My first AR

[xyettix]

Okay so here's the deal. I have been looking into the AR style rifles for some time. I dont know much about them except the beauty it can behold. I have been offered a bushmaster m4a3 for $950 (new). It looks promising but i just need a durable, outstanding, yet inexpensive rifle. I read that some makers, types, or companies what have you, to upgrade the handgaurd, you need an oval not round? can someone explain that to me? I, want to upgrade that piece for a fair price for i do not have much cash to put into this rifle. I just want railings on all four sides to add on different things to make it look all tactical like many other people do. I already have a red dot, gonna buy a flashlight/laser combo, and a foregrip. So please help a newb on understanding what's really going on. Much appreciated :]

[peabody]

Howdy ... first off ied like to say .... have you thought about just getting a standard A4 20 inch barrel rifle?
And learning the rifle. Shoot it a bunch. Then later if you must. U can trick it out.
Me? Im a big fan of the old A1's. Pure simplicity. Nothing. And i mean nothing looks as pure as an old slickside.
Peabody

[Hmac]

You can get a Colt 6920 for that price. Go that route. Learn to shoot it, define what you're going to use it for, take some courses/instruction, find out what you like and don't like about it and how it meets your needs, or fails to, before putting money into configuration upgrades you don't know anything about.

[TangoSauce]

Greetings, Welcome to Weapon Evolution. I will say DO NOT BUY A BUSHMASTER. My recommendation for an entry AR would be Daniel Defense or BCM. The extra few hundred dollars will be well worth the investment for getting a mil-spec (sans F/A) AR out of the box. Also, with BCM you could buy a lower and upper separately which might save you a few bucks or at very least allow you to personalize your setup better. Also, I'd consider a 16'' for a first build...a balance between portability and ballistics. Just my opinions. Good luck.

[markm]

Agreed. If the Bushmaster were like $700 out the door, it might be a consideration. But $950 is a no go.

[tpelle]

In my opinion, the most practical AR is a 20" barreled rifle with iron sights. Either an A2 or an A3 with a carry handle rear sight. That's all you need to learn to shoot.

I'd advise buying a rifle kit, which includes everything except the lower receiver and a magazine. A good quality lower receiver is about $100 to $120, as long as you are not hung up on the logo on the magazine well. And if the truth be told, the logo is really the only significant difference.

You can buy a kit from a company like Del-Ton ($470) or Model 1 Sales ($530), add your lower and a magazine, some Wal-Mart ammo, and be ready to learn.

[Hmac]

In my opinion, the most practical AR is a 20" barreled rifle with iron sights. Either an A2 or an A3 with a carry handle rear sight. That's all you need to learn to shoot.

I'd advise buying a rifle kit, which includes everything except the lower receiver and a magazine. A good quality lower receiver is about $100 to $120, as long as you are not hung up on the logo on the magazine well. And if the truth be told, the logo is really the only significant difference.

You can buy a kit from a company like Del-Ton ($470) or Model 1 Sales ($530), add your lower and a magazine, some Wal-Mart ammo, and be ready to learn.

Not much in this post I'd be inclined to agree with, except maybe buying some ammo from WalMart (although likely cheaper from some of the online ammo vendors). DelTon would be a viable option if reliability and good quality control is not important to the OP, but I strongly believe that building a rifle from parts for one's first AR is not a great idea. Likewise, a 20 inch barrel. There are a lot of good mid-length and carbine-length gas system rifles out there with 16 inch barrels, and from a handling perspective, that's most likely the best way to go. A 20 inch barrel really wouldn't get him anything that he needs and would indeed be more cumbersome to carry. I also recommend he familiarize himself with the iron sights, but I'm a believer in RDS optics and highly recommend that he get one. Aimpoint PRO is probably the best place to start, for cost-effectiveness if nothing else.

