AR15 build newbie

[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.




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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