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  1. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by MoxyDave View Post
    ... oh holy Jesus if I could get that time back ...
    Sums it up in one sentence.
    It's difficult to soar with eagles, when you work with turkeys...

  2. #17
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    Love my 2 Acogs - 1.5 and 3x. Not a fan of the RMR mounted on top. Wrecks your cheek weld. Have you considered a 1-4x variable? Many good choices in the $500-1000 range. Good deals on used ones from glass addicts needing cash for the 1-6s.If you hâve to have a NB BCG, make sure it's a top tier make. I've heard of cheapos finish flakeing. A quality phosphate functions just as well if kept wet.

  3. #18
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    Contrary to what the internut will usually tell you, you aren't actually gaining or saving anything by assembling your first AR yourself. Nor are you doing yourself any favors bolting a bunch of nonsense to an AR right out of the gate. I've even been know to ask people "what do you intend to do with it", which also doesn't really matter.

    Why do I say all of this? Because you just don't know. Knowing guns and knowing ARs is two different things. I know a fair bit about ARs, and I wouldn't even pretend to think that knowledge is remotely applicable to shotguns. I've made that mistake before.

    So what you want to do is buy the highest quality, basic, AR you can afford without too much grief. I wouldn't suggest ordering halves of guns, or parts of guys, or even whole guns (unless you've done it before) from the Internet. I'd march down to Walmart or to your local gunshop and buy a Colt 6920 or 6720 and be done.

    Then go shoot the gun.
    WWW.TACTICALYELLOWVISOR.NET

  4. #19
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  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by WHSmithIV View Post
    ...... Part of the appeal of the AR is that they are so easy to build. You can buy a complete lower and a complete upper and a Bolt Carrier Group. Stick the BCG in and put the two pins in that hold the upper and lower together then off to the races you go.
    Your definition of a "build" and mine are pretty far apart. Taking a lower and upper and sticking in a BCG does not, in my opinion, equate to a 'build", it even falls short of a proper field strip for cleaning and maintenance.
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  6. #21
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    For me, part of the appeal to having an AR to start with is the fact that it can be 'built' from parts. I have several people at my disposal that are in fact bugging the crap out of me to hurry up and buy some stuff... one is a certified gunsmith (who also happens to be my go to FFL) who will help me put the thing together and show me how it's all done... the other is the guy who was in charge of one of our local law enforcement's armory for a long time... both of them have the shop, tools and know how...I won't be putting it together myself, or rather without help. When I do build (if that's the route I go) I have more than enough people who will keep me from royally screwing things up. That said I like the idea of building because it's a learning experience to be able to do all that...

    But the real idea behind this thread is gaining some knowledge on parts and stuff before I start hauling off buying things. My hesitation is in spending (or over spending) on things versus my ability to be blindfolded and find the most expensive thing in the room without even trying. Where along the line to fall where I get function but not so much fluff is a 'thinking it through' process.

    I can easily buy one which is still a distinct possibility but at some point I am going to end up building because that's the kind of stuff I like.

  7. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by alamo5000 View Post

    But the real idea behind this thread is gaining some knowledge on parts and stuff before I start hauling off buying things. My hesitation is in spending (or over spending) on things versus my ability to be blindfolded and find the most expensive thing in the room without even trying. Where along the line to fall where I get function but not so much fluff is a 'thinking it through' process. .
    This is why you buy first, "build" second. If you're all fired up to pop pins in, tear down your factory gun and assemble it from pieces.

    Unless the "building" is the entire point. Frankly, for most people it is. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but if that's the case then be honest about it. Go find the parts you think look cool or at the Internet likes today, and come back and post a list of those parts and we'll straighten you out if you've gone off the reservation.
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  8. #23
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    I agree with everyone and I was in your shoes not to long ago. I am glad that my wife picked me up a S&W M&P 15 as a surprise cause I was all set on building my own AR. After shooting the rifle and thinking about what I wanted to do with an AR I was able to build the right AR for me without going broke on parts. You can pick up a quality Colt for cheap, shoot the crap out of it and learn the platform and decide what you want to do with the rifle, then build one that fills out what you want to do with it. A basic Colt is a jack of all master of none kind of AR. From what your OP mentioned I think you are leaning more towards a RECCE build: short, lightweight, accurate rifle.


    But I will say you can build a quality AR for relatively cheap. The following list below is $900 worth of parts, just know there are no sights listed on this. This list is just simple parts to basically build a basic AR that would be a blank canvas to start with. This is just a list I put together fairly quickly and really it is all personal preference. I am sure others here and put a list together in the same price range with quality parts and we would have different vendors listed. The AR is all about personal preferences, which companies you like and which you don't, there are a lot of them out there that make quality parts.

