spec50trout
Well-Known Member
Agreed. For that price it's a no brainer. Price of tools vs open the box = win!
Help building an AR-15...
- Thread starter cjacobs
- Start date
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Agreed. For that price it's a no brainer. Price of tools vs open the box = win!
I'm building one for a co worker.
Colt LPK minus fcg-$60
Daniel defense fcg---have one saying around.
Bcm buffer tube---35
Colt castle nut---8
Bcm h buffer---22
Mega lower---114 or spikes lower---80. Undecided.
Moe stock, middy handguards, and bcm grip---laying around
PSA upper and bcg---350 total.
so if my wife picks up a Complete Brownells AR-15 Rifle including Bushmaster Lower Receiver - $404 shipped, what tools would i need to put it together?
i am new to AR world dont know if i will like it or not i know my wife and kids will, so looking in to it.
i am new to AR world dont know if i will like it or not i know my wife and kids will, so looking in to it.
The Brownells kit looks like a good deal for a basic rifle.
However, for a single build, all the tools would be a sizable investment...and knowing how to do the assembly vital.
I'd recommend getting with somebody equipped for the job and have them walk you through it.
Its not too difficult, but having an experienced guide makes it a lot easier.
BTW...the M&P15 Sport is a great deal for a first rifle, but building one will make you more knowledgeable on the AR15.
However, for a single build, all the tools would be a sizable investment...and knowing how to do the assembly vital.
I'd recommend getting with somebody equipped for the job and have them walk you through it.
Its not too difficult, but having an experienced guide makes it a lot easier.
BTW...the M&P15 Sport is a great deal for a first rifle, but building one will make you more knowledgeable on the AR15.
Your group of guys were correct. I did the same. Started out with a DPMS Oracle 5.56. No complaints as a shooter, was totally reliable and ate everything I fed into it.
Took my first AR15 hog with it. Neck shot, and he fell after 5 steps, DRT.
But it has a very light barrel, and I wanted it for other duty as well, should a SHTF scenario develop, and the barrel was not good for that, overheated very fast.
As I was contemplating what I was going to do to it (new heavier and slightly longer barrel with a faster twist, free float the barrel, etc.) I finally decided I'd just build a new one as I really wanted it, from scratch. PSA, Pegasus Defense and MidwayUSA were my parts sources. Great prices for really good parts.
What I wound up with was a gorgeous 5.56 18" barrel SPR that is a tack driver. Because I went with top of the line parts (where it counted, barrel and BCG) I did spend more than your $600 limit. But the parts were bought over several months time, and I didn't feel the pain.
Liked doing it so much I built another, in .300BLK, 16" barrel non-free floated (Magpul furniture). Used good parts, but not top of the line, for it, from the same three parts sources I used for the first build. Shoots very good, and difference in parts quality seems mostly a non-issue. Longevity will tell the tale I reckon, but I will not be shooting the .300 as much as the 5.56, so that may not be a factor.
Last thing....building an AR is super easy. Once you have all the parts, and assuming you have what you need in the way of tools, neither of mine took more than an hour to complete. It was fun, and I have a very real sense of pride and accomplishment, seeing how well they perform, and knowing I assembled them.
One more thing...agree with the others, for an inexpensive kit, I'd definitely go with PSA. They don't ship fast, but they haven't screwed up an order or sent me a bad part either. Their stuff is good, it works.
One more thing...I found that in both lower parts kits (PSA and CMMG) the hammer springs were weak, too weak to fire milsurp ammo, although they shot commercial ammo just fine. A new spring for both from DPMS solved the problem.
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It's hard to put one together and beat the sales prices that PSA and others run. Especially if you have to buy the tools. Black Friday PSA runs super sales. That being said I am building a 6.8 SPC right now only because I wanted a custom barrel on it.
This is true, however, if you did buy the tools for your first build, then your second one is cheaper. And it gets habit forming to build them.
I've built two complete so far, and an upper for a friend, and two more complete builds are on tap in the near future.
Never had so much fun and sense of accomplishment since I started doing this.
