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AR Build: A young woman's perspective

A young woman’s perspective on building an AR15

  So I pitched the idea of building an AR to my daughter and writing something about it. She thought it would be fun. I am not sure if she was humoring me or not. But either way, here we are with an awesome AR15, that she built herself. A special thank you goes out to all the great companies that helped sponsor this build, you can read about their parts later in the story. 

From Zoe:

 Putting together my AR was much more interactive than I expected it to be. In a way it was simple, yet complex. Many little pieces combine together like a delicate puzzle, but also a straightforward process to get to the final outcome. There were many different steps to complete to bring it all together. One of the most tedious was putting all the pins into place! Those slippery little rascals!

  When putting the AR together, all of the parts fit perfectly. Between all the different parts, and parts kits, almost everything needed was there, even little tools for some of the steps! Everything was beginner friendly (although having my father assisting me helped a ton). I enjoyed the experience and the reward was incredibly worth the time put into it. Building the AR also helped me feel closer to my dad and the big parts of his life. As a young woman, knowing that there are places that put these part kits together brought me a sense of safety. I am able to build something to provide protection for myself. Plus I got to learn the intimate process of building it, in turn making me a safer firearms owner and a safer young woman.

  Shooting it was a lovely experience. The parts used were all relatively light in mass and resulted in a very lightweight gun. Having to hold it for long periods was undemanding. Shooting it was like a well polished machine. There was very little recoil when firing the rifle. It also functioned flawlessly and did not jam. One thing that I did struggle with was pulling back the charging handle. Which can be a common issue as a woman, since our upper body strength is usually lower than are male counterparts. Charging the firearm is easier than other guns I have shot because of the larger size charging handle. All of the parts worked as expected and I was very satisfied with the experience as a whole. 

  I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. It provided me with important skills, and knowledge of firearms, that I did not have before building this AR. To any young woman who feels she needs confidence and a sense of security, I would highly recommend learning the safety and process of building a firearm. There are things out there to make life a little safer, and I believe this is one of those. 

Stay safe out there ladies.

Sponsored parts used in Zoe's AR build:

This AR15 is built for .223/5.56, so everything listed below is for that particle caliber rifle.

  When it comes to AR parts, there are many. We were fortunate to have some great sponsors who supplied top notch parts for this build. A lot of these are colorful, literally, but they are all high quality parts. 

  First up is the backbone of any AR build, the lower receiver. Our friends over at Foxtrot Mike Products sent one of their stripped lowers. These are billet receivers with a slightly enlarged trigger guard and a semi built-in magazine well. The Magazine well is 3D machined to give it a super smooth transition when loading magazines into the rifle. The Foxtrot Mike lower has a bunch of small added features that make it a little nicer than your run of the mill lower receiver. One of those is the ability to run a ball detent on the safety. That little detail makes a safety selector work so much smoother. 

  Since that lower receiver needs parts to make it function, ArmaSpec sent a stainless Lower Parts Kit (LPK) and their Stealth Recoil Spring. ArmaSpec’s LPK is one of my favorites. It comes with an ambi safety selector that does 45 and 90 degree throws. We did not use the ambi selector in this build, but I did install it elsewhere. All the springs and detents in the LPK are well made and I have no doubt that they will give the rifle years of use. The Stealth Recoil spring, that ArmaSpec manufactures, is a wonderful piece of equipment. Its complete unit replaces the conventional AR buffer and spring. It is called “Stealth” because it reduces the “twang” noise sometimes heard in normal AR’s. The Stealth Recoil system smooths out the cycling of the firearm and also reduces recoil, which was noticeable by how soft this AR shoots.

  If you want a barrel and need it to look fancy, Faxon Firearms has you covered. Since Zoe wanted something “pretty”, we went looking. Faxon has a match grade 16” Gunner series barrel that happens to come in “Chameleon” PVD. This color option fades from pink to purple, to blue, and then to gold. A perfect option for someone wanting color. It also looks amazing under the Robin Egg blue color scheme. Faxon also sent a gas tube and a 0.625” gas block to round out the package. This barrel is not only super accurate, but it is fairly lightweight too.

  When you are building an AR of this quality, you do not want to skimp on the Bolt Carrier Group (BCG). After all, this is what makes the firearm function. Walker Defense sent us one of their Nickel Boron BCG’s. Nickel Boron provides enhanced reliability, easier cleaning, and better lubricity. Walker’s BCG is super slick, literally, and has all the top tier options someone would want. It uses a properly hardened 9310 bolt, has properly staked OCKS screws, is magnetic particle inspected, uses a hard chrome firing pin, and has a M16 carrier profile. Walker Defense’s products are also 100% made in the USA with US components. 

