AR Builds -- What Parts Did You Choose and Why??

Began my first AR-15 build today -

Lower receiver is a Tactical Innovations T15BDX, it sure seems like a very nice piece. Now I have to start researching what I want for other components. Choices, choices!

My AR's have Spike's Tactical skelotonized BCG's. A while ago I bought several thou PMC .223's for an NRA Leo class I was attending and my AR's would not work with it. At a gun show I found the Spike's BCG, bought it and the AR ate the PMC like a hungry dog. The cost of the BCG was far less than replacing the ammo.

I’d never really been interested in building one. I’ve always paid attention to the cost of components vs. the cost of a factory assembled and as every one here knows what was now up is down and in some cases sideways. My FIL gave me an unfinished lower for Xmas as a project he and I can work on together. Expediency due to the unknown future of such things as unfinished lowers, pistols, braces and such called for me to pay more than I could have in the not so distant past, but I purchased a pistol length upper in .300 whisper (I know the factory nomenclature is AAC Blackout, but it’s been a whisper since well, I dare not say how long as to age myself), and an LPK from an online vendor who has the good fortune to have such things on the shelves ready to move. It’s mostly palmetto armory gear. I’m excited to start on it. I haven’t farted around with a new old cartridge in a long time. Way back when they called this cartridge a Whisper I had an XP100 chambered in it and it was a tack driver. Should be a fun project.

This is my farm beater varmint dispatcher. (Magnesium lower, piston operated upper) Wanted something that could easily go from scope to open sights with little effort. Used the Magpul flip sights and American Defense quick release scope mount.

Columbia River Arms had a sale in June of 2020. Purchased 3 barrels. Received last week. If they shoot as good as they look......WOW!

Rembrandt said:

This is my farm beater varmint dispatcher. (Magnesium lower, piston operated upper) Wanted something that could easily go from scope to open sights with little effort. Used the Magpul flip sights and American Defense quick release scope mount.


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@ Rembrandt or anyone else for that fact, I`m gonna ask the dumb question here but "with that set-up, do you have to resight every time you put the scope back on?
I`m just starting into building a home defense set-up as I can find the parts but have been looking into those detachable mounts and even thought about the side mounts for the flip up sights.

dcloco said:

Columbia River Arms had a sale in June of 2020. Purchased 3 barrels. Received last week. If they shoot as good as they look......WOW!

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Still waiting on my 450 Bushmaster barrel that I ordered the same time as you. Was quoted 10-12 weeks when I checked out. Well that time frame is long and gone.

BOTTOMLANDS said:

@ Rembrandt or anyone else for that fact, I`m gonna ask the dumb question here but "with that set-up, do you have to resight every time you put the scope back on?
I`m just starting into building a home defense set-up as I can find the parts but have been looking into those detachable mounts and even thought about the side mounts for the flip up sights.

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As long as you install the optic mount back in the original slots on the rail, most quality QD mounts will retain zero. I swap out my day scope and night vision scope on one of my ARs all the time. I've never had to re-zero either of the scopes.

Mike1234567 said:

Per the title... I need ideas. Please post your parts lists and explain why you chose them. Also list the approximate prices if you can remember.

This thread has nothing to do with what I want or need. Again, I just want ideas.

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Full builds or major alterations?
First off I have 3 ar-15's and 5 uppers. All the AR-15's wear Magpul rifle stocks as I hate collapsible stocks.

First one was a CMMG 16's M4 type. I bought a Windham weaponry varmint kit and installed a Rock River two stage varmint trigger. Sub MOA all day.

Second was alterations to a Ruger AR-556. Simply the stock and a Rock River two stage trigger and a magpul hand guard. It needed nothing else. It wears a Meprolight M-21 and I use it for combat drills, but it will do 1-1/4 with the right load.

Third is wanting to build one for $400 or less with parts on hand. Anderson lower, a parts kit minus trigger, the Ruger trigger I had on hand and the magpul stock with the buffer tube. ( All of them needed the buffer tube for that stock.) I reluctantly bought a Del-Ton 20" heavy upper with a NATO chamber. I made it under $400 but the trigger didn't satisfy me and it ended up at $475 with again a Rock River two stage NM trigger. This rifle, even still having the A2 hand guard puts the first few groups of my hand loads into 1-1/8 inch. What it would do free floated I don't know.

