Guns that can be "built" No Smith Required.

I really like the idea of building a gun kit. I have never done one and have been looking to do one, but the prices now are the same as an assembled gun (kind of defeats the purpose if you looking at the cheaper kits). I think most are building them for three reasons:
1) 80% lower so you can have an unregistered gun (not gonna debate the traceability in this thread)
2) Customized guns are really cool
3) Kits can save you some money (well, kits used to be cheaper)

I wish there were more options for other guns besides AR's. I think it could be a growing business, but the problem is will be too expensive.

Glock and 10/22.

You can build a 1911 with pretty basic tools and skills too.

I just ran across this the other day. 80% Sig P320 chassis;
https://www.80-lower.com/80-lower-blog/sig-sauer-p320-80-build-guide/

NIGHTLORD40K said:

Glock and 10/22.

You can build a 1911 with pretty basic tools and skills too.

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I have in mind one day to build a 1911. Steel frame and maybe in 38 Super. Though 10mm would be tempting.

You can make a really nice 10/22 from parts.

Savage/Stevens rifles, and now "Remage" rifles, can be built with minimal tools and a headspace guage.

DustyGmt said:

There is one of those Sig frames sitting in the parts bin at my LGS, I've never paid more that $5 for anything in that bin. I wonder if I can turn it into a new toy. I don't have much familiarity with the P320's and didn't know why it was discarded, but I might just grab it and figure it out, lol...

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The chassis is what the SN is wrote on, which makes the chassis the firearm. The frames are made around the gun being a modular type gun. So 3rd parties can build grips, slides, barrels, etc. Right now I don't see pricing that motivates me to build a P320 type, yet.

I built a 1911 from an Essex frame with a Springfield Armory slide assembly in .38 Super. It wasn't all that difficult to do and I learned several valuable lessons from doing it. First get yourself a nice set of gunsmith screwdrivers, punches, and Swiss files (trust me you'll need them, especially the files)! Second, buy only quality parts (that is avoid the bag of G.I. surplus 1911 parts you might pick up at a gun show), because chances are you'll be replacing most if not all of them with the previously mentioned quality parts. Third, get a D.I.Y. book on how to build a 1911; better yet already have a functioning 1911 so you can take it apart to see how thing are really supposed to work in a 1911!
I later gave the slide assembly to a friend of mine and eventually got this very nice TacSol 2211 .22 conversion for my 1911 build.

DustyGmt

Thanks! It was a lot of work, somewhat frustrating at times (due mostly to the Essex frame having so many off center holes in it and from using cheap surplus parts initially). But once you get it up and running, it really is quite an amazing thing that you could actually build a semi-auto pistol from parts and get it all to work right!

bannockburn said:

I built a 1911 from an Essex frame with a Springfield Armory slide assembly in .38 Super. It wasn't all that difficult to do and I learned several valuable lessons from doing it. First get yourself a nice set of gunsmith screwdrivers, punches, and Swiss files (trust me you'll need them, especially the files)! Second, buy only quality parts (that is avoid the bag of G.I. surplus 1911 parts you might pick up at a gun show), because chances are you'll be replacing most if not all of them with the previously mentioned quality parts. Third, get a D.I.Y. book on how to build a 1911; better yet already have a functioning 1911 so you can take it apart to see how thing are really supposed to work in a 1911!
I later gave the slide assembly to a friend of mine and eventually got this very nice TacSol 2211 .22 conversion for my 1911 build.
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That's nice work you have there. I will take your advice about the quality parts. There's just something about building things for yourself that beats buying off the shelf.

Barrel nut bolt actions with pre-fit barrels. Tons of options, barrel makers, actions, and stocks for these builds.

If you are looking for something that is a bit more of a challenge, AK type rifles can be built without needing machinist skills, and only a few custom tools & jigs.

Of course, it doesn't make as much financial sense as it did back in 2004-2010 or so, when you could get all the parts for one for under $250.