I'm inclined to believe that quality control applied by the rifle mfgr represents the biggest difference between brands of lower receivers. The number of lowers actually inspected, the required adherence to the design specs, and the number thrown away for being out of spec all create widely varying prices between mfgrs. I don't disagree that an in-spec DelTon lower receiver is likely as good as an in-spec Noveske, but the likelihood of getting an in-spec lower from Noveske is greater.

IMHO

[TangoSauce]

+1 for 16'' middy, should have mentioned that.

[csmith]

http://www.joeboboutfitters.com/Spike_s_Tactical_Gear_s/120.htm?searching=Y&sort=13&cat=120&show=40&page=1

You can purchase a seperate Spike's Tactical upper and lower receiver here for around $770. I believe the consensus would tell you they're better products than Bushmaster, and have a very good price point.

[lamarbrog]

Okay so here's the deal. I have been looking into the AR style rifles for some time. I dont know much about them except the beauty it can behold. I have been offered a bushmaster m4a3 for $950 (new). It looks promising but i just need a durable, outstanding, yet inexpensive rifle. I read that some makers, types, or companies what have you, to upgrade the handgaurd, you need an oval not round? can someone explain that to me? I, want to upgrade that piece for a fair price for i do not have much cash to put into this rifle. I just want railings on all four sides to add on different things to make it look all tactical like many other people do. I already have a red dot, gonna buy a flashlight/laser combo, and a foregrip. So please help a newb on understanding what's really going on. Much appreciated :]

Bushmaster is not worth $950.

If you want something cheap that is halfway decent, get Interarms. They can be had for about $750 in basic configurations if you shop around. (Edit: The Spike's Tactical deal listed above this post would be a better buy.)

Why do you need to "make it look all tactical"? The part they are probably referring to is the hand-guard cap, which is easy enough to replace. If you are just starting out, you don't need or want rails. Extra bulk, weight, and it'll tempt you to add stuff which will waste money that should be spent on practice ammo.

The red dot you have is probably made for an airsoft gun if I were to guess. In any case, set it to the side for now and learn the irons first. At least iron sights usually hold zero. Chinese optics often don't. If you aren't ready to spend $400+ on a red dot, get a good iron sight. I like Daniel Defense. You may find you prefer iron sights- sad but true fact is my $1400 MSRP Trijicon ACOG is sitting in a drawer, and an iron sight rides on the rifle... Guess I'm old school.

If you have a red dot, why would you need a laser? A quality flashlight from streamlight or surefire would be nice if you are doing low-light shooting. Are you? A good light costs money, no sense in buying one if you aren't going to use it. I would definitely rethink the vertical fore-grip also. Just makes it harder to support the rifle on a rest (am I correct in assuming you'll likely shoot this at a range, and not during room clearing?) while adding little, if any, practical benefit.



If all you want is something that looks cool, an "AR15" in dedicated .22LR is cheaper than a full caliber model. It will also be cheaper to shoot, and less expensive accessories will hold up to .22LR recoil usually. I don't mean this as an insult. I have a number of customers who came to me who acquired an interest in guns after playing video games. Those who bought .22LR AR15 mockups come out and shoot more often and have more fun than those who insisted on going with a 5.56NATO. Assess your needs, and be realistic. If you're looking for a budget rifle, are you ready to pay $.30 per round to shoot? You realize that one magazine contains about $9 worth of ammo, right? .22LR on the other hand is usually less than a nickel ($.05) per round. That means six times the shooting for the same price... not to mention what you save on the initial purchase and accessories.

Just stuff to think about.

[TehLlama]

A simple reliable 16" unit is what you want in a first AR - short enough for close stuff, with good ammo it will still reach well beyond the terminal effectiveness of the round (I'm talking any decent 16" barrel will do 600m). Reliability comes first, because having to troubleshoot odd malfunctions is NOT the way to learn how to run a weapon system.

Thus, I recommend a Colt 6920, Colt 6720, or a BCM 16" Midlength or DanielDefense V5. Honestly, the Colt 6920 gets the not among this bunch.

Spend the rest on magazines and ammunition, then start looking at adding accessories for functional uses (after firing an entire case).

