Hubby is building me an AR15 for my bday

[TD2K]

My birthday is in September, but he let it slip the other day (he's not too good at keeping seekrits). He has the lower and buttstock, and various other pieces. He still has to order the barrel and upper.

The lower has the Greek phrase ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ engraved on it that means "Come and Take Them". I LOVE IT! I ordered one of those grease pencils that the XD guys rave about to "highlight" the engraving on the gun. I ordered red, my signature color.

I. Can't. Wait.

[ripley16]

If I were going to build from scratch, I'd start with some wood...
IWDAR15 (http://www.ironwooddesigns.com/IWDsite/IWDAR15.html)

...just to be different.

[TD2K]

not really my thing, but thanks.

[mr surveyor]

Wow, congrats on the build in process:)

I have valiantly fought off the AR bug for 10 years... but I'm weakening.

Part of the birthday present should be involving you directly with the build process. It's like Big Boy.... I mean, Big Girl..... well not "Big" Girl... more like "Grown Up" Girl Tinkertoys. (hope I saved myself from a beatin')

surv:D

[noslolo]

TD2K, that is awesome! what a great hubby!

Wow Ripley I have never seen a wood AR before, looks great, but I wonder how that affects the weight?

[ripley16]

TD2K, that is awesome! what a great hubby!

Wow Ripley I have never seen a wood AR before, looks great, but I wonder how that affects the weight?

"Great hubby"... no doubt. Wish my wife would surprise me like that! :eek:

I've only fondled the wood furniture, don't own it, but it is still very light weigh... amazingly so. In person, it totally changes the nature of the rifle. I found it stunningly beautiful.

[TD2K]

Wow, congrats on the build in process:)

I have valiantly fought off the AR bug for 10 years... but I'm weakening.

Part of the birthday present should be involving you directly with the build process. It's like Big Boy.... I mean, Big Girl..... well not "Big" Girl... more like "Grown Up" Girl Tinkertoys. (hope I saved myself from a beatin')

surv:D

YOU SAYIN I'M FAT?!?!?!? ;)

and yes, I get to help build it and pick out the parts from here on.

[TD2K]

TD2K, that is awesome! what a great hubby!




"Great hubby"... no doubt. Wish my wife would surprise me like that! :eek:



Hands off, boys. HE'S MINE.

[TD2K]

highlighting of the engraving is done. I think it turned out pretty well.

[Dietrich]

Pretty work.Very pretty work.Well done.

[mr surveyor]

nice..... I guess we still have to wait til September for a range report?

What trigger is going to be installed?

[TD2K]

we still have to order the other parts. I don't know anything about the trigger (yet)

[Diocoles]

Be careful, I started building my own AR and now I have 5 of them..... :eek:

[johnh]

Ah you got a Spartan lower from DSA. Nice choice! The Spartans were actually my idea. I was eating dinner with then sales manager for DSA Marc Galli, and one of the Team Spartan trainers. I suggested they do a FAL line with Molon Labe engraved on the guns, and call them the Spartan series. Down the road they added the Spartan symbol, and expanded to the AR line. You know I still do not have one of those lowers, and my FALs were made there before the Spartans. Oh well, glad to see one put to a very good use! Looks nice, and enjoy that rifle!

John

[mr surveyor]

all right, TD2K.... it's only a couple more hours until September....

where's the update?
where's the pics of the AR build?
Where's the range report?
when are you going to trade BUGs with your hubby? ....he really needs the P380 you know:D


surv

[TD2K]

We still haven't ordered the parts :( We bought him a new truck about 3 weeks ago so we gotta get it tagged before we can buy any more big items. He bought me a new grill Monday night, mine was 5 years old and was falling apart (I use the heck out of em, 3-4 times a week, year round). Got a nice big Webber grill, it's PURDY. So, I guess the grill is my present and the AR parts will come a couple of weeks later. I'm not complaining though, the gill is AWESOME. Thinking I'll break it in with a few racks of babybackbabybackbabyback ribs this weekend.

[TD2K]

and he can sell his LCP and get his OWN P380. He gotta keep his paws off mine!

"What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine"

[mr surveyor]

sounds like y'all grill as much as we do. Three to four times per week is the norm, often more. I find a way to cook most of the meat on/in the grill, and even use a dutch oven inside the grill for some things. Especially during "air-conditioner months" (9 per year around here) I use the grill and side burner to keep from adding more heat into the house (which makes the a/c work harder and cost more). And, besides....it just tastes better cooked outside over a flame


I thought the phrase was "What's mine, is mine...What's your's is our's"


surv:)

[TD2K]

yes, I do the same. I cook as much as I can outside, to keep the heat out there. I really hate turning on the oven when it's hot outside.

