An Argument for Building your AR 15 Lower Receiver

You’re a California resident and just read about the new bills Gov. Brown recently signed. You now want an AR15 before it is outlawed or massively neutered. While I recommend everyone go out and buy one completely built for the first time, your second purchase “should” be one that you build/piece together. I put the word should in quotes because for me the math just doesn’t add up.

Some of the most fun projects start as a stripped receiver.  This one cerakoted Burnt Bronze
by Los Angeles Cerakote (in my opinion the best cerakoter in the business)

When I first got into guns, I was lucky enough to have a friend who help me avoid over paying or making redundant purchases. I told him what I wanted in an AR15 and he helped me piece one together. I purchased a completely assembled lower from Rifle Gear and a lightweight barreled upper from Bravo Company. Upon receiving both the upper and lower, completing the build was a matter of pulling two pins and piecing the halves together. It worked flawlessly. 

Excuse the poor cell phone pic. I wanted to show how things progress

Even though I kept the upper completely stock, I still bought "upgrades" for my lower: a replacement stock to eliminate wobble, a sling swivel attachment, a Geiselle trigger, new trigger guard, a Raddlock, a new pistol grip, an ambidextrous selector and the list can go on and on.

A Dissipator upper purchased from Palmetto State Armory. 
It's as simple as snapping it together

To be fair, I didn’t NEED any of the upgrades, save for the Raddlock. I replaced them due to a change in preference and/or a desire for refinement. Had I simply bought a stripped lower receiver, I could have saved some money on tax on the initial purchase of the lower/complete rifle and would only spend on components I truly want. Most parts, complete uppers included, come shipped tax free. While California requires the collection of taxes on all gun sales. Assuming tax is 9% in your district, a $1,500 to $2,000 rifle will cost you $135 to $180 in additional taxes. A stripped lower at $100 will only cost you an additional $9 – add a basic punch set of $10, an armorer's wrench for $20 and a friend willing to help you out, you have $96 to $141 to use for ammo or the components you want.

With drop in hand guards, comp, light and a B5 Stock

I understand that building out a lower can be a seemingly daunting task. I was once afraid that if I messed something up, I would put myself and others in danger.  However, as I challenged myself to put one together, I realized the danger really wasn't there. Since my first AR purchase, I have built out 5 other lowers with the components I wanted, no more, no less. The added benefit of knowing the inner workings of a lower was priceless for me (and it was fun). 

The final version. Dissipator on a different lower. This completes the look in my opinion

Although not hard to build, Uppers take a bit more equipment to put together, a solid work bench being one that I do not have the luxury of space to have in my condo. I have been completely happy with assembled uppers coming from Aero, Bravo, Daniel Defense, Troy, Primary Arms and one of my new favorites, Odin Works. Most retailers have a  build for almost every “mission” or spend the money to have Randy from AR15barrels.com assemble uppers parts together for you. That’s what I did for my 6.5 Grendel build. I hope this post was somewhat helpful and shed some light on some of the benefits of building out your lower.  

Here is one of my favorite YouTubers, NSZ85. I have used this video as a reference to  build all of my lowers. Here he uses a vice and AR receiver vice block and punches. While beneficial to have, it is not completely necessary (makes it a lot easier though). 

CZ SP-01 Review (9mm - Safety Version)

My CZ SP-01 in its current configuration with the Streamlight TLR-1 HL

Tom Gresham, the host of Gun Talk Radio, is famous for saying “I haven’t held I gun I didn’t like”. You can say I feel the same way he does and yes, I held and fired a Hi-Point. But the first gun I ever fell in love with was the CZ SP-01 (safety version). 

My father introduced me to guns and every gun he had ever owned was a hammer-fired pistol, whether it was the Colt Python or his Sig P228. There was something about the look or the sound of a hammer cocking back that made me love this particular style of gun. Although my first handgun purchase was a striker fired pistol, I knew my collection wouldn’t be complete without one. While my heart was set on purchasing a Sig P226, my research on Calguns and popular blogs led me to the CZ SP-01. Here in California, these things are quite elusive so the moment I saw one in stock and held it, I couldn’t resist bringing one home…after 10 days…infringement.

