Hi everyone, this is my first post. I've come here to be educated haha. Some background information, I shot my first gun about a year ago and I've been hooked since, been to the range a few times but it's getting expensive so I'm looking into getting my own. I don't know how a gun works but I've been doing my research and have been looking into some specific models. Last night someone suggested I build my own rifle and I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I've been reading up on it and it's something I would consider. I kind of have a LOT on my mind so this is going to be a really long thread! So it's going to sound very all over the place and rambly. I'm also going to need multiple posts apparently to say all that I want to say.

Rifles I'm looking at:
M&P 15-22
Sig 522
Ruger 10/22 (with an AR style stock kit)
Beretta CX4 Storm
Rebel Arms Renegade (small shop in PA I think, but I heard they make really awesome stuff, only in 5.56)

I'm mainly using it for target shooting. I want to get really good and get small groupings at large distances. I was going to get one in .22LR, but I fell in love with some of the more expensive rifles and I know that if I got something nicer, I would be really excited to shoot it. And if I got a .22, I know I would want something bigger in a couple years so I figure I might as well put out the money now for something I really like. My budget is about $1000 right now including optics. It was a lot less but I would rather have one really awesome (maybe expensive) rifle than multiple cheaper rifles.

I don't like that the M&P is pretty much all polymer. I don't like how it feels in my hand. I like a slightly heavier rifle that feels cold in my hands. I prefer the feel of my boyfriend's airsoft gun over the M&P.

I know a lot of people like the Sig but I'm just not a huge fan of how it looks. Plus with NJ gun laws, the stock has to be pinned, and that stock is a little too big for me. I'm a small girl, not even 5' 1". With the Rebel Arms, I can have them pin it at whichever setting I like before it gets shipped to me, so I just think it would fit me better. But I know the Sig is a great gun because everyone loves it. I would love to have the SWAT model of the Sig, but that has too short of a barrel and isn't NJ compliant. The Ruger is another option, but I would get it with maybe the Archangel stock kit, maybe the P90 Bullpup stock. I really prefer a more compact gun, and I really like AR style rifles over the hunting rifle look.

I heard lots of good things about the CX4 Storm but again, it's not really AR style. The plus is that it's a 9 mm and my boyfriend's Glock is a 9 mm, so we could just order ammo in bulk. Better yet, the JR Carbine uses the same mags as his Glock so I could even steal his mags ;). I just don't really like how the JRC looks with the Glock mag sticking out. Also didn't hear the best things about that gun.

Rebel Arms Renegade: Only comes in 5.56 which is expensive, but I could buy .223 for it, which is what I would do. The thing is, their base model is $800. $30 to pin the stock to make it NJ compliant and it's $830. The gun shop that would order it for me said $890 was their lowest, but either way you get the idea. They said that Rebel Arms really over-engineers their products, and that all of their parts are high quality, whereas the Stag Arms they had on the wall had a $5 stock, pistol grip was a "piece of crap" as they put it. The thing that gets me with it is that it's going to cost me about $1000 once I get a sight on it. This is my first gun and I was planning on spending about $600 tops... but the Rebel Arms sounds like it's really worth the money. I don't know what kind of barrel they have on it, definitely not stainless steel which I read was the best option for accuracy if you're building your own.

:( I have so many questions but I can't post more than 2000 characters at a time....

Building: This is where I have most of my questions... I'm REALLY confused as to how all of the parts work, how the manufacturers rank, etc. I read somewhere that all companies use "the same 6 OEM manufacturers" for parts? So how come the M&P lower receiver says Smith & Wesson and not any of the other manufacturers I was seeing, like Brownells, Rainier Arms, etc? I also read that the benefit to building your own is that you make it exactly the way you would want it, which would save you money if you can't find one on the market that's already made the way you would want it. But the thing is, I think I would be fine with the things on the market because if I didn't like it, I wouldn't buy it. Maybe I would upgrade the trigger and barrel if I had the money, but I think I would be fine with whatever I bought. If it's an accurate rifle and aesthetically pleasing to me, I'd probably like it just the way it is. I've been trying some of the gun builder things (like Gunstruction and the one on the Brownells site), and all of the guns I'm building are way over $1000.... and I'm not picking the most expensive parts. A stainless steel barrel is $450 in itself, and a good trigger is at least $300. That's already $700 and I still have to buy the rest of the parts! For that money, I could buy a Rebel Arms and be happy. But then I wonder exactly the quality of the Rebel Arms, maybe it's not as good quality as I think it is? A local gun shop is having an AR build class in September and I plan on attending it. It would help me learn all the parts. Another question, how do you know if parts are compatible? Something I ran into on the gun builder things was that I could pick a SS barrel, and none of the handguards that I liked were compatible. I don't want to buy a bunch of high end parts and them not fit together.

