It is no secret that the AR-15 rifle is one of the most popular firearms in the United States. With its wide range of customization options and variety of calibers and accessories, the AR-15 is the perfect choice for a variety of shooting applications. Whether you’re a hunter, competition shooter, or just looking to plink cans in the backyard, the AR-15 is a great choice. But in order to take advantage of the rifle’s full potential, it’s important to understand the inner workings of the rifle. One of the best ways to do this is to refer to an AR-15 exploded parts diagram, which is essentially a visual representation of the rifle’s internal components.
An exploded parts diagram is a great reference tool for anyone who is building an AR-15, disassembling and cleaning an AR-15 or even just looking for a better understanding of the rifle’s internal components. Exploded parts diagrams are available from a variety of sources, including gunsmiths, gun parts suppliers and online retailers. For the purposes of this guide, we’ll be using an AR-15 Exploded Parts Diagram from Brownells.com.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Identify the Major Components
When you’re looking at an AR-15 exploded parts diagram, the first step is to identify the major components of the rifle. These components include the upper receiver, lower receiver, barrel, buttstock, trigger guard, magazine release button, bolt carrier group, charging handle, forward assist and buffer tube. Knowing where these components are located can help you visualize the AR-15’s internal workings.
Step 2: Find the Smaller Parts
Once you’ve identified the major components of the rifle, you can move on to the smaller parts. These include the trigger, disconnector, hammer, fire control pins, takedown pins, magazine catch, hammer spring, buffer retainer, extractor, firing pin and firing pin spring. All of these parts are essential for proper functioning of the AR-15, so it’s important to understand where they are located.
Step 3: Learn How the Parts Interact
Once you’ve identified the major components and the smaller parts, you can begin to think about how these parts interact with each other. For example, the hammer interacts with the trigger to release the firing pin, which in turn strikes the primer of the cartridge to ignite the powder and fire the rifle. The magazine catch holds the magazine in place, while the bolt carrier group holds the bolt in place and allows it to cycle back and forth.
Step 4: Understand How the Parts are Installed
Finally, it’s important to understand how the parts are installed in the rifle. The upper and lower receivers are the two halves of the AR-15 that the other parts are attached to. The barrel is screwed into the upper receiver, while the buttstock is attached to the lower receiver. The trigger guard is attached to the lower receiver, as is the magazine release button. The bolt carrier group is inserted into the upper receiver, while the charging handle is attached to the bolt carrier group. The forward assist and buffer tube are attached to the upper receiver.
Understanding how to read an AR-15 exploded parts diagram is a great way to gain a better understanding of the internal workings of the rifle. Whether you’re building an AR-15 from scratch or just want to better understand how the rifle works, an exploded parts diagram can be a valuable reference tool. With a little practice and patience, you’ll soon be able to quickly identify all the parts and understand how they interact with each other.
