AR15 build newbie

[Cgerchy]

Ok so I'm new to this and also I'm new to building an AR platform or any type of weapon of that matter. I was in the military for 3 years as an infantryman so I'm very familiar with the AR platfprm. . .

My question is though since I have no experience in building an AR does it really matter on what type of lower and upper I choose to get(as in money wise or name brand) as long as the internals are of good quality or higher end? I'm looking to build a weapon sytem that is reliable and accurate but not wanting to spend like $$$$. Thanks

[UWone77]

Ok so I'm new to this and also I'm new to building an AR platform or any type of weapon of that matter. I was in the military for 3 years as an infantryman so I'm very familiar with the AR platfprm. . .

My question is though since I have no experience in building an AR does it really matter on what type of lower and upper I choose to get(as in money wise or name brand) as long as the internals are of good quality or higher end? I'm looking to build a weapon sytem that is reliable and accurate but not wanting to spend like $$$$. Thanks

Welcome, and thank you for your service.

Like everything... it depends on your budget. How much are you looking to spend?

[Cgerchy]

Thank you, haven't really thought of budget. I mean if need be I'll spend the money I need to. But if I can save money on part like lower and upper receiver then I will. That's why I was wondering if the upper and lower really matter as long as I put great internal in them?

[Slippers]

Most people say a lower is a lower. Choose a roll mark you like and as long as magazines drop free and the fire control group functions as it should, you should be fine.

Uppers...I tend to shy away from unknowns because I've seen really bad picatinny rails or they mess up the feed ramps. A lot of cheap ones don't have the dry film lube that is part of the .mil specs.

Most people would agree that aero precision makes good quality, well priced uppers and lowers. If you don't mind cosmetic defects their blem units are a great value.

[Cgerchy]

Ok awesome thanks I'll check them out. And I don't mind blems I'll most likely be painting my weapon anyway.

[UWone77]

If I was a first time AR owner, but wanted some customization, I'd buy a Colt OEM1 or OEM2. Then drop the handguards and furniture I wanted on it.

[Cgerchy]

Ok, I'll be checking them out to. Thanks for such quick responses everyone. Very much appreciated.

[Hmac]

People say that "a lower is a lower. Personally, I think that's wrong. The difference between good rollmarks and bad ones is the quality assurance. QA costs money. Better brands will inspect and spec a higher number of units, and will have a higher threshold for spec tolerance before they let the thing go out for sale. Cheaper brands will let a higher number of "marginally spec'd" units go out the door for sale. You do get what you pay for, but you are largely paying for the diligence of the company in applying its QA process. Go ahead a buy a cheap one. You may get lucky and it will be completely in spec with a good finish. Or, maybe not.

[Cgerchy]

Ok thanks

[Dstrbdmedic167]

Welcome and thank you for your service as well!

I agree with both UW and Slippers. It just depends if you want to build one from ground up then go with Aero Precision for the receivers. The colt option is a great option that gives you a majority of a rifle from the get go and won't leave you with a bunch of parts you'll never use.

[Cgerchy]

Ok awesome and thank you.

[SINNER]

If I was a first time AR owner, but wanted some customization, I'd buy a Colt OEM1 or OEM2. Then drop the handguards and furniture I wanted on it.

This.

People always ask about building their first AR but I believe that buying the first one is the best bet. Change some parts and get a feel for what you like or don't like. One way or another you will end up with parts that always seem to grow into another rifle.

[Cgerchy]

Thanks for the input.

[BoilerUp]

Why do you want to build your own? To save money or to learn the platform? You probably won't save any money by building your own unless you can borrow/use someone's tools. Personally, I got in to building because I wanted to learn how and also not be dependent on someone else to do things like change barrels. I also like that I can select every single component that goes into the build so I don't end up having to replace parts that I don't really want. Now I can't imagine picking up an OEM/factory AR15.

So, assuming you still want to build instead of buy then I second Slipper's comment regarding Aero Precision (they're mostly who I've used for my builds), but there are a lot of quality forged receivers out there at very attractive price points. I'd personally avoid anything from Olympic Arms, the PTAC line from Palmetto State Armory and I'm not a fan of the RF85 finish on Anderson's but those are the only one's I can really think of that I personally don't like (and all based on internet rumor mills, not personal experience with any, so I acknowledge that may be a bit unfair). Mega / Rainier cost a bit more but are generally considered among the best forged receivers available.

