Part 2 stopped at the lower receiver and the trigger group. This installment will make the lower receiver complete.
Unless you want to buy each part individually, you can buy a lower parts kit containing all the little springs, detents, trigger components and such all together in a box. Now, there are many configurations on these kits. They vary from just your basic MIL-SPEC kits that have the plain pistol grip and standard MIL-SPEC trigger parts to those that include higher grade parts.
Here is one that you can get from Anderson Manufacturing that has the basic parts for $55 and change plus shipping.
Here is one from Palmetto State Armory that contains components for Geissele’s SSA-E two stage trigger group for $239 and change plus shipping.
You just need to decide what it is you want, then shop around to put that together.
I went with a Palmetto State Armory kit that did not include the fire control group (because I already had the CMC trigger group) for about $45 plus shipping. This one included a Magpul MOE Pistol grip and Magpul polymer trigger guard. $20 more would have gotten me the trigger components and I could have saved myself the cost of the CMC trigger group.
Then, I needed the receiver extension (or buffer tube), buffer, spring and butt stock. Again, I could buy them piece by piece or buy them as a kit. I chose to go the kit route. I picked up, from Palmetto State Armory again, a stock kit with a Magpul MOE stock. The kit included the receiver extension, buffer, buffer spring, receiver plate, castle nut and the stock itself for $70 plus shipping. I paid $8.50 shipping for the two kits to be sent to me.
Just a note on receiver extensions or buffer tubes. There are two standard sizes: ‘MIL-SPEC’ and ‘Commercial’. The commercial extension has a larger outer diameter than the MIL-SPEC extension. For most of us, it is really six of one, half dozen of the other which one works best for us. Where you ill need to pay attention is when looking for stock assemblies. As a general rule, you have to buy the stock that fits your extension (though there are stocks out there that are supposed to work both ways) and most manufacturers make their stocks both ways. There are some manufacturers that only make stocks for MIL-SPEC extensions though resulting a little bit better selection of stocks that fit your extension.
As for which extension will work best in your rifle all depends on if you are going to be butt-stroking folks…the way I understand it, if you plan on having to butt-stroke people, go with the one that is stronger than the other and will handle the impacts better.
So I could have saved myself $167.50 if I wanted to have. That is a bolt carrier group and an upper receiver right there…maybe even a charging handle too!
Y’all stay safe and keep a round in the chamber…
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