buying ar-15 upper and lower or buying whole new gun

[Michael R.]

hello everyone,
i have a question about ar-15s. would i be better off buying the upper receiver and lower receiver seperately and putting the two together, or would i be better buying an ar-15 as a whole gun? also, the upper receiver i have my eyes on is 400 dollars from midwayusa and the lower receiver i want is 245 dollars from midway for a total of 645 dollars.

 

[browneu]

Is this your first AR? I would recommend buying a whole gun until you're familiar with the platform.

At the very least build your lower and buy the upper.

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[Canuck-IL]

Given the quoted prices, you're looking at a complete lower and a complete upper ... mating them involves pushing two pins in. Only downside to buying the separate pieces is the lack of an overall warranty but significant issues are fairly rare with ARs and, like 1911s, 90% of those issues are fixed with decent mags.
/Bryan

 

[Michael R.]

this will be my first ar-15, and both the upper and lower receiver are assembled

 

[Mudinyeri]

Dovetailing onto what Canuck said, putting a complete lower and a complete upper together really isn't a project. In fact, it's less complicated than field-stripping and cleaning the same weapon.

To the OP, are you saving money by purchasing the upper and lower separately? Are you getting something that you can't get by purchasing a complete rifle? Unless you're accomplishing one of those two things, I can't see a reason to buy separate uppers/lowers.

If this is your first AR, may I make a recommendation on magazines? Check out Bravo Company and these mags: http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/AR-15-Magazines-p/magazines dh bt30mf.htm

You simply can't beat the price/reliability/function combination anywhere. You can purchase them one at a time, ten at a time or by the case (100).

 

[blackDdefense]

If you buy the upper and lower seprate you avoid the excise tax and that is where the 11% savings is if i'm not mistaken.

 

[ny32182]

No reason not to buy the upper and lower separately if doing that is the cheapest way to get what you want. The "assembly" you will do will be nothing more than the very first thing you will take apart any time you clean it: literally two push-pins, no tool required.

 

[Michael R.]

i am positive that 99 percent of the ar-15s out there cost around 1000 dollars, so yes i am saving money. but i dont know if im getting something that i cant get by purchasing a complete rifle.

 

[fatcat4620]

Look at JSE Surplus. Just got a 16 in. Hbar chrome lined mid-leinght 1x7 complete upper with badger latch for 450 delivered. 60 for lower, 65 for LPK, 30 fore rear sight and 30 for stock kit all from AIM. Just looked at JSE and thet have some complete uppers for 350.

 

[Rail Driver]

In my experience it *can* be cheaper to build your own from scratch (if you have the tools and skills necessary), for example you can get stripped lowers for under $80 and complete lowers for under $175 from surplus arms and ammo and they are no worse than any of the 7542346 other manufacturers. Uppers are available for less than $400 all day, especially if you are willing to buy used.

 

[browneu]

Putting a complete upper on a complete lower is so easy that even I can do it.

I can't see what your getting but be sure to get the options you want if you go that route. Buying something with the intention of replacing parts quickly increases the cost of the rifle.

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[mdThanatos]

Advantages of buying a complete ar, you usually already get everything you need to go shooting.

You can get a complete dpms for less than 600 before shipping and transfer fees or if you have an Academy near you that stocks them, you can get a S&W M&P Sport for 600 before taxes. Completely assembled, comes with mags, M&P comes with sights where as a dpms may not.

Advantages of buying separate, you may save some cash versus buying a complete higher end ar, like Colt for example, or some of the higher priced S&W's.

What I just did and am waiting on parts:

Complete lower, assembled - 190 shipped and then add 20 more when my FFL transfers it to me

Assembled upper minus BCG and CH - 290 shipped

Full auto, MPI, HPT, BCG and CH - 118 shipped

That brings everything to 618 total, but then I have to get mags as well but those will keep being purchased so I have not included these in my cost. It is 10 dollars more than ordering a complete dpms oracle including shipping and ffl transfer but I am getting what I feel are a few parts that are better quality so I can live with the extra 10 dollars versus that rifle and for the S&W Sport, my Academy's refuse to stock them and will not transfer one for me so I am out on that option, but if they did have one and I picked it up, I would have been at 650 out the door so my combo saved me 32 bucks.

