Curious as to opinions. Do you think a home built AR15 can be built to be as accurate as a factory AR15 or a custom built AR15? This assumes the home built rifle uses a combination of widely acknowledged top quality parts, customized where appropriate to enhance accuracy, and assembled carefully with proper tools.
I read both sides, some saying a garage builder can not possibly put together a hodgepodge of parts and expect great results, while others say otherwise.
The lower is a piece of cake. But the upper depends on a good barrel, good receiver and bolt, and some skill/right tools for assembly. The short answer is that your first rifle will be a learning experience. But we all learn from mistakes. (Until you have trashed a receiver, you have not tried.)
But once you have put a few together, your rifle should be as good or better than a store-bought rifle. Get the right tools, quality parts, and maybe a little help for the first one.
I am convinced that you can build a better rifle than you can buy off the shelf, at least as good a rifle as an off-the-shelf Colt, if you start with good parts and good tools. I have rebarreled and refinished bolt action rifles, and ARs are a lot simpler.
On the other hand, you probably cannot build as good a match rifle as a custom gunsmith/master machinist. You will be relying on the components being in-spec. (So does Colt.) That is not the same as making a custom rifle.
ETA: The main thing, building your own is a lot more fun that just buying a finished rifle, and you learn a lot about the AR system in the process. You don’t really own the rifle until you know it. You don’t know it until you can build it. Prices rise and fall. But it’s not just about the cost.
It’s a buyers market for high quality complete carbines right now. Some of the lowest prices in a long time. Availabilty of quality building parts ( BCG’s , for example ) seems to still be a little spotty.
If you get quality parts and assemble them properly you will make an accurate and reliable rifle as any big name maker.
If you buy all Noveske parts and components and assemble them just like the armorers at Noveske do, it will perform just like a Noveske rifle.
Assembling an AR is stupid easy. Assembling an AR properly is pretty easy.
This will be my first AR. I bought all the right tools, including roll pin punches, roll pin holders, wrenches, vise blocks, headspace gauge, even a tool to square the upper receiver barrel mating surface to the bolt bore. I have good mechanical aptitude and experience, and do know how the AR operates, which should help in proper assembly. I have partially trial assembled parts of the weapon without incident.
I am using parts which are widely acknowledged to be very high quality.
Hopefully, it will deliver performance that justifies the parts and my careful assembly. It will be using either Lapua ammo or handloaded when I test it for maximum performance.
I’ve been pondering the same question. I wrote down a list of quality parts I could order from BCM to make a carbine that suits me. I’ve added up the costs and considered my needs. I could build a complete mil-spec M4 to my liking and stay within my price range.
That being said, I’m now strongly reconsidering buying a high quality complete carbine and adding my personal touches as time and money become available. Prices on complete carbines are dropping dramatically now, while prices on individual parts are not falling as much. It now makes more sense for me to buy a complete carbine. The DDXV, BCM, and S&W complete are becoming very reasonably priced.
I’m in the process of building my first AR and am waiting on my M4 upper from BCM, got a Tactical Innovations lower, and RRA LPK w/2 stage NM trigger from a local shop, had a friend help put the lower together with a Magpul Moe milspec stock with H2 buffer, Moe grip, and BCM bolt carrier group. Shot the lower with a friends Bushy upper and it ran well with no hiccups and it even ate some Wolf ammo. His bolt wouldn’t run the Wolf. I highly recommend building your first one just to really learn how and what goes into a quality rifle without breaking the bank. Do a lot of research and make lots of notes on what your needs vs wants are and then put together the best rifle for you. You may spend a tad more this way but the knowledge you have of your rifle is huge. Just my nickel’s worth.
Seee Yaaa
Personally, I prefer to build my rifles/carbines.
When I build a weapon, I am the assembler and QC. I know exactly the quality of the components going into my build, and the quality of the assembly.