I'll grill darn near anything. meat, veggies, fruit, bread, etc.

[TD2K]

I bought my last grill at Lowe's about 5 years ago, it was a Char Broil brand, a decent grill. 4 burners, a side burner, heavy duty cast iron coated with ceramic grates, etc. Gave about $400 for it. Last weekend I decided it was time to replace the grates, they were nearly worn thru in a couple of spots, so I removed them. The covers over the burners had holes in them, took those out. The burners were still in decent shape, but the plate that they attached to was completely gone, they were just "hanging" there. The drip pan also had holes in it. It was done.

Decided to bite the bullet and get a Weber, I've heard great things about their customer service and they're built here in the USA. Hopefully this one will last me a looooong time.

[mr surveyor]

I know what you mean about burning them out.... mine is also 4 years old and I need to replace all the plumbing inside. I really miss the old style grills with the lava rocks. Flavor was much better. Now I keep a metal coffee can with holes punched around the lower rim for a "smoke box". Either put a big handful of small chunks of hickory, pecan, mesquite in the can and pre-start it with a bit of lighter fluid...let it burn down, them put it in the grill over a high flame burner to keep it going (adding chunks as needed), or use the basic store bought wood pellets in the can.... once you figure out what works in your grill it adds a bit of smoke flavor you normally can't get with a gas grill. Personally I prefer the taste of charcoal broiled food, but the convenience of gas for all other uses can't be beat.

surv

[jlottmc]

Best flavor is charcoal, and I can smoke with it much easier. Gas is convenient if you don't mind a wang to your food. Wish I could fire mine up again, live in an apartment right now and with a low ceilinged covered patio that is tiny, it just ain't gonna happen. We've also had almost no rain, just enough to make it humid when it has.

[wyntrout]

The burnt fat smoke and other carcinogens definitely add to the flavor. It's like cholesterol... flavor. :D

I gave up on trying to cook messy stuff in my big new stainless grill. I cook the ribs in the oven now on low heat ~350° for about 3 hours. I tried lower temperatures, but we like our pork well done. I use lots of Reynold's Wrap, including the non-stick kind, to keep the mess to a minimum.

I went all out on the new grill and by the time I added the rotisserie and some more stuff, I was approaching $1K with discounts at Lowe's. I thought my last grill, a Ducane, would be the last, but they foldedI think Weber bought them, but my "Lifetime" warranty was gone... paid extra for that :( ) and after replacing the main grill once -- STAINLESS -- and other parts falling apart or off, I was through with that when the replacement burned up, as well... has something to do with the heat and corrosive effect of the juices and such. SS is not indestructible. :eek:
I use the side sear-grill for steaks, and the main grill for salmon, pork chops, lamb chops (tonight), and once in a while, whole pork tenderloins. I've tried that on the rotisserie, as well as boneless leg of lamb, but chicken and such are too fatty and messy.
I'm the chief cook and bottle-washer since my wife works... I prefer my cooking... I fancy myself as somewhat of a gourmet... chef for two.
Wynn:D

Ha! I knew someone would jump in and say charcoal is the best... and it figures you know who... the guy that likes pain... would like starting PITA charcoal. Charcoal is used as a filter to remove odors and such. Gas is easy, but not for "purists" and masochists.:boink:
Wynn:behindsofa::D

[TD2K]

I too like the taste of a charcoal burger, but I'm not willing to fight with hauling in the charcoal, getting it lit and hot enough, and then the MESS afterwards. Not worth it to me, especially since I grill so often. Heck, half my life would be spent cleaning it up!

[TD2K]

I also cook my baby back ribs in the oven, but like to finish them off on the grill with several douses of Head County BBQ sauce. mmmmmmmmm MMMMMMMMMM!

