie, your bolt carrier group and your barrel.
Everything else can be made of fackin' plastic more or less and you're probably going to swap out your trigger anyhow after you get your LPK. I just shoot stock Mil Spec triggers personally but I'm a crusty simple guy.
I prefer franken guns but I always have to cobble my AR15's together because I like the old retro style rifles and noone sells them in that config anymore so you have to assemble from wide variety of parts unfortunately to get what you want in the end.
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"Barn spec" I read here once.
Tried it for myself and I confirm that it is complete garbage.
- Location
- Nipissing, Ontario
Thanks for the info so far gang. I was hoping someone in Canada sold a complete kit (less the lower) like they do in the US, but, it seems the few that do are out of stock etc. Where can I find a reasonable priced upper with a shorter barrel? It seems almost all of them at 16" even those that call it a carbine.
I think CTC (sponsor) sell pretty good stuff and I have seen upper and lower kit from them plus BCG, buffer kit, barrel etc etc. As for TNA I probably won't buy mission critical parts from them like barrel, BCG, trigger, castle nut, gas key etc but for B.A.D lever, safety switches, forward assist, dust cover, extended mag release button, takedown pins, safety/pviot springs that seems to be cheaper then I don't mind those.
http://www.armseast.ca/stag_arms/stag_15_pcf_m_lok_sl_rifle_kit/
These were on sale but it's a complete kit like you're describing. Just assemble the lower and attached the upper and you're set.
These were on sale but it's a complete kit like you're describing. Just assemble the lower and attached the upper and you're set.
84wh1
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I personally like red deer shooting center. They have lots of good high quality products. Not cheap, but quality never is.
Another good option is Aero precision products and Ballistic advantage barrels from saksatoon gun works. Very well priced and very good quality.
Another good option is Aero precision products and Ballistic advantage barrels from saksatoon gun works. Very well priced and very good quality.
wayupnorth
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northern Alberta
so your saying that the LPK that are labeled from Anderson, Bushmaster, NEA, DPMS, AERO are in fact a different quality of LPK i can get from other places???
or do you mean the 'cheap chinese parts' that they list as.... cheap chinese parts because some people wanted.... wait for it.... cheap chinese parts?
i think blaming the company for selling cheap parts when you as the purchaser ordered a cheap part is kinda silly.
now if they where hyping the part as the best thing since sliced bread and then sending you a cheap imported part i could see the shade your throwing.
for me, i wanted a NEA LPK for a NEA stripped lower.
i didnt want any cheap chinese knock off parts so i didnt order any, not did i order any of their high end parts.
to the OP, you asked if anyone sells LPKs, i wouldnt rule out True North, like i said i picked up a couple LPK's from them and they have all be exactly what i wanted and ordered, pick a brand you want and order it and it will be the exact same LPK that you will get from anywhere else.
Exactly what are you looking for? Specific barre length? Something bone stock or has something like a rail already attached?
If you can give us something a little more than an SBR upper, I'm sure we can find you something fitting.
- Location
- Nipissing, Ontario
Back in the day I had a couple of AR-15s an old school A1 and an A2 Hbar. Now that they are all restricted I would prefer a short carbine along the lines of a CQ-B, C8 or M4. Something in the 10" to 12" range. A railed upper makes optics easier than the old style carry handles. I really don't want to spend a ton on a basic fun gun especially considering a short norinco can be bought for around $700.
The PSA upper from irunguns looks good, but, it's only a few dollars less than their complete carbine, although, I do get that some of the stock parts are not the greatest.
^ That's exactly why I bought a complete carbine
Building one would be a lot more fun, but the math just didn't work out that way. They will be bringing more 10.5" carbines soon.
Something I've always shared with prospective new builders. Building AR's up here is not like in the USA, cheap quality parts are hardly abound here, making building an AR more about tailoring it to your specs vs budget building. If you want a cheap plinker that isn't anything too fancy, buy complete you'll save money.
wayupnorth
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northern Alberta
i think a lot of people (like myself) are finding this out because of all the places flogging stripped lowers this past summer.
i know i picked up 3.
and once you have a stripped lower you just have to build it, it has to be done, i dont make the rules people!!
and of course once you build the lower then you need a upper, does you no good to have a complete lower with no upper.
after building 2 of my 3 lowers into complete guns and activley starting my 3rd lower i can attest that this is not where i wanted to be with my AR's when i was at the beginning of summer.
where i wanted to be was buy one lower and a couple uppers to swap between it.
one short, one long and maybe a odd ball (300BLK or 7.62)
now with what i have tied up into my 2 complete builds i could have easily purchased a nice mid to high end AR.
hind sight, eh?
at least i built the guns how i wanted them with what i wanted i guess.
i would still do it over just for the experience of learning all the little stuff.
The LPK's from the low end companies you mentioned are in fact lower quality and junk. Simple economics, if DPMS gets LPK's for the same price as say DD or Colt and the quality is the same, why would they sell them for half the price? Oh I know, it's just that DD and Colt are gouging.... No. As is common knowledge there are only a handful of sources for receiver blanks as well as all the tiny internals. Some are high quality milspec parts, other sources are not. That doesn't mean that low quality kits aren't being sold by the major brands, but it is far less likely as they have a reputation to worry about and as a general rule they don't play the price game because they don't care about cheap consumer looking to save a dollar. A low priced LPK from a low level brand is most likely, ok absolutely is a low end LPK. Companies like DPMS, Shrubmaster, CMMG,PSA, NEA, Dlask etc make money selling cheap rifles and parts. They do this by selling the cheapest parts, either separately or assembled. We all know the level of quality NEA puts out and it's common knowledge their parts are low end DPMS as well. the physical appearance of the LPK components will most likely appear to be the same. Kind of important that they do otherwise they won't fit or work in the rifle. The devil is however in the details. The quality of materials and manufacturing is what you pay for in a quality kit.
Now if you selected cheap Chinese parts or even the cheap USA parts knowingly, then yes you have nothing to complain about and the company has not conned you in the slightest.
Absolutely true!!
84wh1
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
While I would agree with you that an unknown brand of LPK from TNA isnt the best choice, buy an LPK from a known and established company such as DPMS and CMMG isnt a bad thing. Both of their LPK are very well made and will operate fine in any AR build you can do. While I do agree that they are not of the same quality as the Schmidt and Schenider parts used in military grade or high end rifles like Colt, KAC, DD etc, they are still of good quality and will work absolutely do as designed in any rifle build you may do. Ive built several AR's and all were using DPMS LPK with the exception of my IUR build which I used ALG parts (which are the same as colt, DD etc...). DPMS LPK work. Plain and simple.
