Putting together my first AR

[HillSlick]

Hello everyone,

Hope all is well. As the title says I’m putting together my first AR-15 with some help from a friend. I’ve always been an old school gun guy, lever guns, revolvers, and shotguns. But I’m finally making the leap lol. Just looking for any tips or insight that you guys might have. The more info the better! Thank you for any and all help, cheers!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lokidog]

Built one, just bought an upper that cost a lot less....    It was fun.  I'm doing an 80% lower here pretty soon.

[Biggerhammer]

It’s all about a quality barrel. The rest is just Mil-Spec fluff and Mil-Spec fluff with a different name stamped on it for twice as much. Jump on in, live and learn. It’s only money, you make it every day.

[Mongo Hunter]

So I've built a few now and I've learn ALOT in that time. there are a few things id say don't "skimp" on and a few places you can save money. now when I say don't "skimp" that doesn't mean mortgage your house, just buy quality.

Don't skimp:

Bolt Carriers (heart of the system and will ruin your day having a bad one). Spikes, Fail zero, BCM, Daniel defense, Aero ect. all good.
Barrels (last thing to touch the bullet) Black hole weaponry, Spikes, BCM, Ballistic advantage, Daniel defense, ect.
Lower parts kits (not all are created equal) I recently used a Strike industries and it was ok, I really like the Spikes enhanced kits but they are expensive.
Magazines.

Save money:
Uppers
Lowers (as long as its forged or milled)
Rails
Muzzle breaks
Stocks/buffer tubes/grips ect.

Shop online and you can find lots of deals on stuff, have a plan on what you want to build/want it to do, do your research and don't be afraid to ask questions. Im happy to help and so are lots of other guys here, we were ALL noobs at some point.


Oh and carful when you hear the term "milspec" that's a term of compatibility not necessarily quality. again do your research or ask before you buy. Ive bought stuff that was supposedly "milspec" and it was far from it and a pile of crap  .

[yorketransport]

Here's my advice on building ARs:

Take all the money you had budgeted for the build and put it in 3 piles. Now take each pile of money and wrap it up into a ball held together with tape. Take those three balls of money and throw them at a target about 50 yards away. If you're happy with the "group" you have on the target, pick up your money and build a rifle with it. If you're not happy with the result, take the money and spend it on a gun worth owning.

Figure out what you want from the gun and go from there. For an inexpensive ammo disposal device you'd probably save money just buying an inexpensive upper. If you want more than that, match a quality barrel/extension with a quality bolt locking in to it you'll do well. Everything else is just a big handle.

[CAMPMEAT]

Check out www.sandersarmory.com Kelly, the owner, makes side charger, complete uppers that are very reasonable. I bought a 224 Valkyrie, 22 inch barrel from him for $620 to my door.

[kisfish]

Stop now.... They are like Rabbits, they multiply.

[Alchase]

Stop now.... They are like Rabbits they multiply.

But only in the safe, when the lights are off!

[Mongo Hunter]

Stop now.... They are like Rabbits they multiply.

I wish they multiplied without draining my bank account lol.

[nutntoit]

Building an AR is a great time. As others have said look into a quality barrel and BCG. The rest is all the same. Aero precision has some great deals on quality parts. They forge uppers and lowers for a lot of other companies also. For example my BCM and my Aero Precision have the same forge mark. There is a lot of cool whiz-bang billet lowers around but most cost something crazy and weigh a ton. Forged is stronger anyway.

Palmetto State Armory is a great place to look as well. They have sales all the time with free shipping. If you don't have a vice, vice block and an armorers wrench it may be more cost effective to find a complete upper you like and buy it that way. You can build a lower at your dining room table. Good luck, it won't be your last build.

[Fl0und3rz]

It is a good skill to have, but they are like a gateway drug.  First 5.56, then pretty soon, you'll have so many in different calibers that you didn't know you "needed."

[Special T]

I'm curious what you guys think of the 223 wylde barrels.  I heard they are optimized to run both 223 and 556 since the specs are slightly different

Is the Wylde really that better/different than the barrels stamped both 223/556?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[ASHQUACK]

Another great ar manufacturer in Wa is Hardened Arms. They build some amazingly accurate rifles which can be ordered in pieces and parts or as a while functional unit. I have changed out all my triggers to aftermarket elftmann 3 gun triggers. 

[Mongo Hunter]

Hello everyone,

Hope all is well. As the title says I’m putting together my first AR-15 with some help from a friend. I’ve always been an old school gun guy, lever guns, revolvers, and shotguns. But I’m finally making the leap lol. Just looking for any tips or insight that you guys might have. The more info the better! Thank you for any and all help, cheers!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
[/q

Hows the buil coming?