[xyettix]

http://www.joeboboutfitters.com/Spike_s_Tactical_Gear_s/120.htm?searching=Y&sort=13&cat=120&show=40&page=1

You can purchase a seperate Spike's Tactical upper and lower receiver here for around $770. I believe the consensus would tell you they're better products than Bushmaster, and have a very good price point.

hey thanks man. so all i have to do is buy an upper receiver and a lower and just piece it together? or is there other stuff you have to buy(minus mags and such)? i mean like any bolts or anything to hold it together? or does it come with EVERYTHING? cuz right now that looks like my best bet

[xyettix]

Greetings, Welcome to Weapon Evolution. I will say DO NOT BUY A BUSHMASTER. My recommendation for an entry AR would be Daniel Defense or BCM. The extra few hundred dollars will be well worth the investment for getting a mil-spec (sans F/A) AR out of the box. Also, with BCM you could buy a lower and upper separately which might save you a few bucks or at very least allow you to personalize your setup better. Also, I'd consider a 16'' for a first build...a balance between portability and ballistics. Just my opinions. Good luck.


May i ask why a 16? not a 14.5? or 11?

[Rodman24]

May i ask why a 16? not a 14.5? or 11?

I know your Q was to TangoSauce but here's my two cents: Shorter than 16" will take you into the NFA realm. (NFA rules are another educational topic that you can address later). You can avoid running afoul of the NFA regs by using a 14.5" barrel with a pinned muzzle device for your 16" overall length, but that may cause issues (if you want to later change the muzzle device, gas block, etc).

Other than that, I would say that you need to learn the weapon in a fairly basic form. Once you determine specific needs for your rifle configuration, you'll have enough knowledge to understand why certain mods are needed.

[tpelle]

Not much in this post I'd be inclined to agree with, except maybe buying some ammo from WalMart (although likely cheaper from some of the online ammo vendors). DelTon would be a viable option if reliability and good quality control is not important to the OP, but I strongly believe that building a rifle from parts for one's first AR is not a great idea. Likewise, a 20 inch barrel. There are a lot of good mid-length and carbine-length gas system rifles out there with 16 inch barrels, and from a handling perspective, that's most likely the best way to go. A 20 inch barrel really wouldn't get him anything that he needs and would indeed be more cumbersome to carry. I also recommend he familiarize himself with the iron sights, but I'm a believer in RDS optics and highly recommend that he get one. Aimpoint PRO is probably the best place to start, for cost-effectiveness if nothing else.

I'm inclined to believe that quality control applied by the rifle mfgr represents the biggest difference between brands of lower receivers. The number of lowers actually inspected, the required adherence to the design specs, and the number thrown away for being out of spec all create widely varying prices between mfgrs. I don't disagree that an in-spec DelTon lower receiver is likely as good as an in-spec Noveske, but the likelihood of getting an in-spec lower from Noveske is greater.

IMHO

Maybe I wasn't clear, but my thinking about an inexpensive kit rifle for a first AR is that the OP would end up with as good of or even better rifle than the Bushmaster for less money. And slapping an LPK in a stripped lower is pretty darned easy, requires a minimum of tools, and starts the guy on a path of actually knowing something about the rifle at pretty low risk.

I'm a big believer in 20" barreled rifles - OK, an 18 would be good too - just because the longer sight radius is better for learning the iron sights. And I'm a firm believer that everybody should learn irons first. Besides, a 16.5" barrel doesn't REALLY offer anything that a 20 can't do better for most shooters. Yes, it's more compact and points better in a CQB situation, but, really, is the average recreational shooter really gonna do CQB? Of course the 16.5 with a collapsible stock would make it easier to bail out of your truck with the rifle, but it seems to me, if I'm in my truck and come under attack, I'm just going to use that skinny pedal under my right foot and put some distance between me and the threat. Heck, otherwise somebody could get shot! And if it's the other guy......just think of the paperwork!