I would put ARs and 10/22 builds more in the "assembly" category. You can build some cool stuff for sure, but there is not a whole lot of gunsmithing involved unless the assembled product doesn't function right. It usually does, and and just putting the parts together is the end of it. I think Glocks fall in this category, but I have never messed with them so not for sure

Building a 1911 is definitely more challenging than that. You might get lucky and get a set of parts that fits together and works without much fiddling, but more likely not. Taking the time to learn the details of the 1911 and getting the tools needed to build a nice one is a very rewarding experience well worth the effort and cost for anyone that likes to tinker with that sort of thing (at least in my opinion).

There are a number of semi-auto rifles that can be built from parts like FAL, AK, Uzi, etc., but some skill in metal work/gunsmithing is definitely required if you want a good functioning final product and you will need to source parts outside the kit to be 992r compliant. Anymore, you can almost certainly buy a finished rifle for the same price as the parts so there isn't much advantage. I will forever kick myself for not buying an M1919 parts kit back when they were super cheap, that is one I have always wanted to build. I had one sitting in my cart several times and just never pulled the trigger.

A nice long range rifle can be built on a savage action fairly easily. Choose your cartridge and barrel, start with a good action with a trued face, add a trigger group and chassis style or bedded stock and a nice scope. The challenge here is that unless you reload and have the skills to wring the accuracy potential out of it, it may never be much better than a factory rifle with a decent scope if you are just shooting factory ammo.

Another build project I have always wanted to take on is a nice muzzleloader, like a Hawken replica or something similar. Maybe not for everyone, but it would be a sweet piece to have on the wall in the man cave.

high country

Another build project I have always wanted to take on is a nice muzzleloader, like a Hawken replica or something similar. Maybe not for everyone, but it would be a sweet piece to have on the wall in the man cave.

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Did that build too! This was a Tradition's Hawken style muzzleloader kit. Some basic wood and metal working skills were required, especially in trying to get the brass butt plate to fit where the pre-drilled holes were! Other than that it was a pretty easy job of sanding and finishing the stock, bluing the barrel, and putting everything together.

bannockburn said:

Did that build too! This was a Tradition's Hawken style muzzleloader kit. Some basic wood and metal working skills were required, especially in trying to get the brass butt plate to fit where the pre-drilled holes were! Other than that it was a pretty easy job of sanding and finishing the stock, bluing the barrel, and putting everything together.
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Very nice, turned out fantastic. Where you happy with the quality of the parts include with the kit? I keep having trouble deciding between going with a Traditions kit or one of the higher end ones that Dixie Gunworks sells.

OP, sorry to digress if this is not the kind of thing you were looking for.

MidwayUSA sells ER Shaw barrel kits for Savage 10/110/16/116/Axis/AxisII. My kit a month ago for $240 included a stainless 24” barrel, double ended box wrench, one go and one no-go headspace gauges.

There are a number of black powder kits available.
Track of the wolf
Kibler rifles
Pecotonica river
Tennessee Valley Muzzleloaders
Muzzleloader builders supply...
.......to name a few.
They are rewarding to build and satisfying to shoot.

high country

Where you happy with the quality of the parts include with the kit? I keep having trouble deciding between going with a Traditions kit or one of the higher end ones that Dixie Gunworks sells.

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I would rate the overall quality of the Traditions kit as being a 7.5 out of 10. Except for that problem with fitting the butt plate and some minor inletting required around the lock work, everything went into place fairly easily and cleanly. The wood stock didn't have much in the way of figure or grain pattern but it was built solid with no structural problems. All of the metal parts were also well made and worked properly, right out of the box.

bannockburn said:

Third, get a D.I.Y. book on how to build a 1911

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Uhhh, let's make that a good book!

The Polymer80 Glock frames come pretty close to just assembling a gun. You have to drill three holes and trim some plastic, and the ‘gun’ comes with a jig. After 15-20 minutes with a dremel or even a pocket knife then it’s just parts assembly. I don’t think you save any money that way however, because buying all the parts seems like it costs more than if you just went out and found a used Glock somewhere.