I also like to have roll marks from my state, so I am fortunate to have Aero and Mega in WA. I also don't like to mix uppers and lowers but there is no rational basis for that.

On an upper, besides general quality the things that can make a difference are having a "true" receiver face (e.g., surface of the receiver that is perpendicular to the barrel and provides the mating surface to the barrel) and feed ramps and pic rail that are mil-spec. The first two are fairly easy to correct on your own anyway and tolerance stacking means you may to even on quality pieces.

The "buy a Colt" is tried and true advice but not particularly original or fun and personally I'd rather support businesses/manufacturers that have provided better support and innovation to the AR community. You've served, I'm sure that you well understand that "Mil-spec" means a minimum standard, not "state of the art".

[Cgerchy]

Thanks that was very helpful. And my reasoning to build my own is so I can customize it to how I exactly want it and for the same reason as you. I don't want to depend on others to build or repair my rifle. I want to learn how to do with with my own hands.

[UWone77]

The "buy a Colt" is tried and true advice but not particularly original or fun and personally I'd rather support businesses/manufacturers that have provided better support and innovation to the AR community. You've served, I'm sure that you well understand that "Mil-spec" means a minimum standard, not "state of the art".

This part is definitely correct, buying a Colt is not very original or fun. However, milspec is a spec that is rarely met. That's why I recommend new owners to Colt as at least it's a known quality.

[Computalotapus]

Thank you for your service and welcome to WEVO.

I would repeat what others have said here but you have read it already. I personally like the build process and I have personally used 2 sets from Aero without any issues. I can also agree with getting a factory AR as well. I used a M&P 15 to get back into the AR platform after a very long time of being away from it from when I was in the service. I used it to get reacquainted with fundamentals and to this day it is still 98% in its original configuration (swapped charging handle and added a weapon light) being used as a home defense rifle. As you already know the platform is very versatile and can be customized to meet certain requirements to complete a specific task.

I used it as a guideline to build the wife's rifle and to build my USCA 2-Gun rifle. If you know exactly what you want to build the rifle for and a standard OEM rifle doesn't meet those needs then build away. If the standard OEM will meet your needs but you want to customize accessories I would take the advice and grab the Colt's mentioned above.

No matter what decision you make there are plenty of knowledgeable people here to answer anything you run into. Hang around and before long you will be contributing your experiences with someone like yourself later down the road.

[nijikon84]

Thank you for your service.

I was a newbie to the AR and Firearms in general very recently. I'll try to be thorough yet concise.

I think the 2 most important factors you need to consider is a specific budget and what you want out of your AR.

Will this AR be your one and only AR? How many rounds are you expecting? How accurate would you like the gun to be?

Upper / Lower:
Aero Precision is a good recommendation. Great price and solid quality. If you don't mind mixing and matching, also look into Spike's Tactical Lowers, BCM Uppers. If you don't mind spending more money, you could also look into quality billet combos like CMT or North Tech Defense.

Bolt Carrier Group:
One of the MOST important parts of an AR along with the barrel. If you don't want any fancy coating or metal treatment, look into getting a BCM, DD, or LMT. Fathom Arms who supports WEVO sells amazing BCGs, I personally own 3 of them. They went with the Nitride/QPQ treatment which changes the metals on a molecular level. The treatment also makes the BCGs a breeze to clean. If you want to spend a bit more, look into the Lantac E-BCG. I know a lot of WEVO members feel that it is indeed VERY high quality. For a budget option, look into the BCGs that Aim Surplus sells. They stand behind their product with a lifetime warranty.

Barrel:
I've done so much reading and learning about barrels, I feel as though I could really type an essay. Here's the quick and dirty. Milspec barrels are Chrome Moly barrel steel + chrome lined bore. They are reliable and minute of man accurate when purchased from a reputable company ( although a lot of chrome moly + chrome lined barrels have shot MOA or better groups with match ammo ). The consensus on the most accurate barrels for ARs are the Stainless Steel Barrels. The internets feel as though the barrel life isn't as good, but definitely much more accurate ( some even capable of .5 moa or better with match ammo ). I own both types of barrels, including different profiles. Either is fine to be honest. I think that you can achieve excellent accuracy out of the chrome-moly chome lined barrels when purchased from Daniel Defense or a FN Cold Hammer Forged Barrel. With the same respect, I believe a quality 416R Stainless Barrel can give you service life in excess of 12k rounds when given moderate maintenance/care.

