Reddit reviews Aeroshell 33 MS Grease Kit (Specifically Sized for Gun Owners and Builders) , Best Gun Grease , MIL-G-21164D (1/4oz)

If you have Amazon Prime, theres a bunch of options on there for small little containers of 33ms, no need for a large tube, and you'll get it in 2-days with Prime.

I got this one, in the 1/4oz version. I've used it for 3 builds so far, and i still have a lot of it.

I just built exactly what you're describing. I can share some of my experiences.

• Torquing things:
  
  
  • An AR-15 armourer's wrench is a dedicated device for AR-15 assembly and will be needed to attach the barrel, buffer tube, and flash hider. I initially got a super cheap one that couldn't take the torque and the tool's teeth snapped off while stripping a few of my barrel nut's teeth. I now use a TAPCO-brand model and it's very well made.
    
    
  • A torque wrench ensures you are tightening the barrel, flash hider, and castle nut to the correct minimum amounts using an objective indicator of applied torque. The minimum values are in the 25-35 ft.-lb range, so get a wrench that can exceed this by a healthy margin.
    
    
  • You need a vise to hold your upper and lower receiver at the individual stages where you're attaching parts, especially anything that needs to be tightened to a specified torque level. C-clamps and speed clamps are also helpful here.
    
    
  • A pair of plastic blocks clamp your upper receiver tightly to your vise. A block of magazine-shaped plastic goes into your magwell to hold your lower receiver in place on your vise. Get a combo pack of both.
    
    
  • Molybdenum-based anti-seize (greasing) compound is necessary when attaching your barrel to your receiver. It makes things easier when torquing the barrel nut and prevents the barrel from chemically bonding to the receiver. I made the mistake of attaching the barrel without it, had great difficulty tightening the nut, found that I couldn't align the gas tube properly, and then couldn't remove the nut again. Had to toss the thing into a freezer overnight to allow thermal contraction to separate the parts.
    
    
• Pushing in roll pins:
  
  
  • You want a mallet with a non-marring head for driving in roll pins without damaging your weapon's finish.
    
    
  • A roll pin starter set will save you so much trouble getting the pins aligned for the first few hammer hits. Buy it.
    
    
  • For most of my roll pins, I used a roll punch set instead of a standard punch set to drive in the pins. Roll pins are hollow and a roll punch has a small indentation that fits inside the hollow area which makes driving the pins much easier.
    
    
  • A standard punch set came in handy to keep high-tension parts aligned while I punched in roll pins from the other side.
    
    
  • A bench block is useful in holding your parts in place while hammering in roll pins, but it's not needed if you have a friend to provide spare hands at some stages of assembly. I started off using it, but a roommate's hands plus a roll of tape (to rest the work piece on) worked just as well.
    
    
• Specialty / miscellaneous
  
  
  • If you're installing a handguard that uses the standard delta ring, you will want snap ring pliers to manipulate the snap ring part of the delta ring assembly. I initially tried using improved tools. Save yourself the cursing and just get the pliers.
    
    
  • I saw a video guide to installing the front pivot pin using a clevis pin. It looks like a good technique to use and would have saved me a lot of trouble.
    
    I'm super happy with the results of my build. The process is fraught with a lot of cursing and you're probably going to lose a couple of the tiny parts (like detent pins and tension springs) but the end result will be totally worth it. You'll be intimately familiar with the insides of your AR-15 and share a sentimental connection with your firearm thanks to its DIY nature. Enjoy!

> I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions in the near future, but right now here's a couple.

NP hit me up as they come.

>Firstly, what are the appropriate applications for grease and oil? Is one more appropriate in different climates than the other? Would it be optimal to use a combination of both, applying each to different parts? I guess my main concern here is handling the extreme cold we get here in Minnesota (sometimes low as -35*F give or take).

So the only place grease should go is on the barrel nut and castle nut, if you intend to take them off again. For the barrel nut you will need a very specific grease so it doesn't seize, this is it.

For the rest, you just lube. There is some back and forth about dry lube in extreme particle environments, but you don't need to worry about that. There are a million lubes out there, all of which promise to be the next best thing. Most are snake oil. Slip 2000 is not, and I know for a fact their Slip 2000 EWL does work in -25f (cause I've used it personally, among other things). Here are all the proper points to put lube after cleaning. If you notice the rifle getting "sluggish" after a few hundred or thousand rounds (depends on ammo and conditions how long) just put a few more drops on the bolt lugs and bolt carrier rails, you can just drop it in from the ejection port while pulling the bolt back.

>edit: I'm wondering how this applies to pistols too as I have a p226. edit 2: And what about that EWL 30?

Same thing, I know Slip 2000 EWL works. I have not used EWL 30, nor would I in the cold as generally you want the lighter stuff for freezing temps. But you can always experiment with it and report back.


>Secondly, you mentioned a cleaning kit. Is this the one you were referring to? https://www.amazon.com/Real-Avid-223-5-56-Pack/dp/B011X9V70I


Correct, it is an excellent kit specifically for that AR. Comes with everything you'd ever need to fully clean one. I used and OTIS kit before the real avid, and a bunch of hodgepodge cleaning gear before that. The Real Avid just blows them away, and it is so small you can easily put it in a range bag or even large pocket.