Hey everyone, like the title says, I have ordered my very first personal AR, and it's going to be a build. I decided to make a post about it just to see what anyone had to say.
After years of handling different AR-15s and other weapons platforms, and weeks upon weeks of buying research, here is my AR-15 build (ordered 5/18/15):

Lower;
Palmetto State Armory (PSA) stripped lower, plus lower parts kit
Geissele 2-Stage SSA-E 3.5lb trigger
Magpul MOE pistol grip
PSA M4 6 pos. stock, plus mil-spec buffer

Upper;
PSA stripped A3 upper receiver, forged, T-marked, M4 feed ramps
PSA upper parts kit
PSA 5.56 full auto NiB BCG, plus mil-spec charging handle

CMMG 5.56mm  Barrel, 16.1" length, .750 Mid-Length Gas port, 1:7 twist, medium taper, 4140 Chrome-moly salt bath nitride barrel finish, M4 extension, properly head spaced.
CMMG Mid Gas Tube, stainless steel with pin.
CMMG Low Profile Gas Block .750, black
A2 flash hider

Additions;
Yankee Hill Machine Diamond Series Forearm mid-length free float quad rail
ProMag Vertical Grip
Troy Battlesight Di-Optic Micro Sight, front/rear BUIS
Magpul PMAG Gen 2 mag, 30 round
D&H aluminum mag, 30 round

Total build cost $1,250
I have yet to decide on an optics system, I'll use my irons until an Aimpoint/EOtech.
The only lubricant that I will be using on points of contact in the rifle will be Militec-1.
This rifle will NOT be a range toy/safe queen. It will be used at ranges while I am away from home, but not exclusively. I visit home nearly every other weekend, and as my family is in the agricultural business, I am often taking guns with me to ride around the farms/groves, in and out of trucks, on side-by-sides, 4-wheelers, etc. As anybody in Florida can tell you, hogs are nearly a constant source of shooting enjoyment.
All comments are welcome!
Thanks!

I finished my first build about 2 months ago...then my 2nd and 3rd about 2 weeks ago and the 4th is in progress... its funny how an extra barrel nut turns into ordering a-whole-nother rifle.

Only piece of advice i'd give is buy the 5$ front takedown pin installer from wherever (i got mine from amazon).  first build I spend 30 minutes searching the living room for the damn spring and detent; after that i got the tool and had no more problems.  its small and cheap but does its job well.  

have fun!

Good advice but this clevis pin from Home Depot is cheaper and easier to get.

Sounds like it should turn out real nice. One recommendation with the PSA lpk is to make sure to give the safety selector a real good cleaning to get all the packing grease off so you don't end up with a mushy safety. Some light, judicious filing of point on the safety detent pin and the groove of the selector can also work wonders in getting a nice, crisp snap between safe/fire. Be sure to post pics once you put it all together!

This looks like a great and inexpensive way to go about the front take down pin.  I have also see using utility knife blades and playing cards, which you likely already have on hand.  I just finished my first build and went for it with no tools.  My first thought was to try and get the detente into the pin slot with the pin sideways.  This did not work and resulted in a launch of the detente.  I got lucky and my chandelier caught it.  On my second try I got it no problem.  I placed my fingers along side the spring for some control and then just compressed the spring with the take down pin.  It went right it.  I plan on doing at least one more build and plan on using the same technique.

Best of luck on your build.  If you have not, take a look at the links located here: http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_4/605350_Important_Threads__Check_Here_First.html
I really found these two links helpful:
Assemble Your Own Guides
Step by step: How to build your lower receiver

Thanks for the advice everyone. The build has been delayed a week due to the FFL here not wanting to let me pick up my lower as I am under 21 (gun shop back home wouldn't have even looked twice.) They are letting me appoint a family member to receive it, so no worries, just a few extra days on both ends.
I'll have to look in to that detent idea. I did pick up one of those $20 extra pins/springs kit (insurance: you don't think you need it until you're up the creek) as well as a full armorers tool kit, just so I know I have everything I need and my dad and I don't end up using a homemade castle nut wrench that we made from an old bumper and a cutting torch.