Beyond that, you have to look at the other components of your build to fit your needs. Make sure you get a quality free float handguard/rail system for modularity and accuracy. Your choice of optics matter also. I'd recommend something like the Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6x or Primary Arms 1-6x. I do own unmagnified optics like the Aimpoint T1, I would make sure I had a low power variable optic if I could only pick keep one AR15.

Hope this helps a bit. If you want specific brand or product recommendations, I'd be more than happy to provide them based on my experience.

[alamo5000]

I just built my first AR less than a year ago so I am nowhere near as experienced as others here. That said, having done it and come out the other side so here is my personal opinion.

If you have a specific concept in mind then building is the way to go. If you just want a gun to do general shooting then buying one is an good option. For me I wanted to build a more precision oriented rig so it just made a lot more sense to build. If I was just going to have a truck gun or something to go plinking with using wal mart ammo then buying could be an option. The more specific you get about your wants the more a build makes sense.

As for the upper and lower, my opinion is to get a set that matches. I think if for no other reason you will be happier with the end product. Also if you go super cheap with nonname brands sometimes the upper/lower fit isn't good especially if you mix and match. It doesn't always happen but sometimes, yes.

I think the people who steered you to Aero and blems are right on the money. There are several great sets that you could get if you go with blems. You can get top notch stuff that only has cosmetic "problems" that way.

[WHSmithIV]

Thanks that was very helpful. And my reasoning to build my own is so I can customize it to how I exactly want it and for the same reason as you. I don't want to depend on others to build or repair my rifle. I want to learn how to do with with my own hands.

Welcome. We didn't get M16's when I was in the Navy, we learned with M14's and .45 pistols. We didn't even have any M16's on our little destroyer escort. We had some M14's and some M60's - plus the .45's.
I did what you are thinking when I decided to have an AR. I decided to build one and so I did. I say go for it. You'll enjoy building it too. Thanks for serving brother.

[toolboxluis00200]

Wait till you ask about suppresors and SBR lol

[Uffdaphil]

OP, are you looking for a budget plinker or your loved-one's-life dependable? My faves are BCM no-logo blem uppers and Mega "Gator" lowers - both relatively cheap. The other stripped uppers/lowers dicussed here will serve both uses, but I would get real picky about the BCG and optics. BCM, Colt or LMT for my serious BCGs. I have others that have given me no problems, but the collective number of rounds with those three in mil and civvy use far exceeds any others and gives me peace of mind. FA for all of mine.

Optics are a murkier decision. Many cost as much as a whole rifle. Read a lot of opinions before deciding how low you can go and still have rock solid dependability. I have Primary Arms RDs and am considering a 1-6 Strike Eagle soon for fun guns. Neither suffice for my home defense. Except for the cheapest Aimpoint or Eotech RDs expect to pay around $500 - $1000 (and up, way up) for the good stuff. Great deals can be had on used Aimpoint Comp2/3s and on Trijicon TR24s since so many 1-6s came out.

[BoilerUp]

This part is definitely correct, buying a Colt is not very original or fun. However, milspec is a spec that is rarely met. That's why I recommend new owners to Colt as at least it's a known quality.

By "tried and true" I actually meant to imply that it's good advice. My first AR was a factory LMT Defender Patrol that is still my go-to M4gery. If I ever need to double check what something should look like during a build, I take a closer look at my LMT. It was a bad experience with a paid gunsmith to install a DD quad rail the inspired me to tool up to do my own work.

[GOST]

It was a bad experience with a paid gunsmith to install a DD quad rail the inspired me to tool up to do my own work.
Same experience here. Years ago went to a gunsmith and had work done that ended being absolute garbage. There's not enough words to describe how bad this guy's work was. Went another gunsmith to have him fix it and his response was, "It's easy, just watch YouTube". I guess he didn't want my money.

