First off - thanks to the folks on this forum who regularly share their knowledge with building these guns. I've read more posts than I care to admit, but the insights (and the humor) are both much appreciated. I thought it was only fair for me to share my first build with the interwebs, so here goes...

I started with the barrel selection and wanted to have something that I could use for hunting coyotes and fox in the midwest where shots are usually less than 500 yards (more like 200-300). I was willing to splurge a little on this main component and planned to keep costs down on pretty much everything else. I debated between some of the higher end options from Ballistic Advantage, LaRue Tactical and White Oak Armament. After speaking with each company on the phone I decided to go with WOA and was also happy to support an Illinois-based firearm company since the state is doing its best to eliminate them. The one I chose was their mid-weight 223 Wylde 20" stainless in 1:8 twist. I wanted to get full velocity from my varmint rounds slinging 50-55 grain V-max, and also wanted to be able to use heavier rounds for hogs, deer, or longer range target work. I liked that they didn't charge extra for the M4 feed ramps (unlike LaRue) and I got the barrel during their year-end sale for $240 (incl. ship and tax). I capped it off with one of WOA's stainless thread protectors to match the barrel correctly.

[don't mind me - I have a 2000 character limit on each post so it'll take me a couple to get the full thing posted]

After getting the barrel, I started to pile up all of the other stuff I needed, again remembering that I wanted to keep cost down. I went with Anderson Manufacturing for their stripped "slick side" upper, stripped lower with built-in trigger guard, and their lower parts kit with stainless trigger. For the grip I went with Ergo's SureGrip to get something with a little tackiness and it wasn't that expensive.

It seemed like the most cost-effective way to get a good trigger without popping for a fancy drop-in was to use a grip screw with trigger adjusting set screw, plus a set of JP's 3.5# replacement trigger springs. I added a dab of oil on the sear surface and it feels amazing - very crisp and probably right around 4.0 - 4.5 lbs.

I opted for the A2 buttstock since I'm using this rifle mostly for hunting and I like the "rifle like" look compared with the collapsible versions. I found a cheap version that included the buffer assembly and it has worked out well.

For the handguard, I wanted to go with something free-floating for accuracy's sake, but I didn't need a full quad-rail. I found a knock-off brand called Presma and picked up one of their 15" free-floating guards which included the barrel nut and a package of m-lok rail pieces. I really like this guard and would definitely but it again. The only trick was that this older version required me to time the barrel nut so the handguard aligned with the top-rail from the upper receiver. Their newer versions don't require timing, but are a little more expensive.

I snagged an inexpensive rifle-length gas tube along with a decent bolt carrier group. The BCG I purchased was black but I wish I would have gone with nickel or silver to match the barrel and trigger. Next time :-) I was convinced that I needed an adjustable gas block so I started there, but I ended up having a lot of cycling issues, even when it was fully open. I think there may have been some quality control issues with that block, so I sent it back and then tried a stainless clamp-on block. Unfortunately, that one was just a tiny bit too large for the low-profile handguard, so that one got sent back too. I ended up with a simple low-pro block from Odin and it worked perfectly. Based on the ejected brass landing at around 4:30 it would appear that the WOA barrel doesn't suffer from being over-gassed like I read some other barrels are (e.g. LaRue). Anyways, it doesn't really matter now because IL still doesn't allow suppressors :-(

Finally, I slapped on a Presma ambidextrous charging handle, a one-piece scope mount by UTG, and a Nikon M223 4-16x Nikoplex scope that I had on another rifle. Once I got the cycling issue taken care of, I started to play around with different ammo to see what shot best. So far, I'm seeing my best results at about 0.6 MOA groups at 200 yards with Fiocchi V-Max 50gr'ers. I'll keep testing other options to see if anything else works better, but this will be my go-to predator load to start.

As far as tools, the two items I found most useful, that I didn't have laying around, and that are not very expensive were (1) roll-pin starter punches from Squirrel Daddy and (2) a barrel extension vice tool from KZ, which is a knock off from the Geissele Reaction Rod. After I used these tools (for about 5 minutes each) I was able to sell them on Ebay to recoup the cost, since I don't expect to be building more AR's.

All in, including shipping, taxes and the FFL transfer fee ($60 in IL now thanks to our new governor's ridiculous tax on FFL licensees), and net of my Ebay sales, I ended up at $706 for this rifle. I am very happy with the way it turned out; it looks great and shoots very well so far. As a first-timer it was super easy to put this all together and there are thousands of threads here and videos on YouTube for literally every phase of assembly and any issue you might encounter along the way. The only trouble I had was with the gas block and I think that was a fluke issue; I also should have started with a standard block and saved the adjustable block for down the road if/when we can use suppressors in IL. It was a lot of fun and there's a sense of pride when you take a homemade build to the range and see how well it shoots. If you haven't done one before, I highly recommend!

TL/DR, but my White Oak barrels have been great.

Nice overall set up there OP. Personally I think you've got a bit of overkill on the scope, but if it makes you happy, run with it. The rest of it seems to be solid, and 0.6 moa at 200 yards is solid in my book. Well done. Decent rifle at a significantly less than insane boutique prices. Proves IT CAN BE DONE.

Flame suit on.

Thank you! Ya, the scope is a little much for coyotes but it'll come in hand when I go after prairie dogs. I'm trying to talk my buddies into building their own guns now. I'll probably do a 300 BLK upper when I can purchase a suppressor in Illinois... and when I can afford a thermal scope for hogs ;-)

My White Oak barrels shoot lights out.  Post some groups once you have a chance to take it for a test drive

Looks good!

Good restraint and good selections equals a great cost effective rifle.