  To finish out the build, and add a whole lot of color, Timber Creek sent an Enforcer build kit. These are fairly lightweight kits which work well when you are worried about the final weight of the rifle. Zoe opted for the Robin Egg Blue cerakote color version. The Enforcer kit comes with a ton of parts for your build. In this case, the Robin Egg Blue parts we used were the 15” handguard, pistol grip, charging handle, safety selector, buffer tube, end plate, port door, extended mag release, forward assist, and takedown pins. We also used the supplied muzzle brake, but it only comes in basic black. Timber Creek's Enforcer kit also comes with a 0.750 gas block, which we didn't use due to using a 0.625 barrel. We also did not use the trigger guard since we used a billet lower that has the trigger guard built in. 

  I want to mention two things about the Enforcer kit. First up is the Ultra Light M-Lok handguard. These handguards, by themselves, are stupid lightweight. They also have holes for QD swivels. Making it easier to add a sling. There are also plenty of M-Lok slots along the whole rail for adding whatever you want. The second thing I want to mention is the oversized charging handle. This handle is significantly larger than most. Zoe mentioned it made charging the rifle easier due to its size. I had never thought of this, but because you can get a good grip on it, it works better for those that have a smaller stature. 

  As we all know, you need a way of aiming a rifle. Since this AR is not being used for distance shooting, She opted for a red dot. Why? Because it is lighter than a 1x prism sight. Primary Arms Optics sent us one of their MD-25's with the 2 MOA dot. The Primary Arms MD-25 is a great red dot. It has a large window size and is pretty lightweight. Battery life is really good thanks to it having Primary Arms’ Autolive function. The Autolive turns the dot off after a few minutes of non use, and then turns it back on when it gets moved. The MD-25 is a great option for a defensive rifle. 

  Now you may have noticed that we are missing a few parts. We supplied the stripped upper receiver, stock, and trigger. Most stripped uppers are very similar and fairly cheap, so I just purchased one. When it comes to stocks, there are a lot of personal preferences. We just opted for a Hogue AR stock. They lock up tight, have a good feel, and are inexpensive. If you noticed, the LPK was not one that included a trigger. I had a TriggerTech Duty Trigger laying around. It is the 3.5lb version. This trigger is a really good option for someone that doesn't shoot a lot. Yes, it feels really good, but with the 3.5lb pull weight, it works well for beginners and seasoned pros alike. 

  Now my daughter has her own AR15. The experience of helping her build her own rifle will not be forgotten anytime soon. She has a life saving tool that will give her a lifetime of protection and enjoyment. 

Faxon 10.5" lightweight barrel, gas block, and comp

  I was looking at building a lightweight AR pistol, using off the shelf parts, that wouldn’t break the bank. Part of what I needed was a lightweight barrel. Faxon Firearms had exactly what I was looking for with their 10.5” pencil profile barrel. As a bonus, Faxon threw in their slim profile muzzle brake. So off to assembly I went.

  When the Faxon barrel first arrived, I weighed it on my scale. There’s a few reasons for this. First, I wanted to know the actual weight. The barrel alone weighed in at 14.53 ounces, so not even a pound. The same barrel in a 16” weighs about 20 ounces. Second, this Faxon barrel comes with a gas block, but no gas tube. Because I figured I wanted a total weight, I weighed it with a gas tube and the supplied gas block. Total usable weight was 16.26 ounces, so essentially a hair over a pound. Speaking of the gas block, a really cool thing about it is the pre-drilled hole so you can pin the gas block on with the supplied pin. The gas block also has set screws on the bottom to tighten it up. Having a pinned gas block is especially nice if you are expecting any type of hard use situations.

  The Faxon pencil barrel specifications are pretty standard. This one has a pencil profile. It is made from 4150 CMV steel, has a 5.56 NATO caliber and is 1:8 twist button rifled. Faxon QPQ Nitrides the whole barrel for corrosion and wear resistance. Because it’s a pencil profile, Faxon uses a 0.625 gas block diameter. Being a 10.5” length, it uses the carbine length gas system. To quality control their barrels, Faxon magnetic particle inspects them so that good barrels get sent out to the user and bad ones don’t. Lastly, the barrel is threaded the standard ½-28 and has a recessed target crown.

