Hello, I‘m looking at buying my first AR type rifle.  I think I have decided on a A3 with a 20” barrel.  I would like to have the experience of putting it together myself.  But, I wonder if it wouldn’t be cheaper to just buy a fully built one.  So I guess the question is should I build it myself or just go buy one?  Any Ideas?
Hammerli Shooter

If you are the least bit mechanically inclined I highly recommend building it yourself.  Stick with quality parts, and use the manuals which are available for downloading, and a little advise from this board and you won't go wrong.  One word of caution, I wouldn't recommend building if your main reason is to save money.  Yes you can buy kits that are much cheaper than an off the shelf Bushmaster for example but you will probably have problems.  If you buy good parts, and tools you will probably come out about the same in price as a fully built one.  Main reasons to build it  yourself are knowledge gained, pride, and you can make a configuration that is not available off the shelf.  

I would recommend purchasing all Bushmaster parts from ED at Gunsmoke ent.  I built up a PWA lower with a Bushmaster A1M4 upper, and have been very pleased with the results.  As a matter of fact my next AR purchase will probably be an A3 with 20" gov't profile barrel.  I highly recommend that barrel as it saves about a pound of weight and makes the rifle balance so much better, in fact it will weigh less than a 16" HBAR.

Coastie makes a good case for building an AR yourself.  A few years ago this would not be advisable unless you were experienced with ARs.  Today almost all companies offering AR parts and kits prebuild the upper assembly so the hard part is already done.  Completing the lower assembly is not difficult but a bit challenging in some spots - good documentation is a must for your first build or you will become frustrated quickly.

In any case - you will love the AR-15.  It is one of the finest weapons ever designed and it has been battle proven over many years now.

Enjoy!!!

[sniper]
[b]The Sniper

Welcome to the boards, and roger that on Bushmaster.  I'd use all Bushmaster parts, including lower rec.  Keep the trouble in the family, makes troubleshooting less likely and easier later on.  
 Watch out for the BS around here, it sometimes seems like the BSHTF!!  Seriously, the AR is the most ergonomic rifle ever built, and a gas to shoot.  [uzi]

Hey guys, the least we can do if we offer a fellow AR15 fanatic advise is to post the URL for the "pre ban" AR15 web site. At least until GoatBoy get the links working!

HammerliShooter,
Please surf these web pages! Lots of good info there! Check out the directories on the left side of the page.
[url]http://old.ar15.com[/url]

buy one, bushmaster[:)]

I myself would recommend buying an "out of the box" Bushmaster as a first gun...

The quality of a Bushmaster will be a good example for you to follow, and compare to WHEN you build a second gun...

I recently picked up an XM15 E2S 20" HBAR Bushmaster...
I added a Hogue pistol grip, a 3.5lb lead weight to the buttstock, and a home made muzzle brake...

This is absolutely the nicest shooting AR-15 I've owned yet...
The gun shoots so soft,I could let my 5yr old daughter shoot it...
The muzzle does not climb or jump at all & the extra weight in the stock eliminates ALL recoil...

Bushmaster knows how to make guns...    

If you would like to build it yourself, you should but I will suggest that you buy the upper receiver with the barrel already installed and headspaced.

All the rest of the stuff that needs to be done could be figured out easily.

One[size=6][b][red] very[/size=6][/b][/red] important thing to remember, always have an elevated support for the trigger guard part of the lower when installing the pin on the plastic piece of the trigger guard. If you will not do so, there is a very good chance that this part will break off.

I have a pre-Bushmaster(factory assembled), and a Oly CAR15 A2s with 16 BBL.  I only one hard part, at least to me, was assembling the detents for the push pins.  I ending up losing one of those detents even though I had that funny looking tool.  If you buy the lower from bushmaster and the internal parts, they will assemble it for you free.

Have you considered the LEGP. It is a great rifle at a great price. It will be my first AR. Check it out at:

[url]http://www.ar15.com/forums/announcement.html?id=15#lastPost[/url]

Buy your first one, if not the LEGP (great deal), then get a Bushmaster for sure. I have a hbar 20" myself...outstanding shooter. Price is not that bad if you shop around.

Thank you for the advice.  I think I will most likely build one myself.  More to get the experience than to save money.  I was reading on the Bushmaster web site and see that they offer entire kits minus the lower receiver.  Are these a good way to go?
Hammerli Shooter

Buy a complete rifle for a first AR.  If you want to really "get to know" it, you can always disassemble it then reassemble it.  But it's best to have a functional firearm to start with so you don't get frustrated with AR ownership.