Besides, if, after the OP becomes a good shot with his rifle he can just buy a new short-barreled upper if he wants to do something like 3-gun or other action shooting discipline. But most of the guys I see that show up at my range have 16.5" AR's with big scopes on 'em, shoot off of a benchrest with a bipod at 50 yards, and dump 30-round mags downrange as fast as they can. (But that's cool, because most of 'em must not reload, because they leave their brass lay where it falls for me to pick up.)

Regarding irons vs. a red dot sight, remember that most red dots sport a dot that's 3 - 4 MOA in diameter. Remember a 4 MOA dot obscures 4" of the target at 100 yards, 8" at 200 yards, 12" at 300 yards, etc. You can't really do any precision shooting with that sort of aiming point. I was taught that I should be able to hit a man-sized target in the chest out to 500 yards - that's the marksmanship standard one should work towards. The average human chest is 18" wide approximately. A 4 MOA dot covers 20" at 500 yards. How's that gonna work?

Not trying to start a flame war here. I'm just bringing up some points to consider.

[mlosi762]

I agree with what the others are saying here. Without going too in depth, I'll put in my $.02.

For a first rifle, don't try and build it on your own. For a few reasons.

1. You absolutely need to know exactly what you're doing. While basic mechanical know-how and instructional videos can show you how to slap a rifle together, incorrect toque settings, improper head-space measurements, wrong springs in the wrong places, etc. can lead to malfunctions and/or catastrophic results.

2. Unless you already have the proper tools, some simple, some specific; you can end up spending more $$$ by buying said tools and parts, than you would have on a factory built, complete rifle.

3. Keep in mind that a good factory built rifle also comes with a good factory warranty. If you build it piece by piece on your own, and screw it up, you may just be SOL.

4. If you want the feeling of accomplishment in building your own custom weapon, buy a complete upper and complete lower and just put them together. Bam!.. your own weapon.

5. If you do decide to build it entirely yourself, have a qualified gunsmith verify your build before you start putting lead down range!

When it comes to the brand/s.

1. Most important: Don't buy cheap, and not necessarily talking about the price. Saving up the cash to buy quality parts/accessories will save you money in the long run. Plenty of advice on this forum will steer you in the right direction on what is quality gear and what is crap. Buy once, not often.

2. I wont go into bashing any specific brands, and these are just a few of my opinions (plenty other great manufactures out there), but if you stick with Colt, BCM, DD, you can get really, really good stuff, without getting your pants pulled down over the price. If you really want to splurge on top shelf, and money isn't an object: Noveske, Larue, KAC.

3. Optics wise, learn the irons first, and save money for an optic that has a solid reputation, and educate yourself about them before you buy. Stick with an Aimpoint, EOtech, Trijicon, etc. don't waste your money on the <$100 red dot optic next time the gun show comes to town.

4. Save the lights/lazers/foregrips/redi-mags and all the other "cool guy" gear for a latter time. Until you know how to truly use the weapon, the other stuff will just be cumbersome decorations.

I give the aforementioned advice based on my own experience. I attempted to build my first AR on my own from the ground up, and it was a relative failure. Having been in the Army for six years, I was not a rookie by any means to the AR platform, I knew what accessories were good, and which ones were junk. I knew how to use the weapon effectively and how to manipulate it. I had even taken an armorers course while on active duty. However, I wasn't too familiar with all the civilian AR manufactures out there as all we had were our issued Colts. Just because they may say "Mil-spec" doesn't mean that they truly may be. A lot of companies throw that term around. But Mil-spec form one company, doesn't mean it's the same as Mil-spec from another (if that makes sense). Basically, don't put too much faith in that term, because it doesn't necessarily mean "best." I wasted a lot of money, toying with my first build. Cheaper parts kits, cheaper barrel, etc. all because they were touted as Mil-spec.

I've since been educated, thanks in part to a lot of guys on this forum, and have now built several AR's for friends and family members from the ground up. Plenty of practice has me putting them together in no time. But initially it was a costly venture.