This setup has what I want for my first AR and doesn't come with a bunch of crap I didn't want. Once assembled and tested at the range if it works like I want it to I will be happy.

If you are looking to save money then you can find some deals through sales going on with different companies and check out used items via gunbroker or forum classifieds. In my experience Midway has not always had the lowest prices so I usually shop around.

EDIT

Looking at the Midway site the only items I could find that fit those prices were both a dpms lower and a dpms upper. I'd shop around and look for a complete rifle. NIB Oracle If you are looking, here is one example of a complete dpms rifle, 570 before shipping, that's already 75 dollars less than buying separate from Midway. You would still have to go through the FFL but that shouldn't be any problem. So figure shipping, lets say that it was an extra 25, and a transfer came out to another 50 you would be matching the pre shipping prices midway has, with everything at your door. Plus you get a case and 2 mags with it, so that's a minimum of 20 dollars in extras. In case you were wondering.

 

[Michael R.]

the ar-15 i am building will be like a dpms sportical

 

[Mudinyeri]

i am positive that 99 percent of the ar-15s out there cost around 1000 dollars, so yes i am saving money. but i dont know if im getting something that i cant get by purchasing a complete rifle.

There are quite a few "complete" AR's under $1000. Now, if your definition of "complete" includes high-quality optics and a bunch of Magpul (or other, similar aftermarket mfr.) goodies ... that's another story.

 

[wnycollector]

I saved $260 by purchasing my RRA ATH as a complete upper and complete lower from 2 different vendors compared to buying a complete rifle from the RRA website.

 

[longdayjake]

Here is what I would suggest you buy instead of the $245 lower
.

http://www.surplusammo.com/products/*Surplus-Ammo-&-Arms-AR15-Lower-Complete-with-Stock.html

This will save you $80 and is as good or better than any other mil spec lower.

 

[CJS06]

Also look at Palmetto State Armory. They will get you set up properly with good product at good prices.

 

[J_McLeod]

Here is what I would suggest you buy instead of the $245 lower
.

http://www.surplusammo.com/products/*Surplus-Ammo-&-Arms-AR15-Lower-Complete-with-Stock.html

This will save you $80 and is as good or better than any other mil spec lower.

I bought one of these from their store it was a great deal. No complaints at all on the quality.

They have a good deal on uppers too. Just need sights and mags.
http://www.surplusammo.com/products...-Complete-M4-16"-Upper-Receiver-Assembly.html

 

[wnycollector]

+1 on the Surplus ammo & arms lower.

I just used a Surplus Ammo & Arms lower for a REECE build. I have buddy who is a Small Arms Repairer in the Army who guided me though my first build. He commented several times on the quality and finish of the Surplus Ammo & Arms lower. I figure if a guy who works on M4's everyday is impressed with the lower it must be G2G.

 

[boricua9mm]

If home defense or emergency use is in the cards for this new project of yours, then I would suggest spending a little more than $645 and getting a rifle that will be more adept to hold up to abuse in the long run, and will hold your trust for those moments when paper targets are not your concern.

A solid, basic M4 upper from Bravo Company USA will run you $400. Adding a Proof Tested and Magnetic Particle Inspected Bolt carrier group from Bravo, Spikes Tactical, or Daniel Defense will hover around $140, and a basic complete lower would run you around $275. Grand total would be just around $900 with shipping and a reasonable transfer fee.

Most people who buy an AR15 have some sort of home defense/emergency use in mind whether they admit it or not. I would not be looking at Midway or Brownells for an AR15. They tend to offer a lot of catfish complete halves, and DPMS and Olympic are fitting of that description.

