Newbie (attempting) AR build

[God Guns American Cars]

I am just getting into the black rifle hobby with what little time I have. I am going to attempt to build my own AR15 for multiple purposes. This is probably been written 129424 times, but this is my first post, I'm literally brand new to this hobby, and need some quality opinions/suggestions.

I know stuff about traditional rifles. AR's are a different story. I need to build an AR that can take a pounding. Thousands of rounds, getting the **** kicked out of it and continues to function type quality is a must.... where do I start? Cheapest lower that can handle getting thrown around?

Did I mention I'm on a very low income budget... I was going to buy an M1A SOCOM and just don't have the money (1600-1700)

5.56 cal is preferred since that's what the rifle was designed for I guess.

Any posts appreciated! Unless it's "just buy a Bushmaster" (My buddy had one for the same purpose and it didn't cut it after 6000 rounds and regular cleaning.)

THANKS

RB

 

[john81276]

I'd say you can get a great start here:

http://tacticalyellowvisor.net/8343/25301.html

And here:

http://tacticalyellowvisor.net/8343/59827.html

And here:

http://tacticalyellowvisor.net/8343/9201.html

Lastly:

http://tacticalyellowvisor.net/8343/126721.html

The gist of these articles is, you can build a great basic AR for a reasonable price using BCM and other easily accessible components. You can also buy a great AR (for more money) - his recommendation is to start with a Noveske 16" Basic Recce. Lastly, before you invest a lot of money on add-ons, go shoot the gun.

 

[ultradoc]

sounds interesting. good luck and keep us posted.

 

[God Guns American Cars]

Reply much appreciated.

ultradoc, will do.

 

[suzukisam]

as far as receivers go last knew there were only three forges that made AR blanks. It was cero, cardinal, and I can never remember the last one, anyway. the only difference in "quality" among different receivers is fit and finish. And even at that some poeple don't like RRA because the tolerances are too tight. I personally like them. so as long as it fits well, and after about 8 ARs I haven't found any that don't, then use it. YHM, sharps, RRA, bushy, ect... they are all the same metal. if you want "cheap" reliability just put a YHM barrel in it. They shoot great and they are inexpensive.

I'm curious as to what didn't hold up to 600o rnds on a bushy?

 

[gotigers]

google Bravo Co., Spikes Tactical, Palmetto State Armory, Surplus Arms and Ammo. They all have great products. Bravo is best and highest priced, but affordable. SAaA is the lowest cost, but still good quality. SAaA has complete lowers for $165. Find a FFL that takes transfers and you good.

 

[God Guns American Cars]

Thanks!

The Bushmaster malfunction had something to do with the bolt carrier. I didn't pay too much attention because I didn't really care at the time lol.

In defense of that gun, it was an older one that he bought secondhand pre-obama. It was "unfired." I'll try to get details.

 

[Babarsac]

The best place to start would be with a $60 lower from AIM Surplus. Del-Ton and Model 1 Sales sell a lot of complete rifle kits in addition to a plethora of parts. Honestly it's gonna be easier than you think. Once you assemble the lower using one of the many online tutorials all you have to do is mate the upper and presto!

 

[Tirod]

Your best value is a CMMG Bargain Bin for $599 - but no one will attest it's a 10,000 round platform. They might have to admit they overspent for their favorite rollmark.

Point being, you can listen to a chorus of fanboys pushing their favs, or look into the stickies at arfcom, M4carbines, etc and read up on what it takes to make a durable AR. Once you get to the point where milspec seems a bit old fashioned or even cheap, you'll have a good working knowledge of why certain features or items are needed.

Chrome barrels? A burst fire/full auto anti-erosion requirement, only needed on range guns used for high round count matches or carbine course weekends. Most shooters would be just as well off with stainless for a precision shooter, or nitrided carbon steel.

Magnetic particle Inspected bolt? It just checks to see if that specific one has cracks in it from manufacturing. All bolts wear out, and it will get replaced eventually. The better choice might be a 9310 alloy bolt with refined machining and 40% stronger lugs.

