Thinking about building an AR

[LSU]

So my dad is wanting to get a new AR since the one he had was a peice of junk. He just wants a basic AR and I have been trying to figure out if it is cheaper to get like a kit and build it or if we are just better off buying one. Also I havent ever built one of course and if I do decide to do it could some of yall help me do it? Its not going to be in the near future because he is having heart surgery tomorrow and has other stuff going on. If someone could help me figure out/decide what to do it would be appreciated.

Also I am wanting to maybe this summer build a lower since its cheaper and get an upper in a bigger caliber

 

[Jguid54]

What is your budget? What do you want to do with the gun?

I can help you when ever I'm not busting my ass in Patrick F. Taylor Hall.

 

[noob]

if you have the time, tools, or friends that do, build it for fun and the experience. in the end, you don't really save that much. you have to take into account transfer fees for the lower if you can't find one locally. other than that, you can always buy a completed upper and completed lower separately. the only major advantage i see of building is you get your rifle the way you want it w/ all parts from whatever manufacturer you like, the first time around. but if you want something basic, honestly, my M&P15 has done well for me *knock on wood*.

 

[petelanca]

There really isn't much price difference, but I will warn you...building can be addictive.

 

[Sin-ster]

Building a rifle of equal (or greater) quality than one you can just buy off the shelf isn't going to save you much cash. If you factor in the value of your time (per hour), it's probably more expensive to build than to buy outright.

As others have noted, you build for the fun of it, and to have the EXACT rifle you've always wanted to own. Depending on your confidence in your abilities, you also get the peace of mind that comes from knowing it was properly assembled. When you're finished, you'll also better understand the workings of the rifle and be able to perform quite a bit of maintenance on the AR platform-- another advantageous side effect of your build.

Keep in mind that all builds are not created equal-- and I'm not talking about the components used. You can start completely from "scratch"; you can build on a stripped lower, but buy a pre-assembled upper; you can get a complete lower and upper and swap out the parts you want. The possibilities, as I'm sure you know, are endless.

It all depends on your mood, your wants, your patience and your mechanical competence. The task isn't a difficult one, but it can certainly be frustrating. It could be a really fun project for you and your father to work on together. But if neither of you have the time to spend, you're not giving up much more cash to buy one off the shelf.

That said, check out Spike's Tactical for lowers and/or complete uppers/rifles, and Bravo Company USA for the same. (IIRC, BCM is about to start selling their own lowers? Been a while since I checked their site.)

 

[03GeeTee]

What is your budget? What do you want to do with the gun?

I can help you when ever I'm not busting my ass in Patrick F. Taylor Hall.

Yea sometimes I feel like I live in CEBA also

 

[LSU]

What is your budget? What do you want to do with the gun?

I can help you when ever I'm not busting my ass in Patrick F. Taylor Hall.

I was just thinking about getting an AR that I could hunt with, but now i might just buy a new upper for that.

if you have the time, tools, or friends that do, build it for fun and the experience. in the end, you don't really save that much. you have to take into account transfer fees for the lower if you can't find one locally. other than that, you can always buy a completed upper and completed lower separately. the only major advantage i see of building is you get your rifle the way you want it w/ all parts from whatever manufacturer you like, the first time around. but if you want something basic, honestly, my M&P15 has done well for me *knock on wood*.

Yeah I have an M&P 15 as well and it is sweet. No problems or complaints

 

[Ben Segrest]

So my dad is wanting to get a new AR since the one he had was a peice of junk. He just wants a basic AR and I have been trying to figure out if it is cheaper to get like a kit and build it or if we are just better off buying one. Also I havent ever built one of course and if I do decide to do it could some of yall help me do it? Its not going to be in the near future because he is having heart surgery tomorrow and has other stuff going on. If someone could help me figure out/decide what to do it would be appreciated.

Also I am wanting to maybe this summer build a lower since its cheaper and get an upper in a bigger caliber

What sort of issues did he have with it?

 

[LSU]

He sold it but it was chambered in 7.62 and it just wouldnt feed for anything so he eventually got rid of it

 

[Ben Segrest]

The x39 AR's are known for feeding issues. Some of them work, some of them don't. . .