AR-15 build verses buy

[TheHunt]

My son looked into buy verses build and it looks cheaper to buy one out right then to build?  Crazy...  I guess when you buy in bulk you can put together those rifles pretty cheap. 

[NW-GSP]

Youn can peice one together for allot cheaper if you aren't in a rush

[Heredoggydoggy]

My son looked into buy verses build and it looks cheaper to buy one out right then to build?  Crazy...  I guess when you buy in bulk you can put together those rifles pretty cheap.

Right now, you can buy an AR cheaper than you can build one, but you might not get exactly what you want.  Either way, it ain't cheap! 

[superdown]

I got a aero precision stripped AR lower for Christmas and a DPMS lower receiver parts kit. When i was doing my research it is possible to buy a complete a little cheaper but i wanted the hands on experience of building one and the intimate knowledge of the weapon so for me it was worth a little extra for the education.

[actionshooter]

Right now if you do build an AR cheaper than just buying one, its likely the parts aren't going to be high quality. I also tell everyone that if they are ever going to sell it,
   buy one from a known maker as "home builds" tend to be a tough sell.

I got a aero precision stripped AR lower for Christmas and a DPMS lower receiver parts kit. When i was doing my research it is possible to buy a complete a little cheaper but i wanted the hands on experience of building one and the intimate knowledge of the weapon so for me it was worth a little extra for the education.

That's a great reason to build one, its just fun.

[Heredoggydoggy]

Yes, being a modular gun, they are easy and fun to build.  Like I say, I have 5 AR's, and only ONE is a .223...

[Elliott]

I have all my parts in a box, just got my last piece a couple days ago (an A2 Buffer spacer) just waiting on my coworker to have some free time to help guide me through the build, its looking like the last few weekends of January. Cant wait to build it! I started buying all the parts about 9 months ago, that was, its an easy way to pay for a whole rifle over an extended period of time rather than putting one on layaway!

[Biggerhammer]

If you just want the best price on a AR by all means just go purchase one. There are so many different companies/ manufacturers producing parts for the AR and in that some specialize in different aspects of it. Such as lowers, uppers, handguards, barrels, triggers etc. I build my AR's to bring together the parts from assorted manufacturers I prefer. A complete rifle that one couldn't just purchase outright. Well, one could.

Companies like RainierArms and such will take a build sheet you write up, assemble the rifle and ship it. Great company by the way(RainierArms).

One would be hard pressed to put together a standard AR cheaper than purchasing one out right. By the time you find the parts, order them, pay the shipping fees and assemble it. A 700.00 AR at the counter and out the door looks fairly attractive. Considering the time and money to piece it together. My time is worth something to me

The base of a AR is the barrel, I can't say it enough! The rest is all mass manufactured to a base line spec and or Mil-Spec. What's the point of assembling a AR if your going to frost it with a crap cheap barrel, then feed it the cheapest ammo possible. Cracks me up!

On the other hand there is nothing wrong with that if that's your intent, just don't snivel when it's not shooting 1/2 moa. Most of us that build AR's have pieced together several here and there for as cheap as possible just to shoot the crap out of them. A volume, hose a junk pile down thing. Great therapy!

Every once and a while one of them will shoot.

[mountainman]

Many $600 rifle out there. Hard to build for much less for the average joe.probably cheaper to buy this way, then customize as you see fit

[Heredoggydoggy]

I glanced quickly at all the AR's at WalMart a while back, some popular brands, and some obscure brands, but very good prices!  And provided the parts aren't pinned or LocTited together, anything can easily be changed later on.

[lee]

True, completed AR's are competitively priced, but for those that enjoy the "tinkering" aspect of firearms building your own is still the cheaper route.

Right now you can get a parts kit that includes everything except the stripped lower from Del-ton for $485 + shipping. They have many configurations to choose from and the Uppers come already assembled.

Then pick up a stripped lower (around here Surplus Ammo and Arms has them for $89.) An hour or so of yer time with simple shop tools and yer done.

I respectably disagree with the comment that kit AR's are hard to sell. After Sandy Hook I could have whittled a 2x6 into the shape of an AR and sold it for $1000.

Yer milage may vary,
Lee

[Biggerhammer]

"I respectably disagree with the comment that kit AR's are hard to sell. After Sandy Hook I could have whittled a 2x6 into the shape of an AR and sold it for $1000."

I agree and it will happen again, some of us made a killing with factory AR's and spare parts. People came to me and were offering me 4 times what I had paid for AR's. You hear all these people sniveling about price gouging. Hahaha! When you have guys calling and saying they will hand you 3K for AR's you paid 800.00 for a guy sells some of the surplus in the safe.


Us guys that had been through the Clinton ordeal, saw it coming a long way out and were Hoarding complete AR's, uppers, lowers and parts kits. Looking forward to the next "Scare".

[Special T]

Here s build related question... What parts are necessary to build a LH AR? Do you need a whole upper or just certain parts. Any suppliers of the uppers or LH kits?

[Grizzly95]

There is a dealer near me selling them for $550. I think they assemble them at the store. Not sure what they use or how good they are. I just borrowed my brothers DPMS to see if I would shoot it and like it. Still on the fence on wanting one.

[gasman]

Here s build related question... What parts are necessary to build a LH AR? Do you need a whole upper or just certain parts. Any suppliers of the uppers or LH kits?

I believe you just need a LH upper and bolt (or BCG)