AR-15

[Lupinus]

I got to thinking about AR's the other day and to buy these puppies do not seem cheap.

What is a good brand making AR's that wont cost an arm and a leg?

Or is it better to go the way of making your own? And out how much to build yourself a quality AR?

not planning to run out and do it tomorrow, but its a question nagging me.

 

[MAURICE]

DPMS and Olympic make good ARs that wont drain your wallet too badly, but one from the ABC (Armalite Bushmaster Colt) will cost you only a little more.
Building one is the route I went. The idea isn't to get the cheapest AR possible, but to build the best you can and exactly how you want it.
That said(tm), you may want to check out someone like J&T Distributing. I have heard good things about their AR kits. Everything needed but the lower, which you should be able to get for 100-125 bucks or so.

 

[Fly320s]

Lupinus,

No doubt that you have heard about AR15.com. They have more info there than you can use.

Basically, you can build your own for under $700. At least that is what I have read on AR15.com. As Maurice said, building your own is about getting the rifle you want, not the rifle that the manufacturers offer.

I've had my stock Bushmaster for over two years, but I am just now thinking about customizing it. If you want a plain-jain AR, you might be better off buying one from the ABC family. At least that way you can be confident that it will work out of the box.

 

[The-Fly]

even for an newbie, its a snap to build your own AR. Just pick out an upper you want, a complete lower you want, and bingo: instant AR. A lot cheaper this way too.

Heres merely one setup you could possibly do. I own the upper in this setup, and its excellent.


Eagle Super Light upper (pick the one with the Bolt/carrier and charging handle)
http://www.eaglefirearms.net/ef_uppers.htm
$429.00

Rock River M4 Complete lower - standard or NM trigger as you desire
http://www.eaglefirearms.net/Rock River Arms Lowers.htm
$235 or $300

Then decide what kind of optics /sights you want on it. If you just want a carrying handle type sight job, you could find those for about $60 if you shop around. Or go high end and slap on an Aimpoint or Eotech.
$60 and up

So if you wanted to go cheap as possible...
$429+$235+$60=$724 plus shipping and FFL

Nice thing about doing it yourself (besides saving money), is that you can pick and choose EXACTLY what you want.

 

[Dogmatix]

More AR-15 Questions

Bushmaster and River Rock Arms seem to be best priced

 

[pcf]

You get what you pay for. You're better served buying directly from CMMG, CMT/Stag Arms, Bushmaster, or RRA if your going to build a parts gun, or buy a seperate upper and lower. You may spend $30-50 extra, but you'll get better parts and customer service to back it up. There are too many people out there that will take a name brand lower and stick substandard parts in/on it.

 

[wdlsguy]

I bought a stripped lower manufactured by Stag Arms at a local gun show. Then I bought a rifle kit from Del-Ton. I followed the assembly instructions at ar15.com. I've been very pleased with it.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

You can build your own for $550 if you rely in the Equipment Exchange at AR15.com and cheaper parts houses like Model 1, M&A Sales, etc.