First day out at the range - 10 yards away

Fast forward 2 years, I have about 2k rounds through it. I have taken the CZ SP-01 to a couple of handgun training courses and open carried it on several trips to the BLM.  During this time frame, I can say confidently this is hands-down one of my favorite handguns in my collection. Here is why:

• The gun fits perfectly in my hands. I don’t have particularly large hands (7.25” from the bottom of my palm to the tip of my middle finger), but these fall right into place. The fire controls are exactly where I want them to be. The safety is ambidextrous, easy to maneuver and do not get in the way. 

• The rubber stock grips are perfect for my hands.  The grooves and swells fall right in place with the anatomy of my hands and provide just the right amount of grip/texture to feel secure even with sweaty digits. I have no desire to change out the grips for defensive purposes. 

• It has good weight. I am sure the low bore axis helps with preventing muzzle flip, but I find the weight, particularly at the front end, helps with the follow up shots. 

• It has very aggressive slide serrations both at the front and back. This helps tremendously with press checks, racking the slide and clearing any malfunctions. 

• Malfunctions or the lack thereof. In the 2k+ rounds fired through this gun, I haven’t had a single failure. Even went to the range straight from the store without cleaning/lubricating the gun. It is a solid performer and I wouldn’t hesitate trusting this with my life. 

• Cost effective. This will not break the bank. Let’s hope this remains on the California Handgun Roster and doesn’t become subject to the CA premium.

• Stock trigger is decent right out of the box. It is not as refined as a 1911 but it definitely is serviceable. My particular CZ had just the slightest bit of creep and grit in single action

• *Subjectivity Alert* - It is one handsome firearm and I enjoy every round fired.

There are a lot of things to consider when purchasing a CZ SP-01 that you may want to consider if you are thinking about making this your first handgun purchase. It has a different manual of arms than say a Glock or a Springfield XD. Some might argue it is more complicated than a 1911 because it has both a safety and is a double-action/single-action weapon. While it is perfectly safe to holster this cocked and locked (hammer back with the safety engaged), local USPSA rules require the hammer to be in the forward position when holstered with a round in the chamber. De-cocking the CZ requires you to pull the trigger and gently guiding the hammer down on a live round.  Your first shot will be a long and somewhat heavy pull in the stock configuration. This is something you have to consider if you intend on using this for competitive use. Other than that, this gets the Doughboy seal of approval for whatever that’s worth.

Verdict: BUY

Disclaimer: I am not special forces. I am very much a nerd who loves shooting.  Please take my reviews with a grain of salt. I am but a single data point in the grand scheme of things, but I'd love to hear your feedback, questions or concerns. 

I think a brief introduction is in order. I am Doughboy Warrior. Ok, that’s not my real name, but this call name or pseudonym has several meanings for me. Besides being a fan of baked goods and doughnuts, hence the name, I am an enthusiasts in the martial arts of shooting and training. Being a resident of California has made it both challenging and that much more important to me. In this blog, I plan to write about my journey as a shooter and well, anything that comes to mind whether it be pop-culture, politics, gear reviews and/or photography. By no means am I expert at any of said topics so please take whatever I say with a grain of salt.

With that said, here is a quick breakdown as to who I am and what to expect from this blog:

Who: I am an accountant by trade who loves photography and pop-culture. I am a shooter in training and want nothing more than to improve my skills. I am a gear head and have a tendency to collect things, whether it is guns and rifles, camera gear and/or paintball markers.

What (to expect from this blog): Gun and gear reviews, initial impressions, the occasional pop culture/nerd post, political updates in California mainly geared towards the 2^nd amendment and its constant infringement.

Where: I am a civilian residing in the state of California (Los Angeles).

Why: I write to express my opinions, document my journey and engage in respectful discourse amongst other shooters, bloggers, gear heads and trainers. I know I will be wrong about many things and extremely open to hear dissenting points of views and learning from others, while helping others who are new.  

Historical Note: While doughboys are typically known as a baked good, US servicemen of the Mexican American War and World War I were typically nicknamed the Doughboys. There is no singular reason for the name, but it is said that men would trek across very dusty terrain, giving them the appearance of being covered in flour. I think this a very fitting name for a connoisseur of doughnuts and shooter in training.