[din]

Building to save money doesn't usually work out that way. I ended up spending a lot more on my first build than I would've paid for a quality rifle. Part of that was just being particular as hell about every little thing, and wanting to try something I couldn't buy off the shelf. It is gratifying to build your own AR, but if budgetary constraints are a factor I'd suggest either buying a complete rifle from Sionics, or an assembled blem BCM lower from Grant at G&R Tactical and a BCM upper and just slapping them together. If you want to split the difference, buy a stripped lower and the parts you'll need to complete it, and an assembled upper group. Building a lower doesn't take any time at all, you don't really need any special armorer's tools, and as long as you pay attention to what you're doing it's hard to mess things up. If you buy a pre-assembled upper you won't have to worry about the gremlins that always seem to pop up during an upper build. This is with the proviso you're purchasing from companies with a solid reputation and not picking up bargain basement deals. Those can work out ok, but the various forums are full of cautionary tales from people who were super excited to get that $300 upper because what a bargain, or hey look, a $40 lower that I can't install my LPK on because it wasn't milled correctly. There are enough good companies (e.g. Aero) with reasonably priced blems that trying to save an extra fifteen bucks on a stripped lower that's an unknown quantity is foolhardy. Take all this with a grain of salt, I'm tired and extra cranky right now and would straight up punch a clown in the face if I could find one.

[alamo5000]

I'm tired and extra cranky right now and would straight up punch a clown in the face if I could find one.

BWAAAHAAAA!!! That's classic!!!

[UWone77]

I believe you gain more knowledge from actually shooting the gun, than putting it together. Most people don't even put them together properly, not to say it won't work, but if you haven't vetted the instructions you're following, how do you know it's the correct way to go about it? I've seen some guys put together some very very bad AR's.

Diagnosing malfunctions vs diagnosing why your bubba gun smith skills aren't up to par is far more valuable in my opinion.

I know it's not sexy, but I'd buy a couple cases of 5.56, and a factory Colt, LMT, BCM, ect and hit the range.

[Txfilmmaker]

I believe you gain more knowledge from actually shooting the gun, than putting it together. Most people don't even put them together properly, not to say it won't work, but if you haven't vetted the instructions you're following, how do you know it's the correct way to go about it? I've seen some guys put together some very very bad AR's.

Diagnosing malfunctions vs diagnosing why your bubba gun smith skills aren't up to par is far more valuable in my opinion.

I know it's not sexy, but I'd buy a couple cases of 5.56, and a factory Colt, LMT, BCM, ect and hit the range.

I'd listen to this guy. They do sell Colts "sans" furniture if you want to pick your own.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/28/2b88678733d2542ad540037688cffab8.jpg


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[Eric]

I totally understand the desire to assemble one yourself, but my recommendation is always to purchase a complete assembled rifle as a starting point. There are some very good deals going on right now for colt 6920s and 6720s. You'll end up with a correctly assembled rifle with a factory warranty.


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[toolboxluis00200]

Welcome a borde and thank for your service

[WHSmithIV]

I'd listen to this guy. They do sell Colts "sans" furniture if you want to pick your own.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/28/2b88678733d2542ad540037688cffab8.jpg


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For this one though you have to remove the A2 sight if you want a free float handguard. That does require a sight block to do it right.

[UWone77]

For this one though you have to remove the A2 sight if you want a free float handguard. That does require a sight block to do it right.

Not true, several drop in FF rails are available without having to remove the FSB, such as the Daniel Defense Omega.

[DutyUse]

For this one though you have to remove the A2 sight if you want a free float handguard. That does require a sight block to do it right.

I think these Colt "OEM" series rifles are some of the best values out at the moment... Regardless if you go with OEM1 and the A2 you come out a winner... Either use a guard like UW suggested or cut it down yourself on the cheap similar as the factory would on an OEM2. If these come in under 700$ they'd be tough to beat for the value...

[UWone77]

I think these Colt "OEM" series rifles are some of the best values out at the moment... Regardless if you go with OEM1 and the A2 you come out a winner... Either use a guard like UW suggested or cut it down yourself on the cheap similar as the factory would on an OEM2. If these come in under 700$ they'd be tough to beat for the value...

Exactly.

Plus the Colt will hold its value better than some PSA/Anderson home build.