Even the issue milspec weapons wear out parts, 6000 on a Bushmaster isn't bad, considering the issue Colts and FNs are known to have weak extractors at 3000, and need new action springs by 6k or so. It's a matter of being aware of preventative maintenance, too. There are guns that can go 2,400 without any cleaning or lube, even 30K+ rounds with some parts replaced - and never a rod down the bore. What AR's need is lubrication and a wipedown, not immaculately clean parts. They are inherently resistant to that, blued steel and wood are the ones designed to rust and corrode.

The major issue to decide is what the gun will mostly do, then build or specify to that goal in this order: barrel, bolt, optics, furniture, trigger, and last, accessories. If you are only shooting range and field, 2MOA is the combat standard and gets it done. Long range precision is something else entirely.

Once a task is set, choose each part, in order, to the requirements. Jumping ahead or impulsively buying out of place options only compromises the end product and means it can't do either requirement well. The net is full of M4geries with quad rails, 9X scopes, and bipods, it's neither fish nor fowl. It won't do carbine course, three gun, or precision shooting well at all. The purpose built guns and shooters will be far ahead in the standings.

The biggest trap of the AR market is also it's biggest advantage, you can get parts to do a wide extreme in shooting. What you can't do is make one gun do a wide extreme in shooting, it has to be built to one goal, not many. A lot of new AR shooters miss that, and with the 4th or 5th gun, it starts to sort out.

That's why it's called Black Rifle Disease.

 

[God Guns American Cars]

$60 sounds like a really fair price for a lower!

I think I will get one transferred to the ffl (increasing the cost of it to $75) and go for a bravo company 16" mid length upper after doing some research. I might get this done for 700 after all.

 

[God Guns American Cars]

Tirod, great info. You must be fairly knowledgeable when it comes to AR's lol. Thank you.

 

[Sky]

Something to consider about the AR. Most things that stop functioning can be replaced with something of better quality and for not that much money all things considered. There are high dollar guns that stop functioning due to some mechanical problem also...It is not a disaster just a problem until the part comes. Bolt carriers cost anywhere from $115 to $225 depending on the flavor. I have a few ARs and out of the pack I had problems with the highest priced one and the lowest priced one...Both were trigger problems. Nice to have a company and a life time guarantee to back you up if something does malfunction.

 

[Birddog1911]

Read about Pat Roger's Filthy 14, and you'll understand why I went with Bravo Company.

Tirod is right; bolts wear out, as do other parts. I'd disagree with him about the fanboy comment though; there is a real reason why so many of us push Bravo Company, Daniel Defense, Spikes Tactical, and of course, Colt. They are built better and tested better than the entry level companies, and they all stand behind their products for hard use.

 

[eye5600]

Is someone supplying your ammo? You talk about $$$$ worth of ammo, but want to save a couple hundred on the rifle.

 

[God Guns American Cars]

I'm not going to put 10k through it the first year, no. But I do get a very good deal on higher grain 5.56 ammo.

 

[hobgob]

I have my rock river entry tactical for 3 years and have put upwards of 20,000 rounds thru it. It has taken a beating and cycles the ****tiest ammo and the best with no problem. So, thats my input. I have seen my friends' bushmasters and dpms fail when my rocked on.

 

[greyling22]

+1 tirod.


Ar's are machines. parts wear out. parts are easy to replace.

 

[Davey Wavey]

john81276,
Thank you so much for posting those links. My intimidation meter just dropped 90%

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I'll throw in another vote for Bravo Co. Your lower won't matter as much, as long as it's built to mil-spec (I don't know of any reputable brands that aren't except for the infamous big pin colts), it's just a hunk of aluminum to hold the guts and most do the job just fine.
For an upper I'd definitely look into BCM or Daniel Defense.
Here is" The Chart" you'll hear referenced a lot. It's basically a quick look at which brands are most mil-spec and why you want thost features The Chart
It's not the ultimate AR selection list but gives a quick overview of what manufacturers do to their rifles or uppers, and why that feature may be desirable.
The reason Bravo Company (BCM) is so often recommended is they build rifles with all the things people want in a combat rifle (not necessarily a varmint, hunting, or non-critical rifle) and do it at prices that aren't outrageous.
If you just want a plinker it may be overkill. On the other hand if you can get overkill for the price of anything else, why not? They built top-tier rifles and don't demand the price of other top tier rifles, so they are just a good value.
You should budget around $900 for the complete build, although you can do it for less if you want to go for a more basic model or assemble it yourself.