Sgt of Arms

[Konodak]

Anyone have experience with Sgt of Arms Light Weight Hunter in 18" barrel. Any feedback would be appreciated as I have never owned an AR. I did have a Grendel in a CZ that I was not pleased with. TIA

https://www.sgtofarms.com/product-page/soa-light-hunter

[VASCAR2]

If I were in your shoes I would compare the prices of the components listed to see what it would cost to assemble the rifle myself. Sgt of Arms post on a Facebook 6.5 Grendel Group and seems to get good reviews. The Satern/Liberty barrel with Grendel II chamber can be purchased from Brownell’s.


I personally would prefer a Alexander Arms 16” or 18” light weight SS barrel, Odin Works, Ballistic Advantage or Faxon barrel.


I copied this description from your link.


This rifle is desgined with hunters in mind. It is kept lightweight, and slim without sacrificing accuracy. Chambered in 6.5 Grendel this upper is great for hunting anything from varmints to medium-sized game.

Aero Precision Lower and Upper
Satern Liberty 6.5 Grendel barrel with headspaced bolt
M16 profile Bcg
Rise Armament RA-140 SST Trigger
15" M-Lok Rail
Ergo Grip
Hogue buttstock
Milspec Charging handle
Low profile gas block
A2 flash hider

[just_john]

Konodak - the grocery list looks good. Some folks have had issues with Saturn barrels. From their web site they have other, probably better, barrels. You might contact them to see what they would offer in a barrel swap. Otherwise, for the price, it ain't a bad deal. They are in Ft WOrth, TX, where are you?

[grayfox]

This^^^^^ +1 to Vascar.

I've built a few now and they're easy. Seems like lots of mfr's are into Grendels nowadays which is good, on the other hand you can build it yourself and get a very good shooter.
I haven't owned a CZ but the ARs I've built and the Howa 6.5 G heavy barrel (20"), I like them and they definitely shoot better than I do, 3/4-1/2 MOA when I do my part, 1.5" when I goof.

I might if I were you do a bit shorter of a rail so there's room for your magnetospeed (LOL!) ... I like the 12-13" rails personally, Troy or Midwest Indus...
Get the better barrel and go more generic somewhere else, the barrel is what sends your bullet on its way!

[Konodak]

Thank you for all the great info. I am located in ND. I wish I was more confident in building one or I’d do that. This gun will be for hunting only, no competition shooting.

[Klem]

Thank you for all the great info. I am located in ND. I wish I was more confident in building one or I’d do that. This gun will be for hunting only, no competition shooting.

Building these things is easy, they are designed from the ground-up to need no special technical skills, so they can be repaired in the field by the intellectually-challenged. The all-important headspace, chambering and crowning is done at the factory so all you have to do is screw it together. Youtube has plenty of build videos to follow and we're here to help if you need it. Give it a go, you'll save money and feel good about the gun you end up with. A gun built exactly to your preferred specs.

[Randy99CL]

There are a couple of different ways to buy an AR.

You can buy all the parts separately and build one. As long as you have a workbench with vise and buy the special tools. And know exactly which parts you want and are ready to do whatever it takes to assemble it and get it to function well. There are lots of videos showing exactly how to put it together.

Or you can buy a complete gun. Easiest, quickest, most trouble-free method. Stress-free, comes with guarantee and if it doesn't work the company will fix it for you.

I just split the difference and bought a complete upper from one company and the whole lower from another. It worked out great for me, each half is assembled, tested and warranted by the manufacturers. Didn't need a workbench or special tools.
With the veteran's discount I paid $301 for the BCA upper when the separate parts come to $417.
I paid $218 for the Ruger AR-Lower Elite that comes with Magpul furniture and their 452 Elite trigger (that sells for $100-$140 alone).

Isn't buying piece-by-piece usually the most expensive way to get one??

[41bear]

Thank you for all the great info. I am located in ND. I wish I was more confident in building one or I’d do that. This gun will be for hunting only, no competition shooting.

You will spend money no matter which way you jump, however, there is a satisfaction gained from building your own when you send those first 5 down range and the group measures .453 that you won't have by just buying a completed gun. If you love to tinker and are fairly good at following directions building an AR is a piece of cake.

[Klem]

Isn't buying piece-by-piece usually the most expensive way to get one??

No - You got a very cheap gun so all kudos to you. Hopefully it's not going to fall apart down the track.

Another way is to buy a clapped-out 223 and swap out the barrel for a new one. Plus Grendel bolt and Magazines and Bob's your uncle. For the price of a barrel, bolt and an old AR you can improve the precision to new. Then replace other key parts down the track like the trigger.

[Sticks]

...
Isn't buying piece-by-piece usually the most expensive way to get one??

Sometimes. It all depends on how good your shopping around skills are. Used to be that you could not build an upper for less than buying one outright, especially if you did not have the tools (clam shell, reaction rod, barrel clamp, torque wrench, barrel nut wrench...). Never mind the uppity people that looked down on "Franken Guns" (fact has not changed that resale value on them is a joke). The fanboys have calmed down and accepted that a Mutt can shoot and function as good or better than a Colt, Daniel Defense, Noveske and so on.

I have a Mk12 clone (real Compass Lake barrel though from Centurion Arms) that I assembled, without facing the Vltor Upper, or bedding the barrel extension or gas block. It shoots sub MOA as it sits. It needs to be torn down, and accurized. I have gas leaks around the gas block (need to put an adjustable on it anyhow) and a new muzzle device installed for the suppressor that I may have sometime next fall.

The upside to assembling from parts is you get exactly the parts you want, rather than swapping out parts after your complete shows up. No wasted money in parts sitting in the box with the 15 other pistol holsters you don't use anymore.

Just remember, all the accuracy is in the upper. You can have a complete sh** lower, so long as the trigger is halfway decent, and falls every time you squeeze the trigger, you won't have any issues.

[just_john]

As with most anything that can be bought as a whole or built by the piece, the process can get as expensive as you allow it to. Many of us here have built a lot of AR's / MSR's and the final assembled costs have run from "really cheap" to "painfully ouch"! It depends a lot on your tastes and style requirements and what your goals are.

Some years ago, the company I was working for had a "toy day" and everyone brought all their thundersticks. We lined 'em all up on tables along the wall and stood back and collectively said "WOW". Some time later that day I was walking thru the room, admiring the collections and realized that they all looked the same, hard to tell who's was who's. After that, I had a massive "redecorating" effort and since then, all of my keepers have a unique pattern to them. It makes them a little more expensive, but I know which ones are mine.

My days of shooting bug holes are long past but I still want to be confident that what I am shooting with is always better than I am capable of. So I make a greater effort at selecting major components that will satisfy that requirement. That also costs money. And I am willing to do that as it is only painful once.

And, I have accumulated all the tools along the way to do a better job of that assembly. And it only hurt once ( at a time ).

For your first build, remember that you can always change things. Over time, you will develop a comfort factor with certain manufacturers of key parts and your collections of toys will slowly morph to that group of manufacturers. The important thing early on is to read across the various chapters in this forum what works and doesn't work. We have all been down that same road and learned the same lessons. There are things that just gotta be done during assembly to yield a quality result.

Then make the cost / component compromises that your budget permits, get the best parts ( especially barrels and bolts ) that you can justify and go put holes in things with a lot of satisfaction knowing that you made it all happen. And, if something goes amiss along the way, you have the knowledge of how to diagnose and repair. And, when you are satisfied with the results, please post pictures and prizes so that we can all enjoy the successes with you.

Enjoy!