No point in building any other lowers. Really no point in building uppers for me either when I can buy complete uppers so cheap. Last one was a 350 Legend from Bear Creek, pretty happy with it.

BOTTOMLANDS said:

@ Rembrandt or anyone else for that fact, I`m gonna ask the dumb question here but "with that set-up, do you have to re-sight every time you put the scope back on?

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In answer to the question, the American Defense one piece quick attach returns to perfect zero every time. There are other brands that will do this equally well, some may cost more.



My "farm varmint getter" set up was with this in mind.....Long distance outside shots, 200 yards or so where a cross hair sight picture in daylight is used maybe 90% of the time......and an inside the barn or buildings where low light makes it difficult for fast target acquisition, open sights perhaps 10% of the time. Wanted sights with no batteries but clarity (& magnification) at longer ranges....this combination seemed to check all the boxes without breaking the bank.

Rembrandt said:

In answer to the question, the American Defense one piece quick attach returns to perfect zero every time. There are other brands that will do this equally well, some may cost more.

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Agree100%!

I've got 3 of the ADM scope mounts on my ARs, one set mount/scope I use just for load development with different ARs that have either an RDS or LPVO on. The ADMs have awesome return to zero as long a you use the same slots and remount the same way. I push FWD and the solid section against the rail while closing the levers. My 3Gun rig doubles as my calling coyote rifle, just by changing out the muzzle break (it's LOUD!!) and swapping the scopes.

I've got an SPR build that I'm going to also set up similar, right now it wears a 4-16x50 Vortex PST in an ADM mount. I'm also going to get a 1-8 or 1-10 LPVO to use for coyote hunting where I just don't need the heavy 4-16X and I do need the low power range for calling. It will also allow me to leave one scope zero'd for 77 OTMs and the other for Nosler 55BTs.

At about $180+ per ADM mount, they're not cheap, but they perform as advertised.

PSA lower and A2 LBK, FN barreled rifle length upper, carry handle rear sight. It was all they had left.

I don't really consider it a "build" per say since I'm purchasing pre-assembled units (working on a tool collection!) Buut still!

BCM lower, with All Star tactical mag lock.
BCM 16" lighweight upper with their 13" mlock handgaurd.
BCM Large ambidextrous chanrging handle and BCM bcg.

Choose the BCM stuff because of reviews, the few BCM goodies I have on my Springfield and I like the mindset of the company. Plus I couldn't find a complete rifle from them in stock.

Thinking about putting on a Sig Sauer bravo 3x optic, based off of reviews its sturdy as hell and has a wide view box. Undecided on buis but want a quality set since I still love irons!

Debating on surefire or streamlight (fanboy here) for a light. Surefire is always towards the top of "best" lists and quality seems to be there but pricey, and Streamlight I've used for years in multiple applications and have never been let down. Price is nicer too.

Top it off with a blue force vickers sling which I've used and love and I'll be all set.

My Springfield imo is pretty good quality, feels solid, no malfunctions but for my 2nd AR I wanted a "Top tier" "High End" piece that will prolly be more than I'll ever need but thats the beauty of buying for use and collecting!

HngMnHnryDvdsn said:

I don't really consider it a "build" per say since I'm purchasing pre-assembled units (working on a tool collection!) Buut still!

BCM lower, with All Star tactical mag lock.
BCM 16" lighweight upper with their 13" mlock handgaurd.
BCM Large ambidextrous chanrging handle and BCM bcg.

Choose the BCM stuff because of reviews, the few BCM goodies I have on my Springfield and I like the mindset of the company. Plus I couldn't find a complete rifle from them in stock.

Thinking about putting on a Sig Sauer bravo 3x optic, based off of reviews its sturdy as hell and has a wide view box. Undecided on buis but want a quality set since I still love irons!

Debating on surefire or streamlight (fanboy here) for a light. Surefire is always towards the top of "best" lists and quality seems to be there but pricey, and Streamlight I've used for years in multiple applications and have never been let down. Price is nicer too.

Top it off with a blue force vickers sling which I've used and love and I'll be all set.

My Springfield imo is pretty good quality, feels solid, no malfunctions but for my 2nd AR I wanted a "Top tier" "High End" piece that will prolly be more than I'll ever need but thats the beauty of buying for use and collecting!

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If you want good quality irons look no further than Troy. Quantifying “top tier high end” in the world of ARs is up to the individual, meaning what you want that meets expectations.