[wyntrout]

We use my wife's favorite "Sweet Baby Ray's"... the original recipe. I started out with the intent of keeping the grill "spotless" and clean, but that was a PITA, and I even stopped using the dang cover because it got so nasty and heavy with dirt and dust. My grill is on the screened porch out back... lanai, down here. It doesn't smoke up the 9 ft ceiling and I'm free from the voracious insects and bad weather. if I had chosen to go in and out of the screen door, it would have really been a PITA! Besides, my wife only smokes out there and you CAN see the effect of that on the "antique white" siding and the ceiling.
Oh, I use the oven broiler to finish up the ribs on both sides. Cooking those solely on the grill was a real PITA... usually resulting in a carbonized exterior with rare portions inside.... ummmmh.... trichinosis, anyone?? It was the same with chicken... too much care needed in cooking. I usually put a whole roaster in tin foil and cooked it for 2-2 1/2 hours in the covered grill, with the last 20 minutes or so uncovered to brown it.
Wynn:D

[Bawanna]

Never clean a grill, it's like sour dough bread, if you clean it you lose the mother. Same with coffee pots too. I learned this in gold rush class, try to find a sink to rinse something on the Chilkoot trail let alone a piece of wood to burn.

[TD2K]

yeah, it's gonna take a while to get this new one "seasoned" as well as the old one was.

kinda like my great -granny's cast iron skillets I inherited. I wouldn't trade those for the world. They've been frying chicken for about 80 years, and it sure is good.

as for whole chickens, you CANNOT beat beer can chicken. srsly. I rub 'im down with some good spices, place slices of lemon and limes under his skin, and then put a can of bud light lime in his hiney and throw him on the gril

[wyntrout]

I put a lot of butter and garlic in those areas... can't use enough of those two things... and salt and pepper, on anything! Chickens don't need salt that much, as they are pumped full of saline solution along the way with processing.
Wynn:D

[Bawanna]

yeah, it's gonna take a while to get this new one "seasoned" as well as the old one was.

kinda like my great -granny's cast iron skillets I inherited. I wouldn't trade those for the world. They've been frying chicken for about 80 years, and it sure is good.

as for whole chickens, you CANNOT beat beer can chicken. srsly. I rub 'im down with some good spices, place slices of lemon and limes under his skin, and then put a can of bud light lime in his hiney and throw him on the gril

HAH! srsly??? SERIOUSLY.

I should join the FBI, I'm getting srsly good at figuring stuff out. Gosh darn if my arms was any longer I'd be patting myself on the back till I threw up!
I sometimes srsly amaze my own self. What a great day to be drawing air into my lungs.
Do you open the bud light in the hiney or just let it explode when the temp gets right? I've heard of a variation of your theme but don't recall the details. I know we srsly do the beer batter on bass fishing trips. We're talking yummy stuff there I'll tell ya.

[TD2K]

open it, and "dispose" of about 1/3 so it doesn't overflow and make a mess in your grill.

I usually drop 4 or 5 cloves of garlic down in the can as well

[TD2K]

I also do a beer braised pulled pork that will make you wanna slap yo mama.

(it's a crock pot recipe, great for tailgating)

[wyntrout]

I was wondering when you'd figure that out... srsly. :D
:boink:
Wynn:D

[MikeyKahr]

Stop making my mouth water, y'all. SRSLY! BTW, disregard my "help" in that other thread where I spilled the beans about SRSLY. If only I would have read this thread first!


I was wondering when you'd figure that out... srsly. :D
:boink:
Wynn:D

[Bawanna]

I just now saw your help on the other thread and I srsly appreciate it. That was a new one on me and why it kept just flying over my head is a mystery to me.
I even asked my wife and kids last night and they didn't know either, dumb must run in the family huh? I was proud as a peacock when I figured it out all by myself without any help whatsoever from an unnamed redhead around these parts. (hint) she likes to stick foreign object up chickens hineys. Sick.

[TD2K]

Bud Light is NOT foreign!!!!!!!!!!

[Bawanna]

Tell that to the chicken. Now to Dietrich a beer in the backside might be everyday stuff but to a chicken, that's foreign. Least ways, I'd think so. I don't have many personal chicken friends but a got a dozen at the house and never seen no sign of bud light cans or any of that imported juice either.
But thats ok. I intend to try it sometime, if I can get someone to hold the chicken while I go to installing the beer can. Suspect it'll want to run off pretty bad.

[TD2K]

Got my lower done!!!! Hubby was building a test gun for the dept so I worked along side him and built my lower. FINALLY!!!

Now I just gotta order parts for the upper.

http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/5769/20110101180810881.jpg (http://img815.imageshack.us/i/20110101180810881.jpg/)

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/8241/20110101180820870.jpg

[TheTman]

Looks real nice!

[mr surveyor]

what upper is in the plan?

[TD2K]

dunno yet

looking at a few online as we speak