First AR15 Build - Help, Tips, and Suggestions

AR/M4 AR General Discussion
1

The internet is both great and stupid. There’s a lot of information on anything, but just as much or more misinformation. So here I am pleading for mercy at the feet of the AR gods and tactical faeries. Please feel free to pick apart anything I say. I just want to get into ARs, into the ‘tactical’ rifle world, and have a fun plinker. So, I’ve decided that after I get my CCW (Thank you Missouri for dropping the age on that) and the rest of my life figured out, I’m going to build an AR. My intentions for it are at first just to have a ‘tactical’ rifle. I want it to eventually evolve into a kind of general purpose carbine. I’m kind of working on an open ended budget, but not really, if that makes sense. I try to take $50-$100 a paycheck and put that towards shooting. So I’ll hesitantly say $500 start up and $50 a month.

My plan right now is to buy one of those cheap Del-Ton or other lower end brand upper assemblies. CTD has them for about $385 plus shipping and transfer. I’m sure I could find them cheaper. Then I’ll get a decent lower (They’re all pretty much the same right?) a LPK, and a CMMG stock kit. A rear sight, ten magazines, and 1,00 rounds of cheap ammo should round me out to start with. My current estimate, using the price gouging CTD as a base, is about $900. My little brother is contributing $200 to the cause, with an understanding between us. Basically, on his 18th, I’ll give him the upper and we split the cost of the lower. So the project starter gets handed down, so on and so forth. After I get the rough starter gun completed and get used to the system, I’ll start changing things out. I have just gone ahead and assumed I’d start work on the upper first and just replace parts as money and need arises.

I would like a chrome lined barrel, hopefully something along the lines of a medium or heavy profile. I’ve gleaned from my adventures in the interwebs that chrome lining [i]can/i affect accuracy. And obviously, a heavier barrel profile adds weight. I’m not too worried about accuracy; I’ve shot ARs before and they’re reasonably accurate. I figure that for my uses, a chrome lined bore might help prolong the barrel life. If I need accuracy, I have my deer rifle. The heavier barrel is a personal preference. I don’t mind the weight, and it might help with mag dumps and accuracy a bit. For a handguard, I’ve been lusting over the Gator Grip 15" handguard. I don’t know why, but it looks nice and the reports are all good. So far as I can tell.

Gas system. I know DI will work just well. Both father and grandfather (5th Group Special Forces and retired LRRP respectively) have said that the rifle won’t jam if you don’t let it. I don’t intend to. However, I have had the honor of firing an HK416 SBR that belongs to my grandfather’s old war buddy. The gas system is awesome. Do I need it? No. Is it expensive? Yes. Do I want it? ****ing right I do. A DI gun would probably work for me well and not cause any issues. So that’s what I’m going with now unless the bearded ninjas demand otherwise. I just figured a low profile gas block from pretty much any company and an A2 flash hider. They seem to work just fine.

I’ll probably get any good brand of folding irons. I don’t trust the plastic ones and I’ve even broken a cheap metal pair on my dads rifle. Any recommendations on that or just anything name brand? For the optic I would love an EOTech, but damn. I could start another rifle or get a second handgun for that price. I have a Walmart red dot I mean to use. I’m sure I’ll break it somehow. Would just a decent red dot be a good choice or should I go with a scope?

I’m clueless on stocks and bolt carriers. Do they really matter that much? I like the feel of the SOPMOD my dad has on his, but they’re expensive. Are they just hype? And what tools do I need to start his build and hopefully many others? Are there any brands in specific or do you just get what’s cheapest and hope it doesn’t break?

I’m sorry this is kind of ramble-ly. I’ve been doing my research the best I can between school and finding a job. If anyone can help with any of that, that would be fantastic. Best of luck to all of you. Operate on good people.

2

First of all… lol wut?

Stay away from del ton. You can get a PSA upper for $385 that comes with a FN CHF barrel that is mil spec, I suggest a light weight barrel. If your on a budget PSA is your best bet. They have lower build kits that come with everything you need for a lower, some with ALG triggers and with 7075 receiver extensions for <$200.

Get a decent lower, at least and Aero or a Spikes, they can be had for about $85 now and Aero regularly has blem sales. For sights all you really need is a rear, my suggestion is a Daniel Defense rear. As far as red dots go, again, get something decent like an Aimpoint PRO, they’re about $350 used.

Stocks don’t matter, they’re user preference, but the BCG does. I suggest a BCM BCG. Also, since you like the SOPMOD, you can get a B5 bravo sopmod for about $60 which are great.

If you buy the complete upper all you really need to put together the lower is hand tools like a small hammer, punches, torque wrench, and castle nut wrench.

For $900 you can build a decent carbine if you do it a little at a time. Another option would be to just save up to $800 and get a colt 6720. They go for $800 regularly at PSA.

Stock up on mags while they’re cheap. Another mass shooting and they could go back up to $30+. You can find D&H mags for $8-9 regularly and gunmagwarehouse has 10 pack pmags for about $110.

Also, keep an eye on the EE here you can get some pretty good deals on parts.

3

I’m odd, I’m sorry I made You lol.