To wrap it up, start simple. Unless you're an experienced rifleman and knows what works and what doesn't, begin with the basic fundamentals. You can add/take away down the line. Good luck, happy and safe shooting.

[csmith]

hey thanks man. so all i have to do is buy an upper receiver and a lower and just piece it together? or is there other stuff you have to buy(minus mags and such)? i mean like any bolts or anything to hold it together? or does it come with EVERYTHING? cuz right now that looks like my best bet

The complete lowers come with all required parts, and the uppers are also 100% ready minus a rear iron sight.

ETA: The post beneath mine brings up a good point, you will have to ship the lower receiver to a FFL holder (gun store, etc.), as the serial number is on this part. No different than purchasing any other firearm.

[tpelle]

Normally, with a kit rifle, you buy the entire upper receiver complete with barrel, bolt and carrier, in the configuration you choose to - sights, furniture, etc. You usually buy this over the net, and it ships directly to you with no middleman - no FFL with his transfer fee. Plus, because you are only buying "parts", you don't pay the Federal Excise Tax as you would for a complete firearm.

A "Lower Parts Kit", which consists of all of the parts necessary to complete the lower receiver, including the type of buttstock you specified, will come as part of the kit.

You will have to buy, from a local FFL, a stripped lower receiver. This is the bare finished aluminum lower receiver. Because it bears the serial number, in the eyes of the law, it is the firearm. You will have to pay the Federal Excise Tax on it, but you are paying the tax on the $100 lower, not on the whole $1000 firearm.

If you've done it before you should be able to assemble the lower parts kit in less than 45 minutes. An hour if you are a virgin. For tools you will need a set of pin punches, a brass hammer for the punches, some blue painter's tape to tape up the outside of the receiver so a slip of the punch doesn't scratch it, and a small c-clamp to press the trigger guard pin. (Lots of builders have hammered the pin in, but lots have broken off one of the ears.).

You will still need to buy magazines and ammo, but that's it.

[Hmac]

Yeh. I understand your points, I just don't agree with any of them. No offense meant.

RDS...Eotechs all have 1 MOA dots. The Aimpoint PRO and Aimpoint T-1 both have a 2 MOA dot. As to irons, I think it's fine to be proficient with them, I just don't think it's necessary. RDS is far easier to use. I can see irons as a backup on a critical-use rifle. Not a big deal on a plinker. I think the OP should just save his money and skip the irons.

Assembling a rifle? Read the guy's posts. He's a long way from anything but frustration taking that route.

Man-size target at 500 yards[:D] ? Well, everyone has different needs for their rifles. If I were going to shoot beyond 100 yards with any regularity, I certainly wouldn't waste my time with irons or an RDS. I'd go right to a scope.

Still can't imagine a 20 inch barrel for the guy.

[xyettix]

Your pretty smart there tpelle. So what do you think i should do? Im in a crappy position now and under confusion. I just want a rifle lol.. Im not gonna use it for CQB for I am not swat/military. Just an average 20yr seeking a rifle for around a grand.. Im not gonna take it to a range. Just out to the forest, and preparedness for apocalypse :P The post from csmith was helpfull im kinda leaning towards buying an upper and a lower. It comes out to around 900 which is perfect for me. In the picture description of a lower it says its ready to fire when an upper is assembled so i HOPE thats all i need.

[xyettix]

Normally, with a kit rifle, you buy the entire upper receiver complete with barrel, bolt and carrier, in the configuration you choose to - sights, furniture, etc. You usually buy this over the net, and it ships directly to you with no middleman - no FFL with his transfer fee. Plus, because you are only buying "parts", you don't pay the Federal Excise Tax as you would for a complete firearm.

A "Lower Parts Kit", which consists of all of the parts necessary to complete the lower receiver, including the type of buttstock you specified, will come as part of the kit.

You will have to buy, from a local FFL, a stripped lower receiver. This is the bare finished aluminum lower receiver. Because it bears the serial number, in the eyes of the law, it is the firearm. You will have to pay the Federal Excise Tax on it, but you are paying the tax on the $100 lower, not on the whole $1000 firearm.