I know one of the biggest components to an accurate rifle is an accurate shooter. I've been getting consistently smaller groupings each time I go to the range so I really want to work on it. The first time I shot was 50 yards and I got maybe a 3" grouping with 10 rounds. I'm not sure how good that is but I was pretty impressed with myself lol. Anyway I want as accurate a rifle as I can get so I can improve myself. It's also important to me that the rifle isn't too heavy since I'm a small person, and I like a light trigger, and I also want one that I think looks nice.

My dream rifle is one that I saw at the gun shop by LWRC. It was the first to catch my eye as soon as I walked into the store and I asked the guy to see it, and he told me it was their most expensive rifle at $2400 (of course).

Anyway sorry for talking so much. I'm trying to learn haha. Please give me advice! I think I really want the Rebel Arms rifle so I'm leaning towards that over a smaller caliber, even though a smaller caliber would be good for a first rifle. The way I see it, if I put out $500 for a .22LR, that's $500 less that I have for a nicer rifle. If anyone can point me towards some good resources that would be great too! I've been lurking around this forum and other forums for a while and it's helped a lot. Finally decided to make an appearance.

Nothing wrong with getting a 10/22 to start with.  Hone your shooting skills on that.  Take a trip to PA to buy ammo, might be more available and easier to buy than in NJ.  A 10/22 can be upgraded with a better trigger, barrel, stock, etc.  I bought a Hornet trigger for mine, fantastic.





As far as building a rifle, a way to get into it fairly easy, is to get a rifle "kit", from a place like Palmetto State Armory.  Here's a couple examples....





http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/2279/





This one I like...





http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/psa-16-stainless-mid-length-1-7-freedom-rifle-kit.html





All you'd need to get is magazines and a stripped lower receiver.  You'll need some punches, bass/plastic hammer, basic hand tools, and that's about it to install all the parts on the lower.  Might have to pin the stock or something in NJ, though.  But a stripped lower from PSA is $50-80, or look locally to see if you can buy one in NJ.  I know I can get them all day here in western NY.





That 1/7 mid stainless freedom kit seems like a good deal... anyone else have an opinion?



ETA: PSA also has the Ruger 10/22 with the Lasermax laser for $220... so, there ya go.
 

Steph,

Welcome, and congratulations on your decision to acquire your own rifle!  You raised a bunch of points, including some that I don't know anything about, but I'll address what I can in the hope that it will be helpful.  Note that I know nothing at all about NJ's laws, other than that they're not very gun-friendly.

You've mentioned .22LR and .223 in a way that makes me uncertain if you understand that they're completely different cartridges, albeit with the same diameter bullet.  The .22 LR is a low-power rimfire cartridge.  It's relatively inexpensive (though less so than it recently has been), has very little recoil, and cannot be reloaded.  The .223 (nearly identical to the 5.56) is a higher-power, centerfire cartridge.  Its bullets are typically heaver (36-40 grains is typical for .22 LR; 55+ grains for .223), and they travel much faster.  It is quite a bit more expensive, but it can be reloaded.  Depending on your definitions of "small groups" and "long distances", the .223 is very likely to be the better choice.  Depending on your definitions of those terms, you may be better off with a completely different caliber like 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC, but that's probably an issue for another time.

If you want an AR-pattern rifle, you have several choices: you can buy a factory-made rifle, you can have one custom-built by a gunsmith, you can have a factory rifle customized by a gunsmith, or you can build all or part of it yourself.  If you want to build part of the rifle, you don't have to build the whole thing--it's pretty common, for example, to assemble your own lower group and attach a pre-built upper group to it.  This is what I've done with most of my ARs.

Assembling an AR lower group is pretty easy, and requires a minimum of special tools (roll pin punches, and a special wrench if you are using a carbine stock).  The upper can be a bit more involved, and calls for more (and more expensive) special tools.  There are lots of videos on Youtube on assembling ARs, and it'd probably be worth your time to watch some of them.  There's also a guide on this very site at http://www.ar15.com/content/guides/assembly/lower/.

