Hey all, I have been lurking for a while, just reading to try and learn a little. I have been wanting to build my first AR for a couple years, but since the wife and I are both hardcore into bowhunting and tournament archery, the budget really hasnt allowed for AR parts purchases.
After the sandy hook deal, my go to guy for gun questions says, you might want to try and get a lower receiver that way you at least will have something to build off of in case the gov’t wants to ban the sale of them in the near future. So I shopped around a bit (prices were stupid high at this time) and found what I thought was a reasonable deal on a (hopefully) decent quality lower receiver.
I guess I’m trying to buy parts on a bit of a budget, but didn’t want to skimp and just get junk pieces just to save pennies. So I tried my best to compromise between cost and quality, while at the same time trying to build an AR that has the features/look I had in mind.
So I’m just asking for insight/opinions on the parts I’ve purchased, and maybe what I might want to watch as far as possible issues with any of the parts, or what I would be wise to upgrade in the future.
Like I said, I’m a newbie, so not 100% sure, but I think all I need to make this gun shoot-able is a front sight post of some kind. Let me know if I’m missing something and what you think about the rest of it. I believe I’m about $810 in right now. The price I paid for the stripped lower absolutely killed the idea of making this cost effective, but it is what it is.
Trying my best not to sound like a dick but you shouldve asked before purchasing.
The barrel/upper assembly and bcg are your most critical parts and unfortunately, you’re just shy of absolute crap. Rail is an unknown piece as well. Having lurked here for some time, as you mentioned, im surprised you ended up with the parts you did.
Guess I havent really lurked for some time, more like dropped in a few times and read a thread or two. Well, once it’s all together and I can see how it shoots/functions I will decide if I have buyer’s remorse or not. A learning experience none the less. I assume its the YHM upper and RGUNS BCG that you are saying is absolute crap, correct?
It looks to me that you bought a bunch of cheap parts and are going to end up with a cheap quality rifle. Your BCG in particular, RGUNS is a manufacturer I had to look up. On their website it says that their BCGs are nickel boron coated. That’s all well and good but what kind of product is underneath that coating? Is it made of the correct steel, HPT, MPI? They are listed at $175 but for $189 you could’ve had a BCM BCG that I would trust with my life.
You’ll come to find that the overwhelming majority of members on this board are sticklers for quality, if it costs a bit more so what. Yes we try and budget, but budget on quality parts. When or if your life or even worse the lives of your loved ones depend on your skill and reliability of the rifle in your hands do you really want to wonder if that $50 you saved is gonna get you killed?
Now this all depends on your application of the weapon as well, if all you’re doing is shooting paper at the range once a month or so then it doesn’t really matter now does it. But if you ever are placed in a situation where you need a weapon to defend yourself I’d make damn sure the weapon I pick up will function flawlessly, and that comes from quality workmanship and manufacturing.
All in all, yes the parts you bought will combine to become an AR, would I have chosen those same parts, no.
So as it stands, I suppose I will look at a new BCG as my first upgrade. The price was right on the RGUNS BCG because I made a trade with a friend, so I only have $65 in the BCG.
As for use of the rifle, it probably wont have 300 rds a year put through it. I will shoot it some initially to become familiar with the platform, but other than that, it will probably be my go to varmint rifle, and I dont do much varmint hunting at all. I just mean when I see a coyote out the back door I will grab this gun before others. I don’t have any serious plans for this gun, will probably never see “thousands and thousands” of rounds, which is why I didnt get a chrome lined barrel.
Yea, I’d shy away from any manufacturer that markets the coating on their bcg, but doesn’t mention what steel was used…
Most people don’t end up saving anything, after learning a bit on this site. They realize they could have a solid rifle for the same price or just a bit more money, and end up selling the cheapo stuff at a loss, to fund a BCM/Colt/ect. upper and/or bcg.
Sounds like what you have will suit your needs fine, but since you’re new to the platform, you’ll want to make sure it gets assembled properly.
I will try to set aside funds to actually get the quality parts on my next rifle, then this can be sold or be a cheap plinker for my son when he’s old enough. I plan on putting it together with a friend who has put together several. I would never try to assemble one myself (at least not with out watching one first), nor do I have all of the tools to do it.
OP, head to TOS. There you will find many with your grade of parts selection and they will tell you how those parts perform and hold up after punching paper for x amount of rounds.
You should be ok with the lower and LPK you have. As far as all the upper parts are concerned, I wouldn’t use them. The lower is pretty simple to put together and there are several decent videos on YouTube that cover it.
Most of us have made poor choices on first AR purchases myself included. My first was a DPMS and while I was fortunate that it ran well and had no issues, I soon after sold it at a loss to purchase a New Daniel Defense M4 and never looked back.
I am another newbie to the AR world. I, like many others, got my first AR before I knew anything about the different levels of quality. I have since reduced my inventory to a single BCM middy AR. In your situation, I would probably recommend taking a look at the BCM website. I purchased their complete 16” lightweight upper with a mid-length gas system about 6 months ago. I finished it with a Mod. 4 ambi charging handle, MOE forend, and a TLR-1 light on a Magpul scout mount. The heart of the upper is the bolt and barrel. Getting the BCM bolt and the BCM upper with be a product you can count on, and really is not going to be much of a price increase compared to your current parts list. Once you try a quality build like a Daniel Defense, Colt, BCM, etc. it’s hard to go back to the sub-standard stuff. Once again-I am no expert, and try not to pretend to be, but for me I’ve felt the slightly higher price has yielded a much greater return by going with BCM.
Sounds good. If you get a decent offer, sell it and get a Colt 6920. Shoot, learn, and go from there. Later, when you start building, and you are going to start building, you can relegate the 6920 as a spare for your son.
Honestly, i would finish the gun. You will learn from putting it together. And then sell it new. Try gun stores first to see what they will give you. They might love the silver bcg and give you near what you paid for it.
Then buy a colt 6920 (these are even sold at walmart) or build a no frills BCM gun for real cheap. You would be surprised at how GOOD of a gun you can build if you just shop around and only get good parts. BCM blem lowers, or PSA lowers with G&R lpks, b5 or moe buttstocks. Throw a BCM middy upper with a moe hand guard and magpul rear and youve got a gun way better then stag, dpms, windham, or bushmaster for the same if not cheaper price.
Theres also a DD upper on sale for 900 something bucks right now at restate tactical. You can build a good lower from a no-named stripped lower, G&R lpk, bcm buffer tube/spring/buffer and a moe buttstock for 300. or get a bcm blem for like 380 and you’ve got yourself a dd with a rail for 1200.