Definitely build your lower----there’s a video on youtube from “Life Liberty…” that shows how to assemble a lower. I even did snapshots of the fullscreen while the video was playing to keep an idea on my PC on how to do it. Then I went to work for a black weapons specialist and started working on ARs every day. It’s a whole lotta fun----good luck on your new endeavor.
I’m going to vote for build. I have been carrying one version or another of Stoner’s rifle professionally since 1980. Building is a learning experience. Learning by experience can be expensive, but it can be really rewarding too. I have found that since I began my slow build I have encouraged two others to begin builds. We are all sharing the tools that I bought to build and paint my current project. Some of the parts that I bought and decided to not use I have given or sold to them or placed for sale here. This site is a Godsend for builders. Whether you are shopping for someone else’s experience, a vendor, or advice, this site will help you work your way through the project. I am looking forward to the critiques and criticisms of my current build once it is finished and I can post the pics here (once I figure out how!). Take the plunge, build it; your sense of ownership will never be stronger.
I vote for building your own. When you build your own, you can get what you want from go instead of buying a complete rifle and then replacing what you didn’t want with what you do want.
It is a learning experience and the AR-15 is simple enough that it is not too difficult for a total novice to learn easily. Assembling your own rifle helps you better understand how the rifle functions. Additionally, there’s a really good feeling of accomplishment when you look at your rifle and you know you built it correctly with the parts you chose for it.
This is another VERY good point, and one I failed to mention above.
For someone new to AR’s, assembling their own will certainly give them a “one-up” on how the AR functions, compared to someone new to AR’s who simply purchases a complete factory built weapon.
Great point. Same as for people that handload. You appreciated more of the function that each component has and how it all comes together. I find people that assemble their own weapons and load their own ammunition are the Tier 1 shooters most often. Getting into the guts of the operation gives a more intimate knowledge of their weapon and makes them more confident.
The home-built rifle will be every bit as good as anything on the market assuming equal parts quality. The AR-15 is quite unlike the 1911 with regard to assembly; where the 1911 requires a truly skilled gunsmith AND high grade parts to be reach its potential, anyone with rudimentary mechanical skills and the proper equipment can assemble a world-class AR-15, given that he uses the proper parts.
I’ll put it this way: I don’t even change the oil on my car, but I think the rifles I build are second to none. I use proper tools (a center punch and MOACKS take the guesswork out of castle nut staking and gas key staking, respectively), I observe the torque values, and I use quality parts.
People forget you assemble an AR and build an AK/1911. If you’re sticking pins and springs and sub assemblies in a frame or receiver, that’s assembling. If you’re filing, sanding, blending, fitting, welding, that’s building. I see a lot of guys assemble a lower, pin a complete upper, post a pic and call it their build. Hardly.
Perhaps some forget, but “build” is not an incorrect grammatical usage of the word and many AR builders, or assemblers use the term, e.g., Les Baer (let’s avoid their custom “built” backwards castle nuts for now :D). However, it may not be technically correct or preferred by purists among the AR/gunsmith community.
When one uses the term in an AR forum, I think everyone knows what they mean.
I say do both! I can not make up my mind.
Building is fun because you learn more about the rifle. Buying is cheaper right now because it is a buyers market.
A friend asked me the other day this question actually and I asked him if he was doing this for knowledge or just to have a rifle? He said rifle, and I said Colt 6920s are going for good prices right now. He said awesome and is off to buy one.
i would definately build one myself. there are tons of quality parts out there and you can customize it the way you want it. the only thing i buy somtimes is a barreled upper.
no reason not to build a lower IMO.
some people finally got around to the heart of it in this thread… there’s no difference between buying a top-quality box gun and buying a box of top-quality parts and assembling them, in terms of what you get, aside from the fact that the assembled gun gets only what YOU decide to give it. no wasted effort or money- its built exactly how you want it the moment it’s complete. the only thing you can do to effect accuracy is spend more on the barrel.