    Receiver Set

    Aero Precision Blemished Stripped Lower $55
    Aero Precision Blemished Stripped Upper $48

    Upper Parts

    Sionics 16" Melonite Lightweight Barrel $185 (for a RECCE I would upgrade to a LW SS barrel from this +$100)
    Rainier Arms RMC 2.0 Black $52
    SLR Solo Lite Series 15" KeyMod Rail $220 (you can go shorter and save a little $$)
    Aero Precision Forward Assist Assembly $13
    Aero Precision Ejection Port Cover Assembly $9
    Ares Armor BCG Phosphate $80 (this is a basic BCG upgrade to a NiB or Nitride BCG +$100)
    BCM Gunfighter Mod 3 Large $43
    Gas Tube $13
    Gas Block $30

    Lower Parts

    Phase 5 WSI LPK $65 (I have purchases 2 LPK from P5WSI and both have had better than milspec triggers)
    Buffer Tube Assembly $55
    MFT Minimalist Stock $48

    Misc Upgrade parts: Trigger +$170, Ambi Safety Selector +$57, Grip +$20, BUIS +$100, Optic $$$$$$$
    Last edited by Computalotapus; 30 September 2014 at 06:40. Reason: Fixing grammar
    Just a regular guy.

  9. #24
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    It sounds as if you were pre-disposed to build one anyway, so why bother with all the questions. Your first AR and your planning on a $2000 dollar ACOG scope set up? You've got everyone lined up to do the work for you, as well as provide the tools. Can you even name all the parts of an AR without checking a manual, or asking a friend? So starting with a 2K scope, what, your looking at a 4K - 5K gun? I truly don't mean to sound antagonistic or a smartass, please believe that, but if you started this thread with full intentions of ignoring everyone and start talking about a 4 or 5K gun, with optics, you should have been a little more open about your ultimate intentions, after all. You can spend all the money you want, build anything you want, lug all that gear, with bipod and who knows what else around for a day, and my bet is you're going to be greatly disappointed in your choice, unless you're training to be a Marine Scout Sniper or something.

    My real bet is, that with all that money, and shining bobbles and lights and ACOG's , you're going to shoot it off a feather bed, one time, and spend the rest of your time showing it to friends, after removing any microscopic trace of lint and a spit and polish, because I'd bet good money that you're sure as hell not going to "run and gun" with your new Barbie. Again, it's your money, you can build it out of gold and it won't make me think any less of you, but I've seen this story play out multiple times. To be honest, I smell safe queen.

    Whatever your choice, have fun and enjoy yourself. That, I think should be the ultimate goal whether you buy a $899 Colt, or start with optics that cost 2X what the Colt sells for. One warning though, these things do NOT hold their value, like numerous other guns do, unless you get some one off matched receiver made of titanium or whatever. Those optics are going to be yesterday's technology very soon. Sort of like going from a cassette Walkman to a CD Walkman to an IPOD, too....etc. Plan on keeping them, though, they'll always be as good as they were when you got them. They were built for fighting, but can serve almost indefinitely as a "bench" gun.

    Genuinely, have fun whatever you do, and don't be shy, post pics along the way.

    Have fun and happy shooting, that's what it's really all about, I believe.

    FT
    Last edited by FortTom; 30 September 2014 at 12:29.
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  10. #25
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    Fort Tom... I understand where you are coming from... and in some ways you are correct but in other ways not.

    Yes I started out sort of predispositioned to try and build...BUT I haven't done so even though I have the money and resources to do it correctly. In ways I was playing devils advocate....but also (thankfully) I got a lot of responses from various people... which is what I wanted. The 'consensus' is what I was ultimately looking for because that really does end up getting down to the meat and potatoes of getting the real inside scoop from people and not only that, but WHY they think the way they do. Another thing I am predisposed to do is not spend money on a bunch of stuff I don't fully comprehend hence my thread. Yes, my head is saying build it... but everything else is saying no.

    Believe me... I really have not written off buying a simple AR and going from there. When I first started this thread I was about 75% committed to building one.... now, I still like the idea... but buying one might not be such a bad idea on a number of fronts. In all honesty, now I am probably leaning 60% buy something simple and 40% wait til later for the build.

  11. #26
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    rob_s has given the best advise so far.

    You don't know what you don't know. Believe me, we've all been there. I probably have 6 figures into this platform, and most of that could have been saved if I found a forum sooner in my life or friends familiar with the platform.

    You have to have a baseline, and that starts with a basic factory gun. It's not the sexy decision, but you'll thank us all later.

    One of the first guns I put together was modeled after something I saw in a movie. When I finally finished it, it "looked" bad-ass, only problem was, it sucked to shoot.

    Keep us posted!

  12. #27
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    Ok I'm going to use my first AR for an example here. The gun in this pic took about 2 years to build. Yes I put it all together in about a day taking my time but was planned over years, I probly handled hundreds of AR's in that time and lurked gun forums picking up what knowledge I could. There were several off the shelf rifles that I liked things about but none had everything I liked so set out to build my own. One thing you'll notice about this rifle is clean and simple just the way I wanted it for a hunting rifle. The unseen or unobvious is actually some of my more upper end components, the cmc 3.5lb trigger makes it feel like a competition gun, NiB LWRC advanced 6.8 bolt and Keis carrier for smooth operation and dependability, a prized ARPerfomance fluted barrel, and that's a ZEISS 3.5-10x44 on top, and the rifle is chambered in 6.8 SPC. Don't get caught up in gadgets that you don't need they just confuse the situation and every single thing you add is ounces and ounces are pounds. If you buy or build either way, take the time learn all you can about how this weapon works and then what you want and need.