  Faxon also sent me one of their Slim 3-port muzzle brakes. This particular muzzle brake has an outside diameter of 0.620”. It screws directly onto the barrel threads and comes with a crush washer. The small outside diameter of this brake makes it possible to remove the gas block without removing the muzzle brake. This can be especially nice if you have to pin and weld a muzzle device on to meet a legal length. It is 2.125”’ long, so it will bring a 13.9” barrel to the legal 16” length. I however am using this on a pistol, so no need to pin and weld. When installing the 3 port muzzle brake, be extremely careful as the metal is softer than I realized. I rounded the corners of it with an open end wrench trying to time it properly with the supplied crush washer. Make sure your wrench is on the solid portion, not over a port. That crush washer is stronger than any I have seen. Besides my error in installation, the 3 port design actually works very well. I was a little hesitant due to the smaller size, but it performs as well as other 3 port comps I have used. It actually tamed the little 10.5”’s recoil down some. Now it is loud, but all compensators like this are. The slim brake also only weighs 1.12 ounces.

  The Faxon Lightweight barrel combo serves its purpose. I put it through some use during a “range day.” This is a training style match that the local club has. The barrel and comp both performed well with zero hiccups. Now that can’t be said about the shooter. I also did some accuracy testing at 100yds. The barrel averaged about 2-3” groups with normal ammunition. As expected, as the barrel heated up a little, the groups would string some, but I included it in the group sizes, so you can tell it’s not terrible. For a 10.5” barrel, the accuracy is fine for me because I don’t expect to use this pistol past 100 yds anyhow. 

  If you are looking into a super lightweight barrel, definitely check out the Faxon line of barrels. They are one of the few that come with a pinned on style gas block. The 10.5” barrel and gas block were just the lightweight stuff I was looking for. While you are over at Faxon, don’t forget to look at the slimline comp too.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Short lightweight barrel with a pinned gas block

Target Market:

Builders wanting a super lightweight barrel/gas block combo

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

Barrel:

  • 4150 CMV

  • Button Rifled 

  • 5.56 - 1:8 twist rifling

  • 10.5" Pencil profile

  • Carbine length gas system

  • QPQ Salt Bath Nitride finish

  • 1/2-28 threaded muzzle

  • .625" gas block diameter

  • Gas Block Journal Length: 1.1"

  • M4 barrel extension

  • Magnetic Particle Inspected

  • 11-degree Target Crown

  • Barrel weighs 14.53 oz

  • Weight with gas block and gas tube is 16.26 oz

  • Pin on gas block

Comp:

  • QPQ Salt Bath Nitride

  • Thread: 1/2"-28 TPI

  • Weight: 1.12 Ounces 

  • Length: 2.125 Inches

  • Outer Diameter: .620”

  • Caliber: .223/5.56

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Different lengths and calibers 

What others are saying?:

5/5 stars at FaxonFirearms.com

Top shelf quality. As a toolmaker I can pin a gas block but for the money it's not worth me setting up to do it. Beautiful work

Link to other reviews:

Closes I could find was for the 16” pencil barrel - HERE 

Price point:

MSRP:

Barrel - $195.00

Muzzle Brake - $59.99

Retail: Probably a little cheaper if you can find the same combo

I need it now! Availability:

Faxon Firearms

Our Rating:

Pros:

  • Super light

  • Pinned gas block

  • Optional muzzle brake that matches barrel

  • QPQ Nitride finish

Cons:

  • Accuracy 

Score: 8.00 Great

Favorite Link:  Gun Guys Garage

Faxon 10/22 barrel

  Faxon Firearms has been making quality barrels for some time now. They recently entered into the rimfire barrel market with their 10/22 barrels. Faxon has three different barrel contours to choose from as well as two types of fluting options. There are also three different coating options to choose from. I opted for the flame fluted standard profile in chameleon PVD.

  The Faxon 10/22 barrel has a bunch of features not provided on the factory Ruger model. Most notably is probably the addition of Flame fluting. Faxon does a unique style of fluting as one of the options. As one can guess, the fluting looks like “flames”. If you get the “Chameleon” PVD coated barrel, the flutes are actually a different color than the rest of the barrel, which actually makes the flames look a bit more realistic. Since the barrel is PVD coated, the look of the coating will vary from barrel to barrel. This particular one is more of a lavender to blue fade with the flutes being a yellowish orange color. Some are more a blue to green fade. Fluting, both standard and Flame, provides better cooling of the barrel by providing more surface area for the barrel to give off heat. More important to me, is that on a rimfire barrel, it reduces the overall weight. In this case, the Faxon barrel is 0.4 lbs lighter than a factory Ruger 10/22 barrel. Faxon’s pencil profile reduces the weight by another 0.4 lbs, so a 0.8 lb reduction total. The Chameleon barrel sent to me weighs 1.4 lbs total.

