The Build

I received my mid-length kit from Del-Ton yesterday and have to say the quality of what I received was way above what I expected. Additionally the Essential Arms lower was perfect as well. I had made a cursory inspection and things looked good, but when putting the LPK into the lower I discovered how good it really was. The fit and finish was flawless, there was no filing, grinding, reaming, or adjusting necessary.
Total time it took to put everything together was around 2 hours including gathering the tools I would need. I was prepared to get a punch set, detent installation tool, vice block and all the other stuff that is recommended; I didn’t and was able to get it together with little or no drama.
I followed the guide on AR15.com With the exception of the Cal compliant bullet button it was step for step easy to follow. The Bullet Button was actually easier to install than the standard mag release so there was no drama there. Below is a step by step summary.

Tools.
I found the only tools needed were:

A hammer – I used an adjustable face mallet I got at Harbor Freight for $4 with a coupon, it has four different faces that can be used in varying hardness, for the most part I used the hardest plastic face and the metal face.

65516-0VGA Central Forge
4-in-1 Quick Change Multi Head Hammer
$6.99


Three piece nail punch set

41988-0VGA Central Forge
3 Piece Nail Punch Set
$3.99

This was used in place of the roll-pin punches, it has tapered tips that fit nicely into the roll pins and worked very well.

A hemostat – basically a small locking clamp. Harbor Freight carries them but you can also pick them up anywhere small tools are sold.

12" Locking Clamp 94952-0VGA
$4.99
This was extremely helpful when installing the small detent pins.

Locking pliers (Vice Grip®) – I used a set of needle nose locking pliers but pretty much any configuration will work as long as it can open larger than 1”. The larger you use the more leverage you have, but don’t go over about 10”.

10" Curved Jaw Locking Pliers with Wire Cutter Irwin Vise-Grip 3294-0VGA
$5.47
The pliers were used to press in the roll pin when installing the mag catch release and the trigger guard. VERY helpful.

Small flat piece of metal – I used a small screwdriver that I had ground flat, but a small metal ruler or other thin flat piece of metal will work. This is to hold the front takedown pin detent down while inserting the pin. A tool is available for this purpose, but unless you are building multiple lowers it isn’t worth it.

¼” hardwood dowel or metal rod – used in the installation of that pesky front take down pin, holds the detent down while you push in the pin.

Large clear plastic bag – I used a 1 gallon ziplock bag to put over the lower while installing the front take down pin to keep the detent contained when it launches (yes it will).

Electrical tape – protects the metal parts from scratches.

#10 flathead screwdriver for installing the grip

Gun oil, eye protection, pad for assembly, block of wood (1”), patience…lots of patience

Overall, the build is very simple and only requires a few cheap tools. Make sure you tape up the lower and the locking pliers to keep from scratching things up and things will go fine.

There are a couple difficult steps that take some time and finesse; the bolt catch release and the front take down pin.

The bolt catch release:
FIRST, TAPE UP YOUR LOWER SO YOU DON’T SCRATCH IT!!! NEXT, TAPE UP YOUR PLIERS SO YOU DON’T SCRATCH YOUR LOWER. Put a small amount of lube on the end of the roll pin and if necessary you can squeeze the end down a little. Using your hemostat or small needle nose pliers line the pin up with the hole and squeeze it in a little using your locking pliers. DO NOT PUSH THE PIN IN MORE THAN A COUPLE MILILMETERS. Insert the spring and buffer, line up the release and carefully squeeze the pin in the rest of the way. You may need to tap the pin in to seat it fully, but by then the hard part is done.

The front take down pin:
DO NOT LET THE DETENT LAUNCH ACROSS THE ROOM. WHILE COMPRESSING THE SPRING PUT THE BAG OVER THE RECEIVER AND WORK INSIDE THE BAG. The technique I used was to insert the 1/4” rod into the holes from the left side of the receiver, then gripping the detent with the hemostats, guide it into the hole compressing the spring as far as I could. Using the rod and flat piece of metal together press the detent down and the rod forward until it is held down by the rod. Finally, carefully press the rod out with the takedown pin allowing the detent to transfer over to the pin. If you get this the first time you are amazing, it took me about five times to get things lined up right, but when it worked it went smooth.

Everything else is cake and with a little patience should be easy. There are many other hints out there, read all of them, take notes, and have fun. My build took all of about 1 hour and when it was done I was left thinking “that’s it?”.

