This has been bothering me for some time. If you build an AR what kind is it? The lower is the only part that is a firearm, should that be what it is called? Then again I feel that upper and lower receivers are not very important as long as they are way off. It is they parts that go in them that are important.
I have always called mine by what kind of barrel it has. I do this because I feel that the barrel is the most important part of the rifle.
So what are your thoughts?
Like “what name brand” is the rifle?
Noveske Lower, DD Barrel, Vltor Upper, BCM BCG and CH, Geissele Trigger and Rail, magpul furniture. What you would call something like this, I have no idea. Maybe just a hodgepodge of awesomeness?
edit: I guess I normally call most of mine by the barrel specs - 14.5" Carbine, 16" Midlength, 11.5" SBR, etc.
Although a contentious topic among some, many allege unless you have the fun switch, it is an AR-15, not an M4/16.
I have considered asking the same question. If we are talking what brand the rifle is if it is a build then it is hard to really define to a point. I know what it isn’t generally. For example I have argued with others in the past since I had a guy try to sell me a BCM rifle where the only thing that was BCM was the CH and the rest was no name parts put together by God only knows who. Also, your rail doesn’t define your rifle, since I see a lot of PSA, Bushy, and other crap brand rifles marketed local, as DD or Larue ARs because that is the rails that are on the AR.
I tend to use this rule of thumb. The rifle’s major components are what defines the rifle to me. Now granted, my builds, involve complete BCM uppers, with lowers I put together, which I feel safe calling them BCM builds. Complete upper and complete lower I would just market it as being a build with X brand and Y brand. When we start buying all parts separately or building the upper ourselves, I generally just consider a custom build with X parts because the manufacture is not building the heart oft he rifle, the upper, and well not everyone can build an AR well. At that point it is an custom AR if we are being kind, or a frankenrifle if I am not, because if Joe blow is building it, and I don’t know him from Adam, how do I know the rifle is going to work for any length of time?
This is my quick thoughts on the system and I am sure their are others who will have their own opinion. But to put it blunt and quick, your accessories do not define the rifle, it is what makes the rifle work.
I basically use the above in bold.
“What is that gun?”
“It’s a <lower manufacturer> <barrel length> <barrel-manufacturer/upper-supplier> AR.” Barrel length and upper can be condensed to <RECCE, SPR> if applicable.
If they are still interested or trying to finger bang it.
“I have it set up for <activity> with a <sights>, <buttstock> and <sling>, <bipod(optional)>.”
Though if it is a ‘un-cool’ lower manufacturer, I say that its a “<lower manufacturer> that I put a <trigger manufacturer> in”.
Kind of like a Native American way of naming things.
I never say M4.
Custom build or frankenrifle.
When asked about rifles I built I will reply with “I put this together with xyz parts.” Typically I list the more important parts, Barrel, rail, Lower/upper, what ever parts I feel set that build apart.
I also build uppers and lowers more than complete rifles. My uppers and lowers get swapped around based on need. (mostly what trigger/stock I need for the task at hand.) So my builds change often in that sense.
Typically I mate Optics to uppers and that goes unchanged as I find constantly Zeroing optics tedious.
Barrel generally defines what I call it, but optic choice can change that. For example my 16" BCM SS410 is SPRish with a 1x4, but I would call it a precision gun with big glass or just a deluxe M4 with a red dot.
My lower is an Anderson, but I got it stripped and it has a different LPK and a Geissele trigger in it. The upper is a Vltor with a FN barrel, Geissele rail, and soon to have a WMD bcg. To save time, I just call my “AR”. If anyone asks the manufacturer, I just say I custom built it myself.
The way I look at it it could be. Take a Colt M4A1 and rebarrel it with a SS Noveske barrel and I would call it a Noveske rifle form that point on.
I should clarify, I use barrel lengths, gas systems, and brands, e.g. 16" Noveske Mid length. The reason I bring this up is that I also have a 16" Centurion Mid length.
I am also tired of seeing people slap a DPMS upper on a BCM lower and calling it a BCM and so forth.
On that I would call it a DD. The way I look at it a lower can be swapped out very easily and the barrel is what makes it what it is.
M4gery or frankengun works for me and after that if interested enough can inquire as to the composition of the item. Or, if it works for you, who cares!!
I just call it simply a “build”
Not by any brand it’s just a build, it conveys that now only is it a mixture of parts but that you built it, and not a assembly line.
I always refer to them just by their barrel length, unless it’s one that I have multiples of that particular length, then I include the brand of the lower.
This is how I answer the question.
DanVltor Defenske Bravo CompaLMT GeisseLeupold rifle 
-Jax
Take the first letter of each manufacturer, mix in some vowels and there ya go!
BCM
DD
Armalite
Geissele
Fortis
Would equal…bdagf… Add some vowels and it could really be whatever you want!
My ar is a Palmetto State Armory upper and an Anderson lower with anderson lpk so I laughingly refer to it as my PalmAnderson. But in reality it’s just my mutt carbine.
Well that sums it up, I typically refer to it as my carbine? i think I’ve tossed out there that it’s a palmetto state setup before which isn’t a lie being its a full upper from them.
Barrel length and gas system seems to be a common and simple reference, for example: “This is my 18 inch middy, and over here is my 16 inch carbine” with further description as desired if you have more than one rifle of the same barrel & gas length.
Another way I describe them is intended use. “Here is my defensive carbine, and here is my competition rig” or whatever.
Or you could name your rifle “Jenna” or “Sunshine” or something. I’m not a fan of that personally, but to each their own.
Or you could be like Johnny Cash and say you got it one piece at a time: “It’s a BCM, DD, Spike’s, Giessele, CMC, Vortex…”
If it’s made with parts from one manufacturer like Noveske, I’d call it the “Noveske build”. If it’s a hodge podge of parts from many sources, it’s your build or as you would call it"my build". It’s important to have the distinction of “build” in the name to distinguish it from an actual factory build by whichever vendor. JMO…