I'll be sure to take pictures of the build along the way, as well as the final product. If I get a chance, I'll also post its first 5 shot groupings on paper (affixed with sandbags/stabilizer).

Let the fun begin !  
My only question is why the 1-7 twist barrel ? is that so you can use the heavier bullets on those hogs?  If so, what is a good bullet weight for hogs?
I just finished my 1st build and went with a 1-8 twist. I would like to take out some hogs after seeing the destruction they are causing in my favorite Hiking area of the Upper Buffalo River Wilderness area in Northern Arkansas, but being America's 1st. national & scenic River, it's a national park with federal rules (& federal idiots). One park ranger, basically told me to use the South Park hunting method, Sounds like it's only ok to shoot if I say "it's coming right at us"  first.  Like I need a self defense plea to keep me out of trouble. Now that my gun is finished, I will have to get a better understanding of "the rules"
but I'll shoot one and then put a knife in it's paw if I have to, to help my self defense plea. :)
your hogs are probably from Georgia, just in Florida on vacation
I'm still puzzled why you have to be 21 to get the lower? I thought it was 18 for rifles and 21 for pistols? that's the way it was for me in Missouri ( 30 yrs. ago),  I always assumed that was a national thing not a state by state rule. But glad you got it figured out, these 2nd amendment rules keep changing, and I'm too old to keep up or give a crap anymore, I'll carry where ever I feel the need to carry, not where the gov. tells me it's ok!
Can't wait to see pics of the finished rifle, keep us posted
and go get those hogs.

Not to derail, I just want to understand how you are using the clevis pin?  Are putting it backwards, then  pushing in the spring and detent through the holes, turning it then pushing it out with the pivot pin?
Thanks...

I went with the 1:7 for that exact reason, heavier rounds. I've put 5 (55 gr) back to back, center of mass, and see them take off into some palmettos, never to be seen again until the buzzards come around, or they could drop on spot, depends on size/age. An old hog that is eating well and has thick shields is probably going to shrug some rounds and take off. Anything under 150 lbs can be handled with regular 62/55 gr 5.56 FMJ. The 1:7 barrel allows me to go from 55-80 gr rounds and know that they will all stabilize within the 10-200 yd ranges I will be hunting. I prefer a 77-80 gr boat tail hollow point. A heavy round that expands instead of zipping through a hog like 55 gr FMJ will, but has the weight to cut thick hog fat/muscle/bone even after initial 2 inch expansion.
Keep in mind, it is hard to take your time and aim when there are 20 of them running, so less than perfect hits must be lethal.
Also, feral hogs were introduced originally in Florida, and are still here, so something tells me they like it  
That sucks with the national park rules. We always apply the South Park method down here, even if it's just for fun.
As for the 21 to get a lower, the BATFE made that change to the 4473 back in 2011, calling a lower an "other" instead of rifle/handgun options.. "Other" requires 21, because I could be building a pistol. As if I couldn't build a pistol out of the complete rifle I bought. Gotta love technicalities of the people who control our firearms rights, as they are terrified of the big scary assault rifles that are rampaging through the nation on their own two legs, pulling their own triggers, killing us all. Either way, I found a locally operated FFL in my college town, sent my lower to them. They laughed at my issue, and promptly checked off "rifle" on the 4473. They said my rifle length upper was good enough for them. Good guys.
I'll be home this weekend and will get good pictures uploaded.

I just built my first AR (a pistol) last week and used a small pocket knife with a thin blade to hold the spring in place while sliding the front breakdown pin in place. If you're browsing Amazon for tools, I would definitely recommend spending ten bucks on a lower receiver vice block. It was, by far, the most useful specialty tool I bought for my build.

I used a razor blade for the front breakdown pin - it was easy, unlike everyone exclaimed it to be.  A vice block would be useful, but I didn't use one and my build went just fine.  All depends on how much you really want to spend.