On it's way

Things are really moving now. I was billed for the kit on Thursday and it shipped Friday. I don't have an ETA but I will be gone this week anyway. I have everything I need except the four-rail hand guard which isn't absolutely necessary, and optics. I do have a red-dot but it isn't the best quality, it will work for now.
Ammo supply is low but more is on it's way and I have enough for sighting and op-testing.

As a final note before I get to building, Del-Ton has been extremely professional and the customer service has been superb, there was an issue with my fathers order and they took care of things without any drama. At this point I highly recommend Del-Ton.

On it's way

Called Del-Ton on Tuesday to see about where my order is at and I was plesantly supprised. They were waiting on a four-rail gas block that was out of stock. I asked if there was another option, which of course there was. I cancelled the four-rail for a single rail and it went to the floor to be built yesterday and should ship today or tomorrow.
I will be gone next week but I have a great project to look forward to next weekend. Wooo-hoo!

Boooooo

Called Del-Ton last Monday and asked about when I should expect my kit. They said that they are just now getting to April orders and it will be a few more weeks....CRAP.... I guess I will keep waiting and collecting parts and ammo.

So here we are, well into week 17 of waiting on my order from Del-Ton. I am going to be in Pascagoula, MS next week, so of course, my upper will get here then.
Currently here is where I stand as far as getting this thing together:
What I have:
Lower - Essential Arms stripped lower (OLL - an important factor in California) $0 (thanks Dad)
Sights - MBUS front and rear $85
California Compliant items - Prince50 Bullet Button and Action Wrench $25
10 round Magazine - $12
Ammo - 100 rounds .223 $50(can you believe this shit?)

What I need:
Upper assembly and lower parts kit - on order from Del-Ton $533
Primary sight - would like a 2x scope or variable, I have a red dot but would like a scope
Sling/sling mount - ~$50
Ammo - I would like to have around 1K reserve and 500 rounds to play with ~$500
Four rail handguard - Can be found for ~$70
Total I will have $700 invested with about another $100 for "dig-me" items NOT counting ammo...not bad considering it would cost me ~$1500 for the same rifle plus all the California fees and such.

Still waiting....

MBUS

Received my sights today, great shipping time. Ordered them on Tuesday and got them today. Great quality, MagPul definitely did not let me down on this one.

Sights

Yesterday I ordered my open sights. I got MagPul Back-up Sights (MBUS), front and rear sights from machineguntours.com for $85 shipped - about $15 cheaper than any other site I found.

I received the Prince50 Bullet Button and Action Wrench a couple of weeks ago, talk about good quality - I am impressed. The magazine that also came is really nice. I can't wait to get going on this build and get the kit in the mail from Del-Ton.

California compliant parts ordered

Found a Prince50 Bullet Button at parallaxtactical that comes with a free Action Wrench for $25. I was also able to pick up a 10 round mag for $13 when purchased with the BB. This is the best price for these things I need that I have been able to find so far (and yes, I intend to stop looking). I also purchased a couple extended take down pins, I was trying to get the purchase over $50 for the free shipping, but couldn't do it...doesn't really matter, spending $10 to save $5 just doesn't make sense to me.

Processing

Checked my order at Del-Ton and it says "NOTE: This order has already shipped or has reached the final stages of processing. Therefore this order is no longer editable." I wonder if that means I will see it soon. I need to start getting the other parts to make this CAL legal.

Starting Out

Yes, I have jumped on the band-wagon, been swept up in the hype, and been bitten by the gun-grab panic bug. The media craze has prompted me to quit procrastinating and purchase a firearm I have been in love with since I first fired it in Ft. Leonard Wood, MO in 1995.
I decided to go the "build your own" route due to the $$ savings and the ability to get what I want without paying for what I don't.

At this point I have a stripped lower from Essential Arms, a bunch of magazines (which being in California I cannot use and have taken to Washington for safe keeping), some building tools and a lot of knowledge gained from various web sites. (below)

www.ar15.com
http://blog.riflegear.com/articles/building-a-california--legal-ar-15-rifle.aspx
http://buildyourownar15.com/
http://www.brianlane.com/articles/ar15/

I have also ordered a 16" mid-length Rifle Kit from Del-ton (www.delton.com) and am in the waiting pattern.


As the days drag on I will keep this updated with the progress and associated costs.