[DutyUse]

Surely someone at Colt is bright enough to start pushing for versions OEM3 & 4 you'd think? A 6720 stripped down at this price, yes please.

[Eric]

Surely someone at Colt is bright enough to start pushing for versions OEM3 & 4 you'd think? A 6720 stripped down at this price, yes please.

I've been watching for that as well.

[BoilerUp]

I'm disappointed that a 3 year infantry grunt comes to WEVO for build advice and get's told to buy a factory gun, a case of ammo and go practice. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that after 3 years in the Infantry the OP knows how to clear a double feed. I'm also going to assume the OP wants to learn how to put these things together, not buy them off the rack, until he states otherwise.

I hate to invoke Tom Cruise, but this is like "Days of Thunder" which makes the case that driving a car and building car are very different, but understanding how it's built can help make for a better driver. Regardless of Robert Duvall's sage advice in the movie, building an AR is really just a different/separate hobby/skill from shooting ARs; being a decent Armorer and a decent Operator have very little to do with each other. The beauty of the AR is it requires an 6th grade education and a hammer to "build" (and yes, I understand that even with that low threshold some people will still fall short). I mean, hell, ARs are cheaper than AK's these days. You have know how to weld and have a press to put an AK together and those were designed to be built by soviet slaves.

OP, here you go: http://www.schuylerarmsco.com/product.aero-precision-assembled-upper-receiver-special-edition-freedom-upper-71-993

For an even simpler build, check out the Aero Precision M4E1. I just posted a T&E review here on WEVO and here it is for a killer price: http://www.schuylerarmsco.com/product.ar15-m4e1-enhanced-upper-receiver-anodized-black-993

So, Cgerchy, go get started, make some mistakes and come back here when you have questions. I'm going to go against the grain here: Forget the Colt because I don't know too many AR "pros" that would ever spend their own money on a carbine gas M4 profile barrel anyway and it's the barrel that defines the gun. Personally, I won't even buy chrome line barrels anymore. For the new OEM series, Colt stripped $10 worth of shitty furniture off their Wal-Mart rifles and suddenly people think it's awesome (OK, the price point is pretty good). If you want an investment, buy gold or shares of Apple. If you want to learn how to build ARs, go buy some parts and have fun like the rest of us. Keep in mind one of the upsides to building is that only ~$80 worth of the rifle (the lower receiver) has to go through an FFL and be subject to local sales tax. You can mail order everything else. It's kind of like lay-away or that Johnny Cash "One Piece at a Time" song. And save your pennies for Labor Day and Black Friday sales; don't pay MSRP for anything unless you be rolling (or something on the news tomorrow sparks another panic....which is another reason why it's good to have a few stripped lowers in the safe).

But, above all, remember that advice is worth what you paid for it. Especially from people who take pleasure from being contrarian.

[DutyUse]

Molon pulled 1.69 MOA out of a LW colt barrel after extensive testing. His 14.5 Colt did under an inch. Add your favorite rail and for under 900$ you have an incredible COLT rifle at prices we may never see again..

OP said he didn't have a ton of coin to spend, so that rules out a scratch build unless he found someone local with tools that could be borrowed... And no disrespect but he himself said he wasn't sure which brands to lean towards... However I can almost guarantee he knows and trusts Colt!

I'm an avid builder. I understand where your coming from, but I'm not sure in his case investing in expensive tools for a single build is wise


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[UWone77]

I'm disappointed that a 3 year infantry grunt comes to WEVO for build advice and get's told to buy a factory gun, a case of ammo and go practice. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that after 3 years in the Infantry the OP knows how to clear a double feed. I'm also going to assume the OP wants to learn how to put these things together, not buy them off the rack, until he states otherwise.

I hate to invoke Tom Cruise, but this is like "Days of Thunder" which makes the case that driving a car and building car are very different, but understanding how it's built can help make for a better driver. Regardless of Robert Duvall's sage advice in the movie, building an AR is really just a different/separate hobby/skill from shooting ARs; being a decent Armorer and a decent Operator have very little to do with each other. The beauty of the AR is it requires an 6th grade education and a hammer to "build" (and yes, I understand that even with that low threshold some people will still fall short). I mean, hell, ARs are cheaper than AK's these days. You have know how to weld and have a press to put an AK together and those were designed to be built by soviet slaves.

