Very lost and very confused over seeming minutiae

[Foundered]

Hey y'all I'm considering embarking down the road towards an AR-15 and even just cursory glances leave me dumbfounded. I can't seem to find a good guide for this and there's so much...minutiae and no way for me to tell if it makes a difference or not (none of my friends have done this so I'm on my own). Is there a good place to find this stuff out?

For instance, what on earth is the difference between these two LPKs?
http://palmettostatearmory.com/2037.php
http://palmettostatearmory.com/417.php

Other than $15? The more expensive one has a little nub thing on the back and perhaps a more ergonomic grip. The less expensive one has an extra screw and washer, which I suppose would go into a screw hold that the nub on the other LPK is in?

And then some LPKs are ridiculous, like this one: http://palmettostatearmory.com/2196.php
What does that one have that's worth $330?


Also, as far as lowers, what's the difference? Some are priced at $400, some at $50. They all look more or less the same in pictures though, and as a complete newbie to this I really don't know what to be looking for. Is it machining quality, branding, both?

I'm just having a hard time even beginning to cut through all this and I haven't even looked at all the different aspects of uppers.

[Paulo_Santos]

Are you looking to build your own or buy a complete AR? The difference between the first two are the grip and some other minor pieces. The more expensive LPK comes with a great trigger. Yes it is worth it if you want a great trigger. If you are new to AR15's, I'd recommend buying a quality one or call up Rainier Arms and tell them what you are looking for and they will help you out.

[Sinkhole]

Hello and welcome aboard. I was in your shoes about 9 months ago. I had fired several AR's over the years but never owned one never mind built one. When I decided to embark on my 1st AR build I had very little knowledge of what really goes into an AR. I decided the 1st and most logical place to start was with the lower receiver. I I looked around and did a lot of research. I found that many lowers are made by 1 of 4 different companies Continental Machine Tool (CMT) is one I was familiar with, being they are located, in New Britain, CT, about 40 minutes from my home. Stag Arms is a division of CMT. They make some really good lowers. I however went with a Smith & Wesson lower. My local shop carries them in stock, they are a reasonable price and good quality lower. As for LPKs there are many different ones out there. It mostly boils down to the grip and trigger that dictates the price of your LPK. Grips are obviously personal preference and so are triggers. Some triggers are definitely better than others and Geissele makes some of the best. I went with an RGuns stainless steel LPK, it has a single stage stainless steel trigger. I'm actually quite fond of how it feels. All the pins, springs and detents are for the most part identical between LPKs. Decide what kind of stock and color scheme you want before you embark on your journey, you can save some money buying say the grip you will want bundled with the LPK. I made this mistake. I could have bought this (http://palmettostatearmory.com/2033.php) LPK with the grip and trigger guard I wanted and saved a few dollars. Live and learn. There are a ton of thing you will purchase that are purely personal preference. I would recommend keeping it simple for your 1st rifle build, it won't be your last. I would go with a straight forward carbine as I did. But that's entirely up to you. Brownells has a whole video section on how to build an AR-15, it's quite informative for the beginner. Check that out here. (http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=11004/learn/) Just remember Google is your friend. If you don't know Google it. Or post it around here, you'll get your answer. I hope this helps you out and good luck with the build.

Here's how my 1st build turned out. I got the last few parts for Christmas.
These are the parts I used.

S&W M&P Lower Receiver
RGUNS Stainless Steel LPK
DPMS Upper Receiver
BCMGUNFIGHTER Charging Handle, Mod 4
DMPS BCG
DPMS Upper Parts Kit
DPMS 16" Carbine 5.56mm 1:9 Barrel
PSA Mil-Spec Buffer Tube, Spring and Buffer
Magpul MOE Stock
Magpul MOE Hand Guard
Magpul Enhanced Trigger Guard (aluminium)
Magpul MIAD Grip
DPMS Ambi-Safety
Magpul B.A.D. Lever
YHM Black Plated Gas Tube
Troy Ind. Folding Rear Sight from my Ruger SR556SC

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg230/Sinkhole3000/AR-15%20Build/IMG_0003.jpg

[Foundered]

Looking to build it. Part of the draw of AR-15s to me is the personalization of yes, this is my gun, I built it after all, even if it's limited at the moment (I don't have the tools required to build an upper). That said, however, resources are limited since I've got a good deal of student debts to contend with as well. This'll probably take me at least a year and I don't want to spend $1,000+ on it. $600 is about how much I want to throw at this thing.

But there's a lot I need to learn first, and I don't know where to go for it.

[lamarbrog]

Save some money and buy a Colt 6920 for around $1100.Or, an LMT Defender for around $1200. Or, a Daniel Defense M4V3 for around $1300.

Even if you manage to slap something together for $600, it's going to be of exceptionally shoddy quality... Fairly shortly, once you're around the platform for a while, you'll be thoroughly disgusted at spending $600 on something that you're not satisfied with.

