I really appreciate everyone's input. I said I wanted either the M&P Sport II or the Ruger 556-- I didnt really want to hear how I could build one cheaper, but I got that anyway...and for the I am grateful.  I just could not settle on which one to pick, and I think that may have been my gut telling me...or maybe just gas, but either way, I got an excellent deal on a complete upper and lower parts kit, a small parts kit (which I needed), and 5 mags for $500. Out of ten local shops, I finally found a lower stripped Anderson.  They are cake to put together. It wasn't hard at all.

When I got to the gun shop to get my lower, I got an earfull from one of the owners; a sexual intellectual of sorts (a f**king know-it-all). He tried to tell me what a mistake it was to piece it together from these online places and that they wouldnt be any better than what he carries--and he carried everything needed to build one from scratch for under $700-800. He said mil-spec is mils-spec and there is absolutely no quality difference between the Ruger, S&W, and what I purchased. I wasn't going to argue. I knew that what I had was better! Better metal. Better BCG. Better barrel. And there is some pride in "building" it. Now, the only thing I need is a rear sight. I don't care if it's a magpul or not. It's a SHTF rifle. So practical is ideal. There are SOME local, but they are $90 or more. Any ideas? Anyone here have a stock one they removed that they'd be willing to sell? Anyway, in the end, I am glad I made the choice I did. Thanks again to eveyone for their insight.

Trying to figure out how to add a pic...

Host the pic on a photo hosting site, and post the link.  It won't display until you have 50 posts.  Post the link, and someone will post the pic for you.

First, congratulations OP!  There are few things as satisfying as building your own rifle.

For a rear sight, check out Primary Arms.  They are currently running a Halloween sale and you should be able to pick up a Magpul MBUS rear sight (or something similar) for a decent price.  
They ship stupid fast, too.

Congrats!

It's a great feeling building your first AR and it's addictive.  You get another lower.. then you get another buffer tube.. LOL  
 

I need to find a better photo hosting site because Tiny pic won't show up for some reason.



As far as Primary Arms I can also give them a shout out because my last 3 AR's were built from parts and yes indeed they ship super fast. There sales emails have great deals and I try to wait for them before ordering magazines etc.

Congrats! A list of what you got would be cool too!