Looking to build my own AR-15 rifle need advice?

Question

A friend of mine kind of warned me against buying an already assembled AR-15 from colt or armalite. He said if I buy the parts and put it together it will be a lot cheaper. Ive been looking at a site (www.brownells.com) for all the parts. Besides someone with an FFL to get the lower reciever, what else would i need besides the upper reciever, barrel, stock, trigger assembly if it doesnt come with the lower reciever??

Answer 1

There's more to building an AR-15 than just stuffing a pile of parts together. It requires tools, gauges, fixtures, and at least a little gunsmithing skill and knowledge. The barrel has to be properly aligned with the upper receiver when it's torqued. The bolt has to headspace properly or you can blow your face off. Any number of small details I've now forgotten over the years can turn the project into non-functioning junk or the last gun you'll ever shoot.

Not that it CAN'T be done, but know what you're getting into first and realize you may spend a fortune to save yourself pocket change.

Answer 2

Building an AR from scratch can be a good project. You will need a vise block, barrel wrench, headspace gauges and a few hand tools. Building you own rife will give you hands on knowledge of how you gun is put together as well as the satisfaction of knowing you built it yourself. As for the cost aspect of it by the time you get all the parts and tools needed to put one together you might save a few dollars or spend more than purchasing an assembled rifle. Purchasing a completed upper and a complete or build your own lower( no special tools needed for lower) will save money. If you do build your own remember that there will be NO warranty if it breaks or fails. Follow all directions when assembling and when in doubt about something ask for help. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Depends. An ar15 is generally more expensive than an ak47. And ak quality depends on the country. For instance everyone who owns a bulgarian ak usually loves them. The Romanian WASR-10 is the cheapest you can get and quality varies. You usually get mixed reviews on them. Plus there are so many other countries that make them: Russia, China, Yugoslavia, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Finland, America (yes there are companies that make all American part ak variants) I think I'm missing some. You also have to take into account the make. The sks is more accurate but doesn't have a detachable magazine. I would get all three and start pouring money into ammo. But first get an ak and then a stripped ar receiver as it will be a bit easier getting partd than the entire rifle. AR Uppers won't don't count as a firearm.

Answer 4

Anytime someone asks how to do something there are group of people that tell them not to do it. Check out ar15.com they have a how to section and you will find that it is not that big of a deal. You can avoid alot of the costs by buying a complete lower and a complete upper putting them together and saving on the taxes. You need no tools if you do that.
If you decide to start from stripped you will need a wrench (no you do not need a torque wrench) and a vice block and go-no-go guages.
If you buy anything made recently you do not have to worry about lining up the barrel.
Follow the how-to in AR15.com these guys know the shortcuts and have tried everything else. To just save money buy a complete upper and a complete lower and be done

Answer 5

I would suggest buying an AR-15 Parts kit it'll give you just about all the internal parts you need. I built my own lower receiver after the gun was built I had the choice or regeristing the gun or not. If not I can never sell the gun. There are gunsmiths that if you give them the parts they'll assemble the gun for you for around $50-$150 that's the rout that I went I just had to make the receiver that took me 1 hr to make at work.

Answer 6

Check out www.midwayusa

They have a schematic section that allows you to click on the part you want/need and then it takes to the list of those parts that are available.

You are going to find that it is really not cheaper to build your own AR-15 from parts. Those parts add up pretty fast.

I went on line to www.auctionarms.com and looked for a flat top upper, found one for about $400 (cheaper than I could build it from parts). Later I looked for a lower, found one for about $300. Put them together and it works fine. Counting shipping and transfer fees, I have less than $800 tied up in the gun. Once you start adding up the cost of those parts, you will find you can not build the gun for less than that.