Buy once, cry once...even if that means you have to save for a little while longer.

 

[Sig88]

I'd say get it. I had better results with my mismatched AR then the Stag I originally bought. Now I have a spikes lower and bcm upper.

 

[longdayjake]

A solid, basic M4 upper from Bravo Company USA will run you $400. Adding a Proof Tested and Magnetic Particle Inspected Bolt carrier group from Bravo, Spikes Tactical, or Daniel Defense will hover around $140, and a basic complete lower would run you around $275. Grand total would be just around $900 with shipping and a reasonable transfer fee.

Most people who buy an AR15 have some sort of home defense/emergency use in mind whether they admit it or not. I would not be looking at Midway or Brownells for an AR15. They tend to offer a lot of catfish complete halves, and DPMS and Olympic are fitting of that description.

Buy once, cry once...even if that means you have to save for a little while longer.

I have to disagree with this post. You do not need to spend a ton of money on a complete lower. Especially not $275. The surplus ammo and arms lower is top quality stuff made by aero precision which makes a lot of the lowers for many of higher end ARs. I have yet to hear anything bad about an aero precision lower or upper.

That said, if I were building me a new rifle today I would definately spend a little more money to get a really nice barrel for my upper. However, I am a shooter first and a self-defense second kind of guy. If you are buying it simply to throw ammo down range at 2-3 moa, pretty much any AR barrel can do that. That would be plenty to shoot at people with.

 

[browneu]

$275 for a complete lower seems pretty reasonable. How much is the lower you're speaking of.

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[boricua9mm]

I have to disagree with this post. You do not need to spend a ton of money on a complete lower. Especially not $275. The surplus ammo and arms lower is top quality stuff made by aero precision which makes a lot of the lowers for many of higher end ARs. I have yet to hear anything bad about an aero precision lower or upper.

If $275 is a "ton" of money for a lower, then the AR15 should not be on the map, period. In fact, that price point is pretty much the standard for a quality complete lower. The DPMS lower parts kits used in the Surplus Arms lowers are garbage, and I wouldn't advise anyone use them on what might be called upon as a fighting carbine. Broken pins, out of spec pins (sizing), and fractured hammers stand out in my mind as far as what I have seen from DPMS in the last decade. The Tapco RE used likely wouldn't withstand the first attempt of mortaring out a stuck cartridge. As for their uppers, the bolt group lacks MPI of HPT, and the barrel is of their own spec of 416 stainless and 1:8 polygonal twist rifling. I would much rather go with something that is known to be closer to specs of what the M4 actually is.

Aero made some Spikes Tactical lowers in the past, so I'll agree with you on their quality. Unfortunately, I simply don't agree that "parts is parts" and I would go long out of my way to avoid or replace any DPMS parts.

I don't waste my time with military pattern rifles that can't be trusted for self defense purposes. if I want an AR15, it's not so I can look cool at the range.

 

[Tirod]

While it's certainly debatable what constitutes "building" a rifle, buying a complete lower and a complete upper, and pushing in two pins, is likely the least applicable definition.

I would hesitate to suggest anyone "builds" a lower, more like assembles. But I recognize it's a common way to express it. Same for the upper - just putting parts together is assembly, but saying it was built, implies something more skilled is going on.

I've assembled a lower and upper from stripped receivers, $79 for the lower, $48 for the upper, and those prices can be beat by a lot of others. It's pliers and screwdriver work, compare to assembling an engine, which calls for a lot of critical measuring and parts fitting. Build? I've assembled an engine from a short block and installed it, but I didn't machine or dimension any other part, just torqued them together. I did square the upper on my AR. Build it? No more than you build Legos. Die grind the FSB to fit the barrel, yes. Build it?

Leaves a lot of room either way, but two pins, not so much. Call me a grammar Nazi, but I'm not drawing a line in the sand. I'll live with common usage.