It's correct that there are relatively few companies who actually manufacture AR lowers.  Many of those companies will make lowers for other companies, marking them with the other company's information under ATF approval.

I hope this is helpful.

I'm so sorry your are still in NJ, I left so many friends there.
Oh, they call it Black Rifle Disease. You have it, there is no cure.

Seriously, don't bother with a .22. If you're going to offend the neighbors, and you are going to offend the neighbors, go whole hog, and get an AR-15. I've never heard of Rebel Arms. I'd trust Stag any day. They are the retail arm of Continental Machine Tool, who made lower receivers for Colt for years. I suspect this: as a female, walking into a local gun shop in NJ, it's like going to a mechanic for your car. They are going to try to screw you. I've lived in NJ for the first 32 years of my life, I have no reason to lie to you. Stag carries a lifetime warranty. Colt is another good choice, if you can get it. To reject a rifle as a piece of junk for the grip is the reason I say this. No one, I mean no one, keeps the original grip on their AR. It's changed by one screw, and rejecting any rifle because the grip is a POS is a dead cert indicator they do NOT have your interests at heart. I know the need to buy is great, but keep looking, keep asking questions before laying out money for anything. You are not going to build a rifle for less than what you buy a whole rifle for. Unless you go PSA, and they won't ship to NJ based on another thread here recently.

I should mention I have a S&W 15/22. I walk the dog with it every.single.morning. We scare deer by walking, discourage dog hating coyotes with it, and murder skunks. Do not get the Performance Center version if you go this route. It will not take Stingers. Although you may not be able to get Stingers in NJ, so I guess that won't matter. My non Performance Center version loves Stingers, and really loves Winchester hollow points. I don't think I've ever shot a round nose bullet from it. It's as accurate as my Marlin 60, maybe better.

What part of NJ are you in? I shoot at almost all of the clubs in the state so I may be able to point you in a good direction. If you join a club, most members will be glad to help you out as far as helping you chose a firearm that suits your needs, wants and the limits of the range where you will most likely shoot it.

steph713, I just thought of another option for you. I built my son a dedicated .22lr between last Christmas and this spring (the height of inflated prices due to the gun scare) and it cost me about $850. I did use really nice parts so I'm not complaining. My point is, you could build one like that and later on you can build, or buy, a .223 upper and now you have 2 really nice rifles. Just a thought.  
PS: depending on your location I am willing to offer any help you may need. Also let me know if you and your boyfriend need a place to shoot. I don't get out as often as I'd like but I may be able to get you to a range that you will not have to pay for.

Wow Bullseye100 you are awesome!! I'm mostly in central Jersey, my boyfriend and I go to RTSP in Randolph, which is kind of far and we pay about $45 for a port alone. A friend of mine suggested Gun for Hire in Paterson, said he has a buddy who works there but I haven't been there yet. The other places I've shot at were private properties in NY and OH so didn't have to pay for those obviously. I might consider building a gun like you did for your son. My concern with .22LR is that the ammo is hard to find, hard to buy in bulk I think? A lot of places restrict you on how many boxes you can buy. I could just go store to store picking up ammo 1-2 boxes at a time but I'd really like to just order 1000 or so rounds online. Rebel Arms is a small company and all of their guns are hand assembled. Not many people have heard of them. Here's their website if you haven't already looked them up. They have really good reviews on Facebook. http://rebelarms.com/ The guys at the gun shop told me that if I were to buy a gun from another manufacturer that was the same quality as one from Rebel Arms, I would be paying a lot more. I think the guy has one himself, and when I walked in there were two guys and I think their dad (?) and they had the base model Rebel Arms that I was looking at. Really neat looking gun. If what they say is true, and I don't know if I'm just being naive, I would trust something from Rebel Arms. I like how their guns look, I like how they feel, and if they're good quality I think it would be worth it. I figured it I bought one from them, which would be 5.56, I would use .223 ammo to save some money.

I'm in South Jersey, so not that close. But, If you want to take a ride, just let me know. As far as Gun For Hire, they are nice guys but they are a business. You would be better served joining a "club" like Central Jersey Gun Club or Citizens Gun Club. Maybe even Cherry Ridge. These types of clubs are non-profits as compared to someone running a business. My club is very private so I don't want to name it, although it can be found on the internet. We pay dues but the members are essentially the owners of the club. This type of environment will yield a lot more free help and you will have a place to shoot.

Some of the cheapest 5.56/.223 ammo I've seen lately has been 5.56. .223 isn't necessarily gonna be cheaper.