If you've done it before you should be able to assemble the lower parts kit in less than 45 minutes. An hour if you are a virgin. For tools you will need a set of pin punches, a brass hammer for the punches, some blue painter's tape to tape up the outside of the receiver so a slip of the punch doesn't scratch it, and a small c-clamp to press the trigger guard pin. (Lots of builders have hammered the pin in, but lots have broken off one of the ears.).

You will still need to buy magazines and ammo, but that's it.


So i HAVE to buy a stripped lower? I cant buy this? http://www.joeboboutfitters.com/SPIKE_S_TACTICAL_COMPLETE_LOWER_M4_STOCK_STLC200_p/sp-stlc200-sbs.htm i mean i understand it has to be shipped to a gun store. But Thats not stripped?? mehh

[Mamba6]

Xyettix:

That is also a viable option to purchase a fully assembled lower. There is a benefit to this. When you recieve it, no assembly is required outside of snapping it into the upper. You are then ready to use.

Many people promote building a lower for several reasons though, as Tpelle stated. It a) is easy to do, which will give you some introduction to how an AR-15 works, b) saves you a few bucks on taxes, and c) allows you to customize the lower without getting redundant parts. For instance, in the case of the lower you linked to, you'll be paying $27 in taxes instead of around $10. Those $17 bucks can get you a PMAG, most of a new pistol grip, two boxes of 5.56, etc. Also, if you wanted to add a new pistol grip and better stock, you would be paying twice for them if bought a pre-assembled lower (one for the lower and then again when you bought the new parts you want to add).

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

[csmith]

So i HAVE to buy a stripped lower? I cant buy this? http://www.joeboboutfitters.com/SPIKE_S_TACTICAL_COMPLETE_LOWER_M4_STOCK_STLC200_p/sp-stlc200-sbs.htm i mean i understand it has to be shipped to a gun store. But Thats not stripped?? mehh

No, you don't. It's assembled completely, and would work fine. What I believe tpelle is getting at is if you decided to build your own, a stripped lower comes out a little cheaper on the federal tax you pay than if you buy the complete lower. You pay the federal tax on the part the serial number is attached to. If you get a stripped lower (which carries a lower cost), you pay less tax than if you get the complete lower, as obviously the complete lower costs more and therefore has more price to be taxed. I personally think the savings is negligible when you take into mind someone who has little experience with the platform, although I will concede it is a simple task once you have a basic understanding of the weapon system.

[TripleBravo]

No, you don't. It's assembled completely, and would work fine. What I believe tpelle is getting at is if you decided to build your own, a stripped lower comes out a little cheaper on the federal tax you pay than if you buy the complete lower. You pay the federal tax on the part the serial number is attached to. If you get a stripped lower (which carries a lower cost), you pay less tax than if you get the complete lower, as obviously the complete lower costs more and therefore has more price to be taxed. I personally think the savings is negligible when you take into mind someone who has little experience with the platform, although I will concede it is a simple task once you have a basic understanding of the weapon system.

This isn't entirely accurate. Excise tax is paid on complete firearms, not complete lowers. For example, if you purchase a complete lower and a complete upper from LMT in the same order, they charge an additional 11% for the Federal Excise tax. Also, it's the manufacturer who pays the actual tax, but ultimately the expense of it is passed on to the consumer. (You can see that explained at the bottom of this page: http://www.lmtstore.com/legal)

I've never really found that buying all the individual parts is really less expensive than buying a complete rifle. The real added value in doing so is the knowledge, experience, and sense of accomplishment you gain by obtaining all the parts and building the rifle yourself.

[Gun]

You will have to buy, from a local FFL, a stripped lower receiver. This is the bare finished aluminum lower receiver. Because it bears the serial number, in the eyes of the law, it is the firearm. You will have to pay the Federal Excise Tax on it, but you are paying the tax on the $100 lower, not on the whole $1000 firearm.