OP, here you go: http://www.schuylerarmsco.com/product.aero-precision-assembled-upper-receiver-special-edition-freedom-upper-71-993

For an even simpler build, check out the Aero Precision M4E1. I just posted a T&E review here on WEVO and here it is for a killer price: http://www.schuylerarmsco.com/product.ar15-m4e1-enhanced-upper-receiver-anodized-black-993

So, Cgerchy, go get started, make some mistakes and come back here when you have questions. I'm going to go against the grain here: Forget the Colt because I don't know too many AR "pros" that would ever spend their own money on a carbine gas M4 profile barrel anyway and it's the barrel that defines the gun. Personally, I won't even buy chrome line barrels anymore. For the new OEM series, Colt stripped $10 worth of shitty furniture off their Wal-Mart rifles and suddenly people think it's awesome (OK, the price point is pretty good). If you want an investment, buy gold or shares of Apple. If you want to learn how to build ARs, go buy some parts and have fun like the rest of us. Keep in mind one of the upsides to building is that only ~$80 worth of the rifle (the lower receiver) has to go through an FFL and be subject to local sales tax. You can mail order everything else. It's kind of like lay-away or that Johnny Cash "One Piece at a Time" song. And save your pennies for Labor Day and Black Friday sales; don't pay MSRP for anything unless you be rolling (or something on the news tomorrow sparks another panic....which is another reason why it's good to have a few stripped lowers in the safe).

But, above all, remember that advice is worth what you paid for it. Especially from people who take pleasure from being contrarian.

I hear what you're saying, but just because he was prior military doesn't mean he was throwing lead down range constantly. Depending on his MOS, maybe he didn't get a lot of time behind a gun, which is why he's asking about what AR he should get/buy.

Honestly, how much do you really learn about your gun after slapping a few parts together? I know I've learned much more about the platform after actually shooting the gun. OP said he was on a budget. To properly put together a gun, he's going to have to invest some money into tools. If he only builds 1 or 2 guns, this may not be cost effective.

There's nothing wrong with a Colt. It's still the standard. You may believe you can build a better one, but for a first time AR owner, I like the warranty aspect.

There's nothing wrong with a carbine gas system. Yeah middies MAY be softer on your gun, but I doubt few of us can quantify this, and demonstrate how much longer your parts will last because it's not as hard on your components. I know plenty of SME's and Industry Professionals would and do recommend Colt's.

I agree, just because you're a trigger puller doesn't mean you know shit about guns and vice versa.

[Jerry R]

Not true, several drop in FF rails are available without having to remove the FSB, such as the Daniel Defense Omega.

Midwest Industries also makes FF rails that do not require FSB removal - some are available that extend past the FSB

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/pdogkilr/Firearms/AR-15/IMG_1197300DPICarbineLeftSide.jpg~original

[DutyUse]

I hear what you're saying, but just because he was prior military doesn't mean he was throwing lead down range constantly. Depending on his MOS, maybe he didn't get a lot of time behind a gun, which is why he's asking about what AR he should get/buy.

Honestly, how much do you really learn about your gun after slapping a few parts together? I know I've learned much more about the platform after actually shooting the gun. OP said he was on a budget. To properly put together a gun, he's going to have to invest some money into tools. If he only builds 1 or 2 guns, this may not be cost effective.

There's nothing wrong with a Colt. It's still the standard. You may believe you can build a better one, but for a first time AR owner, I like the warranty aspect.

There's nothing wrong with a carbine gas system. Yeah middies MAY be softer on your gun, but I doubt few of us can quantify this, and demonstrate how much longer your parts will last because it's not as hard on your components. I know plenty of SME's and Industry Professionals would and do recommend Colt's.

I agree, just because you're a trigger puller doesn't mean you know shit about guns and vice versa.

I couldn't agree more.

Middy's do have some merit which is why they've taken off in popularity but I agree with UW, if you hand a new shooter a 16" carbine and then a 16" middy they wouldn't feel any difference. In fact of all the "fancy" ARs I've built and own, our "goto" rifle is a bone stock 6920.

I truly believe Colt rifles will retain their value long after some new trendy company has come and gone