  When manufacturing the rimfire line, Faxon uses all the same quality materials they use in their other barrel lines. The Rimfire barrels are made from 416-R stainless steel bar stock, in Cincinnati, OH at the Faxon plant. The barrel is given 6 groove rifling with a twist rate of 1:16. The 1:16 is pretty standard for 22 rimfire barrels. They then cut a recessed target crown into the muzzle. The muzzle is also threaded ½-28” to a depth of 0.625”. A thread protector and spacer is also included. The spacer is to be used on muzzle devices that use the 0.400” depth instead of the 0.625” depth. Faxon rimfire barrels are also magnetic particle inspected for flaws and then heat treated and coated. Currently all of the Faxon Rimfire line barrels come in a 16” length.

  When looking into 10/22 barrels, one typically finds “bull” style barrels. Faxon has those now too. But the standard profile is really nice if you're not into those “heavy” barrels. The Faxon Rimfire barrel has a tapered profile. It goes from 0.912” after the chamber down to 0.600” before where the muzzle threads start. This is pretty close to the Ruger’s standard barrel profile. The Faxon does fit in my standard 10/22 stock. It may not fit all of them, but it fits mine fine. Faxon also gives the Rimfire line a “Sporting” chamber. This gives the Faxon 10/22 barrels the ability to feed almost all the .22lr ammunition out there. I personally would have liked to see a slightly different chamber used, something like a “Bentz” for a little better accuracy. But I understand why Faxon went with the normal “sporting” chamber. 

  I ended up mounting the Faxon barrel to a stock Ruger 10/22 action. The barrel fit about the same as the stock barrel I removed. Meaning it slid into the receiver easily with little side to side movement. I then proceeded to mount it in an Enoch Deep-Six chassis. I opted for a chassis because I felt that a regular stock would not do the Faxon Chameleon barrel justice. The barrel looks really good mounted in the chassis. The chassis is also lighter than some wooden stocks, making this barrel/chassis combination very light. 

  After essentially making a complete different 10/22 than I had started with, I headed out to the range. Since ammunition availability is scarce, I rummaged through my stores of .22lr ammo. I found around 8 different types of plinking ammo, but no match ammo. I figured plinking ammo would be fine for this test. Especially since I don’t consider the Faxon barrel to be a true match barrel. Yes, the barrel is very high quality, it just doesn’t have a match chamber. I shot the various “cheap” 22lr ammo, through the barrel, at 50 yards. All but one of the major brands seemed to group around 1 - 1.5”’s at the 50 yard mark. I started with 5 shot groups and then moved to 10 shot groups. I was really pleased with how well the Faxon barrel shot. My factory barrel shot around 2 - 3” groups with these kinds of .22lr ammo. So as far as accuracy is concerned, I think the Faxon is good to go. If someone were to take the time and figure out which ammunition their barrel prefers, I would expect better results than what I had.

  If you’re looking for something different in the 10/22 game, look into the Faxon Rimfire barrels. They aren’t necessarily cheap, but they are excellent quality and made in the USA. With all the different options, you can get extra lightweight, fluted, flame fluted, coated, etc. I’m very pleased with the quality of the barrel along with how it stands out from everyone else's boring barrels. Go give the Faxon Rimfire line a look if you’re building a 10/22 or just looking for something different.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Lightweight 10/22 barrels

Target Market:

10/22 owners or builders wanting a lighter, more accurate barrel

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

  • Chamber: .22 LR Sporting

  • Flame Fluted

  • 416-R Stainless

  • Weight: 1.4 lbs

  • Length: 16"

  • Twist rate: 1:16

  • Chameleon PVD coating

  • Rifling: 6 Groove

  • Target Crown: Recessed

  • 10/22, non-takedown

  • Taper - 0.912" after chamber, .600" before thread shoulder

  • Muzzle Thread: 1/2x28

  • Thread protector included

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Straight fluted, Pencil, Heavy, all in black, gold, or chameleon

What others are saying?:

 5 stars at Faxon Firearms

Great barrel

Barrel came in fast and well packed. Looks better in person. Fits like a glove no issues setting it. Shoots great but I only have 150 rounds through it so far.

Link to other reviews:

Nothing found

Price point:

MSRP = $175.00 - $355.00

Retail = $355.00 as tested

I need it now! Availability:

Faxon Firearms or your local Faxon dealer

Our Rating:

Pros:

  • Lightweight

  • Looks great

  • Accurate

  • Threaded to 0.625 length 

  • Thread protector and spacer included

  • Fits standard 10/22 stocks

  • Lifetime guarantee

Cons:

  • Price

  • Sport chamber

Score: 7.50 Good

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