Some generalities from my random, spur of the moment whimsical builds. All the rifles get a magpul UBR stock as I have a beard. The 5.45 and 7.62x39 builds both have Adams Arms piston set ups and are non-free floating with magpul two piece firearms. Makes it easy to clean up after shooting corrosive ammo. And the barrels are nitride as well for those any any future builds. I tend to like the smith vortex flash suppressors on most, prefer a noveske pig on anything chambered in a rifle round with a short barrel. Other than that an ergo grip or the magpul equivalent grip just because it feels more comfortable.

Tend to use magpul pop up sights and lately I've been favoring Romeo 5 red-dots with the 65MOA ring, due to the economy of the sight and the shake awake feature.

The rest of the build could be a toss up.

Forgot to say everything is rigged for a quick detach brass catcher. I don't like losing my spendy brass and the guy on the next bench isn't having to deal with hot brass potentially bothering him.

I like to keep it basic. Only frills that I really like are the ambi safety & ambi charging handle. Especially on a pistol.

Anderson complete lower, PSA 16” railed upper with M-Bus sights, Sightmark reflex sight, 5.56 mm

Satern barrel , (used) white oak armament hand gaurd, (used) unknown upper, side charger slot milled by me, bear creek side charger BCG, rock river arms lower, rock river arms lower parts kit, rock river arms chrome trigger, rock river arms 6 way butt stock, Centra rear sight, Phoenix front sight, Medeasha sight exstention tube.

Match rifle on a budget

I just got into building ars my self, but I have to came to like aero precision. Their prices are middle of the road and quality and fit are very good. They have a very good selection of parts as well

I just finished this PSA 10.5" pistol. Its just gonna be a bedside rig so thought I'd dress it up some. The blue is the XTS color kit. I still wanted some adjustment so added the KAK brace. I found the sling from acid tacticl that matches better than I thought. Being shorter I wanted a linear comp so found one with "forward assist" from tacbro, but shes still loud. Lastly its topped off with a sig romeo msr reddot and juliet3 magnifier.

So far for Operation Cheap Date: Love in the Time of 'Rona I have an Anderson arms stripped lower a rifle length buffer assembly I picked up for cheap from a shooting range.

An Areo upper w/o the forward assist, a ballistic advantage 20 inch government profile, and just ordered a 15 in fde ATLAS R-One handguard, a Faxon low profile gas block a Lantac rifle length gas tube and a strike industries fde thread protector.

Got super excited about assembling the upper and using the stag arms rifle I have to test it before I remembered the bolt carrier in that rifle is left handed.

But still, PROGRESS!

I'm trying to get my 6 arc together, trying to do it cheap.
Found barrels for $140
I have a san tan upper receiver
A 15" dimandhead handguard
Think a A2 shock will be good, I have the tube spring and buffer. Maybe a lot wather or moe fixed stock.
Have some Odin gas block, need to pick up a rifle tube
Need a lower parts kit and would like a larue trigger if I can find one.
Probably top with my swfa ss10 for now.

You must have gotten your barrel same place I did. Quality is better than it's price would indicate.
I'm building my 6 arc to be fairly light, so it's costing me a bit more.
I'm using a VSeven upper, 2A titanium bolt carrier, and some pieces from Smoke Composites. Probably drop a Rise Armament trigger in as well. Waiting for the handguard to show up, still need a bolt and something for the muzzle.
Haven't made a decision on optic yet.

shoreglide said:

You must have gotten your barrel same place I did. Quality is better than it's price would indicate.
I'm building my 6 arc to be fairly light, so it's costing me a bit more.
I'm using a VSeven upper, 2A titanium bolt carrier, and some pieces from Smoke Composites. Probably drop a Rise Armament trigger in as well. Waiting for the handguard to show up, still need a bolt and something for the muzzle.
Haven't made a decision on optic yet.

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I'm not trying to go super light but don't want a 10# rifle. My hanguard I am using is a bit heavy but it was free and looks nice. I'm thinking that luth -ar-2 fixed stock will be nice and it's about 11oz.

The green mountain barrels are nice, wish the had a 6.5 grendel for the same price of it get one of those to.

Have you shot yours yet.

No, it's still in pieces. Hope to start assembly this coming week. Still need handguard and barrel nut to assemble upper, and bolt before I can send anything down range.