Do what you want... but you'll get what you pay for.



If you want to "make it your own" add your preferred optic to it and a sling you like. Stencil your name on the stock.

[TehLlama]

Mine feel plenty MINE and more than adequately unique after assembling my own lower from a stripped lower and LPK, and selecting an upper receiver that makes sense for my application (DanielDefense LW V5; DD LW 14.5" Middy w/ TROY Extreme Rails; 14.7" LW Carbine upper with MOE handguards).

$600 is on the low end of a really efficient fighting tool - there are decent AR's below the $800 price point, but corners are necessarily cut to meet those price points. Between 800 and a grand is where the meat of the good ones are - Colt 6920's can be found under $1000 and that's the standard all others are compared to. If you're willing to build your own lower off a the bargain sourced PSA units or something similar (use a good LPK - the CMT are the minimum worth buying) and purchase a separate upper, you can get a hundred or so lower, and you're also looking at the option of having a midlength upper.

I'd say a Colt 6920 has to be a recommendation
A 6970 with Centurion C4 Cutout rail (from G&R Tactical) would be up there
Or a PSA Lower built yourself, with a DD LW upper from AIM or Rainier Arms...

[d90king]

In todays market its difficult to not simply recommend a Colt 6920. If you poke around you can find them for under a grand. At that price point its very difficult to beat the quality and proven track record of the 6920.

Buy it, shoot it, learn your rifle and then you will be able to determine what upgrades that YOU need.

[hikeeba]

Hello Foundered,

Beginning any new hobby/activity/pastime/etc is always exciting, and sometimes it can be hard to contain that excitement. If you truly want to jump feet first into assembling your own lower for your first AR-15 type rifle, I suggest you sit back, take a couple deep breaths, and slow yourself down a little bit so you can not only look at different components, but read, study, and understand how they differ from one another. I understand that LPKs may look similar, but you need to look beyond pictures to understand that more that 'minutiae' separates a $50 LPK from $300 LPK. In the case of the two PSA LPKs you cited, the difference is in the supplied pistol grip - A2 vs. Ergo. The A2 is your basic, garden variety pistol grip. The Ergo is an upgrade which offers a different grip angle.

As far as lower receivers go, price differences can be attributed to a number of factors including, but not limited to brand name, demand/popularity of brand name, quality of final machining, and the quality of the finish. Some folks say a lower is a lower, and others say to just pick whatever rollmark (brand/engraved picture) you like the best. I prefer to actualy handle a lower receiver and look it over with my own eyes, but that's just me.

Relax, take your time, do your homework/research. Assembling your own firearm is sort of a big deal , and it shouldn't be rushed ot taken lightly. Good luck with your project!

[capncraigagain]

Hello there, Foundered. I was in the same boat last spring. I used a few different versions of the AR-15 while I was in the Navy, as well as several other small arms, but wasn't very knowledgable about what was out there in the commercial gun shop custom markets. I did a lot of research and joined a few other discussion groups, notably M4carbine.net and the AR15 Armory. I got a lot of information from them, and a lot more questions in my mind.

After researching (and saving my pennies) I decided to go with a Ruger SR 556 M4 Carbine, mainly for the Gas piston system virtues over the Gas Impingement systems common on most other AR's out there. The price was up there ($1400), but the reviews and accessories gave me a warm and fuzzie.

I'm very happy with it as it is, but will be making a few custom changes as time and money permit. My first upgrade was purchasing a Leupold Mark AR 4-12 x 40 mm scope. I'm thinking that I might change the LPK next, as well as finding a longer heavy barrel for better down range marksmanship.

Like the other posts say, the marvel of the AR's is universal interchangeability of components: most parts from one manufacturer's lower/upper will fit on another manufacturers product. The big glitch is that sometimes they fit, but don't work as well.

My suggestion to you is, if you are limited in funds for your initial purchase is to go out to the gun shops, pawn shops and gun shows, find a good, clean, basic and well maintained used AR to get on the range. As you develop your skills and personal preferences, you can change different components as time and money permit.

while your spending time and money at the range with your AR, talk with other AR marksmen and ask them for pros and cons about what they are using. Also, they most likely will let you try out their tools.

Another good source for buying AR's, as well as any other firearm, ammo, accessory, etc.. is gunbroker.com and gunsamerica.com.

Above all, enjoy the Black Rifle's.

[Eric]

In todays market its difficult to not simply recommend a Colt 6920. If you poke around you can find them for under a grand. At that price point its very difficult to beat the quality and proven track record of the 6920.

Buy it, shoot it, learn your rifle and then you will be able to determine what upgrades that YOU need.
Indeed.

[LPMan59]

It is truly to hard to not recommend the Colt 6920. If you absolutely must pinch pennies, I would go with the Palmetto State Armory M4 for about $600.

I think for a first AR, you should buy one and then become familiar with it. You can always change stuff down the road.