You will not pay an FET on a stripped or complete lower. You will not pay an FET on a complete rifle as that is already included in the price of the rifle already assembled.

The only time a dealer can charge FET is if an order has ALL the parts necessary to assemble a complete rifle, in that one order, even though the rifle is unassembled.

[tpelle]

You will not pay an FET on a stripped or complete lower. You will not pay an FET on a complete rifle as that is already included in the price of the rifle already assembled.

The only time a dealer can charge FET is if an order has ALL the parts necessary to assemble a complete rifle, in that one order, even though the rifle is unassembled.

I stand corrected on that, then. I thought that, since you had to fill out all of the paperwork on even a stripped lower, and that in the eyes of the law the stripped lower is the actual firearm, then you had to pay FET.

I think, for the OP, it comes down to how "handy" he is. If he has no tools, never works on anything mechanical, then perhaps buying a complete rifle, or a complete upper (make sure it comes with the bolt and carrier - some don't) and an assembled lower would be the best bet.

In my case, I've always been a tinkerer, doing most of the maintenance on my cars and lawnmowers, repairs to household appliances, etc. Before I acquired my first AR15 I assembled an FN-FAL - picture a big 3-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. So slapping together an AR15 lower and sticking an assembled upper receiver on it was not scary at all.

Here's my FAL, by the way:

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c354/tpelle/FAL/DSCN0660.jpg

Regarding my AR15, after getting my feet wet with a cheap Del-Ton AR15A2 rifle I decided I wanted to try NRA Highpower Rifle, so I had no qualms whatsoever about installing a 2-stage trigger, swapping the rear sight for a 1/4 x 1/4 minute one, adding a free float tube, and a White Oak 1-7 stainless barrel with a windage-adjustable front sight. Did it all myself in my garage, and bought tools as I needed them. Heck, I think I've swapped every part of that rifle except the forward assist.

So you have to ask yourself if doing the work, and buying the right tools (and I think of tools as an investment in my self-reliance, not an expense) is within your abilities, and nobody can answer that question other than you.

[csmith]

I stand corrected on that, then. I thought that, since you had to fill out all of the paperwork on even a stripped lower, and that in the eyes of the law the stripped lower is the actual firearm, then you had to pay FET.

That makes two of us, thanks for the correction 3B/Gun. I think I got taken for a little extra coin with my FFL transfer on my stripped lower.


So you have to ask yourself if doing the work, and buying the right tools ... is within your abilities, and nobody can answer that question other than you.

I can agree with that.

[Creeky73]

2. Unless you already have the proper tools, some simple, some specific; you can end up spending more $$$ by buying said tools and parts, than you would have on a factory built, complete rifle.


I wish someone would have beat this into me right from the start. Yes, I think it has been and will be very valuable for me to know how to build an AR and how everything works. $300 worth of tools that are collecting dust is a high price to pay for that info. Unless you are about to make building AR's a way of life, I would say skip the tutorials and drop that cash into your firearm.

[TangoSauce]

May i ask why a 16? not a 14.5? or 11?

Largely NFA related in combination with the reasons I mentioned. The 14.5'' is great but for a first AR it's nice to be able to switch muzzle devices when desired to find the best one for you. If I were to go shorter, I'd go 12.5''.

[TangoSauce]

An advantage of the 14.5'' is that it's rather functional with either the carbine or middy gas system. I'm not a fan of 16'' carbines.

Just be sure to get a muzzle device you'll be happy with if you go 14.5''. My latest build uses a BattleComp 1.5. It's not fully put together yet though...

http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k596/TangoSauce/IMG00543-20120313-2344.jpg

Rainier does an excellent pin and weld job.

[:D]

[smcclain]

+1 for Rainier

In fact I would suggest you call Rainier and buy a complete upper + complete lower from them. You can get out the door for around $1025. You will have an excellent weapon as a starting point. Then spend a few hundred on a bulk order of XM193 or XM855 [:D]