Any particular reason to stay away from delton? I’ve shot lightweight barrels. I’m not a fan of the lightsaber effect after a few mags. a semi-local pawn shop has Nader son lowers for $60. Are they any good?

Sorry for so many questions. I just want to do this right and not hate myself later on.

4

Agree on the 6720, you can modify it later if you get the itch.

5

That should have said Anderson.

Alright. Any other suggestions for this pre-newbie?

6

I dont know much about anderson

7

Nothing wrong with Anderson lowers, I can get them local for $45-50, someone will probably sell them for the same in your area

8

You should also read a lot on this forum. The stickies are very informative and the search button is your friend.

9

Let me start by saying cheap/low quality AR parts are expensive. When they break, you have to replace them. Had you started with a higher quality part that was a little more expensive, it’ll typically last you a lot longer. I understand you’re on a budget, but by starting with cheap parts, you’re just making things more expensive in the long run. When funds are tight, a smart thing to do is buy a few parts here and there. Another great option, which others have mentioned, is save up $800-$900 and just buy a Colt. As you shoot it, you can determine what you like/don’t like and switch out parts from there. You’ll have a much higher quality starting point than a Delton. Also, don’t be afraid to go used. You can find some good deals on the EE here. As black22rifle said, the BCG is very important. I’d also recommend the BCM. You can’t go wrong with it (or anything BCM for that matter). My last bit of advice: read and listen. There’s a ton of great information on this board, but you may have to dig for it. Check the stickies, and use the search function. Good luck with your rifle.

10

Just starting out I’d forget the build. Especially with the specs you have given. They all are very low quality parts and will cause more problems than you care to deal with. For the same Money. $900 +/- I’d go with a Colt 6920 and then start buying ammunition and mags. Shoot your weapon as much as possible and take a class or 2 or more. There are some great trainers here and you will definitely learn a lot. Read as much as you can online here and soak it up. As far as building a weapon is concerned, putting parts together isn’t difficult. Doing it right is a different story and knowing what and why you are choosing certain parts is another story. I’ve only built 2 weapons from scratch, using quality parts, and for the most part it was a breeze. I was very lucky and had no issues. Others have had them and were able to overcome them by using M4C as a resource. If he ever comes close to me the class I really want to take is Iraqgunz Armorers class. He is an unbelievable resource!!

11

I’m picking up a brand new Colt 6720 with tax for $1000. I probably could have shaved a $100 off but choose to patronize my LGS. Maybe you should think in that direction, and as $$ becomes more available invest in a couple mods, mags and ammo. As the “Great One” would say “…and away we go !”

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

12

You’re not going to save anything on your first build by the time you buy the tools.
It would be a learning experience though.

However, buying an already assembled upper/lower and slapping them together doesn’t mean you built it.

I agree, buying a 6720 or a 6920 (Colt) is probably your best bet. It sounds like you may not have the funds to do so which means you have to save.
And while you’re saving you can spend lots of time reading this site.
You cannot start building before you know what you want to do, what the weapon is intended for. Do you have AR schematics? That’s the first thing I did when I decided to build one. But, I bought my first 4 AR’s. Now, I’m ready to build one.
I think I got my parts list & schematics from Brownells. They were free. They are in JPEG.

Watch videos of builds. Have a place to build. I don’t recommend the kitchen table. I have kids, a wife partial to her table, and we would most likely have to eat dinner at it when I’m right in the middle of something.

A build is something you need to really think about the direction you’re going BEFORE you start. Again, is this a Home Defense gun? A gun you want to throw in your truck? You want a short barrel? Suppressor? A marksman rifle that will shoot hairs off a gnats rear? If you don’t think ahead you will be buying parts you will be changing out in the future. BTDT

And I am naturally inclined to buy lower priced parts (ie, CMMG LPK’s) but it’s not a smart move. So I don’t.

13

I would second the suggestions of either a colt 6720/6920. Another option is to assemble a BCM carbine. Here is a 16" Midlength priced out:

BCM Lower (Blem): $340
http://www.gandrtactical.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=LWR-BCM-BLEM

Magpul MOE handguard: $33 grtactical.com
Magpul Back Up sight: $55 gractical.com

BCM Midlength upper with BCG and Gunfighter charging handle: $509
http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BCM-URG-MID-16

Total price: $937

For this price you get a top notch rifle with good customer service and some nice upgrades such as the BCM gunfighter charging handle. Quality wise BCM is comparable to a Colt but allows you the ability to build the exact rifle you want due to their numerous upper receiver options.

14

Yes, buying a complete AR on sale or a slightly used one off Armslist may be a way to go. Since you are still getting the budget together here is another way to go. You could just start buying some of the lower parts you want, not that much $$ here and there. Of course get the stripped lower early on.

There are really no special tools, maybe a stock wrench, needed to assemble the completed lower. Later on you could decide if you want to just get a completed upper. I try to sneak a little quality in, but the average shooter,Hunter, plinker doesn't need the very best of everything.

Here’s two I did recently, started with Spikes lowers then bought complete uppers. The top is BCM the bottom an ATH from RRA, both 18".

