I've been dreaming of building or buying a custom firearm for nearly a decade now. I figured my first project gun would be a custom made 1911 style pistol in the standard .45 ACP caliber. I still want to do that, but time, skill, and money don't seem to be available all at the same time.

A little over a year ago, I got the notion of going with something based on the very popular AR-15 type platform. My inspiration was a picture of an M-16 type rifle in Iraq that was outfitted with a longer than usual barrel and optical sights only. No iron sights at all, IIRC. The rifle was in the standard 5.56 NATO caliber and was being used as a sniper rifle at intermediate ranges (about 200 - 600 meters). The modular design of the AR makes it ideal for creating custom rifles. Even more attractive is the pricing. At their current prices, off the shelf ARs already cost more than something you can build yourself from a parts kit. Going custom pushes the price back up again. But you are still in the range of an off the shelf rifle.

You still have to purchase the serial numbered lower receiver through a Federally licensed gun dealer in the USA. While many parts are available online, there is no way someone without the right machine tools and skill can build a rifle without filling out the ATF-4473 form. Well not without purchasing a rifle that has already been in the system from a private seller anyway.

I purchased a stripped lower from a local gun store on the 4473. All the other parts I got mail order. I've made six videos so far about the project. A seventh is in production and will be in a different format. The format change is for two simple reasons. First, it will be the last in the series. Second, it will show photographs and a brief video clip of what the barrel maker did. You see, it is the barrel and Paladin Machine gas block that make this rifle unique.

The barrel maker threw in my Internet nick for free. I thought it was very nice of him to do so. I never thought to ask about custom markings on the barrel. The stamping was done by stamping each letter individually. It is less visible on the barrel now that it has been parkerized. But the stamp is visible on the top of the barrel in front of the gas block.

It was serendipitous finding the gas block maker. He is the only person I could find who sells the type of gas block I wanted. You see, I didn't want just a simple gas block with no front sight. I wanted a gas block that could also turn off the gas flow to the action. Why? Because I own a can that is designed to reduce muzzle blast noise. In the USA, it is required to purchase such a device, often incorrectly called a silencer, on an ATF Form-4. Along with that there is the payment of a $200 USD tax for an NFA tax stamp. The can has a serial number on it and is treated like a machine gun under US law. I keep the paperwork for that in a safe deposit box and carry photocopies in case anyone should inquire.

Two things happen when the gas block is switched off. First, the rifle does not cycle. It acts like a normal bolt action rifle. Second, the rifle does not make as much noise. You would be surprised at how loud the action is if you've never fired this type of rifle. Also the action cycling is responsible for most of the movement of the rifle when fired. A lot of people don't know that semi-autos have more felt kick than bolt action rifles simply because of the extra mass that moves when fired.

My custom rifle video series is not exactly popular based on the number of views and comments I've been getting. That's OK. Not many people read my blogs either. I'm putting this all out there for my own satisfaction. And once I've got the seventh video up, or perhaps sooner, I will make public the pictures in the AR-15 Project album. The pictures show some highlights of the rifle building process. My first six videos just introduce the project and then move on to the simple matter of assembly. You can get detailed assembly instructions for the lower receiver at the AR15.com Guides site. The stuff at AR15.com will serve you better than my videos if you intend to build your own AR-15.

If you enjoy firearms, I recommend building your own AR-15. It's an interesting project and you learn a lot more about the rifle than you would from simply buying one off the shelf. Everyone should own an AR-15.