Building an AR Cheaper?

[outdoorman63]

Well after reading several posts on here i saw that you could build an AR cheaper than what you can buy one..i have a 16 inch RRA so i want a 20 inch i can use for target etc...so i ordered a stripped reciever price with shipping 106.00 so then i look into a lower parts kit found a kit with the buttstock for 110.00 shipped so now i am up to 216.00..found out later i could of gotten a dpms lower with stock put together already for 205 shipped..sorry back to story..so after looking i found a decent upper complete for 460.00 with shipping..thats 676.00 plus my time to put together...happened into a local shop the other day and found 3 RRA's like i wanted for 650 each and 3 used bushmaster's that didnt look like they had any use for 700.00..so other than the experience of building is it better to build? or buy?and by the way i still havent put the lower together the parts kit is on back order"already paid for"

 

[Mulliga]

I am also debating this.

The decision is especially hard since now I have a reliable and friendly FFL who will do transfers (thanks Charles!) of firearms for very little cost.

You can get a Bushmaster 20" A3 HBAR for $770 NIB from AIM Surplus ($700 for the A2). I've been thinking of going this route. Is there anywhere that sells complete Bushie AR-15s cheaper?

 

[Harry Tuttle]

building yer own is a fun kit build

but there is value in the Bushmaster warrenty
and the Bushy comes with a chromelined bore

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

You can build an AR cheaper with one of the kits offered---but the parts seem to be of questionable quality.

A complete rifle will be cheaper if you start wanting QUALITY parts----pretty much all the big names offer a quality rifle.

Building a lower with quality parts will cost more---but you get it exactly the way you want it---currently building a Rock River lower----getting a Jewel trigger group and an ACE skeleton stock----yes it costs more----but its exactly how I want it--------will be holding off on an upper till Sept-----to see what happens.

Another advantage to builing your own is that you don't have to come up with all the money at once----get your parts as funds dictate.

 

[Selfdfenz]

I believe you could build a less expensive model IF you used mil-surp parts as sold by a place like SOG or is it SAMCO. I get those confused. But I see them listed in SGN from time to time. All the parts to build etc....excpt...etc.

If you go with a quality new product set like RRA or DPMS don't expect it to be a lot cheaper than off-the-shelf.

When the AWB goes this scenario may change.

S-

 

[dbshabo]

I think there is a federal tax on new factory assembled rifles. On a kit gun you don't pay this charge. So in theory you should be able to build a kit gun for cheaper than a new factory assembled gun. J&T Distributing is a good source of kits, so is Model 1 Sales.

Shabo

 

[Selfdfenz]

There were rumors that even if you assemble a rifle for yourself, you must pay a tax as a "Manufacturer?" I guess.

Where it goes and how much it is I have no idea. Likely BAFTE

That was the rumor I was told by a gunsmith.

S-

 

[Engineer]

I believe the FET is supposed to be collected if you buy enough parts for a complete rifle, (e.g., buying a parts kit and a stripped lower at the same time from the same dealer).

 

[verbatim]

The only time you as a consumer pay the FET Tax is if you buy the parts to build a complete rifle from one dealer or you buy a complete rifle.

I bought an upper and a lower to put together a RRA 20" A2 for less than $640.00 shipped including FFL transfer.

www.adcofirearms.com

 

[Engineer]

Found it:

Sec. 53.61 Imposition and rates of tax.

(a) Imposition of tax. Section 4181 of the Code imposes a tax on the
sale of the following articles by the manufacturer, producer, or
importer thereof:
(1) Pistols;
(2) Revolvers;
(3) Firearms (other than pistols and revolvers); and
(4) Shells and cartridges.
(b) Parts or accessories--(1) In general. No tax is imposed by
section 4181 of the Code on the sale of parts or accessories of
firearms, pistols, revolvers, shells, and cartridges when sold
separately or when sold with a complete firearm for use as spare parts
or accessories. The tax does attach, however, to sales of completed
firearms, pistols, revolvers, shells, and cartridges, and to sale of
such articles that, although in knockdown condition, are complete as to
all component parts.

 

[444]

I was under the impression that you only had to pay federal excise tax if you were manufacturing the gun for sale. I thought you were excempt if you were building the gun for you own ownership and use.

Personally, I am not interested in building the cheapest AR15. I am interested in building a quality, reliable AR15.
There are a couple things that I like about building my own ARs. #1) it is good experience to know how it goes together, what the parts do etc. Once you have done it, you see that there is no reason to use the services of a gunsmith. #2) and most important, you build the rifle/carbine exactly the way you want it. For example: I like the KAC RAS II. Why buy a new rifle and throw away the handguards that I am not going to use ? I once bought a new Bushmaster carbine and sent the barrel away and had it turned down to a different profile when I could have just bought an upper receiver and installed the barrel contour I wanted on it from the beginning. I have purchased a number of AR15s and replaced the factory A2 stock with a shorter stock. Now I have a pile of A2 stocks that I will never use. Of course a lot of this stuff comes from experience. I KNOW what I want in an AR15 now after owning more than two dozen of them. Assuming that I knew what I wanted from the beginning, I would never buy a new factory rifle and then change out all the parts. Of course there is always another option of having the rifle built to your specs by someone else. But I see no point in that when you can easily do it for yourself and not pay the labor charges.

 

[stevesmith7]

Outdoorman;
One thing I've noticed is that a complete upper is very little less than a complete rifle kit minus lower. I appears that it is cheaper to buy a stripped lower and a complete kit than starting with a complete lower. (He says after getting a deal on a BM lower).

Steve