15

Before you attempt to build anything, please take an armorers course of some kind. The youtube videos of the teenage girl putting an AR together from scratch make it look easy but it’s not.

You’re going to want a knowledgeable person to guide your hand.
The WORST thing you can do is get a bigger hammer.

Reassembling A2 rear sights is a humbling feat your first time.
If you assemble the FCG wrong, it isn’t fun.

The first time I took a course I did Colt LE/MIL armorer and did not want to look at another AR-15 for a while. I STILL do not regard myself as knowledgeable as I still have to work and ask questions even though I can and have assembled ARs now.

You really want a store brought Colt, BCM, or LMT your first time through.

16

Hey,
It seems like we get one of these threads every two months or so. Almost everyone here has learned the hard way about building rifles. Buying cheap parts is going to get you nothing but trouble. Learn from our mistakes! Buy a Colt. You can’t go wrong with a Colt.
I’m a member of a local gun forum. Guys post frakenguns for sale all of the time. Put together with cheap parts. They never sell! Buy a Colt and you won’t be sorry…
And search the forum next time for threads like these. If you don’t like what we say go to another site…
Good luck!

17

Biggest take-home advice items:

Get something you can resell. Colt 6970 or 6920 fits the bill for sure.
KISS rifles always have a use. I’ve got way more AR15’s than I need, most of them are very fancy feature heavy carbines, but my favorite just have a sling, micro red dot, weaponlight, and backup iron sights.
Reading pays dividends - each hour spent on here early on is probably worth $100. Over time this figure will come down to $40/hr or so of useful savings, but seeking sage advice and learning how to screen for valuable input (over low SNR sources) is worth a lot

18

Building is a lot of fun, I’ve done it myself. These days though, building is more about wanting specific parts than saving money. The cheapest way to get into the AR world is with a assembled upper and lower. If you really want to try out your hand on building something, start with the lower. You could buy a rifle kit and just pick up an Anderson lower locally. Still though, it would be about the same $$$ just to buy an assembled lower and not have to buy any specialized tools.

Del-ton sells tons of rifles, parts and kits, and plenty of people are happy with them. It’s not so much that you have to worry about functionality with them, but for the same money you can get something better IMO. I’m a big PSA fan, and I think PSA offers a rifles at the same price as Del-ton, but with a better quality barrel and much more options. Plus with Del-ton a lot of their chrome lined barrels are the heavy profile, which is really, really heavy. Kind of pointless for a rifle that isn’t going to be shot only from the bench.

You can buy something within your budget, that will be accurate for an AR, and very durable, for less than people are making it seem like. These are my mains things I would recommend; If you plan on shooting iron sights, get a rifle with a FSB. It’s the best front sight there is and very cheap. Also, free floating is over-rated for close distance shooting. It looks cool, is all the rage, but often the $$$ spent of a rail/tube don’t translate into better shooting. Also, buy within your budget. The gun world is full of people who buy expensive things and barely ever use them. Look at the equipment exchange of any gun forum, including this one, and you will see people selling lots of barely used equipment.

If you want a front sight, this is a quality upper: http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/barreled-upper-assemblies/psa-16-mid-length-chf-5-56-1-7-upper-with-bcg-and-charging-handle.html
If you want a free float upper, look at this one: http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/barreled-upper-assemblies/psa-sqh13-premium-16-5-56mm-1-7-mid-length-a2-profile-without-bcg-or-charging-handle.html (It doesn’t come with a BCG or a charging handle though, which will add $100 to the cost).
Then buy a lower: http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/15072/category/4282/

And suddenly (magically almost), you are back inside your budget and have a rifles that you can shoot for basically forever with only some basic maintenance.

19

Your best bet is to save up and read here. It can save you a lot of money. I have both a piston (16" Huldra TUC upper) and a DI (14.7" PSA middy). Go with a DI. Although my Huldra runs well and I have no doubts about it, the piston system really only lends itself to shooting suppressed a lot or on a pdw upper. Once the barrel on it is shot out I will probably sell off the piston system, bcg and rail and convert it back to DI. If I were to go back and do it again, I’d get a BCM or Daniel Defense V7 upper for what I paid for the piston upper.
As for Del-Ton, avoid them. As mentioned, PSA is a better way to go for the $. That being said, KNOW what you’re getting if you do decide to go with PSA. Their Premium uppers and their CHF uppers are the only ones I’d run. Not PTAC, not the Freedom line, not their nitrided/melonited uppers, just the first two.
If BCM ever does their free bcg sale with the purchase of an upper again, there is no reason to go with PSA. If you decide to save, go with BCM, or Colt. You can get a 6720 from Grant for $799.

20

http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/psa-16-midlength-5-56-nato-1-7-socom-melonite-freedom-rifle-kit.html

Add your $60 stripped Anderson lower and today you could have at least a decent AR for about $450

Cant beat it for the price. I bought a S&W MP15 last week for $600.

Everyones budget is different. There are guys here that demand the best. Nothing wrong with that. If you can afford it.
If you cant you try to get the best with what $ you can. I think as a first AR you would do OK with the stuff I linked to from PSA.

AND if Im wrong, I am certain it will be said lol. Either way, you will learn from it.