  13. #28
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    This is actually a prime example of why I tell new shooters to buy a Colt 6920/6720.

    Less money than the the build you outlined, but more likely to get your money back later if you decide to sell.


    Quote Originally Posted by Computalotapus View Post
    I agree with everyone and I was in your shoes not to long ago. I am glad that my wife picked me up a S&W M&P 15 as a surprise cause I was all set on building my own AR. After shooting the rifle and thinking about what I wanted to do with an AR I was able to build the right AR for me without going broke on parts. You can pick up a quality Colt for cheap, shoot the crap out of it and learn the platform and decide what you want to do with the rifle, then build one that fills out what you want to do with it. A basic Colt is a jack of all master of none kind of AR. From what your OP mentioned I think you are leaning more towards a RECCE build: short, lightweight, accurate rifle.


    But I will say you can build a quality AR for relatively cheap. The following list below is $900 worth of parts, just know there are no sights listed on this. This list is just simple parts to basically build a basic AR that would be a blank canvas to start with. This is just a list I put together fairly quickly and really it is all personal preference. I am sure others here and put a list together in the same price range with quality parts and we would have different vendors listed. The AR is all about personal preferences, which companies you like and which you don't, there are a lot of them out there that make quality parts.

    Receiver Set

    Aero Precision Blemished Stripped Lower $55
    Aero Precision Blemished Stripped Upper $48

    Upper Parts

    Sionics 16" Melonite Lightweight Barrel $185 (for a RECCE I would upgrade to a LW SS barrel from this +$100)
    Rainier Arms RMC 2.0 Black $52
    SLR Solo Lite Series 15" KeyMod Rail $220 (you can go shorter and save a little $$)
    Aero Precision Forward Assist Assembly $13
    Aero Precision Ejection Port Cover Assembly $9
    Ares Armor BCG Phosphate $80 (this is a basic BCG upgrade to a NiB or Nitride BCG +$100)
    BCM Gunfighter Mod 3 Large $43
    Gas Tube $13
    Gas Block $30

    Lower Parts

    Phase 5 WSI LPK $65 (I have purchases 2 LPK from P5WSI and both have had better than milspec triggers)
    Buffer Tube Assembly $55
    MFT Minimalist Stock $48

    Misc Upgrade parts: Trigger +$170, Ambi Safety Selector +$57, Grip +$20, BUIS +$100, Optic $$$$$$$

  14. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by rob_s View Post
    Contrary to what the internut will usually tell you, you aren't actually gaining or saving anything by assembling your first AR yourself. Nor are you doing yourself any favors bolting a bunch of nonsense to an AR right out of the gate. I've even been know to ask people "what do you intend to do with it", which also doesn't really matter.

    Why do I say all of this? Because you just don't know. Knowing guns and knowing ARs is two different things. I know a fair bit about ARs, and I wouldn't even pretend to think that knowledge is remotely applicable to shotguns. I've made that mistake before.

    So what you want to do is buy the highest quality, basic, AR you can afford without too much grief. I wouldn't suggest ordering halves of guns, or parts of guys, or even whole guns (unless you've done it before) from the Internet. I'd march down to Walmart or to your local gunshop and buy a Colt 6920 or 6720 and be done.

    Then go shoot the gun.
    I'll point out one rather obvious flaw with this logic " (unless you've done it before)" .... Now, just how is someone going to have "done it before" until they do it the first time? That's like saying "don't change a flat tire unless you've done it before".

    I built mine because it was the only way I could afford to have one and I do need it and not for 'plinking at a range'. It's the best firearm I have for going out on the pitch black nights when the sheep are agitated because some predator type critter is skulking around them. With the AR I can light up the pasture with the tac light and shoot whatever is trying to kill one of our sheep. There's a first time for everything and if you want to build an AR piece by piece then do it. Not only will you know how it works but you'll also know how to build another one (which is exactly what I am doing - I want an AR 7.62x39 pistol).

  15. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by FortTom View Post
    Your definition of a "build" and mine are pretty far apart. Taking a lower and upper and sticking in a BCG does not, in my opinion, equate to a 'build", it even falls short of a proper field strip for cleaning and maintenance.
    I don't consider buying an upper, lower and a BCG building an AR either. All I was pointing out is that someone 'can' put one together that way and get something that is more what they want than an off the shelf AR with a plastic handguard and an A2 front sight.

    I personally wouldn't do that. I built mine from a stripped lower receiver and a stripped upper receiver. Me personal belief is that if you are going 'build' one then do so and do it right. This was my first AR I've ever owned and even though I did fire M16's in the Navy it was a lot different actually putting every single part in it. Plus, I built it the way I wanted it to be. So, i suspect that your definition of 'build' and mine are probably the same. I've seen so many posts from guys stating 'This is my first build' .. such and such a complete lower and such and such a complete upper. Well, they didn't 'build' anything.

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